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Josh Manson Misses Practice, Considered Day-to-Day
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (undisclosed) didn't practice on Saturday and is considered day-to-day, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports. The 34-year-old returned from an upper-body injury in Game 4 of the second-round series against Minnesota, but he still appears to be dealing with health issues. It's unclear whether Manson is still bothered by his previous upper-body injury or if this is a new problem. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar expects Manson to resume skating before Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday. Manson has appeared in five playoff games, recording two assists, eight SOG, 13 hits, and a plus-one rating.
Source: Evan Rawal
Source: Evan Rawal
Brent Burns Day-to-Day Ahead of Conference Finals
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns (undisclosed) is day-to-day after missing Saturday's practice, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports. The 41-year-old veteran appears banged up, but Colorado won't start the Western Conference Finals until Wednesday night, so Burns still has plenty of time to rest and recover. In nine playoff appearances, Burns has recorded three assists, 14 SOG, six blocks, 13 hits, and a plus-seven rating. He made the biggest impact in Wednesday's series-clinching victory over Minnesota, dishing out two assists.
Source: Evan Rawal
Source: Evan Rawal
Cale Makar Considered Day-to-Day
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (undisclosed) is day-to-day, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports. The star rearguard missed Saturday's practice. Luckily for the Avalanche, they still have plenty of time before their Western Conference matchup against Vegas starts -- Game 1 is scheduled for Wednesday. Makar appeared to sustain a lower-body injury in Game 1 against Minnesota, but it's unclear whether he's still dealing with this issue. The two-time Norris Trophy winner hasn't been his usual productive self this postseason, finishing six of nine games pointless. He has recorded four goals and one assist.
Source: Evan Rawal
Source: Evan Rawal
Alex Lyon Likely to Start Game 6 Against Canadiens
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon was the first goalie off the ice at Saturday's morning skate, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports. This indicates Lyon is likely to start Game 6 against the Montreal Canadiens. Buffalo has flipped between goalies in the playoffs and appears set to return to Lyon, who also started the first three games of the second-round matchup. Despite losing his spot to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in the middle of the series, Lyon has performed well in the postseason. He has posted a 4-3 record, a 2.25 goals-against average, and a .917 save percentage.
Source: Renaud Lavoie
Source: Renaud Lavoie
Owen Power Available Saturday
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power (undisclosed) will be in the lineup on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports. Power briefly exited Game 5 on Thursday in the third period, but he's good to go for Saturday's must-win contest. On Thursday, Power registered his first point of the second-round series with an assist. He has five assists in 11 postseason games but no goals on seven SOG. Power has averaged nearly 21 minutes of ice time per game and is set for another busy night at the office on Saturday.
Source: Bill Hoppe
Source: Bill Hoppe
Lane Hutson Contributes Two Assists in Game 5 Victory
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson finished Thursday's 6-3 Game 5 win over the Buffalo Sabres with two assists. In the second period, he provided an even-strength assist on a goal by Josh Anderson and also helped Nick Suzuki score on the power play. Hutson became only the seventh Canadiens blue-liner to record 10 assists in a single postseason. He's the first defenseman in 39 years from the team to record an assist in four straight playoff games. While Hutson does most of his scoring as a playmaker, he has also tallied two goals this postseason. With 12 points in 12 games, he is tied with Nick Suzuki for Montreal's scoring lead.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Nick Suzuki Amasses Three Points in Crucial Victory Thursday
Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki collected three points as the team grabbed a 3-2 series lead with a 6-3 road victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night. Suzuki picked up an early assist on Cole Caufield's first even-strength goal of the postseason, but the Canadiens found themselves 3-2 behind at the first intermission. After the break, they were a completely different team, scoring four unanswered goals. Suzuki made an impact on the power play, netting Montreal's fifth goal of the night and assisting Ivan Demidov on the sixth. With 12 games played, Suzuki shares Montreal's scoring lead in the postseason with Lane Hutson. He has produced four goals and eight assists. Strangely, all of his goals have come on the road.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Juraj Slafkovsky Dishes Out Three Assists in Game 5 Win
Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky demonstrated elite playmaking in Game 5 against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, finishing a 6-3 road victory with three assists. He recorded two power-play assists and helped Cole Caufield to finally get his first even-strength goal of the postseason. Having netted a hat trick in Game 1 against Tampa Bay, Slafkovsky became the first Montreal player in 16 years to register two three-point games during a single playoff run. The playoff opener against the Lightning ended up being Slafkovsky's only game with points in Round 1, but he's been much sharper in the second-round matchup with Buffalo, contributing one goal and five assists in five games. Yet Slafkovsky has managed only a single even-strength point throughout the entire postseason.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Carter Hart Stops 31 Pucks in Series-Clinching Win
