April 28, 2025
New Jersey Devils defenseman Brenden Dillon (lower body) has been ruled out for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes. New Jersey has lost several blue-liners to injury during the series, and Dillon continues to deal with a lower-body ailment. The absence of Dillon, Luke Hughes (upper body), and Johnathan Kovacevic (undisclosed) has given rookie Simon Nemec a role in the team, while Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, and Brian Dumoulin are logging big minutes. All three players have averaged at least 24 minutes of ice time during the postseason, with Dumoulin leading the team with 27:22 of ice time per game.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Amanda Stein
April 28, 2025
New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes (upper body) has been ruled out for Tuesday's elimination game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Hughes has not played in the first-round series since Game 2 and may have made his final appearances for the season if the Devils cannot win Game 5. Dougie Hamilton will continue to lead the Devils defense on Tuesday night. He has averaged 24:39 of ice time in the series but hasn't performed at his best. Hamilton's offensive impact has been limited to one assist, and he has blocked six shots while delivering 10 hits.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Amanda Stein
April 28, 2025
Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton (lower body) will not play in Game 5 against the Dallas Stars on Monday night. This will mark Colton's fourth consecutive absence after he sustained a lower-body injury in the series opener. Luckily for the Avalanche, they have Gabriel Landeskog back in the lineup. He is set to continue in a second-line role and on the top power-play unit in Monday's game. Landeskog has registered two points (one goal, one assist) and eight hits in two games since joining the fun in Game 3.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Evan Rawal
April 28, 2025
Dallas Stars forward Oskar Back (oblique) will rejoin the lineup on Monday against the Colorado Avalanche. He is good to go for Game 5 after missing the previous contest with an oblique injury. Mavrik Bourque filled in for Back on Saturday but made little impact, finishing a 4-0 loss with two shots, one block, and two hits in 13:11 of ice time. Back has averaged 11:28 of ice time in the series, producing one assist and one shot on goal in three games. The Swedish rookie will accompany Sam Steel and Colin Blackwell on the fourth line in Monday's game.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Pierre LeBrun
April 28, 2025
Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (knee) will not play in Game 5 against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday. His absence will stretch to 37 games. Heiskanen skated on Monday morning but is still not ready to make a comeback from his knee injury. His next chance to return will come on Thursday night when the teams head back to Denver for Game 6. On Monday, the Dallas backline will continue to lean heavily on Thomas Harley, Esa Lindell, and Cody Ceci. Through four games in the series, Harley leads the Stars with three points (one goal, two assists) and has recorded 12 blocks.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Pierre LeBrun
April 28, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (undisclosed) will play in Monday's Game 4 against the Florida Panthers. The 27-year-old suffered an undisclosed injury in the series opener and was not on the ice for the morning skate. However, Cirelli will avoid his first absence of the postseason. Tampa Bay mostly relies on Cirelli to shut down the opposition's best players, but he also chipped in with a goal during a 5-1 victory in Game 3. He has logged 12 hits across the series while amassing 18 penalty minutes. The Lightning will also have Brandon Hagel back from suspension on Monday night, adding attacking quality to the Cirelli line.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Gabby Shirley
April 28, 2025
Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov recorded two power-play assists in Sunday's 5-2 defeat to the Washington Capitals. Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield benefited from Demidov's playmaking talents, while Lane Hutson also logged assists on both plays. The 19-year-old Russian became the first teenager in franchise history to register multiple points in a playoff contest, getting on the score sheet for the first time in the postseason. Montreal now faces elimination in the next game, where Demidov may play a significant role again. He has stepped in for Patrik Laine (upper body) on the top power-play unit, and it's unclear whether Laine will be available after sitting out two contests.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 28, 2025
