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Jazz Chisholm Jr. will play third base if Yankees need him: 'I'm a team guy'

With Jazz Chisholm Jr. set to return from his oblique injury soon, the question of which position the young slugger will play has come up. Yankees manager Aaron Boone told the media that they want Chisholm Jr. to give the team flexibility and the infielder started at third base on Thursday night in his first rehab start with Double-A Somerset.

Chisholm Jr. began the 2025 season exclusively as the team's second baseman with the departure of Gleyber Torres but the Yankees didn't anticipate the injuries that would happen. Aside from Chisholm being sidelined for a month, Oswaldo Cabrera, the team's starting third baseman out of spring training, will miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury.

That has left Boone and the organization with some decisions to make and it seems like Chisholm Jr. will be asked to move back to the hot corner.

"[Boone] told me he wanted me at third base. He really wanted me at third base. I'm a team guy. I'm here to win a ring. I'm not here to fight over positions," Chisholm said about playing third base after his rehab game. "We've got some of the best players in the world on our team...I'm just here to help us win."

Prior to the 2024 season, Chisholm Jr. had played third base in a professional game, whether in the majors in minors. When the Yankees acquired him at the trade deadline last year, Torres was not receptive to moving, so Chisholm Jr. was asked and accepted the move to third base. He played 45 regular season games at third base for the Yankees and the entire postseason run in 2024.

“I always wanted to play third. That’s why I liked playing third last year," Chisholm said. "I grew up as an A-Rod fan, wore 13, 3 all the time as a kid... I always thought it was a fun position to try and play. All reaction."

Before being sidelined, Chisholm Jr. was struggling at the plate. He was hitting just .181 but had seven home runs in 30 games. He also had three errors playing second base in 29 games this season -- he had seven playing third in 45 games a year ago. Perhaps this time away can reset his bat when he returns. He had two hits and reached base three times in his game on Thursday.

Chisholm Jr. said he thinks he'll only need one or two more rehab games before he feels ready to be activated. Once he does, the Yankees will need to make room for him. If Chisholm Jr. becomes the everyday third baseman, that leaves second base to DJ LeMahieu and either Oswald Peraza or Jorbit Vivas.

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Brunson, Towns carry Knicks to 111-94 victory that cuts Pacers' series lead to 3-2

NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 13 rebounds despite a bruised left knee and the New York Knicks stayed alive in the Eastern Conference finals by beating the Indiana Pacers 111-94 on Thursday night in Game 5.

The Knicks won on their home floor for the first time in the series and prevented the Pacers from earning the second NBA Finals trip in franchise history. Indiana will try again Saturday night at home.

Knicks fans chanted “Knicks in 7! Knicks in 7!” in the final minutes as New York extended its first trip to the conference finals since 2000 and kept alive hopes of becoming the 14th team to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series. No team has won a conference finals series after dropping the first two games at home.

Two nights after giving up 43 points in the first quarter, the Knicks held the Pacers to just 45 in the first half and limited Tyrese Haliburton, who had 32 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds Tuesday, to just eight points and six assists.

Brunson, outplayed by his point guard counterpart Tuesday, rebounded with his franchise-record 20th postseason game of 30 or more points with the Knicks.

Bennedict Mathurin scored 23 points off the bench for the Pacers, who had won six straight road games. Indiana shot just 40.5% from the field in by far its lowest-scoring game of the postseason.

Brunson scored 14 in the first quarter as the Knicks held a 27-23 lead - giving up 20 fewer points than in the first quarter of Game 4, when they trailed 43-35.

Towns, who was questionable to play after hurting his left knee in a collision late in Game 4, picked up the slack with 12 in the second, when Brunson was scoreless.

Brunson came back with the Knicks’ first eight of the third quarter as they opened a 20-point lead midway through the period. The Pacers cut that in half before New York regained control with a 12-0 burst, highlighted by Brunson’s four-point play, to make it 86-64.

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Schedule set for 2025 Stanley Cup Final rematch between Panthers and Oilers

The schedule has been set for the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

Game 1 between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will be Wednesday, June 4 at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

Florida’s first two home games will be on Monday, June 9 and Thursday, June 12.

