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chelsea’s The long-planned move for Giovani Quenda is now closer to becoming reality, and Sporting is already feeling the emotional side of it.

After spending the season amidst the title race, overcoming injuries and constantly focusing on his future, the 19-year-old is now officially saying goodbye to the club where it all started.

And watching his farewell interview with Sporting TV, broadcast by the Portuguese outlet to ballThis has hurt him more deeply than expected.

“it’s not goodbye”

Quenda will arrive at Chelsea this summer after the Blues agreed a deal worth around £43.5m (€50m+) for the winger last year.

The plan always included staying in Lisbon for another season before moving to Stamford Bridge. Since then, that final campaign has included almost everything imaginable.

He suffered a long-term injury after fracturing his foot, with rehabilitation work in London under the care of Chelsea. Then their return and their final home match in Lisbon was filled with emotional messages.

Now comes the real farewell. Speaking in a recent interview, Kwenda admitted that he was seriously struggling with the idea of ​​leaving Sporting.

“I had nights when I couldn’t sleep because it was so difficult for me to say goodbye to a club that helped me and my family so much. It’s a very special club to me,” He said.

“The club will always be in my heart. There’s no way I can thank Sporting for how they treated my parents and my family.”

At several moments, the winger reportedly had to pause to wipe away tears.

Chelsea are getting a player who is deeply connected to Sporting

Giovanni Quenda joined Sporting in his childhood and worked his way up through the years to reach the first team.

He eventually achieved that dream under Rubén Amorim, continuing to gain confidence from Rui Borges despite difficult moments following the latter’s injury return.

The winger made 20 Liga Portugal appearances this season, scoring twice and providing five assists in over 1,000 league minutes.

Kwenda repeatedly returned to the emotional connection with Sporting rather than focusing on statistics or the move to Chelsea.

“I’m more mature now, with a bit more experience, although there’s still a lot to live up to for me in football,” he explained.

“But Sporting helped me a lot. I will always keep Sporting in my heart. This is not goodbye, see you soon. I hope one day I can wear a Sporting shirt again.”

One last memory before Stamford Bridge

Kwenda also spoke warmly of many people around the club. He thanked Rui Borges for having faith in him, especially during difficult times after his injury.

“He always talked to me, even when I was not at my best. He always helped me, gave me minutes and played with me.”

There was room for light memories too. Quenda laughed, recalling coach Ricardo Esgio’s approach in training.

“Esgio would kick me a lot during training and then say it was so I could learn, because football was not easy.”

Now, Chelsea are preparing to welcome one of Portugal’s biggest talents. But he is also inheriting a player who clearly never thought that leaving Sporting would affect him so much.

It seems Danhausen’s Cleveland Cavaliers bashing before the Eastern Conference Finals was no fluke for television.

The Cavaliers were on the wrong side of history Tuesday night. They entered their Eastern Conference Finals series against the New York Knicks as huge underdogs on the road. However, they surprised many by taking a two-point lead at halftime, then increasing it to 22 with just eight minutes remaining in the game. Then Jalen Brunson and his teammates caught fire.

The All-Stars led a spectacular rally, with both teams tied at the end of regulation time. The Knicks superstar and his teammates kept it going in overtime and somehow pulled off an incredible Game 1 victory despite a huge deficit in the fourth quarter.

Cavaliers fans were heartbroken by the shocking loss and were trying to figure out how their team blew such a huge lead late. However, many NBA fans pointed to one person: WWE star Danhausen. The “Too Good, Too Bad” star actually cursed out Cleveland during an appearance on Tuesday nba today.

“I have a special mission I’ve been sent on, and that’s for the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight. Tell them they’re damned,” he said.

The moment seemed quite random. However, in an ex post after the game, Danhausen revealed the real reason for doing so. When a fan asked, “Why would you curse the Cavs?” The WWE star responded, “Have you ever heard of this guy, The Miz?”

In that case, the Curse of Danhausen makes all the sense in the world. The Miz is a native of Cleveland and a fan of his hometown teams. And Danhausen currently has an ongoing rivalry with the WWE great and has cursed Miz and his tag partner Kit Wilson. He teamed with Mini-Hazen and scored a victory over the pair at Backlash earlier this month.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

During a new interview, WWE star Matt Cardona revealed a brilliant and hilarious idea for the company’s next 2K game.

One of the best products that wrestling companies create from their television content is video games. It allows dedicated supporters of the industry to become punters and live out the matches of their dreams. Another fun element of wrestling games is the career mode.

If you can’t be a wrestler in real life, WWE fans can make it and make the journey to becoming a main event WWE Superstar. Over the past few decades, the company’s game creators have made a lot of fun additions to the career mode. Well, Cardona has a great idea for WWE 2K7 that mirrors the stories of several popular current stars.

“Man, I think there should be a way where you get fired, then you go and toil on the indies for five years and come back. I’m serious,” he told Sproff. “You go, and you wrestle in all these dirty places. Then you go to Japan. Then you wrestle out at some fair, and then you come back to WWE.”

Cardona is the latest WWE one-time star to be fired and then become a star on the independent scene only to return to the world’s No. 1 company. Current WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes did something similar from 2016 to 2022 after leaving the company. Before him, Drew McIntyre had prepared a blueprint to return to WWE by becoming a top indie star from 2014 to 2017.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

The San Antonio Spurs are three wins away from the NBA Finals. But standing in their way are the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

If you’re planning to watch Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday night, take a look at everything you need to know, as well as the current odds for the Thunder vs. Spurs.

san antonio spurs next game

What channel is the Spurs game on tonight?

Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and Thunder will air exclusively on NBC and Peacock.

What time does the Spurs game start tonight?

Tip-off time for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals will be 8:30 PM ET.

Spurs vs Thunder Game 1 Betting Odds

Heading into Game 2 of the West Finals, the defending champion Thunder are -238 favorites after losing in Game 1. The Spurs have +195 odds on Wednesday night.

San Antonio Spurs Western Conference Finals full schedule

Below, you can take a complete look at the 2026 Western Conference Finals schedule.

The Best Spurs Playoff Watch Parties in San Antonio

There will be plenty of watch parties around San Antonio for the Spurs series against the Thunder. The Rock at La Cantera is the official destination of the team’s watch party. However, during road games, watch parties will take place inside the Frost Bank Center.

Plucker’s Wing Bar and McIntyre’s Southtown are other popular venues that host Spurs watch parties.

