May 9, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere scored the team's only goal on the power play in Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals. He scored in the middle of the third frame to make it a one-goal game, but the Hurricanes could not muster any more offense for the rest of the way. Shayne Gostisbehere was kept off the score sheet in Game 1 against the Capitals, but he has been a solid contributor for Carolina throughout the postseason. With seven games played, Shayne Gostisbehere has recorded five points (two goals, three assists). He has collected most of his points (4) with the man advantage. The Capitals have a 71.4 percent penalty kill in the playoffs, placing Gostisbehere in a good position to make an impact in the second-round series.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 9, 2025
Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson registered a goal and an assist in Thursday's 3-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. After seeing Game 1 of the series go into overtime, the two teams once again played out a tightly contested affair. Wilson secured the win for Washington with an empty-net goal with exactly a minute remaining in regulation. He also factored in the game-winning goal, picking up a power-play assist on John Carlson's first goal of this postseason. After the game, Wilson was highly praised by his teammates for his performance. "Obviously he set the tone," Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said. "He's our leader. He plays smart. He plays physical. Scored a big goal." Wilson has been Washington's second-highest scorer in these playoffs, posting seven points (three goals, four assists) in as many games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 9, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights winger Victor Olofsson was outstanding with a three-point performance in Thursday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers. He finished the contest with two power-play goals and an even-strength assist. Olofsson has been Pavel Dorofeyev's (undisclosed) replacement in the lineup and has started to make noise. The power-play specialist boasts two goals and one assist with the man advantage over the past three games. He is now on four points (two goals, two assists) for the playoffs with six appearances. The big performance on Thursday night has surely secured Olofsson a spot in the lineup, even if Pavel Dorofeyev is available to return for Game 3 on Saturday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 9, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel set up three goals on Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers but ended up on the losing side, with his team falling into a 2-0 hole in the series following a 5-4 overtime defeat on home ice. Victor Olofsson scored two power-play goals off Eichel's assists, and the American superstar registered an even-strength helper on a William Karlsson tally. This marks Eichel's third multi-point game in the postseason. He started quietly with three scoreless efforts but has since gained momentum, notching eight points (one goal, seven assists) during a five-game scoring streak. With his team in trouble in the second-round series, the Golden Knights will be desperate for more production from Eichel.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 9, 2025
Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recorded two assists in Thursday's 5-4 overtime victory in Game 2 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Nugent-Hopkins' playmaking was key as Edmonton jumped to a 4-2 lead. Darnell Nurse and Evander Kane scored off his assists. The Oilers ended up allowing Vegas back into the game in the third period but still won, securing a 2-0 series lead on the road. Nugent-Hopkins was in a scoring slump as the postseason started, but he has heated up with a six-game point streak, which includes three goals and five assists. Edmonton averages an eye-catching 4.50 goals per game in the playoffs, giving everybody on the team a chance to chip in offensively.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 9, 2025
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl scored the game-winning goal as Kris Knoblauch's team came away with a 5-4 victory on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. Edmonton blew a two-goal lead in the third period, but will return home with a 2-0 series lead after Connor McDavid and Corey Perry helped Draisaitl score 15:20 into the extra frame. Draisaitl played nearly half an hour in the contest, logging 28:28 of ice time. He had four total shots on goal and registered one block with one hit. The Oilers have now won six straight games in the playoffs, with Draisaitl recording three goals and 10 points during the streak. Overall, he is tied for third in scoring this postseason with 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in eight games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 9, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb (upper body) was unable to finish Thursday's Game 2 against the Edmonton Oilers. He fell hard into the boards in overtime and appeared to have hurt his right shoulder. The Oilers scored shortly after the incident to win the game 5-4. Postgame, Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy was furious that Edmonton forward Viktor Arvidsson was not penalized for tripping McNabb, who has missed only one of the Golden Knights' 297 games, including the playoffs. His status is uncertain for Saturday's Game 3. McNabb has contributed three assists during this postseason campaign and has been a big presence defensively, racking up 20 blocks and 23 hits in eight contests.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Vince Sapienza