Interestingly, the NHL strayed from its usual setup of one day between games in the same city and two days between games that require travel.

That’s likely due to the NBA Finals having a game already scheduled for Wednesday, June 11.

As a result, the NHL apparently decided in lieu of extending the series an extra day, there would only be one day off between Game 4 in Sunrise and Game 5 in Edmonton.

All games will air on TNT in the United States and each has an 8 p.m. puck drop.

The full schedule can be seen below:

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Photo caption: Dec 16, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Florida Panthers defensemen Dmitry Kulikov (7) tries to tie up Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) during the third period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

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Defiant Knicks keep season alive with Game 5 win over Pacers in East finals

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) scores against the Indiana Pacers during the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.Photograph: Adam Hunger/AP

The Madison Square Garden crowd had waited all week for a spark. On Thursday night, they got a firestorm. With their season dangling by a thread, the New York Knicks delivered a wire-to-wire 111–94 beatdown of the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, keeping their playoff hopes alive and forcing a Game 6 in Indianapolis on Saturday.

Jalen Brunson scored 32 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 13 rebounds – despite a bruised left knee that had left his status uncertain until shortly before tipoff – as the Knicks trimmed the Pacers’ lead to 3–2 in the best-of-seven-games series and gave their home fans something to believe in.

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“It was do or die,” Towns said. “Nothing was going to stop me from playing this game.”

Brunson, held in check during a blowout loss in Game 4, bounced back in familiar fashion. He dropped 14 points in the first quarter alone, finishing 12-of-18 from the field and adding four assists in his 21st career playoff game with 30 or more points, extending a Knicks franchise record he set last week.

“We were just able to get stops early and we would convert,” Brunson said. “We just found a way.”

New York never trailed, flipping the script after a week of frustration that had included two home losses, one unprecedented collapse and a series deficit that left them staring down elimination. But the Game 5 version of the Knicks looked far more like the team that had been among the class of the East all year: tough, urgent, together.

The defense set the tone early. After surrendering 43 points in the first quarter of Game 4, the Knicks gave up just 23 in the opening frame Thursday and held Indiana to 45 at the intermission. Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers’ star playmaker who had posted a 30-point triple-double two nights earlier, was held to just eight points on 2-of-7 shooting with six assists.

“He didn’t get the same looks,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “Give their defense credit. They had a lot to do with that.”

Indiana’s other weapons couldn’t make up the difference. Bennedict Mathurin led the team with 23 points off the bench, but the Pacers as a whole struggled to find their rhythm. Game 2 hero Pascal Siakam had 15. Obi Toppin added 11. As a team, they shot just 40.5% from the field and coughed up 19 turnovers.

“We didn’t play with the level of force that we needed to,” Carlisle said. “To start the game, we didn’t have the right level of attitude necessary in this environment. It was a bad start.”

It was also the first time in these playoffs Indiana, who came in with a six-game road win streak, had been held under 100 points. After taking a 3-1 series lead on Tuesday’s behind Haliburton’s latest masterclass, the Pacers had looked like a team on the cusp of their second ever NBA finals appearance. But on Thursday, they looked rattled from the jump and New York took complete advantage.

Brunson keyed a 23–13 start in the first quarter, and when the Pacers briefly cut the deficit to four, the Knicks responded with a 14–2 second-quarter run to stretch their lead to 48–34. Towns, who scored 12 points in the period, helped New York take a 56–45 lead into half-time.

In the third, the Knicks poured it on. Brunson scored their first eight points of the quarter to build a 20-point cushion. Though Indiana briefly clawed back to within 10, a 12–0 New York run – capped by a Brunson four-point play and a Miles McBride jumper – restored order. By the time the fourth quarter began, the Knicks were up 90–73.

From there, the Garden crowd could begin to dream in full throat. Fans chanted “Knicks in seven! Knicks in seven!” as the home team closed the show, leading by as many as 20 and never letting Indiana seriously threaten down the stretch.

Josh Hart finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges added 11 and 12 points respectively. More than just scoring, though, it was the Knicks’ collective urgency and defensive cohesion that defined Game 5.

“We played to our standards,” Brunson said. “That’s what it’s going to take.”