How to watch a Spurs game live stream on your phone

NBC has exclusive rights to the NBA Western Conference Finals. So if you plan to watch it on your phone, you’ll need a Peacock subscription.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

A new report has calmed New York Knicks fans’ fears that they will struggle in Game 1 of their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to their lengthy layoff ahead of the Eastern Conference Finals.

There is a lot of hope and excitement about the Knicks right now. On Tuesday night, they begin their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Cavaliers at home and as the favorite. Due to their excellent play over the past few weeks, this could be the franchise’s best chance to win an NBA title in decades.

However, there are some among his fans and basketball experts who wonder if not playing in games since May 10 will have any impact. This question has reignited the rust vs. rest debate and how it relates to the Knicks, as the extra days off will certainly give talented forward OG Anunoby a better chance to return to the field after suffering a hamstring strain in Game 2 of the semifinals.

Well, on Tuesday afternoon Sportico data expert Lev Akabas wanted to end the debate. He recently dug into the numbers and revealed some interesting details in a new X post. According to Akabas, since 1984, teams that received five or more days of rest, while their opponents had one, were 42–23 in Game 1 of a playoff series. Additionally, they were 48–17 in those series.

When it comes to teams with five or more days off, and were at home against an opponent with one day off between series, those teams went 33–9 in Game 1. The record of those teams in series that started with those unique parameters was 39–3.

Although it may not ease the fears of the most anxious Knicks fans, the data should give most of them reason to feel very confident about Game 1 tonight. Beyond how well his team has played over the last two weeks.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

ESPN talking head Stephen A. Smith took on Oklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren on Tuesday morning for his seriously poor performance in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs and rival Victor Wambayama.

On Monday night, NBA fans were treated to a spectacular clash between the Western powerhouse Spurs and Thunder. And much to the dismay of the Oklahoma City fans, San Antonio was able to pick up a crucial win in Game 1. For the most part, all of the game’s top stars shined. However, there was one major exclusion: Holmgren.

The first-time All-Star, who received a massive five-year, $239 million contract before the season, had only eight points and seven shots in 41 minutes. Yet, in addition to his almost non-existent play on offense, there was also the fact that Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault decided to put Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams on the 7-foot-5 Wambayama instead of Holmgren in the fourth quarter and overtime.

It was a nightmare night for Holmgren compared to his perceived rival Vembanyama. His performance was something ESPN’s Smith took time to talk about on Tuesday morning’s episode of take first. Questioning the inner toughness of the four-year veteran.

Stephen A.: ‘Where the hell is Chet Holmgren?’

“Chet Holmgren, what’s going on?” Smith began by saying. “All this noise we’ve heard all these years, you’ll hear all this [Holmgren and Wembanyama] Don’t get along or don’t really like each other. I understand he is 7 feet 5 inches, but hey brother, you are not 6 feet 5 inches. You are 7 feet 1 inch tall. You have the skills, you can play. I’m looking at it, and Wembley is doing what he’s doing, but comparing it to Chet Holmgren who is doing nothing offensively, it’s like damn.

“Then, when you see Wembanyama close things down in overtime, you can’t have Alex Caruso or Jalen Williams guarding him [in the paint]. Chet Holmgren is supposed to be going, ‘Coach, I’ve got this job,” he added. “It can’t be cats a foot shorter than him trying to guard him in the paint… Where the hell is Chet Holmgren?”

Vembanyama posted 41 points, 24 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and made some big shots in their 122-115 double overtime win. Smith described Holmgren’s Game 1 plan as “dangerous” and said the big man “must accept the challenge” of guarding an MVP candidate or they will not return to the NBA Finals next month.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

chelsea Giovanny Quenda will be acquired this summer by the winger after he bid an emotional farewell to Sporting supporters at Alvalade this weekend.

Saturday’s match against Gil Vicente represented the 19-year-old’s final home appearance before moving to Stamford Bridge. And while there was little pressure in the result – Porto had already clinched the Portuguese title – the atmosphere around Quenda told a different story.

The academy graduate came off the bench for the final 20 minutes and still managed to leave one last mark, providing the assist for Sporting’s final goal of the night. Then came goodbye.

Emotional farewell before Chelsea transfer

Kwenda struggled to hide his emotions after the match. As Widely disseminated by the Portuguese pressThe winger admitted the final weeks have been difficult as he prepares to leave the club he joined at the age of 11.

“It’s been tough for me. Even on my birthday, when I spoke to my teammates, I told them the last few weeks were tough.” He said.

“Leaving the club that welcomed me since the age of 11, helped me a lot, and not only me but also my family, is obviously difficult. Now even my hair is standing on end. I just have to thank this club.”

The sentiment became even more evident when he was asked what was going through his mind as he looked at the stands after the final whistle.

“A lot of things. I had to do a lot to reach the first team. Every person who enters the academy dreams of reaching the first team one day.” Kwenda explained.

“I worked for it and managed to achieve my dream. It wasn’t long, only two seasons, but I managed to win two titles and I will strive for the third which is still missing.”

One last trophy before Chelsea

That ultimate objective is now very clear. Sporting still has to play in the Taça de Portugal final next weekend against lower-league team Turin. This will almost certainly be Kwenda’s final appearance before officially becoming a Chelsea player.

He wants to take home another medal.

“Next week we have another title to fight for and I will give everything I have so that the Portuguese Cup can be here again,” He added.

But his departure continued after the match. On Sunday, Kwenda posted a short message to supporters on social media.

“Thank you, Alvalde. It was special, believe me.”

For Chelsea, this is the version of Kwenda they have now inherited.

not the injured teenager who struggled for months After fracturing his leg. Recently worried Portuguese columnists may not have the precocious talent Get lost in the chaos of Stamford Bridge.

Instead, Chelsea are signing a player who has returned from injury and reclaimed his place, Fulfilled personal promise to score again Before leaving, and now one game away from ending their sporting chapter with another trophy.

everton There could be an opportunity to sign Artem Dovbek, as Roma look set to part ways with the striker.

The Ukraine international returned to action at the weekend against Lazio. It was his first appearance since the first week of January, as he had been absent for more than five months due to a thigh injury.

Although he did not score, he hit the post once and did enough to leave his mark in the match. Roma won 2–0 and were back in the Champions League.

This came just days after Everton was mentioned as a possible destination for the forward. sports witness Told how common ownership could help, the idea of ​​a move to the Toffees is still alive for Dovbeek.

Dovebeak is ready for the last game

solororama Report that despite his cameo on Sunday, Dovbić will leave Roma in the summer. Gian Piero Gasperini never came across as a fan, which led to this Link With Newcastle United last year.

