May 9, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel set up three goals on Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers but ended up on the losing side, with his team falling into a 2-0 hole in the series following a 5-4 overtime defeat on home ice. Victor Olofsson scored two power-play goals off Eichel's assists, and the American superstar registered an even-strength helper on a William Karlsson tally. This marks Eichel's third multi-point game in the postseason. He started quietly with three scoreless efforts but has since gained momentum, notching eight points (one goal, seven assists) during a five-game scoring streak. With his team in trouble in the second-round series, the Golden Knights will be desperate for more production from Eichel.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 9, 2025
Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recorded two assists in Thursday's 5-4 overtime victory in Game 2 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Nugent-Hopkins' playmaking was key as Edmonton jumped to a 4-2 lead. Darnell Nurse and Evander Kane scored off his assists. The Oilers ended up allowing Vegas back into the game in the third period but still won, securing a 2-0 series lead on the road. Nugent-Hopkins was in a scoring slump as the postseason started, but he has heated up with a six-game point streak, which includes three goals and five assists. Edmonton averages an eye-catching 4.50 goals per game in the playoffs, giving everybody on the team a chance to chip in offensively.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 9, 2025
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl scored the game-winning goal as Kris Knoblauch's team came away with a 5-4 victory on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. Edmonton blew a two-goal lead in the third period, but will return home with a 2-0 series lead after Connor McDavid and Corey Perry helped Draisaitl score 15:20 into the extra frame. Draisaitl played nearly half an hour in the contest, logging 28:28 of ice time. He had four total shots on goal and registered one block with one hit. The Oilers have now won six straight games in the playoffs, with Draisaitl recording three goals and 10 points during the streak. Overall, he is tied for third in scoring this postseason with 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in eight games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 9, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb (upper body) was unable to finish Thursday's Game 2 against the Edmonton Oilers. He fell hard into the boards in overtime and appeared to have hurt his right shoulder. The Oilers scored shortly after the incident to win the game 5-4. Postgame, Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy was furious that Edmonton forward Viktor Arvidsson was not penalized for tripping McNabb, who has missed only one of the Golden Knights' 297 games, including the playoffs. His status is uncertain for Saturday's Game 3. McNabb has contributed three assists during this postseason campaign and has been a big presence defensively, racking up 20 blocks and 23 hits in eight contests.
--Taavi PailkSource: Vince Sapienza
May 8, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill will hope to bounce back in Game 2 against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. Hill won three consecutive starts, helping Vegas defeat the Minnesota Wild 4-2 in Round 1, but he let a two-goal lead slip in the second-round opener on Tuesday. The 28-year-old stopped only 24 of 28 shots, suffering a 4-2 defeat. It has been a testing postseason for Hill, who owns a 4-3 record with a 3.01 goals-against average and a .876 save percentage. He must improve his numbers for Vegas to take another step toward the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals, as the Oilers are full of firepower and can score goals in bunches.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jesse Granger
May 8, 2025
New Jersey Devils defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic (knee) underwent surgery on Thursday and will not be ready for the start of training camp. The 27-year-old missed the team's final two playoff games due to a knee injury and faces a lengthy recovery process. This is definitely a setback for the former third-round pick, especially after Kovacevic had a career year in 2024-25. He finished the campaign with 17 points (one goal, 16 assists), 76 shots, 99 blocks, and 102 hits, finishing plus-10 across 81 appearances. Missing any part of training camp isn't ideal, but at least Kovacevic has not been ruled out for opening night.
--Taavi PailkSource: Mike Morreale
May 8, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (upper body) will remain home as the team continues its second-round series against the Florida Panthers with a road game on Friday night. He will miss a second consecutive contest after being injured in Game 1. Stolarz, who boasts a 4-2 record in these playoffs, has not been ruled out for Sunday's Game 4, but it certainly looks unlikely that he will join the team. With him unavailable, Toronto must rely on Joseph Woll again. He helped Toronto go 2-0 up in the series with a 4-3 victory on Wednesday night, but Woll has not been the sharpest in the postseason, logging a 4.01 goals-against average and a .875 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 8, 2025
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley (undisclosed) is considered a game-time decision for Friday's meeting with the Dallas Stars. With Josh Morrissey (upper body) also sidelined, Winnipeg opened the second-round series with two defensemen absent, but both could return for Friday's Game 2 after Jets head coach Scott Arniel noted that the two had "a good skate" on Friday. Stanley has missed two games, with Haydn Fleury coming into the lineup as his replacement. Fleury opened his postseason scoring account with an assist in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Stars. Stanley has not yet recorded any points in five appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: John Lu
May 8, 2025
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (upper body) is set to be a game-time decision for Friday's contest against the Dallas Stars. He was also considered a game-time call for Wednesday's series opener, but Morrissey was not in the lineup, missing his first game this postseason. Colin Miller stepped in for him on the blue line, logging 17:56 of action. He finished with three shots on goal, two blocks, and a minus-one rating. Neal Pionk once again led the Jets defense in playing time with 25:08, including 5:14 on the power play.