With Thursday’s win, the Knicks extended their first trip to the conference finals since 2000 and moved one step closer to history. Only 13 teams in NBA history have overturned a 3–1 series deficit, with none having done it in a conference finals after losing the first two games at home.

Game 6 will be played Saturday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Pacers will have another chance to clinch their first NBA finals berth since 2000, when they bowed to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. But if the Knicks can replicate Thursday’s effort, they will bring it back to the Garden for a winner-take-all Game 7 that few would have imagined just days ago.

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Oilers Have Big Opportunity In Cup Final Rematch

Connor McDavid (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

EDMONTON – They could smell the blood in the water.

The Edmonton Oilers forced the Dallas Stars back against the wall. Heading into Thursday night’s Game 5, they held a 3-1 edge in the series.

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

They’ve now steamrolled through three different formidable opponents: the Los Angeles Kings, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Stars. But that’s not enough for Connor McDavid and the Oilers.

Now, they get an opportunity for retribution and redemption. Now, they get their chance to defeat the Florida Panthers and hoist the Stanley Cup.

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On Thursday, the Oilers chased starting goalie Jake Oettinger after scoring two goals on their first two shots of the game. Then, shortly after, Jeff Skinner scored his first career playoff goal.

It takes a team to win a playoff series. The Oilers wouldn’t be where they are without the services of Zach Hyman, Jake Walman, Brett Kulak, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Kasperi Kapanen, and Calvin Pickard.

Defense wins championships – but so does depth.

The Oilers have the opportunity to do something that hasn’t been done by a Canadian team in 32 years, and that’s win the Stanley Cup.

It won’t be easy, but nothing worth working for ever is.

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Oilers To Face Panthers Again In Cup Final, But NHL History Suggests This Time Could Be Different

As the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Dallas Stars on Thursday in a 6-3 Game 5 victory, they advanced to the Stanley Cup final for the second straight year. This confirms a Cup final rematch from last season between the Oilers and the Florida Panthers.

Last season’s Cup final was one for the ages. After Florida took a 3-0 series lead, Edmonton pushed back and won three games in a row, forcing a winner-take-all Game 7. The Panthers went on to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

However, the Oilers get a shot at redemption this time around, and history suggests they have a pretty good chance at being the first Canadian team to win the Cup since 1993.

The last time the NHL saw a finals rematch was in 2008 and 2009 between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings. 

The Red Wings got the best of the Penguins in their first matchup, winning the series in six games. In the following season, the Penguins defeated the Wings in seven games, and both teams won their respective Cups on the road.

Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby won his first Cup in their rematch against Detroit, leading the NHL with 15 goals in those playoffs. His 31 points in 24 games were the second-most in the post-season, with only teammate and Conn Smythe winner Evgeni Malkin had more with 36 points.

Wayne Gretzky won his first Stanley Cup in the same fashion as Crosby did, and Connor McDavid could potentially do the same this year. 

Connor McDavid reacts after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars during the second period in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final. (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

From 1980 to 1983, the New York Islanders won the Cup four straight times, and the Oilers were the last team they beat during that dynasty. The next season, the Oilers had another crack at the Isles to stop them from winning their fifth straight championship.

The Oilers were successful in the rematch and were awarded the 1984 Stanley Cup. Gretzky scored 13 goals and 22 assists, recording 35 points in 19 playoff games.

It fits the script if McDavid wins his first Cup the same way Crosby and Gretzky did, but we will just have to see what happens when the Oilers and Panthers face off in Game 1 on June 4.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

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Angels slugger Mike Trout is expected to be activated off the injured list on Friday, AP source says

CLEVELAND (AP) Mike Trout is expected to be activated off the injured list on Friday before the Los Angeles Angels face the Cleveland Guardians, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on Thursday on condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced.

The Angels have an open roster spot after Matthew Lugo was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday.

Trout hasn’t played since April 30, when he left the game against the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning with soreness in his left knee eventually diagnosed as a bone bruise. The three-time American League MVP had two operations last year on the knee after tearing his meniscus.

The 33-year-old Trout has missed 26 straight games after playing in the Angels' first 29 this season. The Halos (25-30) are beginning a six-game trip and have dropped five straight.

