Category: Sports News

Panthers beat Oilers 5-2 in Game 5, one win away from repeat Stanley Cup champs originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Brad Marchand scored twice, Sam Bennett had his NHL playoff-leading 15th goal and the Florida Panthers moved to the verge of a second consecutive Stanley Cup title by beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in Game 5 on Saturday night.

The Panthers improved to 10-3 on the road this playoffs. They can hoist the Cup again as soon as Tuesday night if they win Game 6 on home ice in Sunrise.

Florida this time built a multigoal lead and built on it, unlike a couple of previous games in the final. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced, making some important saves when needed, and was aided by lockdown defense that took ice away from the Oilers.

Marchand, Bennett and Sam Reinhart provided the offense. Marchand joined Mario Lemieux as the only players in the past half-century to score five-plus goals in a final multiple times, and his 13 career goals in the final are the most among active players.

Connor McDavid scored his first goal of the series after the Oilers fell behind 3-0. Reinhart’s came 46 seconds later to restore the Panthers’ three-goal lead, and by the time Corey Perry scored with 3:13 left, it was too late.

Eetu Luostarinen sealed it with an empty-netter with 1:19 left, silencing the once fired-up crowd for a final time.

Edmonton’s power play went 0 for 3, a product of the Panthers’ aggressive penalty kill knocking McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the rest of the top unit out of their usual rhythm.

Calvin Pickard lost for the first time in eight starts this spring, allowing four goals on 18 shots. He got the nod over Stuart Skinner after entering in relief and winning Game 4 to improve to 7-0, a record that is now 7-1.

Skinner could be back in for Game 6, with the Panthers aiming to close things out following another cross-continental trip back to the other corner of North America. They are in this spot after bouncing back from blowing a three-goal lead and falling in overtime in Game 4, taking advantage of their depth to send the Oilers to the brink again.

Panthers beat Oilers 5-2 in Game 5, one win away from repeat Stanley Cup champs originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Brad Marchand scored twice, Sam Bennett had his NHL playoff-leading 15th goal and the Florida Panthers moved to the verge of a second consecutive Stanley Cup title by beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in Game 5 on Saturday night.

The Panthers improved to 10-3 on the road this playoffs. They can hoist the Cup again as soon as Tuesday night if they win Game 6 on home ice in Sunrise.

Florida this time built a multigoal lead and built on it, unlike a couple of previous games in the final. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced, making some important saves when needed, and was aided by lockdown defense that took ice away from the Oilers.

Marchand, Bennett and Sam Reinhart provided the offense. Marchand joined Mario Lemieux as the only players in the past half-century to score five-plus goals in a final multiple times, and his 13 career goals in the final are the most among active players.

Connor McDavid scored his first goal of the series after the Oilers fell behind 3-0. Reinhart’s came 46 seconds later to restore the Panthers’ three-goal lead, and by the time Corey Perry scored with 3:13 left, it was too late.

Eetu Luostarinen sealed it with an empty-netter with 1:19 left, silencing the once fired-up crowd for a final time.

Edmonton’s power play went 0 for 3, a product of the Panthers’ aggressive penalty kill knocking McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the rest of the top unit out of their usual rhythm.

Calvin Pickard lost for the first time in eight starts this spring, allowing four goals on 18 shots. He got the nod over Stuart Skinner after entering in relief and winning Game 4 to improve to 7-0, a record that is now 7-1.

Skinner could be back in for Game 6, with the Panthers aiming to close things out following another cross-continental trip back to the other corner of North America. They are in this spot after bouncing back from blowing a three-goal lead and falling in overtime in Game 4, taking advantage of their depth to send the Oilers to the brink again.

The Buffalo Sabres currently have the ninth-overall pick in the 2025 NHL entry draft. But not every team above the Sabres in the draft order is fully intent on holding onto it. Does that mean Buffalo should be inquiring about trading up?

