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It was Game 3 of the second round, and the Florida Panthers were back on home ice, down two games to zero to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs were the better team in the first two games and jumped out to a 3-1 lead early in the second period. 

But the Panthers did what they do best, stayed persistent and worked their way back into the game. The Panthers scored three unanswered goals to take a 4-3 lead in the second period, but a goal by Morgan Rielly at the halfway mark of the third period tied the game, sending it to overtime.

The Maple Leafs and Brad Marchand have a long history dating back to his time with the Boston Bruins, and the overtime frame added to it. 

It was a back-and-forth overtime stanza, but a fortunate bounce from a shot by Marchand got the Panthers back into the series.

“I think there was always a little pressure, but I got to say, somehow we were so confident that we were going to turn the series over because we felt like in every game, we were the better team, but we lost. So we believed that in seven games, we should be able to win four,” Anton Lundell said to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas for 32 Thoughts: The Podcast during the European NHL Player Media Tour in Milan, Italy.. 

“Obviously, they were such a good team, like, it was a hard series. I mean, they were up in Game 3, 3-1 in the second or something, and when we won that game, that was the game-changer. We were like, ‘Okay, now it’s our time to press the gas, now we go.’ But I got to say, if we were to lose that game, it could’ve been a different series for sure.”

Lundell finished the series against the Maple Leafs with two goals and five points, playing difficult minutes against both Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner as well as John Tavares and William Nylander. 

Although the series wouldn't have been over if the Maple Leafs had won Game 3, it's extremely difficult to envision the Panthers winning four consecutive games against a Leafs team that looked that confident. The Game 3 loss changed things mentally for both the Leafs and the Panthers. 

That mental edge is why the Panthers are in a situation where they can chase a three-peat. When speaking to Friedman and Bukauskas, Lundell said that winning the third will be the toughest task, mentioning that an even bigger target will be on their back.

Can Florida Panthers' Anton Lundell Take The Next Step If One Really Doesn't Exist?Florida Panthers' Anton Lundell has continued to improve and is one of the NHL's better two-way centers, but he's almost stuck as a third-line center despite deserving a larger role. 

By Anthony Carbone, The Hockey News intern

Mitch Marner is no stranger to the National Hockey League spotlight. But after eight seasons under Toronto’s unforgiving microscope, his move to the Vegas Golden Knights offers something he’s never truly had: a clean slate and a chance to lead without the noise. And maybe, just maybe, it sets the stage for an MVP-caliber season.

Marner offensively has become one of the league's best, increasing his point total every year since his rookie campaign. This past season, he hit the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. Marner’s value has always extended outside of the box score. He is an elite playmaker, a top penalty killer and a great defensive forward, a rare triple threat in today’s NHL. In Vegas, Marner won’t just be another player – he’ll likely be the center point of this team's success.

Whether he’s playing alongside Jack Eichel, Mark Stone or anchoring his line, Marner will be in a system that rewards speed, structure, and two-way commitment, a tailor-made environment for his style. And unlike in Toronto, he won’t carry the burden of saving a franchise. He joins a roster that knows how to win and knows how to let stars shine. Facing less pressure from the fans in Vegas could unlock a new version of Marner that might take over the NHL.

Marner is leaving the Maple Leafs with a legacy of elite playmaking, unmatched vision, and defensive responsibility, but also the weight of unmet playoff expectations. Now, he enters a Vegas roster with a proven championship core, a deep forward group, and a coaching staff that thrives on structure, speed, and opportunistic offense. For Marner, it’s the perfect storm.

The Golden Knights play a system that demands buy-in on both ends of the ice, a system that Marner thrives in. His defensive awareness, active stick, and transition speed make him a natural fit on both the penalty kill and at 5-on-5. But it's the offensive upside that’s most intriguing.

Slot Marner next to a finisher like Jack Eichel or Mark Stone, and suddenly he’s not just the facilitator, he's the engine of a line that could dominate possession, punish on the rush and break down teams with surgical precision. The Golden Knights are not looking for a savior, they just want him to play his game with freedom, combined with the support of a heavily playoff-based roster, which could unlock a new version of Marner that the NHL has yet to see.