Trout was hitting .179 with nine home runs, 18 RBIs and a .727 OPS before being placed on the injured list. He did some base running and faced a minor league pitcher during the Angels' recent series at home against the New York Yankees.

Trout has missed 404 of the Angels’ 664 games - almost 61% - since May 17, 2021, when he tore his calf muscle and was sidelined for the rest of that season. This is the fifth straight year the slugger has had a stint of at least 25 games on the IL.

He missed five weeks of the 2022 season with a back injury, and all but one game after July 3 in 2023 after he broke a bone in his hand on a foul ball. Trout played in 29 games last season before the meniscus injury.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

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Report: Angels slugger Mike Trout is expected to be activated off the injured list on Friday

CLEVELAND — Mike Trout is expected to be activated off the injured list on Friday before the Los Angeles Angels face the Cleveland Guardians, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on Thursday on condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced.

The Angels have an open roster spot after Matthew Lugo was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday.

Trout hasn’t played since April 30, when he left the game against the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning with soreness in his left knee eventually diagnosed as a bone bruise. The three-time American League MVP had two operations last year on the knee after tearing his meniscus.

The 33-year-old Trout has missed 26 straight games after playing in the Angels' first 29 this season. The Halos (25-30) are beginning a six-game trip and have dropped five straight.

Trout was hitting .179 with nine home runs, 18 RBIs and a .727 OPS before being placed on the injured list. He did some base running and faced a minor league pitcher during the Angels' recent series at home against the New York Yankees.

Trout has missed 404 of the Angels’ 664 games - almost 61% - since May 17, 2021, when he tore his calf muscle and was sidelined for the rest of that season. This is the fifth straight year the slugger has had a stint of at least 25 games on the IL.

He missed five weeks of the 2022 season with a back injury, and all but one game after July 3 in 2023 after he broke a bone in his hand on a foul ball. Trout played in 29 games last season before the meniscus injury.

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Florida Panthers will face Edmonton Oilers in Stanley Cup Final rematch

The 2024 Stanley Cup Final, the series so nice we’re playing it twice.

That’s the result of the two conference finals that ended over the past couple evenings.

First, it was Florida punching their ticket to the Final with a 5-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday night in Raleigh.

Then on Thursday, the Oilers completed their five-game series win over the Dallas Stars with a 6-3 victory at American Airlines Center.

As if last season’s seven-game marathon wasn’t entertaining enough, now we get to do it all again, and it’s very possible that both teams are even better this year than they were in 2024.

During the regular season, the Panthers and Oilers met twice, once in the other’s barn.

Florida won both games, a pair of exciting, one-goal affairs.

The first meeting was in Edmonton back in December, a 6-5 Panthers win, and then again in Sunrise in late February by a final score of 4-3.

In the first game, Florida came back from a 4-2 second period deficit, scoring three goals in the third while breaking a pair of ties to earn the two points.

There was no comeback needed when the two Finalists met in South Florida a couple months later, as Florida scored first and never trailed, again outscoring the Oilers in the third period en route to the win.

Leading the Panthers in points during the two games against Edmonton was Anton Lundell, with a goal and four assist.

Each of Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad each logged three points against the Oilers: Verhaeghe scored twice and Reinhart once, while all of Ekblad’s points were assists.

Looking at how each team has done so far during the postseason, it’s no big surprised they are facing each other again.

The Cats and Oilers are the two highest scoring teams in the postseason, with Edmonton averaging 3.93 goals per game and Florida putting up 3.88.

Defensively, Florida has been the stingiest team in the playoffs, allowing just 2.29 goals per game. Edmonton isn’t far behind, giving up 2.80.

The power plays for each team are ranked 1-2, with the Oilers executing at a 29.0% success rate and the Panthers holding a respectable 23.2%.

Florida’s penalty kill is now the top unit in the playoffs, having successfully wiped-out 87.9 percent of their opponents power plays.

Edmonton’s kill hasn’t been nearly as effective, operating at a 66.7% success rate.

We’ll see how all this plays out when the Stanley Cup Final begins next week.

Game 1 is set for Wednesday, June 4 in Edmonton.