From this writer's perspective, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams should certainly be testing the waters when it comes to moving higher in the draft. A team like the Utah Mammoth -- who we wrote about as a potential trade partner for Buffalo in this column -- might be persuaded to give up the fourth-overall pick. But it would take quite the offer from the Sabres to get that kind of deal consummated. The Mammoth would likely want a proven NHL talent who is in the early stages of their career, and Buffalo certainly has many of those types of assets. So there's definitely a potential hook-up trade situation between the two teams.

But the bigger question is this: why would the Sabres want to get even younger? Buffalo's only goal has to be to make the playoffs, and while adding a long-term piece of the puzzle through the draft would make sense in some respects, the player the Sabres would get at the fourth slot wouldn't be much different than the one they're going to get at the ninth slot -- at least, when it comes to contributing meaningfully next season.

The Sabres definitely should be making trades this summer, but they should be looking at the same type of players as the Mammoth are looking at -- experienced NHLers with a playoff pedigree, So while it does make sense for Buffalo and Utah to collaborate on a trade, we'd guess that trade would feature players like Utah's Lawson Crouse and Buffalo's Bowen Byram. A draft pick trade between the Mammoth and Sabres doesn't make sense.

Sabres Potential Trade Partner: Utah MammothThis is the first file in what will be an ongoing series on THN.com's Buffalo Sabres site. In these files, we're going to identify a number of teams the Sabres could be making a trade with this summer, and we'll be picking out specific players who could be trade targets for Buffalo.

Other than Utah, we suspect most, if not all of the teams ahead of Buffalo are going to hold onto their pick. Adams may decide to tempt one or many of them by offering up an excellent trade package featuring the ninth-overall pick and a current Sabres player or two, but again, Buffalo's prime need at this point in its competitive trajectory is not another player who won't be hitting his prime for many a year.

So no, the Sabres probably shouldn't be trading up in the draft. If they hang onto the ninth pick, and if their draft and development team finds a gem at that slot, Buffalo's management will have done its job. And the Sabres would still have all the assets necessary to swing a major deal that will address their true needs.

Sabres Should Be Focusing On Trading For This Veteran Stanley Cup-WinnerThe Buffalo Sabres are in need of many things this summer -- but more than anything else, they need some veterans to come in and establish a winning standard for a new era for the franchise. And while it won't be a cakewalk to acquire the type of talent that can change things for the Sabres, that doesn't mean Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams shouldn't be swinging for the fences in trades and free agency. 

It's always tempting on draft day to imagine what it takes to trade up and land a prospect who could be a difference-maker for many years. But the Sabres have to stay focused on their central goal, and that goal is ending their 14-year playoff-less streak.

Anyone they get at the ninth pick -- and anyone they'd get at a pick higher than that -- probably won't get them there next season. So the trades Adams needs to make shoudn't be draft-related. The Sabres need veteran help, right here and right now, and any failure on that part may lead to Buffalo drafting just as high, if not higher next summer. And that's not where the Sabres or Sabres fans should want them to be.

The Crowned Event Week 2 is live now in NHL 25 Hockey Ultimate Team. 

The new 95/96 overall master set players are Jonathan Quick, Taylor Heise, Erik Cernak, Sam Bennett, and Denis Potvin. 

These 96 overall players can be unlocked by trading in the corresponding 95 overall card and another 95 Crowned card. 

Three 88+ cards get you a 90 Crowned player, three 90+ Crowned players get you a 92, and three 92+ and any two additional 92+ cards get you the 95 master set card. 

The 96 overall cards come with free zone and superstar abilities. 

On top of the master set players 96 overall Nikita Kucherov, Alex Ovechkin and Connor Hellebuyck were added to celebrate their real-life awards. As were 95 overall Lane Hutson, Anze Kopitar, and Leon Draisaitl. 