New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier was involved in both of the team's goals in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Swiss forward registered a goal and an assist in the second period. Meier's efforts helped New Jersey cut a three-goal deficit to one, but the team once again struggled to match Carolina's offense. The Devils have scored only seven goals in the series, while the Hurricanes have lit the lamp 14 times. Meier has contributed to three of those goals. After opening the postseason with a pair of scoreless performances, he has tallied one goal and two assists. New Jersey will need more from him on Tuesday night in Game 5, as the team faces elimination.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 28, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov recorded his second career postseason hat trick in Sunday's 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils. He became the fourth player in franchise history to score in the opening minute of a playoff game and also found the net in the second and third periods. This was a breakout game for Svechnikov, as he had been limited to one goal and two points through the first three games of the series. On Sunday, Svechnikov became one of the most productive postseason performers in franchise history, reaching 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) in his 55th appearance. Only Eric Staal (45) and Sebastian Aho (75) have tallied more points in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Hurricanes/Whalers.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 28, 2025
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl factored in all four goals when the team beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in overtime on Sunday night. He scored his first career postseason goal on the power play in overtime and finished with three assists. Two of the helpers came in the third period when Edmonton erased a 3-1 deficit. Draisaitl posted his eighth career four-point playoff game, tying Mario Lemieux for the fifth most in NHL history. The Kings have once again struggled to contain Draisaitl, who boasts three goals and nine points through the first four games of the series.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 28, 2025
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was pulled for a second consecutive game as the team struggled to keep pace with the St. Louis Blues in Sunday's Game 4. He lasted 42 minutes in the contest, allowing five goals on 18 shots. Eric Comrie closed out the 5-1 loss by saving all six shots he faced. Following a dominant regular season, Hellebuyck began the playoffs with back-to-back wins, but he has registered a poor 0.744 save percentage over the last two games. Winnipeg will hope to see Hellebuyck turn around his form in Game 5 on home ice, where he has been nearly unbeatable this campaign, boasting a 29-3-3 record, including the playoffs.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 28, 2025
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier (undisclosed) was injured during Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals. He did not see any action in the final 13 minutes of play after absorbing a massive hit from Capitals forward Tom Wilson. Carrier also made a brief exit in the opening period. He logged 13:39 of ice time in the game, registering one shot on goal and one hit. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis provided no update on Carrier after the game. His absence for the remainder of the series would be a significant blow for Montreal, as Carrier is known for his shot-blocking abilities and has also contributed offensively. In four games, he has recorded two points (one goal, one assist), 11 blocks, and seven hits.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet
April 28, 2025
St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (lower body) exited early on Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets and may face an extended absence. Tucker, who logged the game-winning goal in Sunday's 5-1 victory, appeared to have hurt his right leg late in the third period. He needed help to get off the ice. While there were no updates on him after the game, Tucker is likely to miss the remainder of the series, according to Lou Korac of The Hockey News. Tucker entered the lineup for Game 2 and has recorded four shots on goal and 12 hits while averaging 14:23 of ice time in the postseason. Veteran Ryan Suter, who has been a healthy scratch for two games, may have the opportunity to rejoin the action in his absence.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Lou Korac
April 27, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen exited Sunday's Game 4 against the New Jersey Devils with an apparent injury. Pyotr Kochetkov replaced Andersen in the crease during the second period after he was involved in a collision with Devils forward Timo Meier. Andersen saved six of seven shots before exiting. The Hurricanes No. 1 has been in superb form during the postseason, as he entered Sunday's contest with a 1.48 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage. Losing him for an extended stretch would be a blow for the Hurricanes, although Kochetkov has proven himself as a capable performer, posting a 27-16-3 record during the regular season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet
April 27, 2025
St. Louis Blues winger Jake Neighbours notched a game-high three points in Sunday's 5-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets. Neighbours tied the game at one near the end of the first period and collected two assists in the contest. The 23-year-old also had three hits in the game, logging 15:43 of action. The Blues offense has finally clicked in the series, and Neighbours has been one of the main men in attack. With four games played, he has tallied one goal and four assists in the matchup. With scoring machine Jordan Kyrou on the same line as him, Neighbours is perfectly set up for further success against the Jets.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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