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Photo caption: Jun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) defends against Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) during the third period in game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

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Knicks stave off elimination with 111-94 win over Pacers in Game 5 of Eastern Conference Finals

The Knicks led from start to finish and by as many as 22 points, fighting off elimination in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals with a 111-94 win over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Jalen Brunson set the tone early in the first quarter, making two quick buckets and finding Mitchell Robinson for an alley-oop jam. Karl-Anthony Towns (knee contusion), who was listed as questionable, missed his first couple of shots but hit a three-pointer and scored inside to ignite the Knicks. Brunson then made back-to-back three-pointers, giving him 12 points already, as the Knicks took a 23-12 lead with 4:23 left in the first quarter.

Indiana closed the quarter on a 10-2 run as New York held onto a 27-23 lead. Brunson had 14 points on an efficient 6-for-9 shooting, while Tyrese Haliburton had just two points (0-for-2 shooting) and the Pacers shot 36.8 percent (7-for-19) as a team. The Knicks won the turnover battle (one to the Pacers' three), but were outrebounded 12-10.

-- With Brunson on the bench, Towns opened the second quarter aggressively with a floater followed by an and-one layup. Despite hobbling, Towns grabbed the team's first offensive rebound, scored again, and then found an open Miles McBride for three on the next possession to go up 37-32. Towns and the Knicks grew the lead to 50-36 with contributions from Landry Shamet and Josh Hart. But the Pacers didn't fold, as Jarace Walker and Benedict Mathurin both hit three-pointers to cut the deficit to single-digits before the half.

New York outscored Indiana by seven points in the second quarter, taking a 56-45 lead into halftime. Towns had 17 points and 10 rebounds at the break (+17 in 19 minutes), while Brunson was held scoreless in the second quarter. Haliburton didn't make a basket, scoring just four points on foul shots. New York took a commanding 25-18 lead in the rebound column, but turned it over six times in the second quarter.

-- Brunson came out of the locker room firing with the team's first eight points of the third quarter and Robinson secured an offensive rebound plus the putback to go up 16 points. Towns and OG Anunoby extended the lead to 72-52, their biggest lead of the series. However, turnovers continued to be a problem for NY and then Towns picked up his fourth foul with 6:24 left in the third quarter, forcing him to the bench.

-- Down 74-62 with about four minutes remaining in the third, Rick Carlisle opted for the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy on Robinson, who missed both free throws. Tom Thibodeau didn't let Indiana keep that up, subbing in Precious Achiuwa for Robinson with Towns in foul trouble. Looking to stop the Pacers' mini-run, Brunson drilled a pull-up three-pointer, plus the foul on former Knick Obi Toppin, to give him 16 points in the third quarter alone and 30 total for the game. Achiuwa's layup and McBride's jumper capped off a 12-0 NY run and pushed the lead to 86-64.

Mikal Bridges nailed a mid-range jump shot with 1.1 seconds left in the third to give the Knicks a 90-73 lead heading into the fourth quarter. New York won the third quarter, 34-28. Halliburton's quiet night continued with just one basket in the third quarter.

-- T.J. McConnell, Pascal Siakam and Walker tried to step up with Halliburton on the bench, helping the Pacers go on a 9-0 run early in the final frame and cut into the Knicks' lead. Brunson and Towns had enough left in the tank to keep it going, as the duo both scored to go up 106-90 and become the first pair of teammates since the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in 2002 to each have 20+ points in the first five games of a conference finals.

The benches emptied for the final minute and a half, as New York held on for the 111-94 win and forced a Game 6. The Knicks held the Pacers to under 100 points, which is the first time Indiana has been held under the century mark in these playoffs.

-- Towns finished a game-high +26 with 24 points on 50 percent shooting, 13 rebounds, and three assists. Bridges had 12 points, Anunoby had 11, and Josh Hart had 12 points off the bench. Halliburton was held to eight points on 2-for-7 shooting. The Knicks won the rebound (45-40) and turnover battles (15 to the Pacers' 19). Indiana shot just 40.5 percent from the field, while New York went 49.4 percent shooting.