94 overall Matt Murray, Dominik Hasek, and Calvin Pickard were also added. 94 overall Martin St. Louis and Henrik Zetterberg and 93 overall Drew Doughty and Marian Hossa highlight new Crowned base cards. 

All of Friday's cards and the releases from earlier this week are in the video above.  

The Hockey News' Stanley Cup Final simulation predicted the Florida Panthers to win in five games here.

For more NHL 25 news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.         

Photo Credit: EA SPORTS NHL 

With the additions of Matvei Michkov and Egor Zavragin in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers have done an excellent job of adding top Russian talent to their ranks. But, can they manage to do the same in 2025?

Bog-standard performances and a lack of improvement have cast doubt over the futures of fellow Russian Flyers Egor Zamula and Ivan Fedotov, who will each be out of contract at the end of the 2025-26 season.

Those two, who have been a great help for the younger and less experienced Michkov, might not be around forever. It's unclear when former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nikita Grebenkin will crack the NHL lineup for the Flyers and what his ceiling is if and when he does.

With seven picks in the first two rounds of the 2025 draft, the Flyers have all the opportunities possible to find players who can socialize with Michkov and, most importantly, add the talent necessary to build the best team possible.

Ivan Ryabkin, C, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) 5-foot-11, 210 pounds

Teased in my latest big board, I think Ivan Ryabkin would be a great fit for the Flyers with his agitating, physical nature alongside Grebenkin and Michkov. Could you imagine the talent and irritation coming from that line?

The problem with Ryabkin, though, is that recent reports from the NHL Scouting Combine have indicated that the 18-year-old did not test well or interview well, meaning teams like the Flyers are going to have to spend a good portion of the development process working through immaturity and teaching him how to be a pro.

If conditioning is a real concern, that might explain why some scouting reports mention Ryabkin "gliding" during plays.

Can (or Should) the Flyers Pick a High School QB in the 2025 NHL Draft?The Philadelphia Flyers are one of a few teams towards the bottom of the NHL looking to add talent in any way they can. One NHL insider just connected them to a... high school quarterback?

At the same time, Ryabkin entered the season looking like a surefire top 10 talent. He can hit, shoot, and create. After leaving Russia, Ryabkin finished the season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, scoring 26 goals, 20 assists, and 46 points in 41 total games while winning the Clark Cup.

Ryabkin is exactly the kind of risk the Flyers should be taking with a late first-round pick or one of their four early second-round picks. Ivan Barbashev, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, is a name that comes to mind for me.

Alex Zharovsky, Inverted RW, Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL) 6-foot-1, 163 pounds

Do the Flyers need more right wings? No, not really, but they could use some talented left-shot forwards outside of Michkov, who, like Alex Zharovsky, is a left-handed right wing.

The 18-year-old Zharovsky is a supremely talented forward who plays with guile, creativity, and flair. He'll break ankles and crate scoring chances for his teammates with his passing all the same, but his NHL projection can be tough to predict because of that.

Zharovsky played all of his regular season action with Tolpar Ufa in the MHL, which is a step down from Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL, with whom he finished the 2024-25 season.

In the NHL, defenders are bigger, stronger, and faster and will close down the spaces Zharovsky exploits with haste. If he can make the changes and avoid doing too much too often, Zharovsky has all the tools to justify a Day 2 draft pick.

Ilya Pautov, the Flyers' sixth-round pick a year ago, had a similar draft year in the MHL and has yet to build on it. Zharovsky should be on Philadelphia's radar, but they may want to be careful of drafting him too early. The industry consensus currently sees the silky winger as mid-second-round pick.

Kurban Limatov, LHD, Dynamo Moskva (KHL) 6-foot-4, 190 pounds

Kurban Limatov, like Ryabkin, was featured in our early big board, and for good reason.

Limatov is an excellent skater for his size and could forge a career as a top-four NHL defenseman with improvements to his passing and decision-making with the puck. But without that?

He's still a strong, physical defender with the closing speed that allows him to kill plays quickly.

