2 hours agoOttawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk has found his name circling in trade rumors, but according to general manager Steve Staios, the team has no plans to cut ties with its captain. Speaking to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, Staios called the rumors "complete B.S." while adding that the Senators are building a team around Tkachuk. The Senators captain has just finished his sixth NHL season, scoring a career-high 37 points and amassing 74 points in 81 games. Tkachuk also recorded the third-most hits in the league with 294. He's now a three-time 30-goal scorer at only 24 years old, and there should be a lot more to come from Tkachuk, whether it's in Ottawa or not.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: TSN
2 hours agoNew York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba has avoided suspension for elbowing Florida forward Evan Rodrigues during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final on Sunday. He received a $5,000 fine for the incident, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Game 3 was a very busy day at the office for Trouba in general. He tallied two assists in the contest and blocked a game-high nine shots while amassing one shot on goal, two hits, and six penalty minutes with a minus-one rating. The hard-hitting blue-liner boasts seven points (one goal, six assists) through 13 postseason appearances and has recorded 63 blocks with 49 hits.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoDallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger has a chance to register a fourth consecutive road win this postseason in Monday's Game 3 against the Oilers. Dallas' No. 1 was spectacular in the previous round against the Avalanche, allowing just one goal in all three away outings. After opening the playoffs with back-to-back defeats against Vegas, Oettinger has suffered only one more regulation loss, winning nine of 13 starts. Through the first two games of the series, Edmonton has gotten only four pucks past Oettinger, who boasts a very impressive .932 save percentage over his past six starts.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Mike Zeisberger
2 hours agoEdmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner is set to make his 13th start of the postseason in Monday's Game 3 against Dallas. He's started the series well, allowing four goals in two games, but Skinner will be aiming to get back to winning ways on Monday after the Stars tied the series at one with a 3-1 victory in Game 2. Skinner has gone through some very dark times in these playoffs, but he has registered three victories in his last four appearances. The 25-year-old has saved 82 of 89 shots during the run for a solid .921 save percentage. Skinner's overall record for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs stands at 8-4, and he has allowed 2.65 goals with a .890 save percentage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Tony Brar
2 hours agoDallas Stars center Roope Hintz (upper body) is a game-time decision for Monday's Game 3 of the Western Conference Final against Edmonton. He's hoping to return to action after missing four games. Following a very quiet start to the postseason, Hintz had just started to heat up with five points in three games before he suffered an upper-body injury. The Finnish forward has totaled six points (two goals, four assists) in 11 total appearances in these playoffs. Hintz is among Dallas' most talented players and should play a big part in Monday's contest if he's ready to return.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Elliotte Friedman
2 hours agoEdmonton Oilers forward Adam Henrique (ankle) is ready to return to the lineup on Monday against Dallas. He's set to make only his second appearance since Round 2 after recovering from an ankle injury. The 34-year-old is projected to center the third line, and he's also penciled in for second power-play duty. Henrique has recorded one goal and two points in six playoff games this year. His return pushes Ryan McLeod out of the lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Elliotte Friedman
9 hours agoFlorida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe made a mark with two assists in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Rangers on Sunday. The 28-year-old extended his point streak to four games by registering a power-play assist in the first period and having an even-strength helper in the third. Verhaeghe himself had a lot of scoring chances as well but couldn't light the lamp despite sending seven efforts on goal. The Panthers are averaging 3.38 goals per game in the playoffs, and Verhaeghe has been at the forefront of the offensive with a team-high eight goals. He has also recorded eight assists in 16 games during another productive playoff campaign.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
9 hours agoFlorida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk finished Sunday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Rangers with two assists. He collected a power-play helper early in the game on a Sam Reinhart goal and was involved in the build-up when Gustav Forsling sent the game into overtime with a 4-4 tally in the third period. This was Tkachuk's seventh multi-point game of the 2024 postseason. Two of them have come in three contests against the Rangers. The two-time All-Star leads his team in the playoffs with 13 assists and 18 points in 14 games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
9 hours agoFlorida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart potted two power-play goals in Sunday's 5-4 overtime defeat in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Rangers. Both goals came in the first period as Reinhart put a stop to a three-game pointless spell. Reinhart led the league with 27 power-play goals during the regular season, but he had struck just once with the man advantage in the playoffs prior to Sunday's action. The pending unrestricted free agent has contributed seven goals and 11 points in 14 postseason games overall.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
9 hours agoNew York Rangers center Barclay Goodrow potted two goals as the team snuck past the Panthers 5-4 in overtime on Sunday. Alex Wennberg was the hero of the night with the game-winner in overtime, but Goodrow played a vital part early in the game. His even-strength goal gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead in the first period, and a short-handed marker from Goodrow put Peter Laviolette's team 4-2 up in the second. Goodrow has sparked into life lately, scoring five of his six postseason goals across the last six games. He's started to make a big impact from a fourth-line role, adding a pair of assists in 13 games during the Rangers' playoff run.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
9 hours agoNew York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere ended a four-game point drought with a pair of goals in Sunday's 5-4 overtime victory against Florida. Lafreniere scored in each of the first two periods to help the Rangers grab a 4-2 lead ahead of the third frame. The 22-year-old reached six goals and 12 points for the postseason. Through 13 games, Lafreniere has averaged close to three shots per game, but he's lit the lamp in only four outings. Prior to Sunday's game, Lafreniere's lone goals had come during a three-game stretch early in the second round. It would be a big plus for the Rangers if the former first-overall pick could regularly help out on the offensive end.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
9 hours agoNew York Rangers center Alexander Wennberg gave the team a 5-4 overtime win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against Florida on Sunday. The 29-year-old found a perfect time to end a 24-game goal-scoring slump, giving the Rangers a 5-4 victory and a 2-1 series lead with 5:35 played in overtime. This is only the second postseason point of the year for Wennberg, who contributed an assist in Game 2 against Carolina in the second-round series. Combined with the regular season, the Swedish centerman has tallied only seven points (two goals, five assists) in 32 games with the Rangers. But the team won't complain if he contributes in key moments.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoCalgary Flames defenseman Nikita Okhotiuk joining CSKA Moscow of the KHL. TSN's Darren Dreger reports that Okhotiuk has signed a two-year deal with the team. The 23-year-old Russian moves back to his home country after featuring in 52 NHL games in 2023-24. He recorded nine points (one goal, eight assists), 52 shots on goal, 80 blocks, and 147 hits. Okhotiuk started the campaign in San Jose before the Flames snapped him up at the trade deadline for a fifth-round draft pick. New Jersey drafted Okhotiuk in 2019 in the second round. He has skated in 67 NHL games in total, producing three goals and 12 points.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: TSN
1 day agoDallas Stars forward Jamie Benn led the way with two points in Saturday's Game 2 against the Oilers, finishing a 3-1 victory with a goal and an assist. Benn extended his point streak to three games by opening the scoring with only 3:39 played, and he picked up a helper when Esa Lindell iced the game with an empty-netter. The Stars captain fills a third-line role for the team, but Benn has been productive throughout the playoffs. He has registered 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 15 games, matching his scoring total from last year's postseason.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoDallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston was back in form against Edmonton on Saturday, finishing a 3-1 win with two assists. Johnston has played a massive role in the Stars' success in the 2024 postseason but entered Saturday's action with a three-game scoreless spell. He ended the drought just 3:39 into the contest by setting up Jamie Benn for the opening goal. Johnston then added a second assist when Esa Lindell scored an empty-net goal with 2:03 remaining in the third period. The 21-year-old leads the team with seven goals in the playoffs and has posted 13 total points in 15 games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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