May 23, 2025
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner will make a fifth consecutive start in Friday's Game 2 against the Dallas Stars. The 26-year-old had a rough start in the series, allowing five goals on 27 shots in a 6-3 defeat on Wednesday. Skinner's performances have been inconsistent throughout the postseason, and his play took a downturn after he finished the previous series against the Vegas Golden Knights with two consecutive shutouts. He will take a 2-4 record into Friday's game, while sporting a 3.39 goals-against average and a .872 save percentage. Olivier Rodrigue will continue to serve as the backup goalie, with Calvin Pickard (undisclosed) still on the mend.
--Taavi PailkSource: Tony Brar
May 23, 2025
Edmonton Oilers right wing Connor Brown (undisclosed) is expected to be in the lineup Friday night against the Dallas Stars. The veteran forward appears to be a bit banged up at the moment, missing practices and Friday's morning skate. Nevertheless, he will continue to skate on the third line in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. In Game 1, Brown logged 13:48 of ice time, including 2:48 of short-handed action. He blocked two shots in the contest but did not register any other stats. The 31-year-old has gone scoreless in four of the last five games, amassing seven points (four goals, three assists) in 12 playoff appearances overall.
--Taavi PailkSource: Tony Brar
May 23, 2025
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky shut out the Carolina Hurricanes with 17 saves in Thursday's 5-0 win. He earned his third shutout of the postseason, setting a franchise record for the most in a single playoff campaign. Bobrovsky coughed up 13 goals in the first three games against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 2, but he has suddenly appeared like a different player since then. Thursday's contest marked Bobrovsky's sixth consecutive start with two or fewer goals allowed. He has given up only one goal per game during that stretch. With Bobrovsky in top form, the Panthers look unbeatable and are now only two wins away from their third consecutive Stanley Cup Finals. Bobrovsky has a 10-4 record for the postseason with a 2.13 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 23, 2025
Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad finished Thursday's 5-0 thumping of the Carolina Hurricanes with two assists, three blocks, one hit, and a plus-two rating. His efforts led to an even-strength goal for Sam Bennett late in the second period, and Ekblad collected a power-play assist when Aleksander Barkov wrapped up the scoring in the third. The blue line has made a major contribution on the attacking end for Florida this postseason, with Ekblad being the team's leading scorer among defensemen. He has averaged nearly a point per game through 10 outings, registering three goals and six assists. This marks his best-ever offensive output in the postseason, and Ekblad hasn't forgotten about his defensive responsibilities, blocking 11 shots and delivering 25 hits.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 23, 2025
Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk scored the team's second goal in Thursday's 5-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, ending a 10-game goal drought. The star forward began the postseason by netting three goals in three games but hadn't scored since then. Despite his rotten luck in front of the goal, Tkachuk has remained among Florida's top scorers, sitting on 12 points (four goals, eight assists) through 14 games. Seven of his points have come on the power play, and Tkachuk looks set up for further success in the Eastern Conference Finals, as Carolina's penalty kill has suddenly faltered, allowing four power-play goals over the first two games of the series.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 23, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe recorded three assists in Thursday's 5-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Sam Bennett scored two goals from his assists, while Verhaeghe also helped Matthew Tkachuk break a 10-game goal drought. He tied Tkachuk for the most postseason three-point games in franchise history, achieving his fourth such performance. At the same time, Verhaeghe became Florida's all-time leader with three three-assist games in the playoffs. It has been an incredible start to the Conference Finals for Verhaeghe, who already has five points against the Hurricanes. Overall, he has tallied 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 14 playoff games this year, sharing the team lead in scoring with Eetu Luostarinen and Sam Bennett.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 23, 2025
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett registered two goals and an assist in Thursday's dominant 5-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. With just 1:17 played, Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk set up Gustav Forsling for the game's opening goal, and he added two more tallies himself to give Florida a 4-0 lead. Bennett's first goal came on the power play. The three-point outburst made Bennett the fourth player in Panthers history to reach 50 postseason points with the team. He has managed 13 points (nine goals, four assists) in 14 games this year, including four already in the series against Carolina.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 23, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart (lower body) made an early exit in Thursday's 5-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, logging only 5:37 of ice time. He sustained a lower-body injury from a hip check by Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho. Panthers head coach Paul Maurice did not have an immediate update on Reinhart after the game. "We'll get him looked at tomorrow," Maurice said. "Saturday, we'll have something for you." Reinhart wasn't missed on Thursday night as Florida grabbed a 2-0 series lead with an easy road win, but his absence will be felt in the long run if he is forced to miss additional time. The 29-year-old led the Panthers with 39 goals and 81 points during the regular season. In the playoffs, he has contributed four goals and seven assists in 14 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 22, 2025
