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
May 16, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen continued his rock-solid play in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with an 18-save performance in Thursday's series-clinching 3-1 win against the Washington Capitals. Only Anthony Beauvillier managed to beat him in the game at the 13:41 mark in the first period. Andersen has now won three consecutive outings, and amazingly, the Danish veteran has suffered only one regulation defeat in the playoffs. He carries a 7-2 record and has posted a 1.36 goals-against average with a .937 save percentage and one shutout. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Andersen has a chance to record his longest postseason winning streak in 10 seasons.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 16, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov registered the game-winning goal in Thursday's 3-1 victory over the Washington Capitals, which sent the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. With less than two minutes left in regulation, the Russian scored from what seemed like an impossible angle, extending his goal streak to three games. He now has eight markers in total for the playoffs, trailing only Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen (9). In 72 regular-season games, Svechnikov contributed only 20 goals, so his puck luck has turned at a great time for the Hurricanes. Over 10 playoff appearances, Svechnikov has also logged one assist while firing 35 shots on net.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 16, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis produced a multi-point effort as the team closed out its series against the Washington Capitals with a 3-1 win on Thursday. The 23-year-old recorded an assist when Andrei Svechnikov broke the tie with 1:59 remaining in regulation, and Jarvis then made the game safe for the Hurricanes with an empty-net goal. Jarvis played a big part in the series win and will take a four-game point streak into the Conference Finals. In total, he has scored four goals and 10 points in 10 games during the postseason, finishing without a point just two times. Jarvis has done a lot of damage on the power play in the playoffs, but each of his last three points has come during even-strength play.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 15, 2025
Washington Capitals center Lars Eller will be a healthy scratch for Thursday's Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Danish veteran has failed to make a significant impact in these playoffs and will come out of the lineup after logging less than 10 minutes of ice time in two of four games versus Carolina. Eller has gone goalless with three shots on net in nine playoff games, registering only one assist. Washington plans to use Connor McMichael as the third-line center in Thursday's contest. He has previously featured as a winger on the second line. Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery will shuffle his lines as the team enters desperation mode, needing a victory on Thursday to remain alive in the series.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 15, 2025
Washington Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren (personal) may not be in the lineup on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 31-year-old is dealing with a personal matter and might be forced to sit out Game 5 of the second-round series. The Capitals have brought Clay Stevenson up from the minors to potentially serve as the backup to Logan Thompson on Thursday night. While Thompson and Lindgren shared the starts fairly evenly during the regular season, Thompson has been the clear No. 1 in the playoffs. Despite allowing eight goals over the last two games against Carolina, Thompson has performed well in the postseason and is not at risk of losing his starting spot.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 15, 2025
Washington Capitals left wing Anthony Beauvillier will be back on the top line in Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. The 27-year-old started the postseason as a member of the first line but was relegated to a fourth-line role following Aliaksei Protas' return from a foot injury. At the start of the playoffs, Beauvillier was quite productive skating alongside Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome. He has recorded five points (one goal, four assists) in nine postseason games, firing 20 shots on goal. Protas will begin Thursday's do-or-die game on the second line.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 15, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs winger Nicholas Robertson scored his team's only goal in Wednesday's 6-1 defeat against the Florida Panthers. Playing for the first time since Game 2 of the first-round series against the Ottawa Senators, Robertson netted a late consolation goal for the Maple Leafs, recording the final tally of the game with 1:06 remaining. Before Robertson's strike, Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky had set a franchise playoff record by going 143:25 without allowing a goal to the Maple Leafs. Robertson slotted into the fourth line with David Kampf, as Calle Jarnkrok and Pontus Holmberg were scratched for the contest. The 23-year-old has registered two points (one goal, one assist) in three playoff outings this year.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 15, 2025
Florida Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt recorded two assists in Wednesday's big 6-1 victory in Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He helped his defensive partner, Dmitry Kulikov, on the scoreboard and set up A.J. Greer for his first postseason goal. Schmidt has emerged as a surprising offensive contributor in these playoffs and now has four points against Toronto. Overall, he has registered seven points (three goals, four assists) in 10 games. Although Schmidt averages only 15:29 of ice time per game, he ranks among Florida's leaders with a plus-five rating and has recorded 12 shots, 11 blocks, and 14 hits.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 15, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart helped set up a pair of goals in Wednesday's dominant 6-1 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Reinhart assisted Aaron Ekblad and Jesper Boqvist as Florida took a 3-0 lead in the game midway through the second period. In 10 outings this postseason, Reinhart has averaged a point per game, but it has been a tricky series for him. The Maple Leafs have kept him off the score sheet three times in five games, while Reinhart has scored only once with 23 shots on goal in the matchup. Luckily for the Panthers, they have still grabbed a 3-2 lead in the series and will look to finish off Toronto on Friday night at home.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 15, 2025
Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad recorded two points in Wednesday's 6-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. He opened the scoring in Game 5 of the second-round series and picked up a power-play assist on a Sam Bennett strike. It was a busy night for all around for Ekblad, who recorded 12 penalty minutes and four hits while tying for the team high with six shots on goal. A couple of suspensions have disrupted Ekblad's postseason, but he has quietly had a productive run, averaging a point per game. The 29-year-old has registered two goals, four assists, 15 shots, and 18 hits in six appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 15, 2025
Edmonton Oilers right wing Kasperi Kapanen netted the only goal of the game as the team closed out the second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights with a 1-0 overtime victory on Wednesday night. He ended the game at the 7:19 mark in overtime, with Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse collecting the assists. This was a great moment for Kapanen after he had started the postseason as a healthy scratch. It wasn't until Game 4 against Vegas that he was brought into the lineup. The 28-year-old has been eager to impress, recording seven shots and eight hits over two appearances. Kapanen has been skating on the second line next to Draisaitl, making him a value option for DFS managers.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 15, 2025
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner posted a 24-save shutout in Wednesday's series-clinching 1-0 overtime victory against the Vegas Golden Knights. Taking over the crease for Calvin Pickard (undisclosed), Skinner stepped up big time in the matchup, becoming the third Oilers netminder to record back-to-back shutouts in the postseason. He is the fifth goaltender in franchise history to keep the opposition from scoring in a series-clinching game. Skinner's remarkable improvement will make things interesting in the net for Edmonton once Pickard is healthy again. Pickard has not dropped a single game in these playoffs, while Skinner has built up great momentum. He is now 2-3 for the postseason with a 3.05 goals-against average and a .884 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 14, 2025
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard has saved some of his best playoff performances for series-clinching games and will hope to end another team's Stanley Cup dream on Wednesday night in Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Among defensemen who have played in at least five potential series-clinchers, Bouchard ranks fifth all-time with a scoring average of 1.25 points per game. Barry Beck holds the top mark with 1.38 points per game. The Oilers offense has once again received a big boost from Bouchard this postseason, as the 25-year-old has contributed four goals and eight assists in 10 games. Five of his 12 points have come in the series against the Golden Knights.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL Public Relations
RADIO
