4 days agoVancouver Canucks right wing Vasily Podkolzin is projected to make his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut in Game 5 against the Oilers on Thursday. He skated on the fourth line Thursday morning. Podkolzin had a disappointing regular-season campaign with zero goals and two assists in 19 outings. The 22-year-old did much better in the minors, notching 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) in 44 games. The Canucks are making multiple changes to the lineup on Thursday, with Linus Karlsson, Sam Lafferty, and Ilya Mikheyev sitting as healthy scratches. Podkolzin is penciled in to skate with Nils Aman and Phillip Di Giuseppe, who's missed two games for personal reasons.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Brendan Batchelor
4 days agoVancouver Canucks left wing Nils Hoglander will re-enter the lineup on Thursday against Edmonton. He's been a healthy scratch for the last two games but gets a fresh opportunity. Hoglander is poised for a top-six role, replacing Ilya Mikheyev, who will land in the press box after going scoreless in all 10 playoff games this year. With him on zero goals and one assist, things haven't gone great for Hoglander either in the postseason. But he will get a big chance to impress on Thursday, playing next to Elias Lindholm and Elias Pettersson.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Brendan Batchelor
5 days agoDallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski enjoyed a two-point outing against the Avalanche in Wednesday's 5-3 loss. He scored his first postseason goal of the year and picked up a power-play assist. Pavelski is ranked fourth all-time among American skaters in playoff points in the NHL, but the veteran has been off his game in 2024. He had managed just one point in 11 games before Wednesday's contest. With Roope Hintz (upper body) and Tyler Seguin (undisclosed) battling injuries, Pavelski must do much more for Dallas to survive in the playoffs.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoDallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson registered two assists in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to Colorado in Game 5. Robertson's work helped the Stars grab the lead twice at the beginning of the contest, but the team failed to finish off the Avalanche in the series. This marks Robertson's second consecutive multi-point effort. He's yet to go scoreless against Colorado and averages a point per game through 12 playoff appearances, scoring three times and collecting nine assists.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoColorado Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen recorded two points in Wednesday's win-or-go-home game against Dallas. The Finnish forward scored a power-play goal to tie things at one in the first period and had an assist when Nathan MacKinnon capped off the scoring in a 5-3 victory for Colorado. Lehkonen has replaced Valeri Nichushkin (personal) on the top line. In a further change on Wednesday, Jonathan Drouin also joined the first line, with Mikko Rantanen dropping to the second. The move worked out well for the Avalanche, who can now attempt to tie the series at home on Friday. Lehkonen will enter the game with 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 10 playoff outings this year.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoColorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar scored two goals as the team fought off elimination against the Stars with a 5-3 victory on Wednesday. He tied the game at two in the second period with a power-play goal and produced the eventual game-winner during even-strength play in the third. Makar is now the first defenseman in franchise history to score multiple game-winning goals in elimination situations. The two goals are Makar's first points in four games. Despite the quiet spell, Makar remains among the top scorers in the playoffs with 14 points (five goals, nine assists) through 10 games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoColorado Avalanche forward Yakov Trenin couldn't finish Wednesday's Game 5 against Dallas due to an upper-body injury. He was on the ice for only four shifts and 2:16 before being forced to call it a night. Trenin, a trade deadline pickup from Nashville, skates on the fourth line for the Avalanche. He's produced one goal with 30 hits in 10 playoff appearances. Nikolai Kovalenko could make his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut in Friday's Game 6 if Trenin isn't available.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Evan Rawal
5 days agoDallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin was injured in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to Colorado. He exited the contest near the end of the game with an unspecified ailment. Seguin logged 16:37 of action in the contest but didn't have a great time, going scoreless and finishing with a minus-two rating. He had produced four points across the previous three games. Seguin has been inconsistent with his production throughout the postseason, finishing without points in six of his 12 appearances. He has managed three goals and four assists. With Roope Hintz (upper body) also getting hurt, Dallas' top six has taken two massive blows in the last couple of games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Mike Heika
6 days agoDallas Stars center Roope Hintz (upper body) remains under evaluation following his early exit from Monday's Game 4 against Colorado. Hintz took only eight shifts and logged 6:35 of ice time in a big 5-1 win. He finished scoreless for the eighth time in 11 games this postseason. The Finnish forward has had a tough time making a mark offensively, but five of his six points in the 2024 playoffs have come in the series against the Avalanche. Radek Faksa, who scored the decisive goal in Game 7 against Vegas in the opening round, might get a chance to re-enter the lineup if Hintz isn't available to play on Wednesday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Shawn McFarland
6 days agoBoston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman will make his 11th postseason start of the year in Tuesday's survival battle against Florida. Sitting in a 3-1 deficit, Boston has to win on Tuesday to extend the series. Swayman started the playoffs in hot form, but he has seen his record drop to 5-5 with three consecutive defeats. The 25-year-old has allowed 3.25 in the series against the Panthers with a .904 save percentage. Florida will once again counter with Sergei Bobrovsky, who carries a fantastic 7-2 record in the 2024 playoffs.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Katie Engleson
6 days agoEdmonton Oilers forward Adam Henrique (ankle) will miss a second consecutive contest on Tuesday against Vancouver. He's battling an ankle injury, featuring only once in the second-round series. Henrique skated on the first line before getting hurt. The Oilers are in trouble in the matchup, giving up 12 goals and falling 2-1 behind. Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch will attempt to shift the momentum in the series with a goalie change on Tuesday. He has also shaken up his lines, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins jumping on the top line to join Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Ryan Rishaug
6 days agoEdmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is penciled in for a first-line role in Tuesday's Game 4 against the Canucks. He's replacing Leon Draisaitl, who will get his own line at the start of the game. Nugent-Hopkins is riding a four-game point streak ahead of Tuesday's action. The 31-year-old is among the assists leaders in the playoffs with nine helpers and sits on 10 points overall through eight appearances.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jack Michaels
6 days agoEdmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard is set to make his first Stanley Cup Playoffs start on Tuesday against Vancouver. Stuart Skinner has struggled in the series, forcing Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch to consider alternative options. Edmonton heads into Tuesday's matchup with a 2-1 series deficit. Pickard had a solid regular season with the Oilers, posting a 12-7-1 record with a 2.45 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. He has lost three of his last four starts.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoBoston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (upper body) will remain out on Tuesday against Florida. The Bruins captain skated on Tuesday morning but won't be available for a second straight contest after getting hurt in Game 3 of the series. Boston needs to win in Game 5 for Marchand to have a chance to return this postseason. The team continues to consider him as day-to-day. Danton Heinen entered the lineup in Marchand's place in Game 4, while James van Riemsdyk has seen time on the first power-play unit during his absence.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
7 days agoCarolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas collected two points in Monday's 4-1 victory over the Rangers. He helped Jordan Martinook get the team's third goal and finished off the scoring himself with the net empty. Facing elimination for a second time in the series, Carolina exploded for four third-period goals. Necas had gone three games without any points before getting back on track Monday night. Despite the recent drought, Necas has remained among Carolina's top scorers in the postseason, producing eight points (three goals, five assists) across 10 outings.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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