--Taavi PailkSource: John Lu
May 8, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (illness) is a game-time decision for Thursday's matchup with the Edmonton Oilers. He missed the series opener as a late scratch due to an illness, but Pietrangelo was able to skate on Thursday morning. Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy said that there is a chance the veteran rearguard will play in Game 2. Pietrangelo's return would give a nice lift to the team. Over six postseason appearances this year, Pietrangelo has recorded three points (one goal, two assists), nine shots, 15 blocks, and six hits with a plus-two rating. Kaedan Korczak figures to remain in the lineup if Pietrangelo is not ready to return on Thursday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: SinBin.vegas
May 8, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev (undisclosed) has been ruled out for Game 2 against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. Vegas will be without its regular-season top goal-scorer for a third consecutive game. Dorofeyev's absence has elevated the fantasy value of Victor Olofsson, who has begun to see time on the first power-play unit. However, the Swedish winger has not been productive in the postseason, recording only one assist with seven shots on goal in five appearances. Dorofeyev remains day-to-day, with his next opportunity to return coming on Saturday, when the series moves to Edmonton.
--Taavi PailkSource: SinBin.vegas
May 8, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen posted two assists in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, extending his point streak to four games. Florida's third line continued to purr, and Luostarinen helped both of his running mates, Brad Marchand and Anton Lundell, on the scoreboard. The Panthers would certainly prefer to have their top guns firing on all cylinders, but they will be happy with what the third line, led by Luostarinen, has done in these playoffs. Luostarinen has recorded two goals and eight points, doing all of his scoring over the past four games. He shares the postseason scoring lead on the team with Lundell, while Marchand is just behind them with seven points.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 8, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly helped to set up two goals in Wednesday's 4-3 victory over the Florida Panthers. He collected a power-play assist on a Max Pacioretty goal late in the first period and made it a multi-assist game for himself by helping Max Domi score in the second frame. This marked Rielly's seventh career multi-assist game in the postseason, placing him second in franchise history, with only Borje Salming (9) achieving more. Rielly is also closing in on Salming in the scoring charts, needing just four more points to become Toronto's all-time leader in playoff scoring among defensemen. With the Maple Leafs now 2-0 up against Florida, Rielly will get plenty of chances to reach the historic mark this year. He has recorded six points (three goals, three assists), 14 shots, and 20 blocks in eight games during the postseason.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 8, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Max Pacioretty continued his renaissance with another multi-point effort in Wednesday's 4-3 victory in Game 2 against the Florida Panthers. He scored a power-play goal to tie the game at one and set up William Nylander for his sixth postseason goal of the year. This gives Pacioretty three consecutive multi-point games. He has suddenly come alive in the playoffs, giving a boost to the second line. Through six postseason appearances, the veteran has notched two goals and four assists with nine shots on goal. Pacioretty's high productivity has been a welcome bonus for the Maple Leafs, who will take a 2-0 lead to Florida when the series continues on Friday.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 8, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitchell Marner scored the game-winning goal in Wednesday's 4-3 victory against the Florida Panthers. The Maple Leafs struggled to shake off the Panthers on home ice, and Anton Lundell tied the game early in the third period, but Marner responded just 17 seconds later, giving Toronto a 2-0 series lead. Marner has earned a point in each of the first two games of the matchup, continuing his prolific postseason campaign. He is tied for second among all skaters with eight assists and has totaled 10 points in eight games. Marner's next point will tie him with Wendel Clark for the fifth-most postseason points in Maple Leafs history.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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