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Tkachuk and Domi made headlines on Day 4 of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs – but it wasn’t Keith and Tie.

The last time Keith Tkachuk and Tie Domi were in the playoffs at the same time was in 2004. This time, it was the Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk and Toronto Maple Leafs’ Max Domi scoring important goals on Tuesday night, although Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk recorded his first career goal as well.

Here are the key storylines from each game.

Carolina Hurricanes Defeat New Jersey Devils 3-1 (CAR leads series 2-0)

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen took over the spotlight in Game 2 against the New Jersey Devils. In a low-scoring 2-1 win for the Hurricanes, Andersen made 25 stops on 26 shots to record a .962 save percentage.

Aside from the opening five minutes of the game when they scored, the Devils didn’t have many grade-A chances. According to naturalstattrick.com, New Jersey had seven high-danger chances, while Carolina had 15.

Although the Hurricanes controlled most of this game, the Devils put up a strong fight defensively. Brett Pesce kept the game close, with six blocked shots and two goal-line clearances.

Devils coach Sheldon Keefe liked his team’s game as the series moves to New Jersey for two games.

“I liked a lot about our game today,” Keefe said. “We showed attitude, we showed competitiveness, we showed care.”

Demoted But Not Down, Max Domi Scores OT Winner For Toronto Maple LeafsFor most of this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t know what to do with Max Domi — or where he fit in.

Toronto Maple Leafs Defeat Ottawa Senators 3-2 OT (TOR leads series 2-0)

The Toronto Maple Leafs took Game 2 over the Ottawa Senators in overtime thanks to a Max Domi snipe. With that, the Leafs take a 2-0 series lead for the first time since 2002 against the New York Islanders.

Max isn’t the first Domi to score a game-winner against the Senators in the playoffs. His father, Tie, scored a game-winning goal in Game 5 of their first-round series against the Sens in 2004. 

Domi’s reaction to his goal? 

“Big win, on to the next one now,” he told reporters.

Ottawa had a tough time hitting the net in the third period with only three shots on goal. Nonetheless, the Senators forced overtime with a goal from Adam Gaudette. With that, they applied heavy offensive pressure on the Leafs, which coach Travis Green praised.

“I really liked the way we played tonight,” Green told reporters. “To play a road game like that was encouraging for our team.”

The Senators will get another crack at the Maple Leafs on Thursday at the Canadian Tire Centre.

No Panic: Ottawa Senators Lose Again, But They'll Be Better For It In The Short- And Long-TermThere are no moral victories in the Stanley Cup playoffs, so the reality is the Ottawa Senators find themselves down 2-0 in the Battle of Ontario and face an enormous task getting back into this first-round series.

Florida Panthers Defeat Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 (FLA leads series 1-0)

It took four days from the opening night of the playoffs before fans could see the Battle of Florida between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. However, Game 1 might not have ended the way many would’ve anticipated.

Speaking of waiting, Matthew Tkachuk finally returned to the Panthers roster after being out with a lower-body injury since the 4 Nations Face-Off. He made his presence known, scoring two goals and an assist in his return, all on the power play.

The Panthers went on to steamroll the Lightning in a 6-2 win on the road to set the tone for the series. Defenseman Nate Schmidt added another two goals past Andrei Vasilevskiy, who had a rough outing for the Bolts.

It was a night to forget for Vasilevskiy, who finished the game with a .625 SP, allowing six goals on 16 shots.

The third period was when things got out of hand for Tampa Bay. They allowed three goals that sucked the energy out of the team. The Lightning challenged Schmidt’s first goal and lost the argument, which then led to another goal 14 seconds later on the power play.

Eventually, they added a third, and fans began to leave Amalie Arena early. 

“You have to stop the bleeding,” Victor Hedman said to reporters. 

Minnesota Wild Defeat Vegas Golden Knights 5-2 (Series Tied 1-1)

The Minnesota Wild flipped the script on the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2, with a 5-2 win. It was a hot start for the Wild, scoring three goals in the opening period past Adin Hill, to give the team a large cushion for the rest of the contest.

Minnesota’s first line led the way, with Kirill Kaprizov making multiple highlight plays in the game. He started with a shoulder-high, breakaway pass to Matt Boldy, who opened the scoring. Boldy has three goals and four points, while Kaprizov has two goals and five points in this series.

