2 hours agoNew York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin potted the team's only goal in Saturday's 2-1 Game 6 defeat against Florida. Battling for survival in the Eastern Conference Final, the Rangers struggled to generate scoring chances and only found the back of the net with 1:40 left in the third period. Panarin hadn't scored for eight games before recording his fifth postseason marker. He had a difficult time in front of the net despite scoring a career-high 49 goals during the regular season. The two-time All-Star totaled 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 16 games overall in the playoffs.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoNew York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin pushed away 32 of 34 shots for a .941 save percentage in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final against Florida on Saturday, but despite his fantastic effort, the season ended for the team with a 2-1 loss. Shesterkin was beaten by Sam Bennett inside the final minute of the first period and also gave up a goal to Vladimir Tarasenko in the middle of the third. He didn't receive any goal support until the 18:20 mark, and it was too little too late. The Rangers' No. 1 coughed up more than two goals just four times in the six-game series. He finished the postseason with a 10-6 record, a 2.34 goals-against average, and a .927 save percentage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoFlorida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky put in another rock-solid performance on Saturday, stopping 23 of 24 shots in a 2-1 victory over the Rangers. He was extremely close to becoming the first goaltender in franchise history to record a shutout in a series-clinching game, with the Rangers scoring their only goal at the 18:20 mark in the third period. Bobrovsky didn't lose a single game in regulation during the Eastern Conference Final and now boasts his third three-game winning streak of the 2024 postseason. He has allowed 2.20 goals with a .908 save percentage during the team's run to a second consecutive Stanley Cup Final and will enter the action with a 12-5 record.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoFlorida Panthers center Anton Lundell recorded an assist on Vladimir Tarasenko's game-winning goal in Saturday's 2-1 victory. It's his ninth postseason assist, which has Lundell ranked third on the team, behind only Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov. Lundell's productive work as a third-line center in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs includes three goals in 17 games. With the Panthers generating offense throughout the lineup, it's going to be very difficult to stop them from winning the championship.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 hours agoFlorida Panthers center Sam Bennett opened the scoring in Saturday's Game 6 win over the Rangers, extending his goal streak to three games. Bennett hit his sixth postseason goal of the year with 50 seconds left in the first period. His marker was the only goal of the game for a long time before Vladimir Tarasenko added a second for the Panthers in the middle of the third frame. Florida's second-line center has progressively gotten better in these playoffs and averaged a point per game in the Eastern Conference Final. Bennett has managed 10 points (six goals, four assists) in 12 outings overall this postseason.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 hours agoFlorida Panthers winger Vladimir Tarasenko scored the decisive goal as the team clinched its spot in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final with a 2-1 victory over the Rangers on Saturday. Having gone pointless in the series so far, Tarasenko popped up with a big goal 9:08 into the third period to give Florida a 2-0 lead. Tarasenko, who's chasing his second Stanley Cup win following St. Louis' triumph in 2019, has struggled in the postseason and had to relinquish a top-six role in the middle of the Eastern Conference Final. The Russian forward sits on three goals and six points with 17 games played.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 days agoVegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault is set to begin contract discussions with the team. According to NHL insider David Pagnotta, the Golden Knights have made extending Marchessault a "priority" this offseason. The news comes just a few days after Marchessault noted that he's yet to receive a call from the club regarding a potential extension. Marchessault is coming off a six-year, $30 million contract and will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1 if a new deal isn't reached. The 33-year-old has been a huge hit in Vegas ever since joining the Golden Knights for their inaugural season in 2017-18. He scored a career-high 42 goals this season, adding 27 assists in 82 games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: David Pagnotta
