1 week agoNew York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider popped up with three big goals on Thursday against Carolina, helping the team clinch the second-round series with a 5-3 win. He joined Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky as the third player to score a hat trick in a single period for the Rangers in a playoff game. Additionally, Kreider became the sixth player in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to score a natural hat trick which included the series-clinching goal. The Rangers were 3-1 down entering the third period before Kreider took the team on his back and registered his first career playoff hat trick. The Rangers' all-time leader in postseason goals has lit the lamp seven times in 10 playoff games this year, adding three assists.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoBoston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (upper body) hopes to return from a two-game absence on Friday against Florida. He was a full participant in Thursday's practice. Officially, the team continues to consider Marchand as day-to-day, but he worked on the first power-play unit during Thursday's practice session, which is a good sign regarding his potential comeback. The Bruins captain is the team's joint top-scorer in the playoffs with 10 points, boasting three goals and seven assists.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Conor Ryan
1 week agoCarolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce (lower body) will miss a ninth consecutive game on Thursday against the Rangers. He was back in practice on Wednesday but isn't yet ready to play. Pesce has been out for three weeks with a lower-body injury since getting hurt in Game 2 against the Islanders in the first round of the playoffs. Tony DeAngelo has covered for him in the lineup. The former Ranger has posted two assists with seven hits and four blocks in the second-round series.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Cory Lavalette
1 week agoEdmonton Oilers forward Adam Henrique (ankle) will remain out for Thursday's Game 5 against Vancouver, but he is close to returning, according to head coach Kris Knoblauch. Henrique has been out for three of the last four games while dealing with an ankle injury. He has totaled two points (one goal, one assist) in six playoff games this year. Connor Brown has filled the open spot in the lineup, but the 30-year-old winger has only played limited minutes on the fourth line and hasn't yet registered any points in the series against the Canucks.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Brendan Batchelor
1 week agoEdmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard will maintain his spot between the sticks for Thursday's Game 5 against Vancouver. He makes a second consecutive start after replacing Stuart Skinner in Game 4. Pickard made his first career Stanley Cup Playoffs start on Tuesday and impressed by saving 19 of 21 shots in a 3-2 win. The 32-year-old will likely have a busier night at the office on Thursday, as the Canucks are on home ice and desperate to win with the series tied at two.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Mark Spector
1 week agoVancouver Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy will be back in the lineup on Thursday against Edmonton after serving a one-game suspension. The physical blue-liner missed Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Edmonton after being slapped with a suspension for cross-checking Oilers captain Connor McDavid to the face in Game 3 of the series. Soucy will be back on the second defensive pairing with Tyler Myers. He has posted four assists in nine postseason appearances with nine blocks and 27 hits.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Brendan Batchelor
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
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