“I think (Joel Eriksson Ek, Boldly, and Kaprizov), they play a playoff-style type of hockey,” Wild coach John Hynes told reporters. “They play north. They play direct. They can use their competitive level in combination with skill. It gives them a chance to be a line that's hard to play.”

Kaprizov iced the game with 2:26 left on the clock with the empty net. While protecting their lead, he pounced on a loose puck after a save from Filip Gustavsson and threw it the length of the ice, into Vegas’ empty net to secure the win.

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For most of this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t know what to do with Max Domi — or where he fit in.

Was he a second-line winger? A third-line centre? After acquiring Scott Laughton at the trade deadline, was Domi even a top-nine forward anymore?

In a 3-2 overtime win against the Ottawa Senators, Domi answered back with: Yes. Yes. And yes.

The 30-year-old gap-toothed forward, who played up and down in the lineup on Tuesday, was a bit of everything for the Leafs in Game 2. That included being the somewhat unlikely OT hero in a game that the home team nearly gave away.

Domi started the night playing wing on a second line with John Tavares and William Nylander. But in overtime, he was centering the third line with Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson when Domi deked past a couple of defenders and scored the winning goal to give the Leafs a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“Every night there’s a different hero in playoffs, it doesn’t matter who scores as long as we get the win,” said Domi. “Shoot the puck, anything can happen.”

In the process, Domi reminded everyone that his biggest asset might just be his versatility, along with his dedication to improving his skill-set.

After all, that move that Domi pulled off in overtime was one that he practised often. That very morning, while his teammates were still in the dressing room, Domi was alone on the ice ripping shot after shot on an empty net. Hours later, he did it for real, while his dad, who is no stranger to the Battle of Ontario, cheered him on from the stands.

“Great play by him,” said Mitch Marner. “That was really cool for him to get that. I’m happy for him. It was an amazing play by him to get that middle (on the ice) and that shot.

'That's Playoff Hockey': Leafs' Stolarz Explains Bodychecking Senators' Greig In Game 2 WinThe Ottawa Senators outhit the Toronto Maple Leafs 44 to 25 in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

Taking a drop pass from Simon Benoit in the Ottawa end, Domi weaved through traffic and then beat goalie Linus Ullmark with a wrist shot at 3:09 in the extra frame.

“He works on his craft so much on ice, off ice,” said Marner. “How he takes care of his body, how he’s such a pro. I was lucky that I got to see that in London as well when I was really young. To learn off of him was amazing. To see nothing has changed and he’s even more of a pro now is pretty special.”

For Domi, it was the kind of moment that he has likely dreamed about. But it was also the kind of moment that has eluded him for most of his time with the Leafs. After signing a four-year extension worth $15-million last summer, there was an expectation that Domi would get back to being the highly skilled player who once scored 28 goals and 72 points for the Montreal Canadiens in 2018-19.

No Panic: Ottawa Senators Lose Again, But They'll Be Better For It In The Short- And Long-TermThere are no moral victories in the Stanley Cup playoffs, so the reality is the Ottawa Senators find themselves down 2-0 in the Battle of Ontario and face an enormous task getting back into this first-round series.

At the very least, with Craig Berube hired as coach, the thinking was Domi would embody the hard-nosed style that the new Leafs coach was preaching.

Instead, with just eight goals and 33 points, Domi has spent the year trying to justify his salary and spot in the lineup.

A day earlier, Berube had told reporters that “Max is good about playing wherever.” After the Leafs gave up a 2-0 lead, Domi was taken off the second line in favour of Pontus Holmberg. “Just an adjustment with match-ups more than anything,” said Berube.

Turns out, it was the right move.

"We Stayed With It': Maple Leafs Halt Senators' Comeback Bid To Take 2-0 Series LeadMax Domi scored the overtime winner as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-2 to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series on Tuesday. 

Whether he’s playing on the second line, third line or even the fourth line, Domi found a way to make an impact.

“Big win, obviously we needed that one,” said Domi. “I give Ottawa all the credit in the world. They played a heck of a hockey game. We stuck with it, made some plays that we had to make at the right time and big win. On to the next one now.”

The Vegas Golden Knights entered Game 2 hoping to take a 2-0 series lead, but will now head to Minnesota with the series tied after Kirill Kaprizov imposed his will, helping the Minnesota Wild win 5-2.

