April 29, 2025
Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston led the way as the team rocked the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 on Monday night. He notched two goals and one assist, bringing his total in the series to five points (two goals, three assists). Johnston scored one of the fastest goals in Stanley Cup Playoffs history, finding the net just nine seconds into the game, and added the team's fourth goal during a power play in the second period. He now boasts three multi-goal performances in his postseason career, trailing only Sidney Crosby (4) and Pierre Turgeon (4) for the most by a player aged 21 or younger in NHL playoffs history. At just 21, Johnston has already made 43 playoff appearances, becoming a highly productive player for Dallas in the postseason.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 29, 2025
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky saved 18 of 20 shots in Monday's Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, helping the team to a 4-2 victory. Tampa Bay beat Bobrovsky twice inside 11 seconds in the second period, but the Russian netminder enjoyed a solid bounce-back performance after giving up four goals on 21 shots during a 5-1 loss in Game 3. Bobrovsky now holds a 3-1 record in the matchup with a 2.01 goals-against average, a .901 save percentage, and one shutout. He's performing excellently in this series, providing the Panthers a strong opportunity to finish off their neighbors on Wednesday night in Tampa.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 29, 2025
Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell finished Monday's 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning with two points. He scored the first goal of the contest and provided an assist on Seth Jones' late game-winning goal. The 23-year-old became the sixth player in franchise history to record 30 postseason points. Lundell had been scoreless in the series before his breakout performance on Monday. Despite his limited offensive impact in the matchup, Lundell remains a core piece of the third line, which also includes Brad Marchand and Eetu Luostarinen. Both players finished Monday's game with one assist apiece.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 29, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel (upper body) left Monday's 4-2 loss to the Florida Panthers in the second period. In the middle of the frame, Hagel took a high hit from Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad that wasn't penalized. Hagel was back in the Lightning lineup after serving a one-game suspension for interference on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov. He saw action in all situations but recorded only one block in 11:04 of play. Following a 90-point regular season, Hagel has yet to register any points in the playoffs. The two teams will meet up for Game 5 in Tampa on Wednesday, and it's unclear if Hagel will be available to play.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 28, 2025
New Jersey Devils defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic (undisclosed) will not play on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 27-year-old will be absent for a second consecutive contest after suffering an undisclosed injury in Game 3 of the matchup. Kovacevic has registered two shots, eight hits, and two penalty minutes with a minus-one rating in his first three career postseason games. Dennis Cholowski re-entered the lineup in Kovacevic's absence on Sunday and is likely to keep his spot for Game 5, as the Devils are short on defensive options. Cholowski has had a very limited role in the postseason, averaging only 8:59 of ice time across two games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Amanda Stein
April 28, 2025
New Jersey Devils defenseman Brenden Dillon (lower body) has been ruled out for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes. New Jersey has lost several blue-liners to injury during the series, and Dillon continues to deal with a lower-body ailment. The absence of Dillon, Luke Hughes (upper body), and Johnathan Kovacevic (undisclosed) has given rookie Simon Nemec a role in the team, while Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, and Brian Dumoulin are logging big minutes. All three players have averaged at least 24 minutes of ice time during the postseason, with Dumoulin leading the team with 27:22 of ice time per game.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Amanda Stein
April 28, 2025
New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes (upper body) has been ruled out for Tuesday's elimination game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Hughes has not played in the first-round series since Game 2 and may have made his final appearances for the season if the Devils cannot win Game 5. Dougie Hamilton will continue to lead the Devils defense on Tuesday night. He has averaged 24:39 of ice time in the series but hasn't performed at his best. Hamilton's offensive impact has been limited to one assist, and he has blocked six shots while delivering 10 hits.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Amanda Stein
April 28, 2025
Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton (lower body) will not play in Game 5 against the Dallas Stars on Monday night. This will mark Colton's fourth consecutive absence after he sustained a lower-body injury in the series opener. Luckily for the Avalanche, they have Gabriel Landeskog back in the lineup. He is set to continue in a second-line role and on the top power-play unit in Monday's game. Landeskog has registered two points (one goal, one assist) and eight hits in two games since joining the fun in Game 3.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Evan Rawal
April 28, 2025
Dallas Stars forward Oskar Back (oblique) will rejoin the lineup on Monday against the Colorado Avalanche. He is good to go for Game 5 after missing the previous contest with an oblique injury. Mavrik Bourque filled in for Back on Saturday but made little impact, finishing a 4-0 loss with two shots, one block, and two hits in 13:11 of ice time. Back has averaged 11:28 of ice time in the series, producing one assist and one shot on goal in three games. The Swedish rookie will accompany Sam Steel and Colin Blackwell on the fourth line in Monday's game.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Pierre LeBrun
April 28, 2025
Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (knee) will not play in Game 5 against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday. His absence will stretch to 37 games. Heiskanen skated on Monday morning but is still not ready to make a comeback from his knee injury. His next chance to return will come on Thursday night when the teams head back to Denver for Game 6. On Monday, the Dallas backline will continue to lean heavily on Thomas Harley, Esa Lindell, and Cody Ceci. Through four games in the series, Harley leads the Stars with three points (one goal, two assists) and has recorded 12 blocks.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Pierre LeBrun
April 28, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (undisclosed) will play in Monday's Game 4 against the Florida Panthers. The 27-year-old suffered an undisclosed injury in the series opener and was not on the ice for the morning skate. However, Cirelli will avoid his first absence of the postseason. Tampa Bay mostly relies on Cirelli to shut down the opposition's best players, but he also chipped in with a goal during a 5-1 victory in Game 3. He has logged 12 hits across the series while amassing 18 penalty minutes. The Lightning will also have Brandon Hagel back from suspension on Monday night, adding attacking quality to the Cirelli line.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Gabby Shirley
April 28, 2025
Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov recorded two power-play assists in Sunday's 5-2 defeat to the Washington Capitals. Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield benefited from Demidov's playmaking talents, while Lane Hutson also logged assists on both plays. The 19-year-old Russian became the first teenager in franchise history to register multiple points in a playoff contest, getting on the score sheet for the first time in the postseason. Montreal now faces elimination in the next game, where Demidov may play a significant role again. He has stepped in for Patrik Laine (upper body) on the top power-play unit, and it's unclear whether Laine will be available after sitting out two contests.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 28, 2025
New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier was involved in both of the team's goals in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Swiss forward registered a goal and an assist in the second period. Meier's efforts helped New Jersey cut a three-goal deficit to one, but the team once again struggled to match Carolina's offense. The Devils have scored only seven goals in the series, while the Hurricanes have lit the lamp 14 times. Meier has contributed to three of those goals. After opening the postseason with a pair of scoreless performances, he has tallied one goal and two assists. New Jersey will need more from him on Tuesday night in Game 5, as the team faces elimination.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 28, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov recorded his second career postseason hat trick in Sunday's 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils. He became the fourth player in franchise history to score in the opening minute of a playoff game and also found the net in the second and third periods. This was a breakout game for Svechnikov, as he had been limited to one goal and two points through the first three games of the series. On Sunday, Svechnikov became one of the most productive postseason performers in franchise history, reaching 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) in his 55th appearance. Only Eric Staal (45) and Sebastian Aho (75) have tallied more points in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Hurricanes/Whalers.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 28, 2025
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl factored in all four goals when the team beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in overtime on Sunday night. He scored his first career postseason goal on the power play in overtime and finished with three assists. Two of the helpers came in the third period when Edmonton erased a 3-1 deficit. Draisaitl posted his eighth career four-point playoff game, tying Mario Lemieux for the fifth most in NHL history. The Kings have once again struggled to contain Draisaitl, who boasts three goals and nine points through the first four games of the series.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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