The New York Rangers may already have a top coaching candidate in mind with Peter Laviolette officially out of the picture. 

While Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury said he’s open to hiring a first-time head coach if the fit is right, he reportedly prefers someone with experience according to Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today. 

Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has already emerged as a potential target for Drury. 

“The guy that I believe that Drury is targeting No. 1 on his list is not technically available, that would be Mike Sullivan, the two-time Stanley Cup winning coach from the Pittsburgh Penguins,” Mercogliano said. “He has two years remaining on his deal with Pittsburgh and said to the media in Pittsburgh on Friday that he plans on continuing to coach the Penguins. 

“I’ve heard that there could be some wiggle room there. I know the Rangers are waiting to find out if there is any chance of prying him away. I do believe Drury thinks highly of Sullivan. They have connections through USA Hockey.”

Pittsburgh’s struggles over the past couple of seasons have led to some rumblings about Sullivan’s future with the team and his potential departure. 

However, when addressing the media after the season on Friday, Sullivan made clear that he intends to remain with the Penguins. 

“My intentions are to be the head coach moving forward,” Sullivan said.

Things could obviously change and words are just words, but given Sullivan’s contract situation and his recent statements, prying him away from his current situation may be difficult.

For the record, the Ottawa Senators' rebuild lasted 2,878 days—that’s 412 weeks, or 7 years, 10 months, and 5 days. Along the way, some moments may have signalled the end, but calling the rebuild officially over always felt subjective.

On Sunday night in Toronto, as the Senators hit the ice to end the NHL’s third-longest active playoff drought, there’s no room for debate: the rebuild is finally, truly over. This is a better team. Better coaching. Better management. Better ownership.

Better everything.

Now the question becomes: Are they better than the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Based on the regular season standings, no. Toronto finished with 52 wins to Ottawa’s 45 and ended up 11 points ahead in the standings. Eleven. Numerologists among the Ottawa fanbase will have a field day with that one.

Assistant coach Daniel Alfredsson and head coach Travis Green are the only remaining bridges to the playoff wars of Ontario from a quarter-century ago. If history matters—and it probably doesn’t—it’s this: the Senators won all three games against Toronto in the regular season.

Sure, it doesn’t count for anything now. But it gives the Sens a little boost of confidence heading into a series where this young core has no reason to believe they can’t beat Toronto.

Since the start of March, following the Four Nations Face-Off, these two teams have been among the NHL’s hottest. And both are expected to be fully healthy for Game 1. Beyond the natural geographical rivalry, history adds some heat. Leafs fans are desperate to see a team that’s won one playoff series in 20 years take another step—and maybe, finally, end a 58-year Stanley Cup drought.

Senators fans, on the other hand, would love nothing more than to get revenge for the franchise’s 0-for-4 playoff record against Toronto and shut up the blue-and-white invasion that floods their building every time the Leafs come to town.

Game 1 Lineup Watch

At Ottawa’s game-day skate, the biggest surprise was seeing Matthew Highmore slotting in on the fourth line at left wing, with agitator Nick Cousins skating as the extra. Unless Cousins has had an injury setback, seeing him in the press box for Game 1 would definitely raise eyebrows.

Projected Senators Lineup:

Interestingly, while Ottawa might leave a Florida Panthers Cup winner out of the lineup, Toronto will lean heavily on two of them.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson returns for Game 1 after missing the final three games of the season with an upper-body injury. And 6'6", 240-pound Anthony Stolarz will make his first NHL playoff start at 31 years old.

And he could be a serious problem for Ottawa.

Stolarz went 21-8-3 this season with a 2.14 GAA and a .926 save percentage. Even scarier? He ended the season on an 8-0-0 tear, posting a 1.37 GAA, a .950 save percentage, and three shutouts.

But again, regular-season numbers just don’t matter anymore.