It is believed the Ukraine international will take to the field for the last time in Roma colors next weekend. The Giallorossi have the chance to seal a return to the Champions League when they take on Hellas Verona. Dovbek should be involved but it will be his last time playing for Rome.

This presents an opportunity for Everton, who need to make a ‘concrete offer’ to agree a deal. Roma already have plans to use the money received from his sale, making him a prime candidate to leave in the summer.

Everton signing him before the end of June would help Roma in their UEFA FFP fight.

Roma’s attacking problems have already been solved with the arrival of Donyale Malen. This makes Dovbeek a back-up who is no longer needed by the club.

Our Opinion: The deal should be cheap

Roma paid a base fee of €30.5m for the striker in 2024 as he signed a five-year deal. As a result, Dovbeek weighs less than €20m in the Giallorossi’s accounts.

This suggests Everton could make a deal for just over €20m.

While Beto has found form for the Toffees in recent weeks, it remains to be seen whether he has a future on Merseyside. Dovebeak can serve as an efficient replacement and may even prove to be an upgrade if he settles in well. He has put in very impressive performances for Verona and has scored 20 times in all competitions, even during the clash in Rome.

There was a lot of excitement in the football world as the 2026 NFL schedule was released on Thursday, and we finally know when and where all 32 teams will play their games.

The New York Giants will be one of the most fascinating stories of the NFL season, as many think the team could go 4-13 in the playoffs in 2026 under head coach John Harbaugh and second-year quarterback Jackson Dart.

But making the postseason won’t be easy, as Big Blue plays six teams that made the playoffs last season and had a tough final month of the season.

There are less than four months to go until the season starts, and here are our early game-by-game predictions.

RELATED: 3 options for the New York Giants if Malik Nabors isn’t ready for Week 1

The last time New York opened the season at home against Dallas was in 2023, and they lost 40–0. But this time, things will be different as Big Blue will start the Harbaugh era with a win. W (1-0)

Trying to stop Sean McVay’s offense is always difficult, especially when you’re trying to get used to your new defensive coordinator’s scheme. Matthew Stafford will have to have his way with the secondary as the Giants suffer their first loss of the season against the Rams. L(1-1)

Week 3: Home at Tennessee Titans

The Giants will welcome their former head coach, Brian Daboll, and several of his former teammates to MetLife Stadium. But they won’t be giving him a warm welcome as Jackson Dart would beat out Cam Ward in a battle between two second-year quarterbacks. W (2-1)

Week 4: Home at Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals may be the worst team in the NFC, but New York won’t ignore them. Big Blue would have a great victory and win their second game in a row. W (3-1)

Week 5: @WashingtonCommanders

Amazingly, the Commanders are the only team in the division to have defeated the Giants in each of the last two seasons. Washington would win another close battle in this rivalry. L(3-2)

Week 6: Home at New Orleans Saints

The Giants and Saints both finished last in their divisions last season, but some think they could go from worst to first in 2026. New York is expected to pick up a close win and avenge their 26–14 loss from a season ago. w (4-2)

Week 7: @Houston Texans

With the additional changes made to the offense, the Giants’ offense should be more explosive than it has been in years. Unfortunately, this week they will go up against the Houston Texans’ NFL-best defense. This will be very difficult to overcome and they will lose. L(4-3)

Week 9: @Philadelphia

Playing in Philadelphia has been a nightmare for New York as they haven’t won there since 2013. Despite a valiant effort by the Giants, they would lose again in the “City of Brotherly Love”. L(4-4)

New York ended its losing streak to Washington in just a few weeks as the defense shut down quarterback Jaden Daniels and secured an impressive victory. W (5-4)

Week 11: Home at Jacksonville Jaguars

The Giants are trying to do what the Jacksonville Jaguars did last season in going 4-13 to become division champions. Time will tell if New York will accomplish that feat, but they will win this Sunday. W(6-4)

Week 12: @IndianapolisColts

He may never admit it publicly, but Daniel Jones would love to get revenge on the team that abandoned him. Unfortunately for the veteran quarterback, he would not get revenge on the team that drafted him as Big Blue would win for the third consecutive time. W (7-4)

Week 14: @Seattle Seahawks

Seattle is one of the toughest places to play, as the crowd noise can be deafening. Furthermore, they are defending Super Bowl champions with an impressive defense, and quarterback Sam Darnold’s confidence is at an all-time high. The winners will be victorious in this competition. L(7-6)

Week 15: Home at Cleveland Browns

The Giants would end their losing streak against the Browns thanks to a dominant performance from their defense and big play from their special teams unit. W(8-6)

The Detroit Lions overwhelmed New York’s defense in their 34-27 overtime victory in Week 12 last season. The Giants’ defense would perform better, but the result would be the same with a Lions victory. L(8-7)

Week 17:@Dallas Cowboys

New York has not won in Dallas since Week 1 of the 2016 season, which was Dak Prescott’s NFL debut. Their losing streak in Big D will continue with another disappointing defeat. L(8-8)

Week 18: Home at Philadelphia Eagles

The Giants would finish the 2026 regular season with a win over their division rivals and finish the season with their first winning record since 2022. W(9-8)

RELATED: 2026 NFL Power Rankings: Evaluating the worst, best teams after the NFL Draft

Not two words Montreal Canadiens fans wanted to hear after Saturday night.

Game 7.

Still, that’s where this series is headed after the Buffalo Sabers owned the final 40 minutes at the Bell Center.

After Rasmus Dahlin scored 32 seconds into the game, Montreal jumped out to the lead on the Buffalo Sabres, scoring three goals in the first period on the sticks of Arbor Zekhaj, Ivan Demidov and Jake Evans.

After Lindy Ruff picked off Ukka Pekka-Lukkonen in Game 6, they immediately pulled him for Alex Lyon after a Montreal barrage in the first period.

Hubbs convinced the crowd that it was over before it really even started. But a key high-sticking penalty from Mike Matheson helped the Sabers claw back a goal on the power play thanks to Jason Zucker, giving the game a 3–2 lead heading into the first intermission.

Only then can you feel the change in speed.

In the second the buffalo came out flying. Zach Benson tied it early, then Jack Quinn hit a snapshot on the power play to put them ahead. Consta Helenius added an insurance marker to give Buffalo its first and indefinite multi-goal lead of the game, sending Buffalo into the second intermission with a 5–3 lead.

All were subs in the third period. Quinn added his second power-play marker of the night, and Taj Thompson finished it with an empty-net goal.

Still, with the goaltender back in net for Buffalo, Zack Metsa scored his first in the playoffs, while the man added insult to injury by taking advantage late, leading Montreal to an 8–3 loss.