Heading into the series, a lot was made of the matchup between Kaprizov and Jack Eichel, but through two games, it's been all Kaprizov. The 27-year-old Russian winger has scored two goals and five points on seven Wild goals. All three of Kaprizov's assists have been primary helpers on Matt Boldy's goals. 

Kaprizov's dominance should not diminish Boldy's excellence. Through two games, he's showcased his skill, hockey IQ, and physicality. Boldy has found ways to sneak behind the Golden Knights' defence and open up passing lanes for Kaprizov. On last night's opening goal, he was first to notice the change of possession, darted up the middle of the ice, received an outstanding pass from Kaprizov and used his body to shield Shea Theodore from the puck before finishing off the breakaway chance. 

“It was unbelievable,” Boldy said, mentioning that it may be the best pass he's ever seen.

As great as Boldy has been, it's Kaprizov who has his hands in every bit of action that comes from the Wild. 

Through two games, the Wild have outscored the Golden Knights 3-1 at 5-on-5 with Kaprizov on the ice, own 56.89% of the expected goals, and out-chance the Golden Knights 23-10.  

The Golden Knights need more from their best players to maintain or keep up with Kaprizov. Eichel and Mark Stone have not yet recorded a point through two games and are a -3. Theodore had a very difficult night, finding himself on the ice for all four Wild goals as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead. He turned the puck over for two goals and was caught puck-watching on the others.

“He’s trying to do too much out there. It’s that simple,” HC Bruce Cassidy said of Theodore. “He was light on the puck tonight. What do you want me to say? He’s a great player for us. It wasn’t his night, and it snowballed. There’s a player trying to make amends, and I respect that. I like that. It didn’t go that way, and someone has to pick him up by putting out a fire.”

Injuries are the only way Kaprizov has been held in check this season. During the regular season, he scored 25 goals and 56 points in 41 games. Going back to Minnesota, it will be harder for Cassidy to get the matchups he wants against the 2015 fifth-round pick, but it will have to be a team effort to slow him down. 

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Golden Knights Attempting To Stay Mentally Sharp; Using Experience and Rest To Take Upper HandThe Vegas Golden Knights hold multiple advantages over the

Golden Knights Show Success In Second Leg Of Back-To-Back Meetings With Same Opponent Under Bruce CassidyLAS VEGAS -- The

It was another overtime classic etched into the history of the Battle of Ontario on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena – and it was a hometown player who sealed the deal.

Just 3:09 into overtime, Max Domi delivered a highlight-reel goal to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators and a 2-0 series lead in their first-round matchup.

The play began with Simon Benoit breaking up a rush in the Leafs' zone, turning the puck up ice, and feeding Domi just as they crossed the Senators’ blue line. The 30-year-old forward then danced through Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson before wiring the puck past Linus Ullmark, capping off a big win for Toronto. 

“It’s a heck of a play by Benny, he made that whole thing happen. I got a little lucky when it squeaked through, I’m not really sure if it was Cozens or who it was, but a little lucky. Then you get inside the hashmarks like that in the middle of the ice, you just got to shoot it. Ullmark is a heck of a goalie, but I’ll take it,” Domi said post-game.

“A lot of excitement. It’s a great play by him,” added teammate Mitch Marner. “It starts with Benny reading that play in our D zone and making a great outlet pass up the ice, and then joining, net front screen. Overall, just a great play by both of them.”

THE HOMETOWN KID!!!@Rogers | #LeafsForeverpic.twitter.com/nlN2THGWPb

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 23, 2025

It was a special moment for Domi, his first goal and point of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with his father, former Maple Leafs fan-favorite Tie Domi, watching in the crowd. 

“Pure jubilation. Obviously, the building erupts, but you couldn’t be happier for him,” said goaltender Anthony Stolarz. “He’s worked his a** off all year for us. He’s a great two-way player. He’s a hell of a teammate in the room, and to see someone like that get rewarded, hopefully it’s the start of something big for him this playoffs.”

“Everyday is a real privilege when you play with guys like him… For him to have that moment in overtime here at home, is extremely special for all of us. I can’t imagine how he’s feeling," added defenseman Morgan Rielly.

Tie Domi couldn't be happier 🥹 pic.twitter.com/DhHl3GEvlv

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 23, 2025

Toronto jumped out to a 2-0 lead for the second straight game, scoring on two of their first four shots. But unlike Game 1, Ottawa pushed back. The Senators dominated much of the second period, outshooting the Leafs 28-21 and throwing 44 hits in the game, while controlling enough offensive zone time to force overtime.

