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Karel Vejmelka Saves Utah With Huge Effort Friday
Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka was peppered on Friday night with a lot of shots from the Vegas Golden Knights, but the Mammoth goaltender turned aside 30 shots in the 4-2 victory. Vejmelka held Vegas to two goals on the road in Game 2. However, his performance in Game 3 may have been the highlight of Friday night. Vejmelka made quite a few sensational saves and kept Vegas from making a comeback. Utah only managed 12 shots on goal as the ice tilted toward the Czech goalie. There is a reason why the workhorse, who started 64 games (38 wins), continues to be relied on so heavily. He makes the extra save, including a critical one on Tomas Hertl late to preserve the two-goal lead.
Source: Jesse Granger
Source: Jesse Granger
Lane Hutson Scores Crucial Overtime Goal in Montreal Win
Defenseman Lane Hutson called his own shot early in overtime on Friday night for the Montreal Canadiens. The defenseman launched a blast past Andrei Vasilevskiy to give Montreal a critical 3-2 win in Game 3 of their best-of-seven series. Not only did the Canadiens go up 2-1 in the series, but now they have home-ice advantage back. Hutson also blocked four shots, produced two shots on goal, and delivered three hits. Hutson scored 12 goals during the regular season but has two already in three postseason games, as the young defenseman continues to produce at the right time for Montreal.
Source: Michael Traikos
Source: Michael Traikos
Lawson Crouse Cashes in With Two Goals for Utah
Utah Mammoth forward Lawson Crouse is a big-bodied left winger who can throw his body around. Crouse can also score playoff goals that most pundits talk about. The forward delivered on Friday night with two goals, including the game-winner in a 4-2 Mammoth win. Crouse tallied twice in the middle frame to push the Utah lead to 4-0. He may have had only two shots on goal, but both changed the trajectory of the game. Crouse also delivered four hits in the win as Utah went up two games to one on the Vegas Golden Knights. The left winger has had his chances in all three games of the series, but Game 3 proved to be the charm.
Source: Utah Mammoth PR
Source: Utah Mammoth PR
Mikael Granlund Serves Up Trio of Assists in Anaheim Big Win
Anaheim Ducks center Mikael Granlund continued to impress as he dished out three assists and added a power-play goal in Anaheim's 7-4 win on Friday night. Granlund turned several plays into goals solely from second effort alone. He had a second goal wiped off the board due to a high stick in the second period, but that did not slow Granlund down. The Anaheim center also delivered four hits as the 34-year-old, along with the Ducks' offense, wore down the Edmonton defense. Granlund and the Ducks are playing fun hockey and wearing down the Oilers, especially later in contests.
Source: Zach Cavanagh
Source: Zach Cavanagh
Troy Terry Available for Game 3 Against Oilers
Anaheim Ducks right wing Troy Terry (undisclosed) will play in Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, Hayley Elwood of the Ducks' official site reports. Terry missed the morning skate, but Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville has confirmed he will remain in the lineup. The long season has taken a toll on Terry's body, and he has regularly skipped morning skates lately. While it appears Terry is banged up, he hasn't let it affect his performance. In the series between two high-octane offenses, Terry has been the top-scoring forward alongside Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl. He has contributed two goals and two assists through the first two games.
Source: Hayley Elwood
Source: Hayley Elwood
Radko Gudas Misses Second Straight Game Friday
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (lower body) isn't an option for Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, Hayley Elwood of the Ducks' official site reports. The Ducks lost their captain to a lower-body injury late in the regular season, and Gudas has appeared in only two games this month. Drew Helleson filled the void in the lineup in Game 2 and is set to keep his spot on Friday night. In his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut, Helleson recorded one SOG, three hits, and a minus-one rating in 7:52 of ice time. Anaheim is rolling with seven defensemen, which led to four rearguards logging 23-plus minutes in Game 2. The top-four group will remain busy on Friday against Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Source: Hayley Elwood
Source: Hayley Elwood
Charle-Edouard D'Astous Unavailable Friday
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Charle-Edouard D'Astous (undisclosed) will miss Friday's Game 3 against the Montreal Canadiens, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The 28-year-old was injured in the series opener last weekend and didn't play in Tuesday's Game 2. There was a chance D'Astous would return on Friday night after traveling with the team, but he will remain out. Victor Hedman (personal) also isn't ready to return, allowing Declan Carlile and Emil Lilleberg to stay in the lineup. Meanwhile, Darren Raddysh and J.J. Moser will continue to split power-play duties among the defensemen.
