May 17, 2025
Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk was kept off the score sheet for the first time in four games on Friday night in a 2-0 defeat against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The star forward had registered assists in three consecutive contests but was quiet in Game 6 of the second-round series, finishing with three shots on goal, five hits, two penalty minutes, and a minus-one rating, while logging 20:45 of ice time. Tkachuk has gone eight games without a goal in the postseason but is close to averaging a point per game, sitting on three goals and six assists through 11 outings. Strangely, he has recorded more hits (20) than shots on goal (17) in the playoffs.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 17, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (undisclosed) may not be available for Sunday's Game 7 against the Florida Panthers. The 22-year-old was injured in Game 6 on Friday night, logging only 13:01 of ice time. Playing on the first line, Knies has averaged over 20 minutes on the ice for the postseason. The Panthers have kept Knies quiet, but he has played his part in Toronto's success with five goals and two assists in 12 games. If he is unavailable on Sunday, the Maple Leafs would also lose some physicality from the lineup, as Knies has averaged 3.1 hits per game during the postseason. Veteran Max Pacioretty, who scored the second goal in Friday's 2-0 win, may be asked to move up in the lineup to fill in for Knies.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
May 17, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll was excellent in Friday's Game 6 against the Florida Panthers, posting a 22-save shutout in a 2-0 victory. Just two days after being pulled in a heavy 6-1 loss, Woll quickly bounced back, helping Toronto extend the second-round series to Game 7. Woll seems to thrive in high-pressure situations, as he now holds a 4-1 career record in elimination games. In these matchups, he has allowed only 1.13 goals while registering a .958 save percentage. The 26-year-old is poised to play a hugely important role again in Sunday's win-or-go-home clash at the Scotiabank Arena.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 17, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Max Pacioretty potted his third postseason goal of the year Friday night against the Florida Panthers, wrapping up the scoring in a 2-0 win. The veteran was limited to just 11:11 of ice time but made a significant impact, firing three shots on goal and recording two blocks along with four hits. Toronto has seen Pacioretty elevate his game in the postseason, as he has logged three multi-point performances while compiling eight points (three goals, five assists) in 10 games. Additionally, he has averaged 5.9 hits per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 17, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews registered the game-winning goal in Friday's 2-0 win over the Florida Panthers. In a tight Game 6, Matthews broke the tie 6:20 into the third period, ending a five-game goal drought. The Maple Leafs captain had four shots on net overall and recorded one block and one hit with two penalty minutes in the contest, logging 18:14 of ice time. Florida had limited Matthews to only three points in the series before Game 6. Remarkably, he had previously not scored a single goal outside of Round 1 in the playoffs. Toronto will need a big contribution again from Matthews in Sunday's Game 7. He has registered three goals and 11 points in 12 contests this postseason.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 16, 2025
Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin is expected to lace them up for his 21st NHL season in 2025-26. "My understanding is he's under contract, so he'll be back next year," Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said following the team's playoff exit against the Carolina Hurricanes. Ovechkin, who will turn 40 in September, will start the final season of a five-year, $47.5 million contract this fall. The Hurricanes limited Ovechkin to just one goal in five games, but the veteran star proved during the regular season that he can still get the job done for Washington and fantasy managers alike. Ovechkin scored 44 goals and 73 points in 65 appearances, breaking Wayne Gretzky's long-standing NHL goals record along the way.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 16, 2025
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm (undisclosed) is expected to return to action during the Western Conference Finals but will not be ready for the first couple of games. "He's day to day and I'm not anticipating him being ready for Game 1 or 2," Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said Friday. "But we're optimistic that maybe some time in the third round, he will join us." Edmonton has made it all the way to the West Finals without Ekholm making a single postseason appearance. He has played only once since March 26. When he is ready to return, the Swedish veteran will add experience and two-way quality to the lineup. Ekholm finished the regular season with 33 points (nine goals, 24 assists), 143 shots, and 95 blocks in 65 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 16, 2025