With a few minutes left in the third period, an uproar broke out and tempers flared. Six miscues between whistles were handed down to an extracurricular activity, making the appeal of Game 7 even stronger.

Buffalo dominated the shot clock 36-22 and owned special teams on Saturday night.

This was the reaction everyone in Western New York wanted after the Habs took on Don Buffalo on their field in Game 5, while Montreal fans were hoping to wrap up the series tonight.

Instead, the Canadiens’ early multi-goal lead vanished, and now they await a similar elimination to the Sabres.

The series heads back to KeyBank Center for Game 7 on Monday.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

At the start of the 2025–26 NBA season, it became clear that the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs were on a collision course for a playoff berth. Luckily, the latest rivalry in the NBA will take place in the Western Conference Finals.

While Oklahoma City finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA, it lost four of five games in head-to-head contests against San Antonio. Those competitions also revealed just how much friction there is between Victor Wembanyama and the Thunder, which adds even more intrigue to the series.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at our Western Conference Finals predictions.

Game 1: Oklahoma City Thunder 113, San Antonio Spurs 109

Oklahoma City is expected to get wing Jalen Williams back for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, which is an added boost for a team that is already well-rested. Wembanyama and the Spurs have already proven they can go to Paycom Center and win, but the extra time to prepare along with home-court advantage could impact Game 1. We expect this to be a tight game from start to finish, but Wambayama’s 30-plus points combined with the 30-plus points from Ajayi Mitchell and Williams will propel Oklahoma City to a Game 1 victory.

Game 2: San Antonio Spurs 117, Oklahoma City Thunder 110

The Spurs will steal one from the Thunder; This is one of our Western Conference Finals predictions we feel the strongest about. Wembanyama has already demonstrated that he can completely neutralize Chet Holmgren, and the Spurs also have the guard depth to match up with Oklahoma City. In Game 2, Wembanyama scored over 35 points with 5 blocks and 2 steals in one of the most impressive two-way performances of the entire NBA playoffs. Additionally, Dylan Harper comes off the bench with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists to help San Antonio tie the series upon returning home.

Game 3: San Antonio Spurs 108, Oklahoma City Thunder 105

In the first Western Conference Finals home game for the franchise since May 22, 2017, we are expecting a noisy atmosphere at Frost Bank Center. This is another rivalry game where we see bad blood spill over in an electric atmosphere between the Spurs and Thunder. While Oklahoma City is generally a team that avoids mistakes, last year’s NBA Finals showed that they can experience a few misses and turnovers. Against a well-coached team like San Antonio, who also has the length and defensive versatility to put pressure on Gilgeous-Alexander and close down passing lanes, we think the Spurs come out on top at home. San Antonio takes a 2–1 series lead in the Western Conference Finals, with Wembanyama averaging nearly 30 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks per contest.

Game 4: Oklahoma City Thunder 116, San Antonio Spurs 110

In a key game on the road, Oklahoma City’s playoff experience keeps them from being on the brink of elimination. Jalen Williams should be over the rust by now since his return, giving the Thunder a bucket-getter who can take over games. With so much defensive pressure on SGA, Williams repeated his standout performance from last year’s NBA Finals with over 35 points, including five three-pointers. It’s Williams’ resurgence and some clutch minutes off the bench that allow the Thunder to even the series by capturing Game 4 in San Antonio.

Game 5: San Antonio Spurs 120, Oklahoma City Thunder 113

We expect this Spurs vs. Thunder showdown in the Western Conference Finals to be a regular thing in the years to come. In our view, a theme of this rivalry will be finding ways for Oklahoma City and San Antonio to pick up wins on the road. That’s what we expect in Game 5, this time with De’Aaron Fox leading the way with a double-double. The Spurs had five players (Fox, Wembanyama, Harper, Stephen Cassel, and Keldon Johnson) score double figures, giving San Antonio its second win in the series.

Game 6: Oklahoma City Thunder 114, San Antonio Spurs 104

We’re giving San Antonio a chance to wrap up the Western Conference Finals at home in Game 6. It will not be removed. While Gilgeous-Alexander’s stellar third quarter performance will effectively put the Spurs away in this one, it’s going to be a breakout game from Chet Holmgren (22 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks) that proves to be the difference maker early on. Oklahoma City won Game 6, its largest point differential in the entire seven-game series.

Game 7: Oklahoma City Thunder 111, San Antonio Spurs 109

Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals will determine who will be crowned NBA champion this season. This is because both San Antonio and Oklahoma City are a level higher than either team coming from the Eastern Conference. In this winner-take-all game, the Spurs came out of the gate in a hostile environment and trailed by double digits in the second quarter. A few halftime adjustments and a highly motivated Vembanyama are a recipe for a comeback. Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein will have no answer when Wembanyama stakes his claim to be the best player in the NBA right now. This makes for a tight game in the final minutes. Once again, Gilgeous-Alexander stepped up to the plate. We’re projecting a 40-burger in Game 7 for SGA, including double-digit points in the fourth quarter to help the Thunder win the Western Conference Finals.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The Anaheim Ducks’ season ended with a 5-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of the Western Conference Second Round on Thursday night at Honda Center. Vegas won the series 4–2 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

Vegas has now reached the conference finals for the fifth time in nine seasons, a reminder of how quickly that organization has racked up playoff weight. For Anaheim, it was the end of its first postseason run since 2018.

There were just 62 seconds left in the game when Mitch Marner scored on a breakaway to give Vegas a 1–0 lead. William Karlsson sent him through with a long pass and Marner beat Lucas Dostal with a superb finish. Fast start. Bad sign.

CBS Sports reported that Marner played a role in all three of Vegas’ goals in the first period, and that the first period push largely shaped the night. Anaheim wasn’t saddled with a single bad rebound. It took three hits before Duck could regain his footing.

Brett Howden scored short-handed at 8:30 of the first period after taking a feed from Marner. This made the score 2-0 and made it doubly sad for Ducks fans because the team was on the power play.

NHL.com said Howden’s goal was his third short-handed goal of the playoffs, breaking the NHL record for most scored in a playoff game.

Shea Theodore made it 3-0 with 2:41 left in the opening period. Tomas Hertl won the offensive zone draw against Theodore and he beat Dostal with a wrist shot from the blue line.

Granlund gives a little life to Anaheim

Mikael Granlund cut the lead to 3-1 with 7:14 left in the second period. This gave some hope to the team and fans.

Carter Hart stopped 31 of 32 shots, showing that the Ducks put enough pucks on net to make the game interesting, but not enough of them turned into real damage.

