May 24, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker (undisclosed) has been labeled a game-time decision for Saturday's tilt against the Florida Panthers. The 30-year-old sustained an undisclosed injury in Thursday's Game 2 defeat, logging only 9:52 of action. However, Walker took part in the morning skate and seems to be ready to play. In the playoffs, Walker has made 12 appearances, scoring one goal and three points, while racking up 16 blocks and 16 hits. If Walker experiences a setback and cannot play Saturday night, the Hurricanes will probably use Alexander Nikishin as his replacement.
--Taavi PailkSource: Cory Lavalette
May 24, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield (undisclosed) missed the morning skate and is not expected to be in the lineup on Saturday against the Florida Panthers. He will remain out for a fourth consecutive game. Scott Morrow has started the Eastern Conference Finals as Chatfield's replacement in the lineup. The 22-year-old rookie has yet to score any points, recording three shots and one block with a minus-three rating. Given that Morrow has averaged only 11:21 of ice time, it's unlikely he will play a significant role in Saturday's game.
--Taavi PailkSource: Cory Lavalette
May 24, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov will be the starter for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Florida Panthers on Saturday night. Frederik Andersen has struggled in the series, allowing nine goals on 36 shots, and Kochetkov will take over the crease on Saturday. This will be his second postseason start of the year. Kochetkov picked up a 5-4 double-overtime win against the New Jersey Devils in Round 1. He has registered a 2.57 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage in the playoffs. Over 47 regular-season appearances, Kochetkov produced a 27-16-3 record. It has been a solid year for the Russian netminder, but he faces a huge challenge on Saturday, taking on a Panthers team that has averaged close to four goals per game in the postseason (3.93) and appears full of confidence.
--Taavi PailkSource: Cory Lavalette
May 24, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart (lower body) will miss Saturday's Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 29-year-old logged only a handful of minutes in Game 2 before leaving after sustaining an injury from a hit by Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho. Reinhart's absence gives a fresh opportunity for Jesper Boqvist to make an impression on the first line. He has started the Conference Finals as a healthy scratch but spent some time on the top line in Round 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Boqvist has recorded one goal and one assist in nine playoff games this year.
--Taavi PailkSource: Michael Russo
May 24, 2025
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Jake Walman recorded an even-strength assist in Friday's 3-0 win against the Dallas Stars in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. He had the secondary assist when Connor Brown completed the scoring 16:36 into the second period. This marked only the second assist and the third postseason point for Walman. He enjoyed a career year during the regular season with 40 points (seven goals, 33 assists) in 65 appearances. This included eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 15 games with the Oilers since his move from the San Jose Sharks. However, Walman's productivity on the offensive end has nosedived during the postseason, as he has been limited to a third-pairing role at the back.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 24, 2025
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid collected an assist on a Brett Kulak goal in Friday's 3-0 win over the Dallas Stars, making him the fourth player in NHL history to record 20-plus points in four consecutive postseasons. The Oilers captain joined Sergei Fedorov, Mike Bossy, and Bryan Trottier on the special list. Almost all of his points this postseason have come through assists, as McDavid has been limited to just three goals with 51 attempts on the net. It has been a frustrating time for him in front of the goal, although McDavid has still been highly impactful for the Oilers, sharing the scoring lead in the playoffs with teammate Leon Draisaitl and Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 24, 2025
Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins finished Friday's 3-0 win over the Dallas Stars with two points, scoring the game-winning goal on the power play and setting up Connor Brown for his fifth goal of the postseason. After going scoreless in each of the last two games against the Vegas Golden Knights in Round 2, Nugent-Hopkins has bounced back in a big way. He has opened the Conference Finals with back-to-back multi-point efforts, scoring a power-play goal in each contest. His improved scoring rate has made Nugent-Hopkins a point-per-game player for the playoffs, as he now boasts five goals and eight assists through 13 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 24, 2025