The Flyers have virtually no projectable left-shot defenders in their prospect pool at this time, so Limatov should be a candidate to be selected with a late first- or early second-round pick.

Flyers Coach Rick Tocchet Has Exciting, Simple Plan for Matvei MichkovNew Philadelphia Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet has revealed his simple, preliminary plan to get the most out of star rookie Matvei Michkov going forward. It's not rocket science.

Although Brad Shaw has left for New Jersey, the Flyers have done a decent job of developing defensemen in recent years. They could do worse with a spare draft pick than taking a shot on Limatov... as long as someone else doesn't beat them to the punch.

Pyotr Andreyanov, G, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL) 6-foot-2, 210 pounds

The Flyers are more than likely going to draft a goalie - maybe more than one - in the 2025 draft. Why not get Pyotr Andreyanov, the highest-ranked European goalie by NHL Central Scouting in this year's draft class?

Andreyanov, similarly to Zavragin, has been virtually unbeatable in the MHL in his draft year this season. The 18-year-old posted a 23-6-6 record for Krasnaya Armiya Moskva to the tune of a 1.75 GAA, a .942 save percentage, and three shutouts.

Somehow, in six postseason games, Andreyanov's superhuman efforts weren't enough; he stumbled to a 2-4-0 record and first-round exit despite having a 2.36 GAA, a .929 save percentage, and a shutout during that span.

Andreyanov notably plays for the same MHL team as Ilya Pautov, the Flyers' sixth-round pick from a year ago. If the Flyers have been keeping up with Pautov at all, they should have all the information they need to justify picking Andreyanov early in the 2025 draft.

Semyon Frolov, G, MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL) 6-foot-3, 200 pounds

Semyon Frolov, coming in just behind Andreyanov, is the second-highest ranked European goalie in the 2025 draft class by NHL Central Scouting.

The 18-year-old played most of his hockey for MHK Spartak Moskva this season, for whom he posted a 9-2-2 record, a 2.05 GAA, and a .915 save percentage with two shutouts.

Frolov's numbers weren't as impressive as Andreyanov's, and he played in only 18 regular season games and 25 games in total this season.

Still, the Togliatti product is a superb athlete who plays with poise and discipline, which are hallmarks of any successful goaltender at any level.

Assuming the Flyers watched Andreyanov and Pautov, they've probably seen some of Frolov, too. Frolov is more likely to be a third- or fourth-round player, but he would be a welcomed addition to the Flyers' goaltending depth all the same.

For more Flyers news and up-to-date coverage, visit The Hockey News and like our Facebook page. Follow us on 𝕏: @ByJonBailey,  @TheHockeyNews

NEVER SAY NEVER. 

After a historic Edmonton Oilers 5-4 victory, the Stanley Cup Final is deadlocked at two games a piece heading back to Edmonton for Game 5. 

“We wanted to come out strong tonight, but they put us on our heels early,” said Leon Draisaitl post game. 

“We were lollygagging around a little bit, and it’s certainly not the time to lollygag around, especially after getting spanked in Game 3.” 

So, how did Game 4 unravel? 

The first period was all Panthers. The Cats took a demanding 3-0 lead. Matthew Tkachuk netted a pair of powerplay goals, Anton Lundell potted the third. 

The second period was all Oilers. Backup Calvin Pickard would replace Stuart Skinner and Edmonton would rally back and tie the game 3-3. The goal scorers were Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the powerplay, Darnell Nurse, and Vasily Podkolzin. 

Period three would, understandably, be very, very tactical. Neither team wanted to make the first mistake knowing that could be the difference. 

With just over six minutes to play, Jake Walman would blast one past Sergei Bobrovsky to give the Oilers a 4-3 lead. Just as we thought the game was over, Sam Reinhart would find the back of the net with 19.5 seconds remaining. 

Reinhart’s goal would be the second latest game tying goal in Stanley Cup Final history. The latest? Corey Perry’s equalizer in Game 2, with 18 seconds remaining. 

