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Alex Lyon Comes in and Shuts Down Boston
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon has won on the road in Boston before. On Thursday night, however, Boston went up 1-0, but that was the only goal the Bruins would score. Lyon ultimately stopped 24 shots in a huge 3-1 victory. That allowed the Sabres to go up 2-1 in their first-round series. Lyon stopped several one-timers from Boston as he secured the victory. At the very least, the backup goaltender has earned a look for Game 4 to be played on Sunday. Adding in the seven saves Lyon made in cleanup duty on Tuesday, one may believe Lyon could do this again.
Source: Bill Hoppe
Source: Bill Hoppe
Jake Sanderson Suffers Hand Injury While Blocking Shot
Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (hand) will miss the rest of Game 3 between the Senators and the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. The Senators' defenseman blocked a shot and did not return for the third period. It is no secret that Ottawa has battled injuries and are now without their top pairing on defense. Artem Zub has only played one period during this entire series. Sanderson came off a stellar performance in Game 2, where he dished out two assists and blocked five shots. The hope is that the injury is not too serious, but Sanderson will get X-rays and imaging sometime on Friday.
Source: Murray Pam
Source: Murray Pam
Tyler Kleven Available for Senators Versus Hurricanes
Defenseman Tyler Kleven (upper body) will return for the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night versus the Carolina Hurricanes. Ottawa needs all the help they can get with Artem Zub not likely to return for Game 3. Kleven had been out since April 2 with an upper-body injury. Kleven only had 18 points over 70 appearances, but his physical play is much-needed given Carolina's hard-charging forecheck. The defenseman tips the scale at 225 pounds and has 126 hits with 94 blocked shots. Kleven is not afraid to throw his body around. He is not guaranteed to start, but Kleven is ready to go.
Source: Bruce Garrioch
Source: Bruce Garrioch
Josh Norris Out With Undisclosed Injury for Thursday Night
Buffalo Sabres center Josh Norris (undisclosed) played 44 regular-season games and two playoff games. Unfortunately, an undisclosed injury will keep him out of the lineup against the Boston Bruins on Thursday. Norris had zero points against Boston in the two contests. He had 34 points in those 44 games, including nine points on the power play. Norris only had one shot on goal in each game despite quite a few scoring chances and a combined 9:29 of man-advantage time in the postseason. Noah Ostlund and Ryan McLeod figure to benefit from his absence. Norris was tentatively listed as day-to-day, so his Game 4 status will need to be monitored.
Source: Bill Hoppe
Source: Bill Hoppe
Noah Ostlund Will Return for Game 3 Against Boston
Center Noah Ostlund (upper body) will make his postseason debut on Thursday for the Buffalo Sabres. Lindy Ruff hinted on Wednesday that Ostlund was very close. Sure enough, the forward expects to be on the second power-play unit and may find himself in the middle six. He missed a total of 12 games with an upper-body injury, including the first two games of this series. The rookie had 27 points in 60 games during the 2025-26 campaign. Ostlund is a good two-way forward who should sub in for Josh Norris (undisclosed), who is out on Thursday for the Sabres. Ostlund's speed and defense could be a significant asset for a Buffalo team that had defensive issues in Game 2.
Source: Rachel Lenzi
Source: Rachel Lenzi
Jason Robertson Scores in Sixth Straight Playoff Game
Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson recorded a goal and two assists in Wednesday's nail-biting 4-3 double-overtime victory against the Minnesota Wild. In the first period, he scored at even strength and later contributed two power-play assists, one of which set up Wyatt Johnston's game-winner 12:10 into the second overtime. Since last year's Western Conference Finals, Robertson has scored in six consecutive playoff games. He will have a chance to extend his goal streak in Game 4 on Saturday. So far, only seven American players in NHL history have scored in each of the first four games to begin a postseason campaign.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Matt Duchene Records Second Consecutive Multi-Point Game
Dallas Stars forward Matt Duchane tallied three points in Wednesday's 4-3 double-overtime victory in Game 3 against the Minnesota Wild. After picking up two points in Game 2, Duchene showed he has not cooled off, collecting two assists in the first period and scoring a 3-3 game-tying goal in the third. Two of his points, including the vital goal midway through the third frame, came on the power play. Duchene's postseason production has been a huge bonus for the Stars. Despite the team's recent deep playoff runs, Duchene hasn't managed more than six points. He could now finish the first round this year with more points than he's had in either of his previous postseason campaigns with the Stars.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Sean Couturier Contributes Two Assists in Game 3 Win
Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier registered two assists as the team grabbed a commanding 3-0 first-round series lead against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-2 win on Wednesday. Philadelphia became the first team in nine years to have four first-time postseason goal-scorers in the same game, but Couturier made sure that the veteran group also made an impact. His assists came in the second period, when the Flyers turned a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead. The Flyers captain has posted three assists in the first three postseason games, providing offensive creativity while also filling defensive duties against Sidney Crosby. The Penguins superstar has only one assist in the series and no even-strength points.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jackson LaCombe Ties Ducks Record With Three Points in Game 2