Projected Maple Leafs Lineup:

Forwards:

Knies – Matthews – Marner

Domi – Tavares – Nylander

McMann – Holmberg – Robertson

Lorentz – Laughton – Järnkrok

Defense:

Rielly – Carlo

McCabe – Tanev

Ekman-Larsson – Benoit

Goalies:

Stolarz
Woll 

Series Schedule:

Game 1: Sunday, April 20 – 7:00 PM ET

Game 2: Tuesday, April 22 – 7:30 PM ET

Game 3: Thursday, April 24 – 7:00 PM ET 

Game 4: Saturday, April 26 – 7:00 PM ET

If necessary:

Game 5: Tuesday, April 29 – Time TBD

Game 6: Thursday, May 1 – Time TBD

Game 7: Saturday, May 3 – Time TBD

The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs have started, this time without an appearance from the Vancouver Canucks. Despite the Canucks not making the postseason, there are still many teams and individual players that fans can cheer for. Here’s a list of who Canucks fans should cheer for during this season’s playoffs. 

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Nate Schmidt and Jonah Gadjovich 

Two former Canucks now on the Florida Panthers, Nate Schmidt and Jonah Gadjovich are two players who Canucks fans could root for throughout the playoffs. Schmidt was traded to the Canucks during the 2020 off-season and played 54 games with Vancouver before requesting a trade elsewhere. He ended up with the Winnipeg Jets for three seasons before moving on to Florida. This season, he had five goals and 14 assists in 78 games played. 

Gadjovich was drafted by the Canucks in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft and remained with the organization until 2021. He played one game for Vancouver. Last season, he won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Panthers organization. 

Anthony Beauvillier 

Another former Canuck with a limited sample size in Vancouver, Anthony Beauvillier and the Washington Capitals are on a quest to win the franchise their second Stanley Cup. Beauvillier was acquired by the Canucks in the 2023 Bo Horvat trade. He played 55 games with the team before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in November of the same year. In his time with Vancouver, he scored 11 goals and 17 assists. 

Jalen Chatfield and Spencer Martin 

The Carolina Hurricanes will also be entering the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with two former Canucks. Jalen Chatfield, now a lineup regular with the Hurricanes, played 18 games with Vancouver and spent four seasons with the Canucks organization. In his time with Vancouver, he potted three assists. He had 18 points in 78 games played this season and averaged nearly 20 minutes a night with Carolina. 

Spencer Martin was a rock for the Canucks when they needed him to be. He faced 218 shots in his first six NHL games with the Canucks and didn’t let in more than two goals in each game. In his second NHL game, he faced 50 shots and carried his team to overtime. He left the Canucks organization after being claimed off waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets in September 2023. Another interesting tidbit about him is that Martin and Gadjovich are in-laws. 

Jacob Markström

Most Canucks fans know of Jacob Markström and his time with Vancouver. Acquired as part of the trade that sent Roberto Luongo back to the Panthers, Markström spent seven seasons as a member of the Canucks before he signed with the Calgary Flames in 2020. He made his mark on the Canucks organization in the 2019–20 season, backstopping his team to multiple wins despite facing 1420 shots in 43 games played. Markström is now entering his third career playoff run, this time with the New Jersey Devils. 

The Ottawa Senators 

Who doesn’t love a feel-good postseason story? The Ottawa Senators will play in their first playoff game since their Conference Finals loss in 2017. Not only do they sport a talented crop of young players, their roster also features some former Canucks. Senators Head Coach Travis Green spent almost five seasons with Vancouver, helping the team to their Bubble Playoff run in 2020. Also behind the Senators’ bench are former Canucks Assistant Coaches Nolan Baumgartner (2017–2021) and Mike Yeo (2022–2024). 

Also on the Senators are former Canucks Adam Gaudette, Travis Hamonic, Matthew Highmore, and Zack MacEwen. Gaudette was drafted by the Canucks in 2015 and spent three full seasons with Vancouver. Hamonic, a two-year member of the Canucks, spent a good chunk of his playing time with current Canucks Captain Quinn Hughes. Highmore was with the Canucks organization from the 2020–21 season to the 2021–22 season, putting up 17 points in 64 games. Ironically enough, he and Gaudette were traded for one-another in 2021. MacEwen, who played 55 games for Vancouver, is most remembered for standing up for Nils Höglander after he was tossed around by current Canuck Derek Forbort in 2021. 

Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson 

This may be a polarizing take. An original member of the 2011 Stanley Cup-contending team, Chris Tanev should be an easy pick for who Canucks fans should cheer for in the playoffs. However, Tanev also plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team that many fans are opposed to cheering for. The toothy veteran spent a decade with the Canucks before joining Markström and signing with the Flames in 2020. This is his first season with the Leafs, a team that he signed a six-year contract with in 2024. 

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the other former Canuck on the Leafs that Canucks fans could cheer for. He wasn’t the most popular player during his tenure on the team, as most people will remember him for his contract that is still impacting Vancouver to this day. However, he did experience a rebound with the Panthers last season and has been a steady defender for his current price. 

The Winnipeg Jets 

Another Canadian team with ties to Vancouver, the Winnipeg Jets are a team Canucks fans could root for while feeling relatively safe in their choice. While Winnipeg has a history of not performing in the playoffs, they have one of the NHL’s best goaltenders in Connor Hellebuyck. They have been the strongest Canadian team during the regular season, finishing the season with 116 points and collecting the President’s Trophy (although, this in itself may be a bad omen). As well, the Jets recently acquired former Canuck fan-favourite Luke Schenn, who will be on the hunt for the third Stanley Cup of his career. Schenn joined the Canucks twice throughout his career — by trade in 2019 and by free-agency in 2021. 

The Montréal Canadiens 

The Montréal Canadiens are this season’s personification of an underdog team. Squeaking into the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, the Canadiens beat out a number of mid-tier teams to clinch their playoff spot. They are propelled by a youthful core that Canucks fans don’t see enough in one season to have a rivalry with. Another plus to cheering for them is that Canucks Ring of Honour member, Alex Burrows, is still part of their organization. A Canadiens Stanley Cup win would be Burrows’ first. 

Troy Stetcher 

Rooting for the man once known as Tony Stretcher is a double-edged sword. On one hand, the former four-year Canuck would win his first Stanley Cup — on the other hand, the Edmonton Oilers would also win. Given the fact that the Oilers knocked the Canucks out of the playoffs last season, it may not be as joyous to cheer for Stetcher as it would be for other teams. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

To cap off the first day of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Colorado Avalanche put up five goals to the Dallas Stars' one to take Game 1 in their first-round series against the Dallas Stars.

The Stars have had little luck in their seven past series openers, going 0-8 as of Saturday night. Even the end of their regular season looked bleak, with seven straight losses leading up to Saturday's game. Despite those statistics, Stars Head Coach Pete DeBoer said during his postgame availability that Saturday's loss was "probably the best game we've played in three or four weeks." This was evident, as through the first and most of the second period, the Stars looked like the better team. The Avalanche looked sluggish to start, capitalized by a lackluster 5-on-3 opportunity in the first period that only yielded three shots on goal.

It seems that killing off that opportunity sparked a hefty amount of motivation for the Stars, which started to slowly dwindle as the Avalanche got strange bounces from Artturi Lehkonen and Nathan MacKinnon that both resulted in goals to put them ahead 2-0 going into the third period.

Artturi Lehkonen's playoff magic has been activated 🪄#GoAvsGo | #BuiltDifferentpic.twitter.com/8Er7hPYWdu

— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 20, 2025

Roope Hintz got the Stars on the board just under seven minutes into the third period, a late power-play goal scored as he tipped a shot ripped by Thomas Harley from the blue line.

From there, the floodgates opened for the Avalanche, and they managed to put three more past Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger before the final buzzer sounded.

