3 weeks agoEdmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins finished Wednesday's 5-1 win over Vegas with two assists. He registered an even-strength helper on Zach Hyman's goal in the second period and bagged a power-play assist when Leon Draisaitl scored in the third. After slumping for a couple of weeks, Nugent-Hopkins has looked fantastic in recent games. He has ended a season-worst five-game scoring slump with five points (one goal, four assists) across the last two games. The two big nights have pushed Nugent-Hopkins to 66 points (18 goals, 48 assists) with 76 games played.Source: ESPN
3 weeks agoSt. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou scored two goals as the team defeated Chicago 5-2 on Wednesday. He potted a pair of quick goals at the start of the game to boost his season's total to 29. The 25-year-old has also collected 36 assists across 79 outings. Kyrou's productivity has dipped in 2023-24, but he has made a late scoring surge. The Blues forward boasts four goals and three assists in the past four games, matching his longest scoring streak of the season.Source: ESPN
3 weeks agoVancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson scored a power-play goal in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime defeat against the Coyotes to stretch his point streak to four games. He was on target late in regulation, saving the Canucks a point in an entertaining game. Pettersson has enjoyed a prolific campaign with 88 points (34 goals, 54 assists) in 79 games, but he's had only one point streak longer than four games. There are three contests left for him to get past the 90-point mark for a second consecutive year.Source: ESPN
3 weeks agoVancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes recorded three assists in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to Arizona. The prolific outing helped Hughes get past the 90-point mark. He's had 91 points in 79 games with 17 goals and 74 assists. Brian Leetch and Phil Housley are the only U.S.-born blue-liners to collect more points over a single season in NHL history. Nine points have come for Hughes during a red-hot April, as he's also scored four goals in five appearances this month.Source: ESPN
3 weeks agoArizona Coyotes left wing Dylan Guenther produced a special performance in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime win against Vancouver with four points on his 21st birthday. The talented winger registered a goal and three assists. There had previously been only two players in NHL history to pick up as many as four points on their birthday aged 21 or younger. Guenther has been on a heater lately, scoring three goals and picking up four assists in five April appearances. He's notched 15 goals and 16 assists in 42 appearances across the season.Source: ESPN
3 weeks agoChicago Blackhawks forward Nick Foligno will miss Wednesday's contest against the St. Louis Blues due to personal reasons. He will, however, rejoin the lineup for Friday's contest against the Nashville Predators. The 36-year-old has had a nice impact in his first season in Chicago, tallying 17 goals and 37 points across 70 games, his best offensive production since the 2016-17 season while with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was not only rewarded with a two-year, $9 million contract extension but he was also named the team's captain while providing leadership for young phenom Connor Bedard. The Blackhawks sit 31st in the NHL standings with 51 points on the campaign.Source: Ben Hope
3 weeks agoChicago Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek will be between the pipes when he hits the road to take on the St. Louis Blues. It's his sixth start over the last eight games as he will take over from youngster Arvid Soderblom who dropped a 4-0 decision in the team's last game against the Minnesota Wild. It's been a respectable season for Mrazek considering the weak team he plays behind as he sports a 3.01 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage across 53 outings (50 starts), going 18-28-4 in that time. His 7.13 goals saved above average rank 21st of 71 qualified netminders, according to Hockey Reference. The club has a decent shot at landing the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight year as they sit second-last in the NHL with 51 points with five games to go.Source: Ben Pope
3 weeks agoArizona Coyotes netminder Connor Ingram is the likely starter on Wednesday when the team takes on the Vancouver Canucks on the road. Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny has stated the plan is to rotate Ingram and Karel Vejmelka for the remainder of the season but Ingram was always labeled to start this game once Vejmelka was announced as the starter for last night's 5-0 loss to the Seattle Kraken. The 27-year-old took over the starter's role midway through the season but hasn't been as sharp of late. For the season, he sports a 2.86 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage across 47 appearances (45 starts). However, he leads the NHL with six shutouts on the campaign.Source: Craig Morgan