Game MVP: Jalen Brunson

The star guard stepped up in the must-win contest, doing all he could to keep the Knicks' season alive. He finished with 32 points on 12-for-18 shooting with five rebounds and five assists.

Highlights

What's next

Game 6 in Indiana between the Knicks and Pacers will take place on Saturday, May 31 at 8:00 p.m.

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Former Devil Gets Another Chance To Capture Stanley Cup With Oilers

Former New Jersey Devils forward Adam Henrique will get another chance to capture the Stanley Cup. 

Now a member of the Edmonton Oilers, Henrique's team defeated the Dallas Stars on Thursday night by a final score of 6-3 to punch their ticket to their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final. 

The 35-year-old picked up a primary assist on the Oilers' third goal in their series-winning game. 

In the regular season, Henrique earned 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists). In the playoffs, he earned six points in 16 games. 

It marks the second straight season the Oilers find themselves battling the Florida Panthers for the ultimate prize, as Matthew Tkachuk and his teammates defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 on Wednesday night. 
Game 1 between the Oilers and Panthers is scheduled for Wednesday, June 4, in Edmonton. 

Henrique spent the first eight seasons and 455 games of his career with New Jersey. On May 25, 2012, he etched his name in Devils' history with his overtime goal against the New York Rangers to secure New Jersey's spot in the Stanley Cup Final. 

The Devils eventually traded him to the Anaheim Ducks with Joe Blandisi and New Jersey's third-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft for Sami Vatanen and a conditional draft pick on Nov. 30, 2017. After spending seven seasons in Southern California, Henrique was dealt to Edmonton by the Tampa Bay Lightning for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 or 2026 NHL Draft in Mar. 2024.

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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Mets Prospect Roundup: Blade Tidwell strikes out 11, Jonah Tong has quality start

With the bevy of prospects in the Mets minor league system, here's how they did at the various levels ...

Triple-A Syracuse

It was the Blade Tidwell show. The young right-hander dominated the Iowa Cubs, pitching 5.2 no-hit innings. In the sixth, Tidwell walked two batters before he was pulled for Dedniel Nunez, who allowed the runners to score. Tidwell's night finished throwing 97 pitches (60 strikes) across the 5.2 innings without allowing two runs on no hits and four walks. He struck out 11 batters and lowered his ERA to 3.97.

On the offensive side, Drew Gilbert finished 0-for-4 with a walk and run scored. Ronny Mauricio excelled, going 2-for-4 with his third home run of the season in the eighth inning.

Double-A Binghamton

The Rumble Ponies played two on Thursday and Jonah Tong was on the mound for Game 1. Tong struck out seven batters over six innings (82 pitches/46 strikes) while allowing just one run on three hits. However, Tong's command wasn't as sharp and it led to four walks. Still, Tong came away with his third win after the Rumble Ponies' 2-1 win over the Chesapeake BaySox.

Jett Williams went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run while Ryan Clifford went 1-for-2 with an RBI double and two walks.

In Game 2, Williams went hitless in three at-bats, but did draw a walk and scored a run. While Clifford went 1-for-3 with a walk, his only hit a solo shot the eighth of the season.

High-A Brooklyn

After Frankie Montas finished his second rehab start, Jonathan Santucci piggybacked off the veteran right-hander and had a great game.

Santucci pitched 5.1 scoreless innings while allowing just two hits, and two walks and striking out six batters. Over his last three outings, Santucci is 3-0 with a 0.59 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 17 strikeouts .

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Oilers' Jeff Skinner Scores First Career Playoff Goal After 15 Seasons

After 15 Seasons and 1,078 regular-season games, Edmonton Oilers left winger Jeff Skinner has finally scored his first career playoff goal on Thursday.

His goal gave Edmonton a 3-0 lead in the first period of Game 5 of their Western Conference final against the Dallas Stars. It wasn’t the prettiest goal he’s ever scored, but he certainly won’t mind. His tally gets the Oilers one step closer to advancing to the Stanley Cup final for a second-straight year.

It started with a puck battle in the corner of Dallas’ zone, where Skinner came out with the puck and attempted to execute a centring pass to Trent Frederic. The play was broken up and bobbled in front of the crease before it popped out onto Skinner’s stick. 