Any hopes ended in the third period as Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice. His first shot came just under three minutes into the frame after Ivan Barbashev forced a turnover and set him up in the right circle. His second came with 6:28 remaining, making the score 5–1.

A tough ending, but not an empty one

Vegas now travels to Colorado for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday, May 20. Anaheim is entering the offseason after a playoff run that ended hard, but he still showed growth.

From a Ducks fan’s perspective, it stings because the series had potential. Anaheim won Game 2. This was answered in Game 4. It forced overtime in Game 5. Then came Game 6, and Vegas looked like the older, faster team.

The ducks are here now. They’re closer than ever and being years away from the postseason, it still means something.

The Vegas Golden Knights (4-2) scored early and often, including two from Pavel Dorofeyev, as they defeated the Anaheim Ducks (2-4) 5-1 in Game 6 to reach the Western Conference Finals for the fifth time in their nine-year history. Consider that only half of the 32 NHL teams, all of which have been in existence much longer than the Golden Knights, have reached the conference finals five or more times. Additionally, the Golden Knights have now won 14 series, the most in the NHL since the franchise entered the league after moving to Tampa Bay. Despite leading the series 3-2, they improved to 9-1 all-time.

Just 1:02 into the game, William Carlson lofted Mitch Marner on a breakaway and Marner scored what was perhaps his most spectacular goal of the postseason. Marner stopped in front of Anaheim netminder Lucas Dostal, turned to his backhand, slid the puck tight behind Dostal, then pulled the puck through his legs and hit it to his forehand while he still had his back to Dostal. It was Marner’s seventh goal of the postseason and his league-leading 17th postseason point. Marner also got involved in the Golden Knights’ second goal a little more than seven minutes later.

With Anaheim on the power play, the Golden Knights were fouled out of their own zone. Despite trailing by a man, the Golden Knights skated into Anaheim territory on a three-on-two break. Marner skated harmlessly into the zone, while Brett Howden took a quick drive toward the net and past the Anaheim defense. Howden then immediately established himself in the bottom of the right circle and took a cross-ice, diagonal pass from Marner and one-timed it past Dostal on a down-and-out. This was, at the time, a league-leading eighth post-season goal for Howden, which is notable as he had scored only 12 goals in 58 regular season games. The goal was also a notable fourth short-handed goal of the postseason for the Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights’ other special teams unit also got in on the action with 2:41 left in the first period. With Anaheim forward Alex Killorn down for hooking, the Golden Knights’ power play came in handy and scored with just five seconds left on the man-advantage. In a must-see shot from center point, Shea Theodore (4) fired a puck through heavy traffic that went past Dostal’s right ear and put the Golden Knights ahead with a trio of goals.

The first period of the Golden Knights was as impressive as the Bellagio Conservatory. By the end of the period, the Golden Knights had scored at even strength, short-handed and on the power play. The three goals came on just nine shots, while holding Anaheim to just four. The Golden Knights also won 61.1 percent of faceoffs in the first frame.

Anaheim was finally able to solve Carter Hart in the second, but would need a power play to do so. After Golden Knights forward Nick Dowd kicked the puck out of play and was whistled for delay of game, Anaheim went to work on its third power play opportunity of the game. Mikael Granlund (5) delivered a brilliant cross-ice centering pass to Troy Terry that knocked down Hart with the side of his glove at 12:46 of the second minute to pull Anaheim to within two, 3-1. Despite allowing shorthanded goals, the Anaheim power play improved significantly as the series progressed. With the power play tally, the Ducks improved to 4-for-9 on the power play in the last three games after going 0-for-11 in the first three games. This would be the only goal scored in the second and the score remained 3–1 at the second intermission.

Any hopes Anaheim had of a comeback were ended by the Golden Knights early in the third. While Anaheim outshot Vegas 15–3 in the frame, it was the Golden Knights who scored twice. Less than three minutes into the third, Ivan Barbashev caught Anaheim defenseman John Carlson’s failed clearing attempt, then delivered a slick backhand pass to Pavel Dorofeyev (8) in the right circle, who fired a wrist shot past Dostal’s blocker at 2:52 of the third. Just ten minutes later, Dorofeyev scored another goal on a poorly angled shot from below the right circle to give the Golden Knights a 5–1 lead. The goal moved Dorofeyev past teammate Brett Howden for most postseason goals in the NHL with nine.

At the end of the third, Anaheim pulled Dostal and fired a large number of shots at Hart, but none found the back of the net and the Golden Knights won the series. The Golden Knights will now advance to the Western Conference Finals where they will face the NHL’s best regular-season team, the Colorado Avalanche. Game 1 takes place on Wednesday at 5PM PT in Denver.

notes

• Vegas defenseman Braden McNabb served a one-game suspension for interference against Anaheim center Ryan Poehling in Game 5. McNabb has played in 757 games for the Golden Knights in the regular season and postseason combined, the most in franchise history.
• Anaheim went into Game 6 with a 7–0 all-time lead at home.
• Anaheim did not lose consecutive games this postseason and finished the season 4–2 at home, with the only two losses coming in Vegas.

statistics

• Shots on goal favor Anaheim, 32–21.
• Amazingly, the faceoff winning percentage was exactly the same as Game 5, 53.1% to 46.9% in favor of Vegas.
• Vegas was 1-2 on the power play, while Anaheim was 1-5.
• Anaheim had the edge in hits, 30–24.
• Vegas stopped 13 shots, while Anaheim stopped 11.
• Anaheim had three more possessions than Vegas, 20–17.
• Anaheim got a slight edge in takeaways, 5-4.

The Montreal Canadiens (6-5) will take on the Buffalo Sabers (6-4) in Game 5 of their second-round series on Thursday, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

Even though the Habs managed to beat the Sabers in Game 4, they failed to take advantage of many power play opportunities, scoring just once in seven chances.

Meanwhile, the Sabers took advantage of two of their four power plays and won 3–2 in the process.

It was far from a perfect game, but there were many positives worth discussing.

The first is that despite the lack of goals at 5v5, the top line enjoyed a legitimately great outing. They controlled more shots than in any other playoff game, controlling over 70% of shots, high-danger shots and expected goals.

With that in mind, it’s getting a little late in the season to discuss the healthy process. The first line is playing better, but the Habs need goals from their best players, not just solid underlying numbers.

Simply put, the Canadiens will not advance to the Conference Finals without the regular 5v5 contributions of Juraj Slafkowski, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.

But for now, the cart is being put before the horse.