Devon Toews buried a back-door goal off a long pass from Josh Manson, #42's first point since returning from an injury that's kept him out of the lineup since March 14th. Oettinger was pulled, and MacKinnon capitalized with an empty-net goal with just over 3 minutes remaining in regulation. Charlie Coyle punctuated the 5-1 win with a snap right in front of Oettinger that started with Parker Kelly winning a board battle and finding Jack Drury, who eventually found Coyle in front of the net.

Goaltending Won Out

Mackenzie Blackwood has been in the NHL since the 2018-19 season when he debuted with the New Jersey Devils. Despite many years of experience, he has not played a single playoff game - that is, until Saturday night. 

With that said, he didn't miss a beat. 

Blackwood put on a Vezina Trophy-worthy performance on Saturday, the only goal allowed being a deflection that not many other goaltenders would have been able to stop even with a stick, which Blackwood was without when the puck got past him.

A recap of Mackenzie Blackwood's first playoff appearance 🧱#GoAvsGo | #BuiltDifferentpic.twitter.com/sH6aUpEp0Z

— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 20, 2025

Coach Bednar reiterated on Altitude Sports Radio on Wednesday that, while he thinks goaltender Scott Wedgewood has played extremely well lately, Blackwood is their starter. With multiple chances created by Dallas in the first 40 minutes, the Thunder Bay, Ontario native proved exactly why he deserves the role. His performance earned him the player-chosen big hat in the locker room postgame.

With that said, and despite the three-goal onslaught in the third period, Oettinger also showed why he commands as much respect as he does in the league through the first 40 minutes of the game.

Excellent puck tracking here by Oettinger following this puck through traffic and off his body.

Look at how locked in his eyes are on the puck following both shots, and how quickly he gets reset for the next shot. pic.twitter.com/FPOz8kGIYQ

— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) April 20, 2025

Both goaltenders forced their opposition to create more challenging opportunities, whether it was a greasy goal like Lehkonen's, a deflection like Hintz's, or making the right pass at the right time like Manson to Toews.

Ross Colton Left During the Third

The Colorado Avalanche went into Saturday's game with five healthy scratches - or five options, as Head Coach Jared Bednar alluded to following morning skate.

One of those options may be stepping up in Monday's Game 2 as forward Ross Colton left Saturday's game in the third period with a lower-body injury. Coach Bednar said further updates can be expected on Sunday.

Forward scratches include Jimmy Vesey, Miles Wood, and captain Gabriel Landeskog, who made his return to professional hockey on April 11th in a game with the Colorado Eagles (Avalanche AHL affiliate).

Matt Stienburg was also called up from the Eagles, per the playing roster posted on the NHL media site. Stienburg earned a 2-game suspension early in the regular season after a dangerous hit on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Erik Cernak. He served the first game on Saturday, so he will not be an option until after Game 2 on Monday.

What's Next?

The Avalanche look to continue their push in Dallas as they gear up for Game 2 on Monday, April 21st at 7:30 pm MT/8:30 pm CT.

Games 3 and 4 will be played at Ball Arena in Denver on Wednesday, April 23rd, and Saturday, April 26th.

The Vegas Golden Knights begin their quest for their second Stanley Cup with a first-round battle against the Minnesota Wild. 

The Golden Knights finished the season as the two seed in the Western Conference, while the Wild finished as the seventh seed. Despite that, the series is highly anticipated and will be increasingly difficult with the recent returns of Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Jared Spurgeon.

Like the Wild, the Golden Knights step into the playoffs at full health, with depth aplenty. Jack Eichel recently returned from an upper-body injury, Alex Pietrangelo was able to nurse a lingering ailment, and Adin Hill was given ample rest.

Although HC Bruce Cassidy hasn't confirmed what his lineup will look like, he mentioned recently that he'd like to continue to use what's been successful in the regular season. 

