May 26, 2025
Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (upper body) will sit out Monday's contest against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Finnish rearguard suffered an upper-body injury in Saturday's Game 3 against the Hurricanes. While it was initially believed that Mikkola would be available for Monday's game, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice has ruled him out. It's possible he would have played if Florida didn't have a comfortable 3-0 lead in the series. Maurice told reporters on Monday morning that Mikkola would be an option again later in the series. Even though Mikkola only fills a third-pairing role in the Panthers defense, he has made a mark in the Eastern Conference Finals with a three-game point streak. Uvis Balinskis will step in to take his place on Monday, making just his fifth postseason appearance of the year.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jameson Olive
May 26, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart (lower body) will not be in the lineup for Monday's Game 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes. The skilled scorer will miss his second consecutive game in the Eastern Conference Finals due to a lower-body injury. Jesper Boqvist stepped in for Reinhart on the first line during Game 3 and delivered an extremely impressive performance. The Swedish forward recorded a goal and two assists in a 6-2 victory. Although Boqvist isn't regarded as a top offensive talent, the playmaking ability of Florida's first-line center, Aleksander Barkov, can enhance anyone's game.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jameson Olive
May 26, 2025
Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson scored one goal on five shots in Sunday's 6-1 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. This was his first goal in nine postseason appearances this year. Since returning from a knee injury, Robertson has added two assists with 15 shots on goal. The star forward has clearly not been at his best in the playoffs, although he has recently shown signs of improvement, with two of his three points coming in the series against Edmonton. However, Dallas needs even bigger contributions from him; otherwise, the team's season will soon be over.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 26, 2025
Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman was a one-man wrecking crew in Sunday's Game 3 against the Dallas Stars, finishing a 6-1 win with two goals, one assist, four shots, one block, 10 hits, and a plus-five rating. Hyman has been off his game all year and headed into Sunday's action with only one point in five games. However, the 32-year-old reminded everyone what he can do when he's in form. His standout performance on Sunday brought Hyman's postseason total to 11 points (five goals, six assists) over 14 games played. He has also averaged an eye-popping 7.8 hits per game during Edmonton's quest to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for a second consecutive year.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 26, 2025
Edmonton Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins extended his multi-point streak to three games with a trio of assists in Sunday's 6-1 win over the Dallas Stars. He collected two helpers when Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid scored 36 seconds apart in the first frame and set up Zach Hyman for a goal early in the third. During his multi-point streak, Nugent-Hopkins has notched two goals and five assists. After averaging 0.63 points per game during a down year in the regular season, he has become a point-per-game player in the playoffs. With 14 games played, Nugent-Hopkins sits on five goals and 11 assists.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 26, 2025
Edmonton Oilers left wing Evander Kane played a big part in Sunday's 6-1 win over the Dallas Stars with three assists. The power forward turned into a playmaker, setting up Zach Hyman twice in the third period and helping John Klingberg to gap off the scoring with the man advantage. These are Kane's first points in four games. Although he has been offensively inconsistent throughout the postseason, Kane can be happy with his overall contribution. The 33-year-old has scored four goals and 10 points in 13 games. In Tuesday's Game 4, Kane will hope to land on the score sheet in back-to-back games for only the second time this postseason.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 26, 2025
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid found the back of the net twice as the team took charge in the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Stars with a 6-1 win on Sunday. The Oilers captain has experienced some terrible luck in front of the net this postseason, but finally got the bounces on Sunday, lighting the lamp with both of his shots on goal. With the two-goal performance, McDavid claimed the postseason scoring lead. He has 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) through 14 games. His shooting percentage stands at an abysmal 9.4, suggesting that McDavid is likely to significantly increase his goal total moving forward.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 26, 2025
Edmonton Oilers right wing Connor Brown (undisclosed) saw his day at the office come to an early end in Sunday's Game 3 against the Dallas Stars. The 31-year-old left the contest in the second period after absorbing a hit from Stars defenseman Alexander Petrovic. Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch didn't have an update on Brown after the game. Brown has recently missed practices and was considered a game-time call for the Western Conference Finals opener on May 21. However, he hasn't sat out any games so far this season. Brown registered 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) in 82 regular-season outings and has posted eight points (five goals, three assists) in 14 games during the playoffs. Viktor Arvidsson, who has been a healthy scratch for several games, may get an opportunity to re-enter the lineup if Brown has to skip Tuesday's Game 4.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
