8 hours agoDallas Stars forward Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist in a disappointing 4-3 overtime loss in Game 1 of their second-round series against the Colorado Avalanche. Benn assisted on the Stars' second goal of the game and then scored a goal of his own to put the team up 3-0 late in the first. Unfortunately, that lead wouldn't hold and the Avs would go on to score four unanswered and take Game 1. Benn has five points (two goals, three assists) in eight games this postseason and has done his part as a middle-six option to give the team some additional scoring. Benn and the Stars will look to even up the series on Thursday in Dallas.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
8 hours agoColorado Avalanche winger Miles Wood completed the team's unlikely comeback in Game 1 of their second-round series against the Dallas Stars, posting the overtime winner in a 4-3 victory. Wood was sprung on a partial breakaway, and took care of business by zipping around the Dallas defender and sliding the puck past Jake Oettinger. Wood has been a role player for the Avalanche this year, and sometimes those are the players you need to step up in a game like this. The Avs will look to take a 2-0 stranglehold in the series on Thursday in Dallas.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
8 hours agoColorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar led the team to a come-from-behind 4-3 overtime victory in Game 1 of their second-round series against the Dallas Stars. The Avalanche were down 3-0 heading into the second period of this one, but they stormed back with four straight goals to take it in overtime. Makar was at the forefront, posting a goal midway through the second to put the game within reach and assisting on the first and third Avalanche goals. After posting 90 points in the regular season, Makar has somehow outpaced that so far in the playoffs with nine points (two goals, seven assists) in six games.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
8 hours agoNew York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck banged in the game-winning goal in a 4-3 double-overtime victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2 of their second-round series. Trocheck was all over the ice tonight, playing a game-high 35:21 while racking up six shots, three hits, and a blocked shot. On top of the OT winner, Trocheck also assisted on Chris Kreider's game-tying goal in the third period. The 30-year-old has been a revelation for the Rangers this season, and that has continued through the playoffs, where he has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in six games.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
8 hours agoNew York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin doled out three assists in a 4-3 double-overtime win in Game 2 of their second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Panarin assisted on the last three Rangers goals of the game, including the tying goal from Chris Kreider midway through the third period, and the overtime winner off the stick of Vincent Trocheck. The 32-year-old had a slow start to his postseason but now has six points in his last three games, showing he might be back to his regular season form.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
8 hours agoCarolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho did his best to tie up their second-round series against the New York Rangers, but even his trio of assists couldn't put the Canes on top in a 4-3 double-overtime loss in Game 2. Aho assisted on all three of Carolina's goals in this one and was dangerous all night with the puck. The Finn is up to eight points (two goals, six assists) in seven postseason games so far, doing his part to give his team a chance to win. He'll have to continue to dominate and get some help from his teammates if the Canes want to come back in this series.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
8 hours agoNew York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin was extremely sharp in Tuesday's 4-3 double-overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2 of their second-round series, stopping 54 of the 57 shots he faced. Shesterkin has been a brick wall this postseason, going 6-0 with a .929 SV% and 2.00 GAA. The Rangers are yet to lose a game in the playoffs, and that is in large part due to their goaltending. Shesterkin will look to win a seventh straight on Thursday night in Carolina.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
16 hours agoThe Ottawa Senators have appointed Travis Green as the new head coach of the team. He signed a four-year deal that runs through the 2027-28 season. Green takes over from Jacques Martin, who guided Ottawa on an interim basis after D.J. Smith was fired in December. The 53-year-old boasts a 141-159-35 regular-season record as head coach in the NHL, with one playoff appearance. Green took Vancouver to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2019-20 but was fired by the team in 2021. He returned to head-coaching duties this season, guiding New Jersey to an 8-12-1 record near the end of the regular season as an interim head coach. Ottawa finished with a 37-41-4 record in 2023-24, missing the postseason for a seventh consecutive year.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
16 hours agoFlorida Panthers center Sam Bennett (upper body) is nearing a return to the lineup, with the team expecting him back this week. After missing a fourth consecutive game due to an upper-body injury on Monday against Boston, Bennett was on the ice Tuesday for his first practice session with the team since getting hurt a couple of weeks ago. "He's closing in, he's close now," said Panthers head coach Paul Maurice on Tuesday. "It's one of the next three games for sure, I think." Once ready to return, Bennett should reclaim his usual spot on the second line, bumping Anton Lundell down to the third.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: David Dwork
16 hours agoEdmonton Oilers forward Adam Henrique (lower body) isn't expected to play in Game 1 against the Canucks on Wednesday. The veteran has missed multiple practice sessions after the team made quick work of the Kings in five games in Round 1 of the playoffs. Henrique recorded two points (one goal, one assist) against Los Angeles while getting top-line minutes. Mattias Janmark is now poised to join Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman on the first line Wednesday night, with Connor Brown filling the vacated spot in the lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jason Gregor
16 hours agoVancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson wasn't on the ice for Tuesday's practice session due to an illness. The Canucks are preparing to continue their playoff journey with Game 1 against Edmonton on Wednesday, and Pettersson's absence on Tuesday leaves a question mark hanging over him ahead of the series opener. After notching 89 points (34 goals, 55 assists) in 82 regular-season games, the Swedish star has been quiet in the playoffs. He had zero goals and three assists in a six-game series against Nashville in Round 1.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Brendan Bachelor
16 hours agoDallas Stars winger Mason Marchment (undisclosed) will miss a sixth consecutive game on Tuesday against Colorado. The 28-year-old power forward has resumed skating after suffering an undisclosed injury early into first-round action, but he will be out for at least one more contest. Evgenii Dadonov is filling in for Marchment on the second line. The Russian veteran notched three points (two goals, one assist) in seven appearances in the first round against the Vegas Golden Knights.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Bruce LeVine
16 hours agoDallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (lower body) will remain on the shelf for Tuesday's Game 1 against Colorado. He missed the end of the regular season and didn't see any action in the first round against Vegas due to a lower-body injury. However, Hakanpaa could be ready to return to the Stars lineup at some point during the second-round series. The Finnish blue-liner would add toughness to the team -- he led Dallas with 196 hits in 64 regular-season outings. Hakanpaa was also among the team leaders with 123 blocks while tallying 12 points (two goals, 10 assists).
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Bruce LeVine
16 hours agoColorado Avalanche winger Joel Kiviranta (lower body) will remain out for Game 1 against Dallas on Tuesday. The former Star suffered a lower-body injury in the first round versus Winnipeg and will miss a third consecutive game. Before getting knocked out of the lineup, Kiviranta posted one assist in three games while averaging 10:14 of ice time in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He's been logging bottom-six minutes all season and shouldn't make a major impact offensively once his back. However, Kiviranta had some success against his former team during the regular season, with two points (one goal, one assist) in four games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Katie Gaus
2 days agoLos Angeles Kings forward Pierre-Luc Dubois looks set to remain on the team for now, with general manager Rob Blake saying there aren't any plans to buy out his contract. There was speculation of a potential buyout for Dubois following a disappointing campaign in Los Angeles. After enjoying back-to-back 60-point years in Winnipeg, Dubois managed only 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists) in 82 games in his first season with the Kings. His struggles continued in the playoffs, where Dubois recorded only one point in a five-game series against the Oilers in the first round. The 25-year-old has the third-highest salary cap hit on the Kings squad with $8 million and is tied to the club through the 2030-31 campaign.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Elliotte Friedman
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