If the Canadiens are to return to the Bell Center with a 3–2 lead in the series, they will need a complete team effort in Game 5, including solid play from their various defensive pairings. The duo of Mike Matheson and Alexander Carrier have struggled in the playoffs, although it must be said that they have been facing very high quality competition.

It is important to note that the winner of Game 5 in a series tied 2–2 will win the playoff series 80% of the time, making this the most important game of the year for the Canadiens.

Possible Lineup Changes

Head coach Martin St-Louis doesn’t like to announce roster revisions publicly, meaning we’ll have to wait until pre-game warmups to confirm any changes to the Canadiens’ lineup.

If the Habs want to bring a little more energy and chaos into the mix, they need to look no further than forward Brendan Gallagher. Yes, he’s the oldest player in the organization, but he’s also well rested, has played brilliantly in the three games he’s played, and few other players around the league are willing to put their bodies on the line in the service of their teams, at least not at the same level as Gallagher.

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Cole Coffield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkowski

Alex Newhook – Jake Evans – Ivan Demidov

Alexandre Texier – Philippe Danault – Josh Anderson

Zachary Bolduc – Kirby Dach – Joe Veleno

Mike Matheson – Alexandre Carrier

Lane Hutson – Noah Dobson

Arbor Zekaj – Caden Guhle

jacob dobbs

jacob fowler

Buffalo Sabers Projected Lineup

Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch

Jason Zucker – Konsta Helenius – Jack Quinn

Zach Benson – Josh Norris – Josh Doan

Jordan Greenway – Ryan McLeod – Beck Malensteen

Rasmus Dahlin – Mattias Samuelsson

Bowen Byram – Owen Power

Luke Shannon – Connor Timmins

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Alex Lyon

How to watch Hubs Vs. sabers game 5

Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres, Thursday, May 14, 2026, will be broadcast on CBC, Sportsnet and TVA Sports. A quick recap with highlights will be available on SportsNote once the final whistle blows.

Additional NHL Playoff Analysis

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

Following their disappointing loss in Game 5, an NBA expert explains why the Detroit Pistons are upset, and the Cleveland Cavaliers will head to the Eastern Conference Finals after Friday night.

Pistone did not want to be in this situation again. In the quarterfinals of this year’s playoffs, the former No. 1 seed suffered a 3–1 loss in their series with the Orlando Magic. However, this mostly young team showed its mettle by battling back and defeating Orlando in a do-or-die Game 7 last week.

They then started their semi-final series against the Cavaliers with a decisive win. It seemed like the team that was so dominant during the regular season was back and performing better. However, over the past week, the wheels on the bus have worn off, and Detroit now finds itself on the verge of elimination after blowing a nine-point lead in the final minutes of Game 5.

It was one of the worst losses to the franchise in decades and may be looked upon with regret for years to come. Still, there’s reason to believe that after such a crushing loss the Pistons can circle the wagons again and force a Game 7 on Sunday. However, on Thursday morning, The Athletic NBA expert Zach Harper explained why Detroit fans should be very concerned.

Cade Cunningham has been good, but not great, against the Cavaliers

Detroit’s loss on Wednesday wasn’t just about a bad night or a bad few minutes. It was about the issues that have been going on for the last few weeks. Cade Cunningham had 39 points, nine assists and six threes in Game 5. Numbers that should lead to victory. But Harper pointed to a bigger problem with the Pistons’ top star at the moment.

“[Cunningham] Harper wrote, “There were six more turnovers, bringing their turnover total to 69 in 12 games.” He also noted Cunningham “fell asleep” late in overtime and allowed James Harden to get his rebound off a missed free throw. A mistake that couldn’t happen at such a crucial moment.

Then Jalen Duren continues to disappear. A player who had a big breakout season in 2025-26 has been a huge disappointment in the playoffs. In 12 games, he is shooting 50% from the field, down from 65% during the season, and scoring half as many points a night as he did in the regular season.

Yet, in Game 5, things reached a new low point as he played only a few minutes in the fourth quarter and was benched for the entire overtime. Duren is the reason the Pistons had a great regular season, and he’s the reason they’re likely to be out in Game 6 on Friday night.

Detroit Pistons didn’t get the best version of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5

What makes things seem more ominous as the series returns to Cleveland is that the Cavaliers didn’t get great nights from their top stars on Wednesday. While Harden had 30 points, 8 boards and 6 assists, he shot 8-21 from the field and committed six turnovers. Donovan Mitchell had 21 points on 18 shots.

If not for Evan Mobley’s 19 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, the Pistons would have won Game 5.

Detroit can certainly win on Friday night, but there are ample indications that Cleveland will go 7-0 at home in these playoffs and advance to the Conference Finals in Game 6.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

The Minnesota Wild’s final loss of the season was their most painful.

The Wild blew an early three-goal lead over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 5 of the Western Conference Second Round series on Wednesday night at Ball Arena. They were still ahead by two before allowing a pair of goals in the final 3:33 of regulation that forced overtime.

Minnesota failed to convert on two excellent scoring opportunities early in overtime before Avs defenseman Brett Kulak scored at 3:52 of OT to secure a 4–3 win. Colorado advanced to the conference finals against the Anaheim-Vegas series winner. Minnesota is going home with one of the most painful defeats in its history.

Kulak broke through an excellent scoring chance in the defensive zone before running down the ice, taking a pass from Martin Necas and one-timeing it past Jesper Wallstad for the series-winning goal. It was his first goal since January 19, when he was playing with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Before Colorado’s late rally, it looked like the Wild had the game in hand; They led 3-1 with less than four minutes remaining.

But the Avs came within one when Jack Drury deflected Devon Toews’ long wrist pass to Jesper Walstad with 3:33 to play. They tied it with 1:23 remaining when Nathan MacKinnon took a short lead with an accurate shot from the bottom left circle.

By that time, the night had become wild.

Wild season with 4-3 OT loss to Avalanche in Game 5

Marcus Johansson scored 34 seconds into the game to put Minnesota up 1–0. Nick Foligno then scored twice in less than five minutes, giving the Wild a 3–0 lead in less than 16 minutes.

Parker Kelly got a goal back for Colorado midway through the second period, but the Wild remained in command until final goals by Drury and MacKinnon forced overtime.

The crowd of 18,159 came prepared to see the Presidents Trophy winners advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since winning the Cup in 2022. But Wilde showed from the initial face-off that he had other plans.

Johansson put Minnesota on the board in the first inning. Matt Boldy circled Colorado’s Brock Nelson behind the net and made his way into the left corner. He delivered a perfect pass to Johansson, who beat Mackenzie Blackwood to make it 1–0.

