May 14, 2025
Dallas Stars forward Mikael Granlund had a memorable night in Game 4 against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, scoring his first career postseason hat trick in a 3-1 victory. Mikko Rantanen has been grabbing all the headlines lately, but it was now time for his fellow countryman to shine. Granlund found the back of the net with each of his three shots on goal and potted two of his goals on the power play. Something has clicked for Granlund in the last two games, during which he has accumulated three goals and two assists. Previously, he had earned only two points in these playoffs.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 13, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues (undisclosed) practiced on Tuesday, but it remains unclear if he will be available for Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. "Nothing yet," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said when asked for an update on Rodrigues. "It was just the step-up program. He will skate tomorrow morning and we'll make a decision. He hasn't been ruled out, but he hasn't been cleared." Rodrigues was injured in Game 3 on Sunday by a hit from ex-Panthers teammate Oliver Ekman-Larsson. In nine postseason appearances, Rodrigues has yet to score despite having 16 shots on goal, but he does have three assists. If Rodrigues can't play on Wednesday, Florida will need to tweak its top line. Mackie Samoskevich is the most likely candidate to step into the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: Colby Guy
May 13, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (illness) was absent from Tuesday's practice. The Swedish veteran was unwell, putting his status in question for Wednesday's Game 5 against the Florida Panthers. "Nothing terrible, but I thought it was better he stay off today and rest up," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said. Ekman-Larsson has put in solid work in these playoffs, recording four points (two goals, two assists), 10 shots, 11 blocks, and 15 hits in 10 games. Jani Hakanpaa (knee) stepped in for Ekman-Larsson on the third defensive pairing.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
May 13, 2025
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard (undisclosed) is expected to miss the rest of the second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. He was injured in Game 2 of the series and has been unavailable for two games. Pickard won each of his first six playoff starts before being knocked out of the lineup by injury. Stuart Skinner will continue to hold down the fort in Pickard's absence. It was an ugly start to the postseason for Skinner, who allowed 15 goals over his first three starts, but the 28-year-old bounced back in style on Monday night, posting a 23-save shutout in a 3-0 win.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 13, 2025
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm (undisclosed) might be ready to rejoin the lineup when the team makes it past the Vegas Golden Knights into the Western Conference Finals. "Mattias has been on the ice for light skates," Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said Tuesday. "He will not be joining us this series. We're hopeful that he can join us next series if we can get to that." The Swedish veteran has played in only one game since March 26, missing time due to an undisclosed injury. The Oilers have enjoyed a good postseason run without him and need only one more victory to defeat the Golden Knights, but Ekholm would add a lot to the team. He finished the regular season with 33 points (nine goals, 24 assists), 143 shots, and 92 blocks in 65 games, averaging 22:12 of ice time.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 13, 2025
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will remain between the sticks for Tuesday's Game 4 against the Dallas Stars. Winnipeg's No. 1 has endured a horrible time in road outings this postseason, allowing five-plus goals in all four games, but the team will keep faith in him. Due to his road struggles, Hellebuyck holds an underwhelming 3.51 goals-against average and has managed only a .848 save percentage. He has a 5-5 record in the playoffs. If Hellebuyck can turn around his form on Tuesday and secure the win, he will help end the team's eight-game playoff road losing streak.
--Taavi PailkSource: Murat Ates
May 13, 2025
Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger will make his 11th start of the postseason in Tuesday's matchup against the Winnipeg Jets. The 26-year-old enters another postseason battle aiming to improve upon his 6-4 record. Oettinger has picked up four of his six wins on home ice, building a nice winning streak after beginning the playoffs in front of Stars fans with a 5-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Although Oettinger has suffered a couple of heavy defeats during the postseason, he has maintained solid numbers, allowing 2.71 goals with a .911 save percentage. The Jets have lost eight consecutive road playoff games, providing Oettinger a prime opportunity to extend his home winning streak to five games on Tuesday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
May 13, 2025
Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (knee) has been activated from long-term Injured Reserve, paving the way for his return to the lineup on Tuesday night against the Winnipeg Jets. Heiskanen has not seen any action since January and may need to shake off quite a bit of rust. However, he will be a big addition to the Stars blue line. In the regular season, Heiskanen recorded 25 points (five goals, 20 assists), 108 shots, and 85 blocks in 50 games, averaging 25:10 of ice time. He will likely see less action in his comeback game, but it should not be long before Heiskanen is again a workhorse for Dallas on defense.