Despite the pressure, the Leafs held strong. They blocked 32 shots, and Stolarz once again stood tall in net.

“Unreal. Great for him (Domi), great for our team. Obviously, we got off to a real good start today. They pushed back hard, and we just stick with it,” said Tavares. “It wasn’t always pretty at times, but did what we had to do and got a big play by him. Obviously, winning in overtime is always a great feeling.”

"We Stayed With It': Maple Leafs Halt Senators' Comeback Bid To Take 2-0 Series LeadMax Domi scored the overtime winner as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-2 to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series on Tuesday. 

This postseason marks Domi’s second with the Maple Leafs. He recorded four points (1G, 3A) in their seven-game series loss to the Boston Bruins last spring, and while his regular season numbers this year were modest, finishing with eight goals and 25 points in 33 games, his versatility continues to be an asset.

After starting Game 1 on the second line on the wing, Domi was moved back to center in Game 2, anchoring the third line with Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson – a spot he spent most of the season in.

'It's Not That Much Of A Conversation': Why Max Domi Will Shift To Third-Line Center For Maple Leafs Against Senators For Game 2The Toronto Maple Leafs shifted Max Domi from the second-line winger position to the third-line center spot in the second period of their 6-2 victory against the Ottawa Senators in Game 1 of their first-round series.  And that adjustment will stick when both teams clash for Game 2.

As the game took a turn, head coach Craig Berube, who had urged Domi to utilize his shot more often throughout the season, gave the forward the opportunity to make something happen in the extra frame. Playing his style, his game, Domi made no mistake when the chance presented itself.

“Yeah, it was great to see that goal by Max. Obviously, a great play. Benoit made a great play on it,” said Berube.

“He still works hard. I mean, he's always trying to improve and get better and work with people, skill guys, and practice and stuff like that. I feel very good. I feel very happy for him to get a goal. It's a big goal, obviously, and it's a great feeling to score one of those,” added Berube. “I'm very happy for him. He's a hard worker. I thought he had a good game tonight overall. He was skating. I always say that when Max skates and attacks, he's on his game.”

The Leafs now head to Ottawa with a 2-0 series lead, taking care of business on home ice. Toronto is 10-0 all-time in best-of-seven series when taking a 2-0 lead at home, and it also marked the first time since 2002 that the Leafs have led a playoff series 2-0. 

As Stolarz mentioned, if Tuesday night was any indication, the best may still be to come for Domi.

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Bruins' lack of accountability over drafting and developing is concerning originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

There are a lot of reasons why the Boston Bruins find themselves in the unusual position of not playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and staring at the possibility of having a top-five pick in the NHL Draft.

Poor drafting and player development are at or near the top of the list.

You can get away with bad drafting and development if you have a good veteran team, which the Bruins had for over a decade. But at some point it catches up to you, and for the Bruins, that reality came in the 2024-25 season as they sunk to the fifth-worst record in the league.

The Bruins could make a few fixes this summer to get back in the playoff mix next season, but for them to really compete for a Stanley Cup title over the long term, there has to be a much larger emphasis on drafting and player development.

The Bruins’ draft record over the last 10 years is not good. There’s no room for debate. In fact, since Don Sweeney took over as general manager in 2015, he has drafted only two impact players who are still on the roster: defenseman Charlie McAvoy and goaltender Jeremy Swayman.

Only one forward drafted by Sweeney has scored 20-plus goals in a season — Jake DeBrusk — and he’s no longer on the roster. Only 10 of the 38 players drafted by the Bruins from 2017 through 2023 have played in an NHL game.

Despite the team’s lackluster draft and development history, Bruins president Cam Neely got pretty defensive when asked about it during Wednesday’s end-of-season press conference.

Here’s the exchange between Neely and The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont:

Dupont: “Question on drafting and development, neither of them have really been up to expectations in my opinion.”

Neely: “Can you just elaborate on that, Kevin?”

Dupont: “The drafting?”

Neely: “Yep. Where we’ve picked, who we’ve picked and how it’s turned out.”

Dupont: “Well, where you’ve picked is not a lot of top 10 picks.”

Neely: “Not a lot of first-round picks.”

Dupont: “But ultimately, are those draft picks, have they developed and come on line the way you’ve wanted? If that’s the case, fine.”