Marner has often been viewed as Robin to Auston Matthews’ Batman, the setup man for Matthews, but now with his move to the Golden Knights, he can reshape the story. In a Western Conference filled with MVP talent like Nathan Mackinnon, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Marner could get the recognition for his type of game. If he can put up 100-plus points leading a top line to charge, special teams and driving Vegas into Stanley Cup contenders, there is no doubt that he should be in the Hart Trophy conversation.

Marner’s move to the desert is more than just a change of places, it is a huge turning point in his career. No longer in the shadows of Matthews and no Toronto media on his case after every bad game, he has a chance to redefine what elite looks like. The Golden Knights didn’t just add another star – they added a player who is entering his prime with all the tools necessary to become one of the league's best players. Betting on Vegas has worked out before. Betting on Marner? That's a gamble worth taking.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have 50 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today we look at the history of jersey #50. There weren`t many that used the number, but at least one had a pretty good career. 

Let's take a look. 

Joakim Lindström - 2006 - Lindström was drafted by Columbus in the 2nd round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. 

Lindström made his North American debut in the last pasty of the 04-05 season for the Syracuse Crunch, the CBJ's AHL team. In the 05-06 season, he would make his Blue Jackets and play in three games. In 2008, after playing just 37 games, Lindström was traded to the Anaheim Ducks.

He finished his CBJ career with 8 points, but it was his AHL career that paid his bills. In his four seasons with the Crunch, he played in 176 and had a total of 159 points. 

He returned to Europe in 2009 and bounce back and forth between the NHL and Europe until he retired in 2023. 

Antoine Vermette - 2009-12 - Vermette was traded to Columbus by Ottawa for Pascal Leclaire and Columbus' 2nd round pick (Robin Lehner) in 2009 NHL Draft, March 4, 2009.

He played 241 games in Columbus and totaled 152 points.

Vermette was traded to Phoenix by Columbus for Curtis McElhinney, Ottawa's 2nd round pick (previously acquired, later traded to Philadelphia -- Philadelphia selected Anthony Stolarz) in 2012 NHL Draft and Phoenix's 4th round pick (later traded to Philadelphia, later traded to Los Angeles -- Los Angeles selected Justin Auger) in 2013 NHL Draft, February 22, 2012.

Vermette retired on January 31, 2019, after 14 NHL seasons. Vermette retired with a 56.6 career faceoff win percentage, which was the ninth best among all players since the NHL began tracking the stat in 1997.

Eric Robinson - 2018-24 - Robinson was undrafted out of Bellmawr, New Jersey and signed with Columbus as a free agent on March 27, 2018.

Robinson known for his blazing speed, played in 266 games for the Blue Jackets before being traded to Buffalo by Columbus for a conditional pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, December 6, 2023. He totaled 82 points for Columbus.

On July 1, 2024, Robinson signed with the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-year, $6,800,000 contract. In his first season with the Hurricanes, he set career highs in goals, assists, and points. 

Who was your favorite player to wear #50. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story. 

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently in the middle of a retool/rebuild. Because of this, one of their primary goals from here should be to continue to improve their prospect pool. This will only help their future as they look to become a playoff team again. 

With the Penguins needing more youngsters, one trade candidate who they should seriously consider targeting is Boston Bruins prospect Fabian Lysell.

Lysell, 22, has been the subject of trade rumors this off-season, and it is not necessarily surprising. The Gothenburg, Sweden native has had trouble cracking the NHL lineup with the Bruins, and he could use a change of scenery at this point. With the Penguins needing more youth and skill, Lysell could be a good prospect for the Metropolitan Division club to take a shot on. 

Lysell played in his first 12 career NHL games this past season with the Bruins, where he posted one goal and three points. While he had a quiet start to his NHL career in 2024-25, he has shown good promise at the AHL level. For example, in 2023-24 with the Providence Bruins, he posted 15 goals and 50 points in 56 games. While his offense went down a bit last season with Providence, his numbers in 2023-24 show that there is some upside there. 