The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Thursday that they have hired Jeff Blashill as the new head coach. He will replace Anders Sorensen, who served as the interim head coach since December after Luke Richardson was fired. The rebuilding Blackhawks endured another rough season, finishing with the second-worst record at 25-46-11 and missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. Blashill spent the past three years as Jon Cooper's assistant in Tampa Bay and previously had a seven-year tenure as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings. He had a record of 204-261-72 in 537 games with the Red Wings, making the playoffs once. Blashill will have his work cut out for him in bringing the Blackhawks back into postseason contention, but he has some exciting talent to work with, including Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 22, 2025
The Toronto Maple Leafs will part ways with president and alternate governor Brendan Shanahan, whose contract will not be renewed after working for the club since 2014. During Shanahan's 11-year tenure, the Maple Leafs reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs nine times but won only two series. This year, the team defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-2 in Round 1 before losing their second-round matchup against the Florida Panthers 4-3. Prior to joining the Maple Leafs, Shanahan worked for the NHL, including three seasons as vice president of player safety. The former Hall of Fame player has been linked with a move to the New York Islanders organization.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 22, 2025
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram may need to pack his bags for another move this offseason. After acquiring him from the Colorado Avalanche for forward Casey Mittelstadt in March 2024, the Sabres are reportedly seeking takers for the pending restricted free agent. "There's no doubt his name is out there," Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast. "There's no doubt they're gauging market value on him, and we'll see where this takes us. There is definitely noise around the Byram name and the Buffalo Sabres." Byram, the fourth pick in the 2019 draft, is coming off a two-year, $7.7 million contract. He had a career year in 2024-25 with 38 points (seven goals, 31 assists), 94 shots, 116 blocks, and 75 hits in 82 games. At 23 years old, Byram already has 246 regular-season games under his belt, and his fantasy stock is likely to keep rising, whether he stays in Buffalo or moves on.
--Taavi PailkSource: Elliotte Friedman
May 22, 2025
Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers is considered an integral part of the team, and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff wants to sign him to a new long-term extension. "When we get a chance to talk to him, we'll put our best foot forward with him to try to make our case to be a unique Jet-for-life-type player and we'll see where it all goes there," Cheveldayoff said. Ehlers needs a new deal after completing a seven-year, $42 million contract. He has spent his entire career in Winnipeg, scoring 225 goals and 520 points in 674 regular-season outings. This season, Ehlers tied a career high with 39 assists and amassed 63 points across 69 contests. The 29-year-old is a proven scorer in the league, but he often battles health issues that negatively impact his fantasy value. Ehlers has missed at least nine games in four of the last five seasons.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 22, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen is set to make his 11th start of the postseason in Thursday's Game 2 against the Florida Panthers, aiming to improve a 7-3 record. The Danish veteran has had an excellent playoff campaign with the Hurricanes, but faltered in the Eastern Conference Finals opener on Tuesday night. Carolina started the series with a 5-2 loss, as Andersen allowed five goals on 20 shots. Entering the contest, he had given up as many goals over his prior four starts. Despite having a bad day at the office on Tuesday, Andersen still boasts fantastic numbers, with a 1.74 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. He has yet to lose back-to-back games this postseason and will try to get back on track with a strong effort Thursday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 22, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes center Mark Jankowski (undisclosed) is available for Thursday's Game 2 against the Florida Panthers. Jankowski has not played since sustaining an undisclosed injury in Game 1 of the second-round series versus the Washington Capitals, missing five contests. He has been limited to three appearances this postseason, recording one assist, four shots, three blocks, and two hits. Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour has called Jankowski a "good option" for the team, and he could be a replacement in the lineup for Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who skated with the team's scratches on Thursday morning. Following a 33-point regular season campaign, Kotkaniemi had tallied only three assists in 11 playoff outings. Sitting out some action may help him reset.
--Taavi PailkSource: Walt Ruff
May 22, 2025
Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins logged a goal and an assist in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Dallas Stars. He ended a five-game goal drought with a power-play tally and provided an even-strength assist. This marks the third time Nugent-Hopkins has finished with multiple points in a game this postseason. He ranks as the team's fourth-highest scorer, tallying 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 12 games. Nugent-Hopkins has benefited from playing on the top line with Connor McDavid, who kicked off the Conference Finals with a two-assist performance. Nugent-Hopkins can certainly make an impact with his own line, but McDavid's presence adds to his fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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