Neely: “Well, obviously, you want to hit on all of your picks. The work the scouts do over the course of a year, they put in a lot of time and effort, they understand the players as best they can. We get the information from the scouts. Don ultimately ends up making the picks with information he gets from the scouts throughout the year.

“But I think our drafting and developing, the narrative there is a little off. And it’s been going on for quite some time. It goes back to 2015. In 2015, it was really unfair to Don. By the time Don got hired it was late May, the draft was late June. He probably wasn’t thinking about being the general manager at the time.

“What Don did leading up to the draft to make the acquisitions he did with those picks, to get those three picks, I thought was really good. Then Don was trying to move up in the draft and it didn’t work out.

“What we should have done, looking back, we should have taken some time out and said, ‘OK guys, let’s regroup here. We didn’t move up. We’ve got three picks in a row.’ I think it was very new for everybody. We stood backstage for those three picks. What we should have done was get back to our table and say, ‘Are we OK with our list?’

“These are things you try to learn from. Other picks after that, I think we’ve got a number of players, not necessarily with the Boston Bruins, that we have drafted that have played NHL hockey games. We have traded some of the picks and prospects to try and improve our club to win the Stanley Cup.

“The narrative — we’re not hitting on all our draft picks. No one is. You pick in the top 10, you better hit. We haven’t done that in quite some time. Have we been perfect? No. Can we be better? Yes.”

Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The lack of accountability from Neely and Sweeney at this press conference as it relates to the franchise’s drafting and player development should concern Bruins fans.

Neely’s excuse that the Bruins haven’t picked in the first round much recently is pretty unsatisfying.

One of the biggest reasons why the Bruins have traded away so many first-round picks is because they can’t draft and develop good players on a consistent basis. When that happens, you have roster weaknesses that must be addressed at the trade deadline. And how do you fix those issues at the trade deadline? By trading away draft picks.

And when you don’t have those picks, it’s hard to draft good players. It’s like a vicious cycle.

Neely also noting “where we’ve drafted” didn’t make sense, either. So, good players can’t be found outside the first round? Or outside the top 10?

In 2021, the Bruins picked forward Fabian Lysell at No. 21 overall. Two picks later, the Dallas Stars took Wyatt Johnston. In 2017, the Bruins selected defenseman Urho Vaakanainen at No. 18 overall. Two picks later, the St. Louis Blues took forward Rob Thomas. There were two top-six forwards on the board in the range Boston picked in both of those drafts and the front office missed on both.

The 2015 draft conversation also won’t die. While it does get tiring to talk about it over and over, the reality is it was a major blunder by the franchise.

Not being able to trade up in 2015 shouldn’t have been a major setback. The three players selected after Boston’s three picks were Mathew Barzal (top-six center), Kyle Connor (one of the league’s best goal scorers) and Thomas Chabot (top-four defenseman). It was all there for the Bruins to get three impact players, and they came away with zero.

You could argue the Bruins could have won the the Stanley Cup in 2019 and 2023 (and maybe other years) if they took Barzal and/or Connor. If they drafted Connor, they probably don’t have to give up a first-round pick (and more assets) to trade for Rick Nash in 2018.

The Bruins have picked in Round 1 in just three of the last seven drafts. They’ve made just three second-round picks in the last seven drafts. The last time they picked in the first two rounds of the same draft was 2017. This path is not sustainable. The Bruins need to fully commit to building their prospect pool and developing the next wave of franchise pillars.

After trading away so many veteran players at the March 7 trade deadline and stockpiling a bunch of draft picks as a result — four first-rounders and five second-rounders in the next three drafts — it will be fascinating to watch how they use this capital.

Will they trade some of these picks for immediate help? Charlie Jacobs, Neely and Sweeney all said or hinted at the notion that if healthy, and with upgrades this summer, the Bruins can be in the playoffs next season.

That’s great, but if this team actually wants to win the Stanley Cup in the near- or long-term, the drafting and developing has to improve. Throwing money at free agents and gutting the farm system/draft capital to address major roster issues isn’t a way to build a perennial winner.

And if that means the 2025-26 season doesn’t go well and you get another lottery pick, so be it. The Bruins don’t need to go through a Buffalo Sabres or Chicago Blackhawks type of rebuild where it’s a prolonged period of bad hockey.

They just need to reset a bit.