Overall, if Lysell could be had for a reasonable price, he would have the potential to be a good, low-risk addition to the Penguins' prospect pool. The potential for him to still become at least a top-nine NHL forward is there, and it will be interesting to see if the Penguins pursue the former first-round pick because of it. 

Penguins Should Give Exciting Prospect Big ChancePittsburgh Penguins prospect Ville Koivunen is easily one of the team's most promising youngsters. The 22-year-old forward had a strong start to his NHL career this past season with Pittsburgh, as he recorded seven assists in eight games. He also performed well down in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2024-25, posting 21 goals and 56 points in 63 games. 

The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results. 

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 40 NHL games. 

#19 - Victor Neuchev – Left Wing (Rochester – AHL)

Neuchev was the Sabres third-round pick at the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal (74th overall) after scoring 40 goals in the junior-level MHL of the Avtomobilist Yekaterinberg system. In 2022-23, he was promoted and played in the KHL full time and had 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in 57 games. 

Buffalo signed the 6’2”, 165 lb. winger to an entry-level contract and brought Neuchev over to North America. Starting in a depth role with Rochester, the winger encountered some stretches of offensive success in his first pro season, but also had some struggles.

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In 57 games, Neuchev had 28 points (11 goals,17 assists), and an assist in two playoff games.  Last season, the 21-year-old was on pace to eclipse his rookie totals, with 22 points (7 goals, 15 assists) in 39 games, but suffered a shoulder injury in mid-February and was shut down for the season. The young forward is entering the final year of his entry-level contract, and undoubtedly, the Sabres are looking for a sign of significant progress in his third pro season. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

On Aug. 22, the Chicago Blackhawks signed forward Frank Nazar to a seven-year extension worth $6.59 million annually. The 21-year-old, a former 13th overall pick in 2022, just completed his rookie season, scoring 12 goals with 14 assists for 26 points in 53 games.

While that's not a ridiculous point total, the Blackhawks saw enough to know that Nazar is going to play a critical role in returning the franchise to greatness.

When we look at the NHL Draft—and every sports draft—a lot of it is luck, as prospects are hit and miss all the time, especially outside of the lottery picks (1–10).

Daniil Prokhorov Interview New York Islanders prospect Daniil Prokhorov stole the show at the club's Blue & White scrimmage during development camp week. The second-round pick was clearly excited to be there and loved the fans. 

When it came to Nazar, he was actually someone the Islanders could have potentially had back in 2022.

For those that don't remember, the New York Islanders held the 13th overall pick in that draft but elected to move that selection to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Alexander Romanov.

The Islanders also received Montreal's 2022 fourth-round pick, using the 98th overall selection to draft Isaiah George, who has already proven that he could be a catalyst on their blue line after getting a taste of NHL action this past season.

The Canadiens, however, didn't hold onto the Islanders' first-round pick for long, sending it to the Blackhawks in exchange for forward Kirby Dach, with the hope that he could be a difference-maker in their lineup.

Flash forward to now, and Dach has struggled mightily to stay healthy and be the guy they expected. The Canadiens did make the playoffs this past season, losing in the first round to the Washington Capitals—their first postseason appearance since the 2020–21 season, when they lost in the Stanley Cup Final to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

So, they've overcome the Dach debacle.

For the Islanders, Romanov's physicality and aggressiveness were rewarded with an eight-year extension worth $6.75 million annually this past summer.

What Romanov Extension Means About Islanders Mentality Under Darche EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders have signed 25-year-old defenseman Alexander Romanov to an eight-year extension worth $56 million with an average annual value of $6.25 million. 

Over his three seasons on Long Island, he's emerged as a top-pairing defenseman for the club and could be viewed as the team's No. 1 defenseman heading into the 2025–26 season with Noah Dobson now a member of the Canadiens.

Nazar and the Blackhawks still have a ways to go to get back to relevancy, but with Connor Bedard and a young group, hopefully it won't take too long for them to return to being a playoff team.