The Golden Knights projected lines:

Barbashev-Eichel-Stone
Saad-Hertl-Dorofeyev
Smith-Karlsson-Olofsson
Howden-Roy-Kolsear

Hanifin-Pietrangelo
McNabb-Theodore
Hague-Whitecloud

Hill
Samsonov

Extras: Pearson, Holtz, Schwindt, Rondbjerg, Korczak, Hutton and Schmid

The Golden Knights are statistically better offensively and defensively than the Wild and hold a large advantage on the power play. The Golden Knights ranked second on the power play during the regular season, and the Wild ranked 30th on the penalty kill. Special teams are important to playoff success and the Golden Knights hold the early advantage. 

Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM PST at T-Mobile Arena. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

Golden Knights Sticking With Lines That Have WorkedThe Vegas Golden Knights flamed out in the first round of the playoffs last year to the Dallas Stars in large part due to HC Bruce Cassidy’s inability to find the best lines. The blame can’t all be put on him as the Golden Knights were ravaged with injuries and did not have enough time to build chemistry among linemates.  "I think he is one of the most under appreciated defensemen in the league," Golden Knights Head Coach Hands Out High Praise For Defensive DefensemanVegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb finished the season with a +/- rating of +42, the second-best in the NHL, earning high praise from HC Bruce Cassidy.

After cheekily hinting on Saturday he'd be ready to go, Oliver Ekman-Larsson is officially in Toronto's Game 1 lineup against the Ottawa Senators.

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube confirmed the news following the team's optional skate, which the 33-year-old defenseman attended. Ekman-Larsson missed the final four games of the regular season with an upper-body injury.

Berube confirms OEL is available. https://t.co/UCfq0Mzsex

— David Alter (@dalter) April 20, 2025

With the defenseman returning to the lineup, expect the Maple Leafs to go with this defense group in Game 1 against the Senators:

Morgan Rielly — Brandon Carlo
Jake McCabe — Chris Tanev
Simon Benoit — Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Ekman-Larsson joined the Maple Leafs on a four-year, $14 million contract this summer after winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers last June. The defenseman played in all but five games for Toronto, averaging 21:04 of ice time, and scoring four goals and 25 assists.

'We'll See Tomorrow': Maple Leafs Reveal Lineup For Game 1 Against Senators, But Could It Change?The Toronto Maple Leafs aren't changing much ahead of Game 1 on Sunday against the Ottawa Senators.

"He's been a very good player in this league for a long time," Berube said on Sunday morning.

"He's been a really good all-around defenseman for us, in my opinion, all situations. He's the type of guy that's very versatile, moving around with different partners, playing the right side, power play, penalty kill. He's kind of a guy that we really count on in different situations and in different roles more than anything."

Toronto is entering the postseason with only one playoff rookie: Bobby McMann. Ottawa, however, has several players who have yet to make their playoff debut.

Ekman-Larsson has played 49 postseason games with Florida and the Arizona Coyotes. He played in all 24 of the Panthers' games last year when they won the cup, which will help in the long run with Toronto.

But how much does experience matter, especially in a series where it's so lopsided in Toronto's favor?

"I think it matters. I think it's good to know what you're getting yourself into. But so many different things that happen out there, so you've got to be able to kind of adapt," Ekman-Larsson said on Saturday.

'Got To Quiet The Noise': Craig Berube Reveals What He's Learned The Most Since Becoming Head Coach of the Maple Leafs Craig Berube is set to embark on his first Stanley Cup Playoffs as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. One day before his team takes on the Ottawa Senators in a best-of-seven first-round series, Toronto's bench boss was asked what he's learned the most about coaching the club.

"It's going to be ups and downs in the series, and it's the team that kind of handles that the best that comes out of it usually, so I think it matters. But with that being said, I think we've got to focus on what we have to do there. Just come out and play like we've been playing all year."

Jake McCabe will also return to Toronto's lineup after missing the last seven games of the year: "Ready to rock."

Anthony Stolarz gets the start in Game 1 against Ottawa as the Maple Leafs look for their first series win since 2023 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"I'm excited for it for sure. That's what you play all year for is to get to this situation and have the opportunity to compete in the playoffs," Berube said. "I'm excited and just focused on what we need to do and trying to prepare our team the best way."

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