Foligno made it 2–0 at 11:03 with his first goal of the postseason. He went to the net, got his stick on Nico Sturm’s pass and deflected it to Blackwood.

The Wild thought they had made it 3–0 at 12:26 when Michael McCarron caromed a carom off the post into the net during a delayed penalty. But a video review showed that the Wild center had used his gloved hand to dodge Blackwood, and the goal went off the board.

Minnesota took a three-goal lead at 15:56 of the second minute of the period on Foligno. Blackwood missed Sturm’s long wrist and Sturm beat Avs defenseman Jack Ahkan to the puck. His backhand cross-crease pass found Foligno, who fired it into the open left corner for a 3–0 lead.

The Avs changed goaltenders after Blackwood allowed three goals on 13 shots in the opening 20 minutes. Scott Wedgwood relieved him — and Colorado came out with the kind of energy it lacked in the first period.

According to Natural Stat Trick, the Avalanche had nine of 10 scoring chances in the middle period, along with a 33-8 edge in shot attempts. But the “Wall of St Paul” kept them off the board until the end of the 11th minute, when Kelly lofted Brent Burns’ right-point slapper past Wallstead to make the score 3–1.

Colorado continued to push and earned its first power play when Danila Yurov high-sticked Cale Makar at 16:52. Wallstedt made three saves and MacKinnon hit the post, giving the Wild two goals in 20 minutes of play.

The Wild appeared to be content with playing defense in the third period, rarely entering the offensive zone. The strategy worked well until 16:27, when Drury got its second chance of the postseason in the same game as Kelly’s goal. Toews took a long straight wrister, and Drury deflected it past Volstead to make the score 3–2.

Now with the crowd roaring in full swing, the Avs pulled Wedgwood with two minutes remaining and tied it on MacKinnon’s rip from the bottom left circle, creating a small opening on the short side.

Key takeaways after Wild season ends with loss to Avs in Game 5

paid a heavy price to sit in the back

Minnesota defeated Colorado 13–12 and took a 3–0 lead after a dominant first period. Unfortunately for the Wild, the game was not over.

Colorado controlled the remainder of the game to show why it finished first in the regular season standings. The Avs defeated Minnesota 22–7 after the opening period, including 4–0 in overtime. According to Natural Stat Trick, Colorado had a 22-3 edge in scoring chances at 5-on-5 after the first period and a 9-2 advantage in high-danger opportunities during that time.

Minnesota appeared content to consistently sit back, dump the puck and get the Avs up 200 feet instead of trying to get another goal. It’s a difficult strategy to implement over long periods of time against the NHL’s highest-scoring team. In the end, Wild had to pay the price.

Foligno’s big night is getting ruined

The Wild added Nick Foligno on March 6 with Columbus to play a lower-level role, often alongside younger brother Marcus. The 38-year-old had scored only one goal in 17 regular season games following the trade and did not score in Minnesota’s first 10 playoff games.

That all changed in the first period, when he connected twice in less than five minutes to put the Wild up by three.

It was the second multi-goal playoff game of his career – and the first since Game 6 of the first round with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

What’s next for the Wild?

The way their season ended will sting for some time, but the Wild look like a team on the rise.

The best news was that they won a playoff series for the first time since 2015, ending a streak of eight consecutive opening round/preliminary round losses. They have great players on the left wing (Kirill Kaprizov) and defense (Quinn Hughes), a rising star in forward Matt Boldy and an excellent No. 2 defenseman in Brett Faber.

The absence of center Joel Eriksson and defenseman Jonas Brodin due to injury against Colorado hurt.

Coach John Hynes will have the offseason to decide whether he wants to give Walstead the No. 1 job. He spent most of the season in the 1B role behind goalkeeper Filip Gustavsson. But Gustavsson’s five-year, $34 million contract begins next season – a big deal for a backup/1B goaltender.

But the biggest question is the future of Hughes, who has one year remaining before becoming an unrestricted free agent. GM Bill Guerin gave up a lot for the Vancouver Canucks to get the 26-year-old player in December. He can sign an extension starting on July 1 and will undoubtedly make every effort to make that happen.

stat shots

The Avs won the series at home for the first time in their last 10 tries in 2008. That also came against Wild.

Colorado’s comeback from three goals down was the first by any team in this year’s playoffs. Five teams won after trailing by two goals.

Kulak clinched the series and became the 16th Avalanche player to score a goal during the second round, breaking the NHL record for most goals in a series.

Colorado became the 13th team in NHL history, and the second team joining the Carolina Hurricanes in 2026, to need nine or fewer games through the first two best-of-7 series to make the first round of the Finals.

Jon Krieger covered his first New York Rangers game (against the California Golden Seals) in November 1975 and it… More about Jon Krieger

New York Knicks fans got some great news when it came to OG Anunoby’s availability for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

With all the momentum the Knicks have had over the past two weeks, they head into the 2026 edition of the East Finals with only one obvious question: When will forward OG Anunoby be available to play? He missed the final two games of their four-game sweep over the Philadelphia 76ers. But they will definitely need him for their upcoming series against the Detroit Pistons or Cleveland Cavaliers.

Well, fans got an update on his availability on Wednesday, and it’s very positive. During a press conference with the NYC media, Knicks head coach Mike Brown revealed that Anunoby participated in “parts” of practice today.

Does this mean he’ll be in uniform for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals? not necessarily. But prospects continue to improve. Anunoby suffered a hamstring strain late in Game 2 of the 76ers series. However, after being evaluated, reports emerged that New York was optimistic he could return to face Philly.

But because the Knicks played so well in Game 3, they decided to be cautious again and sat him in Game 4 as well. As fans know, it all worked out, and they didn’t need Anunoby to blast through Philly and into the Conference Finals.

The series between the Cavaliers and Pistons is tied at 2-2. Knicks supporters won’t mind if the series lasts seven games and the East Finals begin next week. This will give Anunoby more time to rest and make his availability in Game 1 much more likely.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

Newcastle United had a scout at Real Betis watch Eze Abed this week, but face competition from Aston Villa for his signature.

Diario de Sevilla reports on the growing interest from the Premier League today. The Moroccan winger has been earning fans across Europe this summer.

Newcastle United Scouts

The newspaper reports that Newcastle United scouts were watching the match between Real Betis and Elche at the Estadio de la Cartuja on Tuesday night.

This is significant as the newspaper has also learned that Newcastle and Aston Villa are ‘very, very interested’ in Eze Abeda. However, at this time neither of them has taken any official step towards her.

Those in charge of Real Betis are fully aware of the interest from Newcastle and Aston Villa. But they are waiting for any developments, in other words, official bids.