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard had his sixth multi-point performance of the postseason Friday night, delivering a pair of assists in a 3-0 win over the Dallas Stars. He set up Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for a power-play goal, which turned out to be the game-winning tally, and assisted Brett Kulak on his first postseason marker. Additionally, Bouchard recorded three blocks while logging 23:33 of ice time. It has been another prolific playoff campaign for Bouchard, but he has yet to register points in more than two consecutive games. He will try to change that in Sunday's Game 3 against the Stars. Across 13 postseason outings, Bouchard has produced five goals and 15 points while blocking 18 shots.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 24, 2025
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner stopped 25 shots to record his third shutout in four starts during Friday's 3-0 victory over the Dallas Stars. The 26-year-old became the ninth goaltender in NHL history to secure a shutout in each of his first three wins in a single postseason. Overall, Skinner now has four playoff shutouts with the Oilers, ranking him second on the franchise's all-time list behind Curtis Joseph (5). It has been a strange postseason campaign for Skinner, who has been very impressive in his three wins but has struggled badly in his four other starts. This has resulted in a 3-4 record for him, while Skinner has logged a 2.90 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 24, 2025
Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (lower body) could not finish Friday's 3-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. He was injured in the third period when Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse slashed Hintz during a battle in front of the Edmonton net. The Finnish star, who has tallied 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 15 postseason appearances, left the ice without putting any weight on his left leg. Nurse received a minor penalty for slashing after officials reviewed the incident for a possible major penalty. Wyatt Johnston is likely to move up in the lineup if Hintz can't play in Sunday's Game 3, with Oscar Back set to rejoin the lineup to fill the open spot.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 23, 2025
The New York Islanders have appointed Mathieu Darche as the general manager and executive vice president of the team. He will succeed Lou Lamoriello, whose contract was not renewed for the upcoming season. Darche will move to New York after spending several years with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization as an assistant manager and director of hockey operations. He won the Stanley Cup with the team in 2020 and 2021. Under Lamoriello, the Islanders qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs five times in seven years but did not win any series in the last four seasons. The team missed the postseason in 2024-25, finishing with a 35-35-12 record. Darche has a busy summer ahead, as the Islanders have several pending free agents and hold the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 23, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker (undisclosed) may not be available for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Florida Panthers on Saturday. He was injured in Thursday's Game 2, logging under 10 minutes of action. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour described Walker as "a little iffy" for Saturday's game. The 30-year-old has logged 16 blocks and 16 hits in 12 playoff outings this year, contributing one goal and two assists on the offensive end. Jalen Chatfield (undisclosed) is close to a return and might be Walker's replacement in the lineup for Game 3. At the same time, Alexander Nikishin is another option for Brind'Amour, who needs to tighten up the defense after watching his team allow five goals in each of the first two games in the series.
--Taavi PailkSource: Eric Engels
May 23, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis (undisclosed) looks to have avoided serious injury and is expected to be in the lineup on Saturday against the Florida Panthers. Jarvis was hurt in Thursday's Game 2 of the series, but Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour told reporters on Friday that he will be "fine" for Saturday's action. This is great news for Carolina, as Jarvis has been the team's top scorer this postseason with 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in as many games. The 23-year-old was riding a five-game point streak before the entire Hurricanes offense was shut down in Thursday's 5-0 defeat.
--Taavi PailkSource: Eric Engels
May 23, 2025
Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger has started back-to-back series with winning efforts and will hope to maintain his recent hot form in Friday's Game 2 against the Edmonton Oilers. In Wednesday's series opener, a 6-3 win for the Stars, Oettinger stopped 24 of 27 pucks to earn his fourth victory in five starts. He wasn't quite at his best but got the job done. In the process, Oettinger extended his home winning streak in the playoffs to seven games. It was only the second time during the streak that he allowed more than two goals. With Oettinger on a roll at the American Airlines Center, Connor McDavid and his gang have to come up with something special on Friday night to tie the series. Oettinger boasts a 9-5 overall record for the postseason and has allowed 2.51 goals with a .917 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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
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