Brian Elliott Risky To Start Again In Game 2

If you're trying to decide whether to start Philadelphia Flyers goalie Brian Elliott on Friday on the theory that he's going to be hell-bent on avenging his horrible Game 1, then knock yourself out, by all means. He's a competitor and Elliott wants to bring Philadelphia back home with a series knotted at one apiece. […]

David Perron Remains Out For Vegas

Vegas Golden Knights left wing David Perron (undisclosed) isn't healthy enough to return ahead of Game 2 against the Kings. Head coach Gerard Gallant has said that Perron is very close to a comeback, but that won't happen on Friday night. Perron, who hasn't played since March 26, led the team with 50 assists during […]

Kevin Gravel Set To Replace Drew Doughty In Game 2

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Kevin Gravel looks set to play his first Stanley Cup playoff game Friday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, as he replaced the suspended Drew Doughty at the morning skate. Gravel skated on the bottom pairing with Christian Folin. He's a speedy blue liner who appeared in 19 regular season games […]

Tanner Pearson Replaces Alex Iafallo On Kings First Line

Los Angeles Kings left wing Tanner Pearson looks set to replace Alex Iafallo on the team's first line in Game 2 against Vegas on Friday. Iafallo logged just a bit over 10 minutes in Game 1 after returning from an upper-body injury and it's possible that he still isn't fully healthy. He will likely miss […]

Sharks Shut Out Anaheim Ducks In Game 1

The San Jose Sharks came out firing on all cylinders Thursday night against the Anaheim Ducks and shut them out with a 3-0 win. Goalie Martin Jones made a few fantastic saves and had no signs of playoff nerves, picking up his fifth ever playoff shutout. The rest of the Sharks looked sharp in every […]

Artemi Panarin Wins It In Overtime For Blue Jackets

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Artemi Panarin scored the overtime winner and added two power-play assists in Thursday night's 4-3 overtime win in Game 1 against the Washington Capitals. The Caps came out with a 2-0 lead after the first period, but it was mostly Columbus after that. Along with three shots and a block, Panarin […]

Philipp Grubauer Allows Four Goals In Game 1 Overtime Loss

Washington Capitals goaltender Philipp Grubauer allowed four goals on 27 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night. Washington made it 2-0 in the first period but couldn't keep the Blue Jackets under control, taking three penalties in the third period and allowed two power-play goals. Grubauer wasn't horrible […]

Mitchell Marner Shooting More On The Road

Although Toronto Maple Leafs right winger Mitch Marner was held off the score sheet in Game 1, he continues to show high-quality play against the Boston Bruins. Thursday marks the first time this season Marner finished without any points in a game against Boston, but the youngster still created chances for Toronto. Interestingly, Marner’s shot […]

Zach Hyman Tallies Lone Goal in Leafs Loss

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Zach Hyman scored the Maple Leafs only goal on Thursday. After being outplayed for the first 10 minutes of the game, Hyman sought to flip the script and breath life into Toronto’s play. Sent streaking down the right wing by Connor Brown, Hyman blew by two Bruins before tucking it backhand […]

David Krejci Deals Damage With Man Advantage

The Boston Bruins second power-play unit converted twice in Game 1 on Thursday, due much in part to the play of center David Krejci. Late in the second frame, the Bruins did a great job of holding the zone and finding Krejci down low. Krejci promptly found David Backes through traffic in front of the […]

David Backes Makes It Three Straight Games With A Goal

Boston Bruins right winger David Backes scored the eventual game-winner Thursday in Boston’s 5-1 rout of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Backes made a strong play in front of the net to stand his ground and potted a pass from center David Krejci. Backes had scored in each of Boston’s final two regular season games and […]

Pekka Rinne Helps Predators Take Game 1 on Thursday

Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne was strong when called upon on Thursday night, stopping 25 of 27 shots faced in earning a victory. Rinne was instrumental in punching his team's ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, posting a 1.96 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage in 22 games. The 35-year-old netminder will […]

Colton Sissons With Strong Performance On Thursday

Nashville Predators center Colton Sissons was noticeably effective in the Predators Game 1 victory over the Avalanche on Thursday. The 24-year-old energetic forward registered a goal, an assist, a plus-two rating, three shots and three hits during the game. It should also be noted that Sissons led all Nashville forwards in ice time at 17:18. […]

Filip Forsberg Picks Up Pair Of Goals In Game 1

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg registered a pair of goals, including the game-winner, in a 5-2 Game 1 win against the Avalanche on Thursday night. Forsberg found the back of the net off a deflection for the Preds third goal and then deposited his second tally off a gorgeous, highlight-reel individual effort. The 23-year-old forward […]