3 weeks agoVancouver Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs will once again be between the pipes for Wednesday's contest against the visiting Arizona Coyotes. It's the first time in his young career that Silovs has made consecutive starts as he has out-played the struggling Casey DeSmith of late. The 23-year-old has won all three of his starts this season, working to a quality 2.00 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage that time. Add in his work from last season and the youngster sports a 2.47 GAA alongside a .908 save percentage across the first eight starts of his career. The Canucks will look to extend their three-point lead over the Edmonton Oilers for the top spot in the Pacific Division.Source: Jeff Paterson
3 weeks agoSt. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer will be between the pipes for Wednesday's contest against the Chicago Blackhawks. While Jordan Binnington has continued to get the bulk of the starts for the Blues, Hofer has been the superior netminder. He has yielded just 11 goals over his last five starts while posting a .926 save percentage in that time. For the season, the 23-year-old has posted a 2.74 goals-against average alongside a .913 save percentage across 28 games (25 starts), going 13-12-1 in that time. The Blues' playoff hopes are on life support as they sit five points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference but Vegas sports a game in hand.Source: Lou Korac
3 weeks agoThe Minnesota Wild have recalled forward prospect Liam Ohgren from the AHL's Iowa Wild and he could make his debut on Friday versus the Vegas Golden Knights. The 20-year-old was the club's first-round pick, No. 19 overall, in the 2022 NHL Draft. He played 26 games for Farjestads BK Karlstad of the Swedish Hockey League this season, tallying 12 goals and 19 points in that time. He then made the move overseas and has skated in three games with Iowa but has failed to record a point. The Wild are giving looks to younger players at this point as they will miss the postseason considering they are nine points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for the second and final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference with just four games left.Source: NHL.com
3 weeks agoDaily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli is reporting that the NHL has scheduled two versions for the 2025 NHL draft, one with the Coyotes in Arizona and another with the team relocating to Salt Lake City. The 'Yotes have long been rumored to be on the move as they continue to struggle to build a new arena. Scottsdale mayor David Ortega recently had some harsh words regarding the team purchasing land neighboring Scottsdale. "The prospect of a rookie developer to buy Arizona State Trust Land with absolutely no infrastructure on the Phoenix side of Loop 101 and Scottsdale Road intersection at the doorstep of Scottsdale is not feasible, or welcome." The Coyotes are currently playing their home games at Mullet Arena, the 5,000-seat home of Arizona State University.Source: Frank Seravalli
3 weeks agoVegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (lower body) will return to the crease on Wednesday to take on the hosting Edmonton Oilers. The 27-year-old has missed the past seven contests after suffering a lower-body injury in the third period of a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 23. "Yeah, he's going to go," Vegas bench boss Bruce Cassidy said following Wednesday's morning skate in Edmonton. "We weren't sure coming into the trip. He had just joined the team on the weekend before we left, so we knew we had to get him in. So tonight's going to be the night." Hill worked to a quality 2.62 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage in his 32 outings prior to his injury. Vegas sits one point back of the L.A. Kings for third in the Pacific Division.Source: NHL.com
3 weeks agoEdmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (lower body) is unlikely to suit up on Wednesday when his team plays host to the Vegas Golden Knights. The superstar suffered what is reportedly a minor lower-body injury late in the Oilers' 4-2 win over the rival Calgary Flames on Saturday and didn't take a shift in the final five minutes of the contest. The Oilers are already in the postseason, so it's possible the team is simply proceeding with caution. The 27-year-old is in the midst of another MVP-caliber season, notching 31 goals and 130 points across 74 games. With his likely absence on Wednesday, he is unlikely to finish ahead of both Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon for the NHL scoring lead.Source: Daniel Nugent-Bowman
3 weeks agoVancouver Canucks center Elias Lindholm (undisclosed) could return to the lineup on Wednesday when the team hosts the Vegas Golden Knights. The veteran has missed the past seven games due to an undisclosed ailment but practiced with the team on Tuesday. "Possible for tomorrow but he's getting close," Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said on Tuesday. Lindholm says he expects to be back before the start of the postseason. "I feel confident. I feel good. I feel healthy," Lindholm said. "I'm excited to hopefully play soon and get some games before playoffs." Acquired from the Flames a month ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, Lindholm has tallied just five goals and nine points in 22 games with the Canucks.Source: NHL.com