April 29, 2025
Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine (upper body) was back on the ice Tuesday morning but remains day-to-day ahead of Wednesday's Game 5 against the Washington Capitals. Laine has watched his team fall into a 3-1 hole, having missed the last two games, and it's unclear if he can return to the lineup on Wednesday night. Before suffering an upper-body injury, Laine recorded one power-play assist and six shots in two appearances during the series. Ivan Demidov has seen increased usage during Laine's absence, notching his first career postseason points with power-play assists in Game 4.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Priyanta Emrith
April 29, 2025
Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi (upper body) is set to make his 2025 postseason debut in Wednesday's Game 5 against the St. Louis Blues. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Jets head coach Scott Arniel said that Vilardi is a "full go" for Wednesday's contest. The 25-year-old has been sidelined for 15 games due to an upper-body injury. His return will provide a significant boost for the Jets, who suffered two ugly road defeats in Game 3 and 4. Vilardi recorded a career-high 61 points (27 goals, 34 assists) in 71 regular-season appearances. Alex Iafallo will likely be moved down in the lineup because of Vilardi's return.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Connor Hrabchak
April 29, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel (upper body) has been ruled out for Wednesday's Game 5 against the Florida Panthers. He was injured during Monday's Game 4 in the Battle of Florida, exiting the action after receiving a high hit from Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad. Ekblad was not penalized for the incident in the game but will have a hearing Tuesday with the NHL Department of Player Safety. Hagel has gone scoreless in three playoff appearances this year but was a major asset for the Lightning during the regular season, scoring 35 goals and 90 points in 82 games. Tampa Bay will likely use Cam Atkinson or Conor Geekie as Hagel's replacement in Wednesday's game.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Gabby Shirley
April 29, 2025
Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Johansson (lower body) will return to action for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Swedish veteran missed Game 4 due to a lower-body injury. With over 100 games under his belt in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Johansson is an experienced postseason performer, but he has had a limited impact this year. In three appearances, Johansson has registered one assist, one shot, and four blocks while averaging 13:53 of ice time. Johansson is expected to skate on the second line with Ryan Hartman and Mats Zuccarello. His return will bump Vinnie Hinostroza out of the lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sarah McLellan
April 29, 2025
New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler (undisclosed) is a game-time decision for Tuesday's matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes. Siegenthaler has played in two games in the series after returning from a lower-body injury, but he may be sidelined again on Tuesday night. Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe planned to ease Siegenthaler back into action, but with the blue line banged up, the Swiss rearguard has averaged 23:32 of ice time over his first two games since returning from injury. He has recorded one shot on goal, seven hits, six blocks, and six penalty minutes, along with a minus-two rating.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Mike Morreale
April 29, 2025
New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce (undisclosed) is considered a game-time decision for Tuesday's clash against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Devils have lost several defensemen to injury in the matchup and may be without another one if Pesce isn't ready to play. The 30-year-old has had a decent series against his former team. Through four games, Pesce has recorded one assist with six shots on goal and 14 blocks. Pesce has averaged the second-most ice time on the team with 25:19, making his absence a major blow for the blue line. Rookie Seamus Casey, who notched eight points (four goals, four assists) in 14 regular-season appearances, is likely to make his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut if Pesce is out.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Mike Morreale
April 29, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (undisclosed) will miss Tuesday's Game 5 against the New Jersey Devils. He has been labeled as day-to-day after Andersen exited Game 4 with an undisclosed injury. The Hurricanes lose a hot goalie for Tuesday's tilt, as Andersen had posted a 3-1 record in the playoffs with a 1.59 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. The team will use Pyotr Kochetkov instead of him between the sticks. Kochetkov enjoyed a solid regular season with a 27-16-3 record but has allowed three or more goals in seven consecutive starts.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 29, 2025
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon posted a goal and an assist in Monday's Game 5 against the Dallas Stars but was unable to save his squad from a 6-2 loss. Colorado found itself in a three-goal hole in the second period before goals from MacKinnon and Arturri Lehkonen brought the team back into the game. However, there was no further offense from the Avalanche, who will face elimination in Wednesday's Game 6 after falling behind 3-2 in the series. Things have been difficult for Jared Bednar's men in the matchup, but MacKinnon has continued to deliver the goods. With five games played, he leads all skaters in the postseason with five goals and has recorded two assists with 31 shots on goal.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 29, 2025
Colorado Avalanche forward Martin Necas collected assists on both of the team's goals during Monday's 6-2 defeat to the Dallas Stars. The Stars jumped to a 3-0 lead, and while Necas' playmaking abilities helped Colorado narrow it to a one-goal game, Jared Bednar's team was no match for the hosts on Monday night. The Avalanche are averaging three goals per game in the series, but Necas has been a disappointment so far this postseason. He has not scored with six shots on net and has three assists through five games. An improvement from the Czech forward must be imminent, as Colorado will face elimination on Wednesday night in Game 6.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 29, 2025
Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen accumulated three points in Monday's big 6-2 victory against the Colorado Avalanche. His former teammates had held Rantanen to just one point through four games, but he returned to form on Monday night with a goal and two assists. Rantanen's first goal of the postseason, scored early in the second period, turned out to be the game-winning goal. It has been a slow start to the playoffs for Rantanen, but he is one of the most productive players in Stanley Cup Playoffs history, and it was only a matter of time before the Finnish star regained his rhythm on the offensive end.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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
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