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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
Jeremy Lauzon Remains Out Thursday
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (undisclosed) will remain out on Thursday in Game 6 against the Anaheim Ducks, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports. Lauzon took a puck to the head in the final game of Vegas' first-round matchup against Utah and hasn't featured in Round 2. Due to his absence, Ben Hutton has played regularly. Unfortunately, he has been a non-factor in fantasy, registering zero points, six SOG, six blocks, and one hit in 14:04 of ice time per game across five appearances.
Source: Jesse Granger
Source: Jesse Granger
Mark Stone Misses Third Consecutive Game
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (lower body) won't play in Game 6 against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports. The Golden Knights captain continues to deal with a lower-body injury, which he sustained in Game 3 of the series. No changes are planned to Vegas' forward lines, meaning Brandon Saad will continue to fill in for Stone. He has notched one assist in two games since entering the lineup. However, Saad has been limited to 9:29 of ice time per game, making him a tough player to trust in DFS.
Source: Jesse Granger
Source: Jesse Granger
Kris Knoblauch Fired as Oilers Head Coach
The Edmonton Oilers fired head coach Kris Knoblauch on Thursday. Edmonton is on the hunt for its 10th head coach in 15 years, even after reaching a three-year contract extension with Knoblauch last October that was intended to begin next season. In his first two years behind the bench, Knoblauch led the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals. He couldn't match those heights in 2025-26, as the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in six games by the Anaheim Ducks. The 47-year-old had a 135-77-21 record in 233 regular-season games with Edmonton.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Quinn Hughes Finishes Postseason With 15 Points
Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes recorded one assist in Wednesday's season-ending 4-3 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche. His work helped Marcus Johanson open the scoring just 34 seconds into the game, and Minnesota entered the first intermission with a 3-0 lead. Yet the Avalanche clawed back from the big hole, winning the series in five games. Hughes became the second-fastest American defenseman in history to reach 15 points in a postseason. He finished the playoffs with four goals and 11 assists in 11 games. During the regular season, Hughes tallied 76 points (seven goals, 69 assists) in 74 games, averaging at least a point per game for a third consecutive campaign. He posted 53 points (five goals, 48 assists) in 48 outings after joining the Wild from the Vancouver Canucks in a midseason trade. Hughes proved to be a great fit in Minnesota and could be even more productive next season now that he has fully acclimated to his new surroundings.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Matt Boldy Posts Two Assists in Season-Ending Loss
Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy produced two assists in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche. With Boldy providing the creative spark, Minnesota won the first period 3-0, but the team couldn't survive the elimination game, allowing two goals in the final few minutes of regulation. It was a disappointing end to a big year for Boldy, who set new career highs with 42 goals and 85 points in 76 regular-season games. He added 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 11 postseason outings. In February, Boldy became the first player in Wild history to record back-to-back four-point games. As a versatile scorer who turned just 25 in April, Boldy is set to be a top fantasy contributor for years to come.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
