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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
Victor Hedman Traveling With Team
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (personal) is traveling with the team for Games 3 and 4 against the Montreal Canadiens, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said Hedman's return is on "the doubtful side for this series." His comeback during the series appears unlikely, but it's good to see Hedman joining the Lightning for the road games. The Swedish veteran has been out of the lineup for more than a month because of illness and personal reasons. Without Hedman, the blue line leans heavily on Darren Raddysh, J.J. Moser, and Ryan McDonagh.
Source: Benjamin Pierce
Source: Benjamin Pierce
Radko Gudas Unavailable for Game 2
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (undisclosed) won't play in Game 2 against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night. Over the past month, the Ducks captain has played only a handful of games due to a lower-body injury. Now, he's back on the shelf after logging just 9:40 of ice time in Monday's Game 1. Gudas finished the contest with one SOG, one block, two hits, and a minus-one rating. Drew Helleson will draw into the lineup for his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut. The 25-year-old appeared in 60 games during the regular season, recording 15 points (two goals, 13 assists), 39 SOG, 79 blocks, 63 hits, and a minus-four rating.
Source: Sportsnet
Source: Sportsnet
Yakov Trenin Considered a Game-Time Decision Wednesday
Minnesota Wild forward Yakov Trenin (upper body) is considered a game-time call for Wednesday's tilt against the Dallas Stars, Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports. The heavy-hitting Russian sustained an upper-body injury in Monday's Game 2 and might join Mats Zuccarello (upper body) on the sidelines. Zuccarello is also a game-time decision on Wednesday. If they can't play, Bobby Brink is set to stay in the lineup, and Nico Strum will make his series debut. Trenin has gone scoreless against Dallas but already has 16 hits after two games.
Source: Dan Rosen
Source: Dan Rosen
Mats Zuccarello a Game-Time Call Wednesday
Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello (upper body) is a game-time decision on Wednesday against the Dallas Stars, Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports. The Norwegian veteran is in danger of missing a second consecutive contest due to an upper-body injury. The timing of the injury couldn't be worse for Zuccarello and the Wild. In Game 1, Zuccarello was superb with three assists, and he has been on an offensive tear since late March. Across his last seven appearances, Zuccarello has recorded six multi-point games. Bobby Brink will remain in the lineup if Zuccarello can't make his return on Wednesday night.
Source: Dan Rosen
Source: Dan Rosen
Jack Eichel Sets Up Two Goals Tuesday
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel tallied two assists, including a power-play helper, in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth. These are his first points in the first-round series. Among American players with at least 15 appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Eichel leads the pack with a scoring average of 1.07 points per game. Since April began, he has notched 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in nine contests. The Mammoth must find a way to tame Eichel, or they won't make it past the first round.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Artemi Panarin Records Another Power-Play Goal
Los Angeles Kings left wing Artemi Panarin produced a power-play goal in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. The second game of the series mirrored Game 1, with Panarin again L.A.'s lone goal-scorer on the power play. He's the eighth player in Kings history to score in both of his first two postseason outings with the team. Panarin has a lot of playoff pedigree, but it will take more than his efforts to get past the Presidents' Trophy winners. The series will continue on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena, where Panarin has been on the score sheet in five of his last six appearances.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Dylan Guenther Enjoys Multi-Point Outing Tuesday Night
Utah Mammoth winger Dylan Guenther collected his first Stanley Cup Playoffs points in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. The 23-year-old netted Utah's second goal of the night and combined with Kailer Yamamoto to set up Logan Cooley for the game-winning tally. Dating back to the regular season, Guenther now boasts seven multi-point efforts in his last 12 outings. He had a big campaign with 73 points (40 goals, 33 assists) in 79 regular-season games and has carried the momentum into the playoffs, showing good chemistry with Cooley and Yamamoto on the second line.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Viktor Arvidsson Strikes Twice in Game 2 Win
Boston Bruins winger Viktor Arvidsson scored twice as the team tied its first-round series against the Buffalo Sabres with a 4-2 road win on Tuesday night. Arvidsson set the tone in the contest as Boston jumped out to a commanding 4-0 lead. The Swedish forward had the perfect response to his rough Game 1 outing, when his line struggled and allowed Buffalo to open the series with a victory thanks to a third-period comeback. Secondary scoring behind David Pastrnak's line will be crucial to Boston's playoff chances, and Arvidsson is very capable of providing it. He finished the regular season with 25 goals and 54 points in 69 outings.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Lane Hutson Nets First Career Postseason Goal
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson celebrated his first career postseason goal in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He tied the game at one in the first period with a power-play goal. In his first postseason campaign a year ago, Hutson collected all five of his points via assists. He also kicked off this postseason with an assist in Game 1. However, his offensive production in the playoffs has been heavily reliant on the power play. Through his first seven career postseason outings, Hutson has registered only two even-strength points.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Brandon Hagel Records Tampa Bay's First Postseason Gordie Howe Hat Trick
Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel continued his good start to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs by recording the first postseason Gordie Howe hat trick in franchise history during Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens. Hagel scored Tampa's first goal, set up Nikita Kucherov for the second, and fought Juraj Slafkovsky. The two 30-goal scorers clashed early in the second period, with Slafkovsky taken down by a right-handed punch from Hagel. Following his two-goal effort in Game 1, Hagel has become only the fourth player in Lightning history to start a postseason with back-to-back multi-point games.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Nikita Kucherov Ends 16-Game Postseason Goal Drought
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov scored a third-period game-tying goal in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime victory against the Montreal Canadiens. Incredibly, the former MVP hadn't scored a postseason goal for three years, firing blanks in 14 consecutive games. With the monkey off his back now, it will be interesting to see whether Kucherov will go on a scoring streak. He hasn't found the back of the net in consecutive games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Rangers. Although Kucherov has lacked puck luck in front of the net in the postseason, he has still been a point-per-game player. This year, Kucherov has tallied one goal and two assists through his first two playoff outings.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jonathan Toews Undecided on NHL Future
Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews hasn't yet decided if he will continue his NHL career in 2026-27. The three-time Stanley Cup champions returned from a two-year absence this season, appearing in all 82 regular-season games. He plans to think more about his future "in the next couple of weeks to a month." Toews, who will be 38 next week, had a career-low 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) this season, but he's happy with his comeback campaign. "I think if I'm being honest with myself and I look back to a couple of years ago where I was at, yeah, it definitely feels like a huge accomplishment," Toews said. "I'm very proud that I went after it and did what I could to get back to this level and to play in the NHL again." Toews may no longer be a significant fantasy factor, but he could still serve teams effectively in a bottom-six role if he decides to return for a 17th NHL season.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