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart did his part in Thursday's 5-1 series-clinching win over the Anaheim Ducks with 31 saves. He had a great night at the office, but Mikael Granlund beat Hart with a power-play goal in the second period. While Hart has had some dodgy outings this postseason, his overall work has been good. Ahead of the Western Conference Finals against the Colorado Avalanche, Hart holds an 8-4 record, 2.37 goals-against average, and a .917 save percentage. Hart has to be at the top of his game against the Avalanche, who have scored a league-high 4.11 goals per game in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Pavel Dorofeyev Enjoys Second Consecutive Multi-Goal Game
Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev maintained his hot goal-scoring form on Thursday night in Game 6 against the Anaheim Ducks, potting two goals in a 5-1 road victory. The Russian forward became the second player in franchise history to record back-to-back multi-goal playoff games and will carry a three-game goal streak into the Western Conference Finals. During the postseason, Dorofeyev has scored a league-high nine goals, notching three of them with the man advantage. Having added two assists in 12 games, he is among four Vegas players with double-digit points in the playoffs.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Shea Theodore Records Two Points in Game 6 Win
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore registered a goal and an assist in Thursday's series-clinching 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. With only 1:02 played, Theodore assisted Mitchell Marner on the game's opening goal and later netted a power-play goal late in the first period. On Thursday night, Theodore tied Kris Letang for the most points in potential series-clinching contests among active defensemen. He has totaled 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 25 such games. Theodore has been one of the most productive blue-liners in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, amassing nine points (four goals, five assists) in 12 games -- only four defensemen have more.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Mitchell Marner Scores Special Goal in Series-Clincher
Vegas Golden Knights forward Mitchell Marner tallied two points as the team moved into the Western Conference Finals with a 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. Just a minute into the game, Marner found himself on a solo breakaway and opened the scoring with a highlight-reel move. He also picked up a short-handed assist during the first period, recording his third multi-point performance in four games. It has been the best postseason campaign in Marner's career, and he has taken over the scoring lead ahead of the Conference Finals. In 12 outings, Marner has totaled 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists).
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Ryan Johnson Takes Over as Canucks GM, Sedins Promoted to Co-Presidents
The Vancouver Canucks have named Ryan Johnson as their new general manager, ESPN's Ryan S. Clark reports. Additionally, the team named Daniel and Henrik Sedin as co-presidents of hockey operations. Johnson, who has served as an assistant general manager for two years, will replace Patrik Allvin. The Canucks fired Allvin in April after the team had one of the worst seasons in franchise history, finishing with the worst record in the league. During Allvin's four years in charge, Vancouver made the playoffs only once, reaching the second round in 2024. In total, the team has made the postseason just twice since the Sedins retired from playing in 2018. The legendary forwards joined the hockey operations department in 2021. They will replace Jim Rutherford, who is stepping down from his role as president after the draft in June.
Source: Ryan S. Clark
Source: Ryan S. Clark
Drew Helleson Won't Play Thursday
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson (undisclosed) won't be in the lineup in Game 6 against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports. He will miss a third straight game due to an undisclosed injury. With Radko Gudas (lower body) also not expected to play, Olen Zellweger and Ian Moore will continue to operate as the third-pairing defensemen. The two have seen offensive success recently. In Game 4, Moore scored a goal with Zellweger picking up an assist, and Zellweger then lit the lamp himself in Game 5. That said, the Ducks face elimination on Thursday and will likely lean more on their top-four group on defense.
Source: Derek Lee
Source: Derek Lee
Radko Gudas Unlikely to Play Thursday
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (lower body) is set to remain on the shelf Thursday night in Game 6 against the Vegas Golden Knights, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports. Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said Gudas is "not likely" to play. Thursday's contest will mark Gudas' 10th consecutive absence. The team is missing his leadership and physical presence, but at least Olen Zellweger has brought a creative spark as Gudas' replacement on the third defensive pairing. He has notched a goal and an assist in the last two games.
Source: Derek Lee
Source: Derek Lee