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard (lower body) will not be ready to rejoin the action for the start of the Western Conference Finals. "Probably not when the series starts, but I would think probably sometime in the same timeline as (Mattias) Ekholm, sometime during the series," Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said about Pickard on Friday. "Certainly not Game 1, but sometime in the middle." Pickard, who boasts a perfect 6-0 record in the playoffs, has missed three games with a lower-body injury. Initially, Pickard's injury left Edmonton in a difficult position, as Stuart Skinner struggled badly during the beginning of the postseason. However, Skinner closed out the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights with back-to-back shutouts and must be full of confidence heading into the West Finals.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 16, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Pontus Holmberg is expected to re-enter the lineup for Friday's Game 6 against the Florida Panthers. He missed his first action of the postseason on Wednesday night in Game 5, when Holmberg was scratched alongside Calle Jarnkrok, who will also rejoin the action on Friday as a fourth-liner. David Kampf and Nicholas Robertson, who scored Toronto's only goal in Wednesday's 6-1 defeat, will come out of the lineup. Holmberg has contributed only one assist offensively in 10 playoff appearances this year, but he could get a boost by skating with John Tavares and William Nylander. Max Pacioretty, who has previously rolled with the second line, will begin Friday's matchup on the third line.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jonas Siegel
May 16, 2025
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky will make his 11th start of the playoffs in Friday's closeout game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Florida will have a very good chance to finish off the Maple Leafs on Friday in Game 6, considering Bobrovsky has heated up in recent outings. In Wednesday's 6-1 win, he fell 1:06 short of shutting out Toronto for a second consecutive game, establishing a franchise record for the longest playoff shutout streak at 143:25. Previously, Bobrovsky had struggled to keep pucks out of his net, registering a .899 save percentage for the playoffs. However, he holds a 7-3 record with a 2.46 goals-against average.
--Taavi PailkSource: Colby Guy
May 16, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll will start Game 6 against the Florida Panthers on Friday night. With Anthony Stolarz (upper body) still out of the lineup, Woll will make his fourth consecutive start. Things began well for him against Florida, as Woll celebrated a 4-3 victory in Game 2 of the series, but he enters Friday's battle with a three-game losing streak. The 26-year-old has allowed 12 goals during the skid and gave up five goals in Wednesday's 6-1 loss before being replaced by Matt Murray in the third period. Woll has recorded a 4.02 goals-against average during the playoffs and boasts a .877 save percentage, suggesting that the Maple Leafs will likely need to count on their offense to stave off elimination in Game 6.
--Taavi PailkSource: Mark Masters
May 16, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues (undisclosed) will not play in Friday's Game 6 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He will be sidelined for a second consecutive game due to an undisclosed injury. Jesper Boqvist has received a big opportunity to log first-line minutes during Rodrigues' absence and was very impressive in Game 5 on Wednesday. The Swedish forward opened his postseason scoring account with a goal and an assist in a 6-1 win. He also made his presence felt physically, delivering eight hits in 15:15 of ice time.
--Taavi PailkSource: Colby Guy
May 16, 2025
Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele ended a mini-slump on Thursday against the Dallas Stars, registering a goal and an assist in a 4-0 win. The veteran star had gone back-to-back games without a point before opening the scoring in the second period on Thursday night. He followed it up with a power-play assist on a Nikolaj Ehlers marker early in the third. Much like Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, Scheifele hates to travel but thoroughly enjoys home games this postseason. All of his 10 points (four goals, six assists) in the playoffs have come in six games at the Canada Life Centre. In four road outings, Scheifele has been held to four shots on goal and has a minus-four rating.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 16, 2025
Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers netted two goals in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars, helping the team to extend the second-round series to six games. Ehlers fired in a power-play goal early in the third period and had an empty-netter to cap things off. The Danish forward has been Winnipeg's leading man offensively in the series, recording five goals and six points. Ehlers averages a point per game through seven postseason contests; however, he has managed only one point in three games played away from home. Turning his performance around on the road would provide a nice boost for the team, as the Jets now need to secure a win on enemy territory on Saturday in Dallas to extend the series further.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 16, 2025
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made history in Thursday's 4-0 win against the Dallas Stars, becoming the first netminder in franchise history to record a shutout while facing elimination. He stopped 22 pucks to earn his second shutout of the matchup. Tim Thomas and Mike Richter were so far the only U.S.-born goaltenders to post multiple shutouts in two separate playoff series. It has truly been a Jekyll and Hyde playoff campaign for Hellebuyck, who boasts back-to-back home shutouts but has struggled massively on the road. Next up, the Jets badly need a big away performance from Hellebuyck, as they will be facing elimination again on Saturday in Dallas. Hellebuyck owns a 0-5 road record in the postseason and has allowed 5.84 goals with a .793 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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