April 25, 2025
Montreal Canadiens' Patrik Laine (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision for Friday's matchup against the Washington Capitals. Laine missed Friday's morning skate after being benched in the third period of Game 2 on Wednesday night. "I know he wasn't on the ice today, we have some guys battling a couple things so I think you'll see more players in warm-up tonight," Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis said. "We'll make our decisions before the game." Laine started the series with a power-play assist in Game 1 but was ineffective in Game 2, producing one shot on goal in 10:10 of ice time. He has struggled in even-strength situations all season, picking up 19 of his 33 points on the power play and going minus-14 across 52 regular-season appearances.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet
April 25, 2025
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky recorded his fourth career postseason shutout on Thursday, securing a 2-0 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning with 19 saves. Although Bobrovsky had limited work, he made several crucial saves, tying Semyon Varlamov for the seventh most postseason shutouts by an active netminder. Dating back to last year's playoffs, Bobrovsky now has a 7-2-0 record against the Lightning. In this year's series, he has impressively stopped 39 of 41 shots, giving him a 1.00 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 25, 2025
St. Louis Blues defenseman Cam Fowler had a special performance in Thursday's Game 3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets, recording one goal and four assists in a 7-2 win. He set a new franchise record for the most points in a playoff game by a defenseman and became the ninth blue-liner in league history to put up five or more points in a postseason outing. Fowler, who collected three helpers on the power play, did his damage in 19:03 of ice time. His contributions included two blocks and two hits. The postseason has started extremely well for Fowler, as he is tied for the scoring lead with seven points (one goal, six assists) in three games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 25, 2025
St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas finished Thursday's 7-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets with four assists. He picked up three even-strength helpers before capping things off with a power-play assist late in the game. Thomas' efforts had been underwhelming in the first couple of games in the series, as he notched only one point with a minus-four rating, but he more than made up for it on Thursday night. The 25-year-old now sits on five points (one goal, four assists) through three postseason games. Including the regular season, Thomas has recorded 47 points (14 goals, 33 assists) in 37 home outings this term. The Blues faithful will hope to see another big effort from him at the Enterprise Center on Sunday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 25, 2025
St. Louis Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich netted a hat trick and recorded one assist as the team narrowed the deficit to 2-1 in its first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night, clinching a 7-2 victory. Buchnevich scored twice within the first 3:11 of play and completed his first career playoff hat trick early in the third period. The 30-year-old also made his physical presence known, recording six hits in 18:58 of ice time. Although the Blues are down in the series, Buchnevich has performed well at the start of the postseason, compiling a three-game point streak with three goals and three assists. He has registered three of his six points on the power play.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 25, 2025
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo missed Thursday's Game 3 against the St. Louis Blues due to an illness. He was a late scratch for the contest. In his absence, Collin Miller made his 2025 postseason debut, recording a power-play assist. However, Winnipeg's defense clearly missed DeMelo, as the Blues put seven pucks past the visiting team. DeMelo was ranked third on the team in blocks (112) and hits (137) during the regular season, while he also posted 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) in 82 appearances. With Game 4 not coming until Sunday, DeMelo will have two full days to recover. If he can't make it back, Miller will likely keep his spot in the lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Murat Ates
April 25, 2025
Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Johansson (undisclosed) exited Thursday's Game 3 victory against the Vegas Golden Knights after logging only 11:09 of ice time. The Swedish veteran was minus-one in the contest with one block. While Johansson has been quiet in the series, recording one assist and one shot on goal, his veteran presence would be missed if he were to sit out additional time. Game 4 is scheduled for Saturday. Minnesota could turn to Liam Ohgren to fill the gap in the lineup. He has five points (two goals, three assists) in 24 regular-season outings, averaging one hit per game.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Michael Russo
April 25, 2025
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (undisclosed) did not finish Thursday's 2-0 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He exited the contest in the third period following a hit from Lightning forward Brandon Hagel, which earned him a five-minute major penalty for interference. Before leaving the action, Barkov helped to set up Nate Schmidt for the game's opening goal with 4:15 played in the first period. The Panthers captain also registered one block and one hit in 15:41 of ice time. Overall, Barkov has procured three assists in the series, including two on the power play. Tomas Nosek is likely to jump into the lineup if Barkov can't play in Saturday's Game 3.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 24, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (undisclosed) will play in Game 2 against the Florida Panthers on Thursday night. Cirelli was hurt in Tuesday's series opener and was labeled a game-time call on Thursday morning. He will continue as the second-line center, working with Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel. Cirelli has notched 42 points (17 goals, 25 assists) in 104 career postseason games in the NHL.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Eduardo A. Encina
April 24, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy will aim to rebound from a rough start to the postseason in Thursday's Game 2 against the Florida Panthers. The 2019 Vezina Trophy winner was lit up for six goals in Game 1 on Tuesday night, finishing with only 11 saves and a .625 save percentage. Tampa Bay allowed three power-play goals in the contest, and a better performance on the penalty kill by the team would be a welcome sight for Vasilevskiy, who holds a 2-6-1 record against Florida since the beginning of last year's playoffs.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Gabby Shirley
April 24, 2025
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen will be sidelined for six months after undergoing successful right triceps tendon surgery on March 26. He is expected to make a full recovery; however, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere announced on Thursday that Ristolainen will not be healthy for next season's training camp. Ristolainen has been significantly limited by the triceps injury in recent years, making only 94 appearances. He missed the final 16 games of this campaign. The 30-year-old finished the season with 19 points (four goals, 15 assists), 100 shots, 94 blocks, 97 hits, and a plus-three rating.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 24, 2025
New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler (lower body) practiced with the team on Thursday for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury on Feb. 4. New Jersey lost Luke Hughes (upper body) in Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes and could use some reinforcement on defense; however, it remains uncertain whether Siegenthaler will join the lineup for Friday's Game 3. Siegenthaler posted nine points (two goals, seven assists), 92 blocks, and 75 hits in 55 regular-season games. He has made 28 career playoff appearances in the NHL, registering one goal and two assists.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
April 24, 2025
Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas (foot) has traveled with the team for Games 3 and 4 against the Montreal Canadiens. Protas is expected to return to the lineup in this series and could be an option on Friday night. The two teams will also clash in Montreal on Sunday. Washington lost Protas eight games ago due to a skate cut on his left foot. The team has coped well with his absence, building a 2-0 lead in the matchup, but he would be a valuable addition. Anthony Beauvillier has skated on the first line in Protas' absence during the first two games in the series, recording a goal and two assists with a team-high eight shots.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Tarik El-Bashir
April 24, 2025
Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi (upper body) will not play in Game 3 against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. Vilardi traveled with the team to St. Louis but will be sidelined for a 14th consecutive game. The 25-year-old has been skating in a non-contact jersey this week, a sign that Vilardi is making progress. However, it remains unclear when he will be ready to jump back into the lineup. Winnipeg also remains without Nikolaj Ehlers (foot) on Thursday, increasing the fantasy value of Alex Iafallo and Nino Niederreiter.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Murat Ates
April 24, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Max Pacioretty is expected to enter the lineup on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators. He has sat out the first two games of the series as a healthy scratch. Pacioretty missed the end of the regular season due to an undisclosed injury. The Maple Leafs last had the veteran forward in the lineup on Feb. 8, so Pacioretty will likely have quite a bit of rust on him Thursday night. Pacioretty made 37 regular-season appearances, scoring five goals and 13 points. He is set to take on a third-line role, skating with Max Domi and Bobby McMann.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
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