Frederik Andersen Pummeled In Loss

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen made 35 saves on 40 shots for an .875 save percentage in the 5-1 loss to the Boston Bruins. In comparison to the 27 shots that his team took for the game and the mere one goal scored, Andersen really didn't get much help in this game. Andersen will […]

Tuukka Rask Only Allows One Goal In Win

Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask made 27 saves on 26 shots for a .963 save percentage in the 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Rask was fantastic against a Leafs team that really just couldn't get any offense going. For a team that was third place in goals, they definitely seemed to be a […]

David Pastrnak Logs Three Points In Game 1

Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak scored a goal and logged two assists in the 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Pastrnak is clearly one of the best options for DFS, despite being one of the most expensive options. The line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and Pastrnak remains one of the best lines in […]

Nazem Kadri Ejected From Game 1 Against Bruins, Likely To Be Suspended

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri was charged with five minutes for charging and 10 minutes for a game misconduct after a head shot on Bruins forward Tommy Wingels. Wingels was on his knees after laying a hit and Kadri launched his body into Wingels' head that was against the boards. For anyone who watched […]

Drew Doughty Suspended For Game 2 Versus Knights

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty won't suit up for Friday's Game 2 of the first-round playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights, as he has been suspended for one game for a high hit on William Carrier, which the league calls an "illegal check to the head." Losing Doughty is a huge blow for […]

Tuukka Rask To Start Game 1 Against Leafs

Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask will start Game 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night. Rask had some rocky moments throughout the season, including the first two months that saw him post am .899 save percentage, but he finished the year with good numbers by the end of it. April was by far […]

Sergei Bobrovsky To Start Game 1 For Jackets Versus Caps

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky will start Game 1 against the Washington Capitals on Thursday night. Bob capped off another great season with the Jackets, as he finished with 37 wins, 2.42 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. His numbers against the Caps this season are less encouraging. Through four games against the […]

David Pastrnak Is Hot Heading Into Postseason

Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak finished the regular season with a goal in each of his last two games and seven goals in his final 10. Pastrnak scored four of those goals with the man advantage, which is one-third of his power-play goals on the season. In four games against Toronto this season, Pastrnak had […]

Andrei Vasilevskiy to Start for Tampa Bay in Game 1 at Home

Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy will be between the pipes Thursday night to start the series against the New Jersey Devils. Vasilevskiy’s recent struggles are well-documented and his .886 save percentage over the last month certainly raises concerns heading into the playoffs. Despite posting a .920 save percentage for the year, it appears that […]

Sidney Crosby Does His Thing, Posts Hat Trick In First Playoff Game

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby continued his success in the playoffs by starting off with a hat trick in Game 1 versus the Philadelphia Flyers. The battle of the Keystone state got off to a very one-sided start, as the Penguins put up seven goals while allowing none in the series opener. This level of […]

Devils Turn to Keith Kinkaid to Start Playoffs

New Jersey Devils goaltender Keith Kinkaid will start his first career playoff game on Thursday night. Kinkaid has had a solid year for the Devils, but has elevated his play since the beginning of March, posting a .928 save percentage in that time while winning 11 of his 14 starts. He has especially shined away […]

Nazem Kadri Scoring Consitently Against Bruins

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri performed well in the regular season series with the Boston Bruins. The 27-year-old scored two goals and added three assists in four meetings. The Leafs will look for Kadri to maintain his consistency and pitch in offensively as they begin their first-round series on Thursday. Kadri has cemented himself […]

Mitchell Marner Looking To Carry Regular Season Success Into Round 1

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner was hugely productive against the Boston Bruins in the regular season. The sophomore totaled three goals and six assists for nine points in their four meetings and scored in all but one matchup, including the Leafs lone goal in their only loss to Boston on Feb. 3. Marner has […]

Nikolaj Ehlers Shows Speed And Skill In Game 1

Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers got off to a good start in his first career playoff game, grabbing an assist and sending three shots on net. Ehlers' line of Patrik Laine and Paul Stastny continues to show chemistry into the postseason. Laine scored the game-tying goal and Stastny adding an assist of his own. Ehlers' […]

Nicklas Backstrom Returning To Form At Right Time For Caps

Washington Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom finished the season with 21 goals and 71 points, including 25 points in his last 18 games. The slow start to Backstrom's season was likely due to his being separated from elite winger Alex Ovechkin, who slotted next to Evgeny Kuznetsov for most of the season. Backstrom has begun to […]

Pierre-Luc Dubois A Strong Option On Top Line

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois is capping off a memorable rookie year with 20 goals and 48 points, having played all 82 games this season. He also finished the season strong with five goals and seven points in his last five games, regaining his spot on the top line with Artemi Panarin and Cam […]