May 25, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov could not give his team a lift in his second postseason start of the year on Saturday against the Florida Panthers, allowing six goals on 28 shots in a 6-2 defeat. The Russian netminder performed admirably through the first two periods, giving up only one goal on 15 shots, but the Panthers torched him in the third. This was Kochetkov's third overall appearance in the playoffs, and he now holds a 3.60 goals-against average with a .855 save percentage. Given how things worked out on Saturday, it seems likely that Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour will return to Frederik Andersen on Monday as the team attempts to avoid a sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 25, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis scored a late power-play goal in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Florida Panthers. The defending Stanley Cup champions were already leading by five in the third period when Jarvis scored with his only shot on goal. The 23-year-old made a quick return to the scoresheet after his five-game point streak ended in Game 2 against the Panthers. He leads the Hurricanes with 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 13 games this postseason, averaging 3.2 hits per game. While Jarvis has been on a roll in the playoffs, the team needs even more from him, as the Hurricanes face elimination in Monday's Game 4.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 25, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes forward Logan Stankoven returned to the score sheet in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Florida Panthers on Saturday night, registering a goal and an assist on the power play. Stankoven's fourth marker of the playoffs tied the game at one with 5:09 remaining in the second period, but Florida ran away with the victory after opening the third frame with five unanswered goals. Stankoven had gone four games without a point and six games without recording a goal. The 22-year-old has struggled with consistency on the offensive end, but a total of seven points (four goals, three assists) in 13 games makes him Carolina's fourth-highest scoring forward this postseason.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 25, 2025
Florida Panthers center Jesper Boqvist stepped up big time for the team in Saturday's Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes, notching three points with one goal and two assists in a 6-2 win. Replacing Sam Reinhart (lower body) in the lineup and playing for the first time in four games, Boqvist felt right at home on the first line, tying Aleksander Barkov for the game high with a plus-four rating. He also threw his body around a bit to record three hits. Reinhart's caliber makes him a tough player to replace, but Boqvist has impressed with his recent performances, tallying two goals and three assists in his last three appearances. The Swedish forward found his scoring touch after starting the postseason with a seven-game stretch without any points.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 25, 2025
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov scored two goals and registered an assist in Saturday's big 6-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Panthers captain was outstanding throughout the contest, finishing with a plus-four rating. Following a couple of quiet outings in Round 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Barkov has quickly regained his scoring touch, compiling a four-game point streak. The three-point outburst on Saturday night made him Florida's top scorer for these playoffs. Barkov has notched 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in as many games. He has done plenty of the dirty work as well, recording 16 blocks and 37 hits.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 25, 2025
Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (upper body) is not expected to miss any time after getting hurt in Saturday's Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes. "We think he's gonna be okay," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice told reporters postgame. Mikkola has become a key contributor in the Eastern Conference Finals, registering a three-game point streak. He netted two goals in Saturday's 6-2 win, pushing his tally to five points (three goals, two assists) through 15 games this postseason. Additionally, Mikkola has averaged 2.7 hits per game in the playoffs, making his presence felt at both ends of the ice.
--Taavi PailkSource: David Dwork
May 24, 2025
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse will not face supplementary discipline for his slash that injured Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz (lower body) in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Friday night. Nurse received a two-minute penalty for the incident during the game. The officials reviewed it to determine if it warranted a major penalty but opted to keep it as a minor. Averaging over 24 minutes of ice time, Nurse has been a busy man in the playoffs, recording five points (two goals, three assists), 30 shots, 29 blocks, and 33 hits.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
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