2 days agoMontreal Canadiens left wing Tanner Pearson will be on the move as a free agent this summer. According to NHL insider David Pagnotta, the Canadiens have decided against extending Pearson, who spent one season in Montreal. The 31-year-old was acquired from Vancouver ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. Pearson recorded 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 54 regular-season outings. Things didn't go well for Pearson in Montreal, but he should draw plenty of interest on the open market as a player who averaged 0.50 points per game just a couple of seasons ago. The veteran winger boasts 138 goals and 285 points in 644 career games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: David Pagnotta
2 days agoTampa Bay Lightning defenseman Matt Dumba will not re-sign with the team and is hitting the open market this offseason. After inking a one-year, $3.9 million contract with the Arizona Coyotes last summer, Dumba finished the 2023-24 campaign with the Lightning, playing in 23 contests. However, the Lightning have just re-acquired Ryan McDonagh, who carries a $6.75 million cap hit, and the team can't afford to extend Dumba with Steven Stamkos still unsigned. After breaking out for a 50-point campaign in 2017-18, Dumba's offensive numbers have steadily declined. He recorded 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 72 regular-season games this term, with 86 shots on goal, 108 blocks, and 202 hits.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: David Pagnotta
2 days agoEdmonton Oilers center Sam Carrick is expected to replace Derek Ryan in the lineup Friday against Dallas. The 32-year-old will make his ninth postseason appearance of the year. He's been limited to one assist in 9:50 of ice time per game. However, Carrick boasts a better faceoff percentage than Ryan, with 55.2 percent, and has also been more physical, registering 28 hits. Ryan, who has won 47.5 percent of his faceoffs this postseason with 21 hits, comes out of the lineup after featuring in 12 consecutive contests.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Bruce McCurdy
2 days agoDallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (lower body) will remain sidelined for Game 5 against the Oilers on Friday. The 32-year-old has yet to feature in the postseason after suffering a lower-body injury on March 16. Stars head coach Pete DeBoer hasn't ruled Hakanpaa out for the series, but he appears to still be some way off from returning. With Chris Tanev (lower body) getting hurt in Game 4, Dallas' blue-line depth is getting a big test. 20-year-old Lian Bichsel could make his NHL debut in Friday's contest.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
2 days agoDallas Stars defenseman Christopher Tanev (lower body) is considered a game-time decision for Friday's Game 5 against Edmonton. Tanev's night was cut short in Game 4 when he was injured while blocking a shot, but it looks like he has a chance to return to action on Friday. While the veteran blue-liner has managed to register only one point in 17 postseason appearances, he would still be a big miss at the back, as Tanev is ranked second in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 68 blocked shots.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
2 days agoNew York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad recorded his first points of the Eastern Conference Final series against Florida on Thursday, picking up assists on both goals in the team's 3-2 defeat. Zibanejad logged a short-handed helper in the second period when Chris Kreider scored and had his second assist inside the final minute of the game on Alexis Lafreniere's eighth goal of the playoffs. The Swedish centerman became the first player in Rangers history with at least 12 assists in multiple postseasons. He's averaging over a point per game in the playoffs, boasting three goals and 13 assists through 15 games. However, 13 of Zibanejad's 16 points came when he opened the postseason with an eight-game scoring streak.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 days agoNew York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere continued his terrific postseason campaign with another goal in Thursday's 3-2 loss to Florida. He finished the scoring in the contest, notching his eighth playoff goal of the year. Alex Kovalev is the only player aged 22 or younger in Rangers history to score more goals in a single postseason (9). With him having also recorded six assists, Lafreniere is tied for the third most points among Rangers players in these playoffs. He will look to score in a fourth consecutive game when the Rangers try to stave off elimination on Saturday night.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 days agoNew York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider finished Thursday's 3-2 Game 5 loss to the Panthers with two points. He tied Mark Messier's franchise record with his third career short-handed postseason goal and registered an assist when Alexis Lafreniere found the back of the net late in the game. These are Kreider's first points of the Eastern Conference Final. His productivity has suddenly nosedived after Kreider enjoyed a very good start to the postseason and scored a hat trick to finish off Carolina in Game 6 in the previous round. The veteran winger boasts eight goals and 12 points in 15 games for the 2024 playoff campaign.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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