May 8, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill will hope to bounce back in Game 2 against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. Hill won three consecutive starts, helping Vegas defeat the Minnesota Wild 4-2 in Round 1, but he let a two-goal lead slip in the second-round opener on Tuesday. The 28-year-old stopped only 24 of 28 shots, suffering a 4-2 defeat. It has been a testing postseason for Hill, who owns a 4-3 record with a 3.01 goals-against average and a .876 save percentage. He must improve his numbers for Vegas to take another step toward the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals, as the Oilers are full of firepower and can score goals in bunches.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jesse Granger
May 8, 2025
New Jersey Devils defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic (knee) underwent surgery on Thursday and will not be ready for the start of training camp. The 27-year-old missed the team's final two playoff games due to a knee injury and faces a lengthy recovery process. This is definitely a setback for the former third-round pick, especially after Kovacevic had a career year in 2024-25. He finished the campaign with 17 points (one goal, 16 assists), 76 shots, 99 blocks, and 102 hits, finishing plus-10 across 81 appearances. Missing any part of training camp isn't ideal, but at least Kovacevic has not been ruled out for opening night.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Mike Morreale
May 8, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (upper body) will remain home as the team continues its second-round series against the Florida Panthers with a road game on Friday night. He will miss a second consecutive contest after being injured in Game 1. Stolarz, who boasts a 4-2 record in these playoffs, has not been ruled out for Sunday's Game 4, but it certainly looks unlikely that he will join the team. With him unavailable, Toronto must rely on Joseph Woll again. He helped Toronto go 2-0 up in the series with a 4-3 victory on Wednesday night, but Woll has not been the sharpest in the postseason, logging a 4.01 goals-against average and a .875 save percentage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
May 8, 2025
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley (undisclosed) is considered a game-time decision for Friday's meeting with the Dallas Stars. With Josh Morrissey (upper body) also sidelined, Winnipeg opened the second-round series with two defensemen absent, but both could return for Friday's Game 2 after Jets head coach Scott Arniel noted that the two had "a good skate" on Friday. Stanley has missed two games, with Haydn Fleury coming into the lineup as his replacement. Fleury opened his postseason scoring account with an assist in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Stars. Stanley has not yet recorded any points in five appearances.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: John Lu
May 8, 2025
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (upper body) is set to be a game-time decision for Friday's contest against the Dallas Stars. He was also considered a game-time call for Wednesday's series opener, but Morrissey was not in the lineup, missing his first game this postseason. Colin Miller stepped in for him on the blue line, logging 17:56 of action. He finished with three shots on goal, two blocks, and a minus-one rating. Neal Pionk once again led the Jets defense in playing time with 25:08, including 5:14 on the power play.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: John Lu
May 8, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (illness) is a game-time decision for Thursday's matchup with the Edmonton Oilers. He missed the series opener as a late scratch due to an illness, but Pietrangelo was able to skate on Thursday morning. Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy said that there is a chance the veteran rearguard will play in Game 2. Pietrangelo's return would give a nice lift to the team. Over six postseason appearances this year, Pietrangelo has recorded three points (one goal, two assists), nine shots, 15 blocks, and six hits with a plus-two rating. Kaedan Korczak figures to remain in the lineup if Pietrangelo is not ready to return on Thursday night.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: SinBin.vegas
May 8, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev (undisclosed) has been ruled out for Game 2 against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. Vegas will be without its regular-season top goal-scorer for a third consecutive game. Dorofeyev's absence has elevated the fantasy value of Victor Olofsson, who has begun to see time on the first power-play unit. However, the Swedish winger has not been productive in the postseason, recording only one assist with seven shots on goal in five appearances. Dorofeyev remains day-to-day, with his next opportunity to return coming on Saturday, when the series moves to Edmonton.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: SinBin.vegas
May 8, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen posted two assists in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, extending his point streak to four games. Florida's third line continued to purr, and Luostarinen helped both of his running mates, Brad Marchand and Anton Lundell, on the scoreboard. The Panthers would certainly prefer to have their top guns firing on all cylinders, but they will be happy with what the third line, led by Luostarinen, has done in these playoffs. Luostarinen has recorded two goals and eight points, doing all of his scoring over the past four games. He shares the postseason scoring lead on the team with Lundell, while Marchand is just behind them with seven points.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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