For the third time in four games, we have overtime. In overtime, Carter Verhaege was inches away from giving the Panthers a 3-1 series lead when his one timer went off the crossbar. 

Moments later, Leon Draisaitl would score his second overtime goal of the series and fourth of these playoffs, a new NHL single postseason record. 

The goal wasn’t flashy, but ugly goals are worth just as much as the pretty ones. Draisaitl, with one hand on his stick, was trying to throw the puck in the nets direction and a fortunate bounce off of Cats defenseman, Nikko Mikkola, redirected the puck between Bobs legs. 

When you throw pucks on net, good things happen. In a game that was as back and forth as ping-pong, what was the turning point? 

For Solon Mihas, it was Lundell’s goal that put the Panthers up, 3-0. Without that goal, late in the first period, Mihas doesn’t think Oilers HC Kris Knoblauch makes the goaltending switch he did. 

“What I noticed was a bunch of leaders we have in this room. We came in, Perry gave us a little speech, and a couple of other guys spoke up,” said Walman. 

Game 4 Stanley Cup Final Preview And What's At Stake Game 3 was nothing like the first two in Edmonton. We went from consecutive overtime games to a dominant, 6-1, Florida beatdown. 

“Just the quiet confidence we have in our room even down 3-0, to turn that game around shows a lot about our group. I don’t think we’re ever out of a game.” 

Tonight’s X-Factor? Backup goalie, Calvin Pickard. 

Before the game there was a question of who will be in net for the Oilers. The answer was NOT Pickard. 

After taking over for Skinner to start the middle frame, Pickard saved 22 of 23 shots he faced, improving his personal playoff record to 7-0. 

Without Pickard, who knows what happens after the first 20 minutes. 

“I have confidence in him (Pickard) because you look at his record… he’s been doing a lot of winning,” Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said post game. Each team has both positives and negatives to take out of this game, but Panthers Matthew Tkachuk chooses to focus on the plus. 

“Take our first period, take our third period, beginning of overtime. I thought we did a lot of good things.” 

Aside from being eventful, this series has been historic. 

The Oilers became just the first team in NHL history to win a Stanley Cup Final game when trailing 3-0 after the first period. 

Prior to tonight, teams in the Panthers position were 37-0. After tonight? 37-1. 

This series has gone from a best-of-seven, to a best-of-five, and now, a best-of-three heading into Game 5. 

The series heads to Alberta with a chance to advance one step closer to the games ultimate prize. 

With less than two weeks before the 2025 NHL Decentralized Draft in Los Angeles, there are differing opinions of who the Buffalo Sabres will select ninth overall if they do not trade the pick. A mock draft from the Athletic earlier this month and Mike Morreale from NHL.com projected the Sabres to select OHL defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson with their pick, but the Athletic’s updated mock draft and NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman have Buffalo adding a forward prospect. 

Aitcheson had a breakout offensive year with the Barrie Colts, jumping from eight goals last season to 26 goals, finishing behind only 2024 first rounders Zayne Parekh and Sam Dickinson among OHL defenseman. Aitcheson led the Colts with 59 points and scored 12 points in the OHL playoffs.  

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In their updated mock, the Athletic has the Sabres selecting Soo Greyhounds center Brady Martin at #9. The 6’0”, 178 lb. Martin nearly tripled his point output in his second OHL season with the Greyhounds (33 goals, 39 assists), and his stock has been rising after an excellent showing for Canada at the Under-18s with 11 points in seven games. 

Kimelman projects Brampton Steelheads winger Porter Martone to be selected by the Sabres. The 6’3”, 208 lb. winger had 98 points (37 goals, 61 assists) in 57 OHL games last season, and is considered the best winger in the draft class, but there has been speculation that the 18-year-old power forward could go as high as third overall to the Chicago Blackhawks, so the chances of Martone slipping to the Sabres six picks later seem unlikely.  

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