3 days agoBoston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman is expected to start Sunday's Game 4 against the Panthers. The 25-year-old has allowed nine goals across the last two games in the series, but a change between the sticks doesn't appear to be imminent. Boston gave up only 10 goals in Swayman's first seven postseason games of the year. He hasn't lost three starts on the bounce since February, going 5-4 in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and allowing 2.19 goals with a .931 save percentage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Tom Gulitti
3 days agoBoston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (upper body) won't be in the lineup in Game 4 against Florida on Sunday. The Bruins lost their captain to injury in Game 3 and will be forced to battle without him in at least one game. Marchand, who has posted three goals and seven assists in 10 postseason games, is considered day-to-day. Danton Heinen (undisclosed) returned to practice on Saturday and could be Marchand's replacement in the lineup in Game 4.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Elliotte Friedman
4 days agoCarolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho bagged his 10th point of the 2024 playoffs in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Rangers, becoming the 10th player in NHL history to reach the mark in at least six consecutive postseasons. He's the third active player in the group, joining Boston's Brad Marchand and Colorado's Mikko Rantanen. Aho has logged his 10 points with three goals and seven assists in nine games. Following a quiet start, he's put together a four-game scoring streak with a total of seven points (one goal, six assists).
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoNew York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin was defeated for the first time in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday as the Carolina Hurricanes put four pucks past him. Shesterkin had a poor start by allowing three first-period goals, and he had to settle for a 4-3 defeat in the end after Carolina scored a late power-play goal. The Russian netminder saw his record drop to 7-1. After giving up seven goals in four games against Washington in the first round, Shesterkin has allowed 12 goals through four contests in Round 2. However, the Rangers still find themselves in a great position, heading into Monday's Game 5 with a 3-1 lead.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoNew York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad kept his prolific form going with an assist in Saturday's 4-3 loss to Carolina. He set up Alexis Lafreniere for a game-tying goal early in the third period. Zibanejad joined Brian Leetch as the second player in Rangers history to record multiple eight-game point streaks in the playoffs. Playing in his eighth postseason game of the year, the Swedish forward also matched Mark Messier's Rangers record for the fewest games in a postseason to reach 10 assists. Zibanejad has added three goals to his helpers, posting seven of his 13 points on the power play.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoCarolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen returned to winning ways on Saturday against the Rangers, helping the team stave off elimination in a 4-3 win. Returning to the crease after sitting out Game 3 of the second-round series, Andersen stopped 22 of 25 shots. He gave away a bad goal at the start of the third period, which allowed Alexis Lafreniere to tie the game at three, but Andersen was bailed out by a late Brady Skjei game-winner on the power play. Carolina faces another elimination game on Monday, with Andersen carrying a 5-3 record for the 2024 postseason ahead of the action. He has given up 2.63 goals with a .897 save percentage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoColorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev enjoyed a good outing on Saturday against Dallas but still had to suffer a defeat. He was beaten for the third time in these playoffs after allowing two goals on 21 shots. The Stars grabbed a 2-1 series lead with a 4-1 win, hitting two empty-net goals late in the contest. Georgiev has suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time in the 2024 postseason. He's been in very inconsistent form, posting a 2.97 goals-against average with a lowly .893 save percentage, despite allowing two or fewer goals in half of his eight starts.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoColorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon was back on the score sheet in Saturday's Game 3 loss against Dallas. After finishing scoreless for the first time in the 2024 playoffs in Game 2 of the series, MacKinnon had an assist on Colorado's lone goal in a 4-1 defeat Saturday night. The seven-time All-Star went pointless just two times at home during the regular season and has also enjoyed his home outings in the playoffs. He's tallied 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in eight postseason games, notching five points (one goal, four assists) in three home appearances.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoDallas Stars forward Jamie Benn notched an assist in Saturday's 4-1 win to extend his point streak to three games. He collected the helper when Tyler Seguin scored an empty-net goal late in the contest. Benn has started to heat up in the playoffs after recording only one point in his previous five appearances. He's managed seven points (two goals, five assists) in 10 games for the entire 2024 postseason campaign.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoDallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin had a pair of goals, including the game-winner, in a 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 of their second-round series. Seguin scored the eventual game-winner late in the second period and then sealed the game with an empty-netter in the third. The 32-year-old veteran has played a nice depth role for the Stars during their postseason run, posting six points (three goals, three assists) in 10 games. This kind of spread-out scoring is exactly what makes Dallas such a dangerous team to play, as anyone can have a big game and lead them to victory.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
4 days agoDallas Stars forward Logan Stankoven had a terrific performance in Game 3 of the team's second-round series against the Colorado Avalanche, scoring two goals to lead Dallas to a 4-1 win. Stankoven opened the scoring late in the first period and finished it off with an empty netter in the third. The goals were the first two of the 21-year-old's playoff career, and they came at a great time. Stankoven is a name to watch in fantasy next year and should already be owned in dynasty formats.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
4 days agoColorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen scored his third goal of the postseason in a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of their second-round series. Rantanen scored in the second period to tie the game at one, but Colorado couldn't muster up any more offense after that and went down 2-1 in the series. The star forward has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in eight postseason games and has looked like his usual self while playing on Nathan MacKinnon's wing. The offense is likely to return for the Avs, as this was the first game of the playoffs where they scored less than three goals.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
4 days agoDallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger was extremely sharp on Saturday, stopping 28 of 29 shots to secure a 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 of their second-round series. Oettinger made some big saves throughout the game, giving the Stars the performance they needed to take a 2-1 lead in the series. The 25-year-old is having a solid postseason, putting up a .919 SV% and 2.12 GAA in 10 games. Dallas will need Oettinger to keep playing like he is in order to get through the high-powered Avalanche offense and into the Conference Finals.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
4 days agoCarolina Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei came to the rescue on Saturday, scoring a late powerplay goal to give the Canes a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers in Game 4 of their second-round series. Skjei took a slapshot from the point that beat Igor Shesterkin through a screen in front and it turned out to be the game-winner. Skjei has followed up a career year with an equally impressive playoff, notching eight points (one goal, seven assists) in nine games thus far.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
4 days agoNew York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere potted another goal in a 4-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of their second-round series. Lafreniere scored early in the third to tie the game up and give the Rangers a chance to sweep the series. The 22-year-old has truly broken out in these playoffs, posting 10 points (four goals, six assists) in eight games while playing on a dynamic second line with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. His elite play is a great sign for the Rangers and should perk up fantasy player's interests heading into next season.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
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