--Taavi PailkSource: Dallas Stars
May 13, 2025
Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin scored a power-play goal in Monday's 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. He registered his 77th career postseason goal, passing Mario Lemieux for 12th place on the NHL's all-time playoff goals list, but Washington's offense was no match for Carolina on Monday night. The Hurricanes have done an incredible job defensively against Ovechkin, as the NHL's all-time leading goal-scorer was without a point in the series heading into Game 4. He went goalless in the first three games of the series, with eight shots on goal. Overall, Ovechkin has netted five goals in these playoffs and added one assist in nine outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 13, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov celebrated his seventh goal of the postseason in Monday's Game 4 against the Washington Capitals, completing the scoring in a 5-2 win with an empty-net goal. With the goal, Svechnikov surpassed Eric Staal on the franchise's all-time playoff scoring list, occupying the second spot behind Sebastian Aho with 44 points (22 goals, 22 assists) in 60 games. Staal was the last Hurricanes player to score as many as seven goals in a single playoff campaign, having lit the lamp 10 times in 2009. Current Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour holds the franchise record with 12 goals in a single postseason. Svechnikov will get plenty of opportunities to match it, now that Carolina is just one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals. He has accumulated eight points overall in nine playoff games this year.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 13, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes left wing Taylor Hall logged his second multi-point outing of the postseason in Monday's Game 4 against the Washington Capitals, notching a goal and an assist in a 5-2 victory. The former MVP registered the game-winning tally and helped Sean Walker get his first postseason goal in the third period, when the Hurricanes turned a tight game into a comfortable win. Hall now boasts points in back-to-back games, although he has not been a consistent offensive force in the playoffs. In nine games, Hall has managed two goals and six assists, but he has found the score sheet in only four contests.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 13, 2025
Edmonton Oilers left wing Evander Kane contributed a goal and an assist as the team rolled past the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 on Monday night. Kane helped Adam Henrique score the second goal of the game and put the icing on the cake with Edmonton's third in the second period. The power forward was on the ice for all three Oilers goals, finishing with a plus-three rating, four shots, six hits, and two penalty minutes. After missing the entire regular season due to several health issues, Kane has had a fine postseason campaign with the Oilers. In nine games, he has recorded seven points (four goals, three assists), 24 shots, and 36 hits.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 13, 2025
Edmonton Oilers forward Adam Henrique was responsible for two goals in Monday's 3-0 win in Game 4 against the Vegas Golden Knights. He found the net twice during a hectic first period, opening the scoring with only 1:27 gone. The two-goal effort doubled Henrique's scoring tally for the playoffs, bringing him to four points (three goals, one assist) with 10 games played. Henrique has posted points in back-to-back playoff games only once since last year, so the veteran will likely return to a supporting role on Wednesday night when the Oilers try to end the series in Game 5.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 13, 2025
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner turned aside 23 shots to register his second career postseason shutout in Monday's 3-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Skinner's play has been questioned in these playoffs, and for good reason, considering he allowed 15 goals in three appearances before Game 4. However, Skinner appeared to be a completely different player on Monday night, helping the team to a 3-1 lead in the series. Calvin Pickard (undisclosed) has been Edmonton's top option between the pipes in the playoffs, but Skinner's shutout on Monday likely ensures that he will retain his place in the crease even if Pickard is available for Game 5 on Wednesday.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 12, 2025
Washington Capitals right wing Ryan Leonard is poised to re-enter the lineup for Game 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night. Taylor Raddysh, who has played in the last two games, will come out of the lineup. Leonard made his NHL debut late in the regular season and has yet to make a significant impact with the Capitals. In eight playoff appearances, he has registered one assist, 11 shots, and seven hits, averaging 10:21 of ice time. Washington will use Leonard on the third line with Mangiapane and Eller Monday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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