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe logged three assists, including one on the power play, in Wednesday's 6-4 Game 2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. He tied the franchise record for most points by a defenseman in a single playoff game. LaCombe is the fourth Ducks blue-liner with as many as three points in a postseason contest, the first since Sami Vatanen in 2015. The 25-year-old has hit the ground running in his first postseason campaign, recording four assists in two games. Dating back to the regular season, he has finished on the score sheet in five consecutive outings. With Edmonton killing just 40 percent of penalties in the playoffs, LaCombe may keep thriving as the series progresses.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Alex Killorn Racks Up Three Points on Special Teams
Anaheim Ducks winger Alex Killorn was a major factor on special teams in Wednesday's 6-4 Game 2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. He notched a goal and an assist on the power play and completed his three-point game with a short-handed assist. The veteran was one of the top offensive performers after starting the series with a scoreless effort in Game 1. Killorn now boasts 80 points (38 goals, 42 assists) in 142 career postseason outings, adding a lot of playoff experience to this young Ducks squad.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Connor McDavid Finishes Pointless for Second Straight Game
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid finished pointless for a second consecutive contest in Wednesday's Game 2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. A scoring surge late in the season helped the Oilers captain secure his sixth Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's highest scorer, but Anaheim has brilliantly held him in check so far. McDavid has no goals with seven SOG in the series and finished Wednesday's 6-4 loss with a minus-two rating. The superstar forward also had an injury scare in Game 2 when he hurt his ankle, but this isn't expected to bother McDavid in the upcoming games. In Game 3, McDavid will try to avoid his first three-game point drought of the season.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Rasmus Sandin Undergoes ACL Surgery
Washington Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin (knee) has undergone ACL surgery and will be out for 6-9 months, the team announced. The Swedish blue-liner tore his right ACL in a game against Pittsburgh on April 11. Earlier this week, Capitals general manager Chris Patrick said Sandin's injury will affect the team's offseason plans. After John Carlson was traded to the Anaheim Ducks, Sandin had a larger role late in the season, finishing the campaign with 29 points (five goals, 24 assists), 90 SOG, 127 blocks, and 88 hits in 73 games. Unfortunately, he won't be able to build on it at the start of next season.
Source: Sportsnet
Source: Sportsnet
Noah Ostlund Could Return Thursday
Buffalo Sabres center Noah Ostlund (upper body) could return from a 12-game absence on Thursday against the Boston Bruins, Jourdon LaBarber of the Sabres' official site reports. "He's real close," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said on Wednesday before the team departed for Boston. "I would consider him a possibility for tomorrow. He's feeling pretty good." Ostlund had a solid rookie campaign in 2025-26, posting 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 60 appearances, while drawing praise for his defensive play. Jordan Greenway might drop out of the lineup if Ostlund is ready to return in Game 3.
Source: Jourdon LaBarber
Source: Jourdon LaBarber
Pontus Holmberg Will Miss Round 1
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Pontus Holmberg (upper body) won't be an option during the first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports. On Wednesday, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said Holmberg was still "a few weeks" away from returning. The Swedish forward suffered an upper-body injury in early April, finishing the regular-season campaign with 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists), 90 SOG, and 66 hits in 70 contests. Once he returns to full health, Holmberg will be in contention for a bottom-six role.
Source: Benjamin Pierce
Source: Benjamin Pierce
Charle-Edouard D'Astous Could Be an Option Friday
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Charle-Edouard D'Astous (undisclosed) has traveled with the team to Montreal for Games 3 and 4 of the first-round series, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports. The first-round matchup continues on Friday, and D'Astous could be an option to rejoin the lineup after sitting out Game 2 with an undisclosed injury. "He's getting better," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said of D'Astous on Wednesday. "He's progressing, so hopefully he'll be skating here in Montreal and then we'll see from there." If D'Astous isn't ready to return, Declan Carlile figures to remain in the lineup. He logged 17:38 of ice time in his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut on Tuesday, recording one SOG, one hit, and a minus-one rating in a 3-2 overtime win.
Source: Benjamin Pierce
Source: Benjamin Pierce