Source: Eduardo A. Encina
Source: Eduardo A. Encina
Dan Vladar Considered a Game-Time Call for Saturday
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (arm) will be a game-time call on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Adam Kimelman of NHL.com reports. The Czech netminder has been one of the stars of the series, but he appeared to injure his right arm in Game 3. Vladar didn't practice on Thursday, while Philadelphia had an off day on Friday. "It's another maintenance day for him," Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said Friday. "Two days off is going to help him. That's basically it for him. We'll see how he is tomorrow." In the first-round matchup, Vladar has backstopped the Flyers to a 3-0 lead, posting a 1.33 goals-against average, a .947 save percentage, and one shutout. If Vladar is unavailable on Saturday, Philadelphia must turn to Samuel Ersson, who coughed up 3.12 goals with a .870 save percentage during the regular season.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Jake Sanderson Ruled Out for Game 4 Due to Concussion
Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (concussion) will miss Saturday's must-win game against the Carolina Hurricanes. In Thursday's Game 3 of the first-round series, Sanderson took a hit to the head from Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall and has been diagnosed with a concussion. Senators head coach Travis Green told reporters on Friday that Sanderson is "not doing well." Now that Sanderson is on the shelf, Ottawa must face Saturday's elimination game without its top defensive pairing. Artem Zub (undisclosed), who was injured in Game 1, also won't play. Thomas Chabot and Jordan Spence are set to eat up as many minutes as they can handle, making both attractive DFS targets.
Source: Reuters
Source: Reuters
Yakov Trenin Won't Play in Game 4 Against Stars
Minnesota Wild forward Yakov Trenin (upper body) won't be in the lineup on Saturday in Game 4 against the Dallas Stars, Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports. Trenin was hurt in Game 2 of the series when he absorbed a big hit from Stars forward Colin Blackwell. His absence has left the Wild without a huge physical presence, as Trenin averaged eight hits per game across the first two contests in the series. Nico Strum took Trenin's spot in the lineup in Wednesday's Game 3, recording three hits and a minus-one rating in 9:00 of ice time.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Mats Zuccarello a Game-Time Decision Saturday
Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello (upper body) will be a game-time decision on Saturday against the Dallas Stars, Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports. He has missed a pair of games due to an upper-body injury but could be available for Game 4 of the first-round series. "He's questionable for tomorrow, making good strides," Wild head coach John Hynes said after Friday's practice. Bobby Brink has skated on the first line during Zuccarello's absence, posting one power-play assist in two games. Zuccarello started the series with a three-assist effort before being knocked out of the lineup. Overall, he has recorded six multi-point games in his last seven appearances, making Zuccarello a key part of Minnesota's offense.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Jordan Kyrou Recovering From Minor Knee Procedure
St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou underwent a minor knee procedure this week but is expected to be ready for training camp, the team announced Thursday. Whether Kyrou will start the 2026-27 campaign with the Blues remains uncertain, as he has often been linked to a trade away from St. Louis. Late in the season, Kyrou boosted his trade value, ending the campaign with a five-game point streak. He notched a point per game across his last 11 outings. Overall, it was a disappointing year for Kyrou, who failed to hit the 50-point mark after his third career 70-point season in 2024-25. In 72 appearances, Kyrou contributed 18 goals and 28 assists. A fresh start elsewhere might benefit both sides and make Kyrou more appealing to fantasy managers.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Roope Hintz "Ways Away" From Returning
Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (lower body) resumed skating on Wednesday, Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News reports. This is a significant step toward returning to the lineup, but Hintz's comeback isn't imminent. "He's still a ways away," Stars head coach Gulutzan said. "Your next step before we kind of see where he's at is probably to skate with us, so we'll see when he's ready to do that." Hintz hasn't traveled with the team to Saint Paul and will miss Saturday's Game 4 of the first-round series against the Minnesota Wild. He is also highly doubtful to play in Game 5, scheduled for Tuesday in Dallas. Justin Hryckowian has been effective on the first line this postseason and is likely to keep his spot until Hintz returns.
Source: Lia Assimakopoulos
Source: Lia Assimakopoulos
Jason Dickinson Could Be an Option for Game 3
Edmonton Oilers center Jason Dickinson (undisclosed) might be ready to return to the lineup on Friday night against the Anaheim Ducks. Following a standout two-goal performance in the series opener, Dickinson sat out Wednesday's Game 2 with an undisclosed injury. According to Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch, Dickinson had a 50 percent chance of playing Wednesday morning. Having now had more time to recover from his injury, it's possible Dickinson is healthy enough to rejoin the action on Friday. Assuming he's available, Dickinson will likely be back alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jack Roslovic on the third line after their impressive showing in Game 1.
Source: TSN
Source: TSN
Adam Henrique Misses Trip to Anaheim
Edmonton Oilers center Adam Henrique (lower body) will miss Games 3 and 4 of the first-round series against the Anaheim Ducks. He has not traveled with the team as the series moves to Anaheim. The veteran remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury sustained in Game 1. With Jason Dickinson (undisclosed) also unavailable, Josh Samanski and Curtiz Lazar entered the lineup for Game 2. One of them will head to the press box if Dickinson is cleared for Game 3 on Friday. Samanski's goal in Wednesday's 6-4 loss could boost his chances of staying in the lineup.
Source: TSN
Source: TSN