From the slot, the 33-year-old made no mistake, throwing it through Casey DeSmith’s five-hole. DeSmith was subbed in for Jake Oettinger as the Stars’ starting goaltender allowed two quick goals on two shots in the first seven minutes of the opening period.

This is Skinner’s second career playoff game. He was the next forward available for Edmonton after losing two right-wingers in Connor Brown and Zach Hyman. Hyman has been ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs as he requires a season-ending surgery.

Therefore, Skinner is playing on the left wing beside Adam Henrique and Frederic on the fourth line.

Ever since his playoff debut earlier in the post-season, he’s been a healthy scratch for Kris Knoblauch’s team.

Jeff Skinner scores a goal in Game 5 of the Edmonton Oilers' Western Conference final series against the Dallas Stars (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

His first playoff appearance came in Game 1 of the first round against the Los Angeles Kings. The Oilers lost that game 6-5 and nearly completed an incredible comeback. 

Skinner recorded a secondary assist in that game to cut the Kings' lead to 4-2. He played 11:12 of ice time and earned a minus-2 plus-minus rating.

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Seattle Kraken Hire Lane Lambert As New Coach

The Seattle Kraken's coaching search is complete.

Lane Lambert is the new coach of the Seattle Kraken and the first coaching hire for new GM Jason Botterill. Lambert gets a second crack at coaching an NHL team after leading the New York Islanders from 2022-23 to halfway through 2023-24.

"After conducting an extensive search, we're thrilled to announce Lane as our new head coach," Botterill told NHL.com's Kraken site. "We cast a wide net for suitable candidates. What impressed us throughout the interview process was Lane’s strategy and vision for this team. He was an integral part of the Capitals winning the Cup and the Islanders advancing to two straight Eastern Conference finals. We have full confidence in Lane to lead this team behind the bench."

With the Islanders, Lambert had a combined 61-46-20 record, including a 42-31-9 record in 2022-23 and a 19-15-11 record in 2023-24 before the Islanders replaced him with Patrick Roy. The 60-year-old guided the Isles to the first round of the playoffs in 2023, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games.

Lane Lambert (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

Lambert spent the 2024-25 season as an associate coach on Craig Berube's bench with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Before his time with the Islanders, he was an assistant coach on the Washington Capitals from 2014-15 to 2017-18, winning the Cup in 2018. He's also been an assistant coach for the Nashville Predators and the bench boss of the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals and WHL's Prince George Cougars.

"I'm so excited to become the head coach of the Seattle Kraken," Lambert said in the announcement. "When it came time to writing a new chapter, I couldn't think of a better fit. Seattle is an incredible sports town, and I’ve been impressed by the energy of the fans every time I’ve been there as a visiting coach. This team has a talented group of young players poised to take the next step and a core group of veterans with great leadership qualities."

The Melfort, Sask., resident played 283 career NHL games from 1983 to 1989 for the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and Quebec Nordiques. The right winger had 58 goals and 66 assists for 124 points.

Lambert and Botterill, the latter of whom was promoted to the GM role after Ron Francis was elevated to president of hockey operations, oversee a Kraken squad that finished seventh of eight teams in the Pacific Division with a 35-41-6 record. Despite making the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Kraken missed the following two post-seasons.

Under one season of now-former coach Dan Bylsma, the Kraken finished 16th in the NHL in goals-for with an average of 2.99, 24th in goals-against average at 3.20, 23rd in power-play percentage at 18.9 and 21st in penalty-kill percentage at 77.2.

That said, they have an intriguing mix of talent on the roster, including youngsters Matty Beniers, Shane Wright and Ryker Evans, and veterans Jared McCann, Brandon Montour, Vince Dunn, Chandler Stephenson and Jaden Schwartz.

Botterill said he wanted a coach who can build relationships with those players. 

"You have to have constant communication with your players," he told NHL.com. "I think it's important that it doesn't just always come from the head coach. The coach has to delegate, and Lane is deeply familiar with that. The coach has to make sure his assistants are interacting non-stop with the skills coach and strength coach, so you are all on the same page, delivering the same message to the players. You're looking for the head coach to be the CEO of the locker room."

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