Barcelona are another team that are keeping a close eye on the winger. If they don’t sign Marcus Rashford permanently he is one of the options being considered.

barcelona relations

The Catalans could also benefit, as they have a very good relationship with Betis. Both clubs have made several deals for players over the years. Their relationship is also important given Abede’s current contract situation.

Betis currently own 80% of the rights after acquiring half of his transfer from Barcelona in September 2023 for €7.5m. In February 2025, the Catalans paid an additional 30% as compensation for the termination of Vitor Roque’s loan.

In any transfer, Betis are prepared to make ‘extremely high’ profits. But, if the player were to leave for €40m, €8m would go to Barcelona. At this point this is just an example.

There is no hurry to sell daughters. They will wait till the World Cup to see how Abed performs there. Strong performances from him and Morocco could increase his value even further.

For now, it appears Aston Villa and Newcastle United are simply watching. But the Magpies had a scout in attendance this week, a possible indication of their growing interest.

The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena, taking a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven second-round playoff series.

Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice, including the winner four minutes into overtime.

Beckett Seneke scored on the power play with 7:24 left in the first period to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead. Less than four minutes later, Dorofeyev responded with a Vegas power-play goal, firing past Lucas Dostal from the high slot after Tomas Hertl’s earlier chance was blocked wide.

The second period remained scoreless.

At 4:48 of the third period, Hertl gave the Golden Knights their first lead of the night. Rasmus Andersson sent the puck toward the net, and Hertl found the loose puck before beating Dostal in the five-hole for a 2–1 Vegas lead.

This is sad for Ducks fans. Not because Anaheim was running out of rinks, but because the team was so in.

Zellweger gives Ducks a late chance

Olen Zellweger tied it 2–2 with 3:05 remaining in regulation, sending the game into overtime and giving Anaheim a real chance to steal Game 5. The Ducks have already shown that they can provide answers in this series. Game 4 proved that. This was another chance to put the pressure back on Vegas.

However, Dorofeyev won it in overtime after Jack Eichel kept the puck alive in the offensive zone. Eichel passed it to Dorofeyev, who took a bounce off Dostal’s pads and put the puck into the net for a 3-2 Vegas win.

NHL.com reports that Dorofeyev now has a career-high seven goals this postseason, while Eichel picked up his 14th assist in the playoffs. According to the same report, Eichel leads the league with six assists on game-tying goals this postseason.

Carter Hart stopped 34 of 36 shots and finished with a .944 save percentage, which tells you Anaheim had enough chances to win this game.

Game 6 gets simpler

Anaheim now goes home for Game 6 at Honda Center on Thursday, May 14. Vegas holds a 3-2 lead in the series, and the Ducks no longer have room for soft periods, loose innings, or missed chances on the man advantage.

From the Ducks fan side, Game 5 was brutal because it was winnable. Seneca scored. Zellweger arrived late. Anaheim shot 36 shots at Hart. Still, Vegas got the last surge, the last finish, and the series lead.

In a game that had more ups and downs than a Vegas Cirque du Soleil show, the Vegas Golden Knights (3-2) defeated the Anaheim Ducks (2-3) in overtime to win Game 5 and take a 3-2 series lead. This game had everything, power play goals, big hits, an ejection, big saves, and a great performance from Pavel Dorofeyev, returning to the ice to score the OT winner, his second of the game, after leaving with a serious injury.

Both teams only lost a player in the nine-minute battle for the remainder of the game, but for very different reasons. Golden Knights defenseman Braden McNabb blocked Ryan Poehling well away from the puck and fouled him, fouling him from the game. After officials conducted a video review of the game, McNabb was assessed a five-minute penalty for interference and a game misconduct. Poehling, meanwhile, was clearly dazed and needed help leaving the ice. Anaheim, then went to work on a five-minute power play.

While the Golden Knights did an admirable job of eliminating the first three-plus minutes of the major, Anaheim ultimately capitalized on the extended man-advantage. Cutter Gauthier made a good play to stop the puck on the right wall by flipping his stick and keeping the toe of his stick perpendicular to the ice. He then collected the puck and flipped it over Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart. The shot hit Hart’s right pad and went into the crease. Unfortunately for Hart, Beckett Seneca (5), stood unopposed near the left post and pounced on the rebound, shoveling it through the five-hole of the Golden Knights netminder. The goal came at 12:36 of the first and was Seneca’s fourth consecutive game with a goal in the series.

A few minutes later, Mitch Marner drove in on a breakaway, but Anaheim netminder Lucas Dostal was able to poke-check the puck. However, on a breakaway, Marner was intercepted by Pavel Mintyukov and the Golden Knights went on what would be their only power play of the game. When Pavel Dorofeyev hit the ice, he was like a one-man demolition team, picking up Chris Kreider’s stick and stealing the puck, weaving out and down the crease, then firing a laser shot over Dostal’s blocker. It was Dorofeyev’s sixth goal of the postseason and second power-play goal in as many games.

With exactly 11 minutes left in the second, Dorofeyev would again be the center of attention, but for a different reason. As Anaheim defenseman Jackson LaCombe wound up taking a slap shot from the left point, Dorofeyev, who was no more than six feet away, stood right in front of the missile from LaCombe’s stick and took it off the inside of his right knee. He remained lying on the ice for several minutes, had to be helped off the ice and immediately went to the locker room. He would miss the rest of the second period, but returned for the third period, thanks to the Golden Knights.

While there was no scoring in the second period, it was not due to a lack of opportunities, especially for Anaheim. The Ducks outshot the Golden Knights 17–6 in the second period, including 10 consecutive shots, but Hart was sharp and missed all 17 attempts. Neither team got a power play in the second or third period, as the game tightened up and fights subsided after the whistle.

To start the third period, the Golden Knights came out with a shooter’s mentality and overcame a 26-17 shot deficit. This was evidenced by the Golden Knights taking three shots in the first 4:48 of the period, the third of which went in. It was good old-fashioned hard work that got the Golden Knights the go-ahead goal. Rasmus Andersson hit a puck on net from the right wall that bounced off Dostal and just outside the crease. Upon seeing the bounding puck, Tomas Hertl (2) dropped to his knees, pounced in desperation to bat at the rebound, and managed to beat Dostal at 4:48 of the third minute to give the Golden Knights a 2–1 lead. For Hertl, it was his second consecutive game with a goal after going 29 consecutive games without a point.

With time running out in regulation, the Ducks came out with their most effective innings of the game. The Ducks kept the Golden Knights in their own zone for long periods of time and were shooting the puck around. Finally, the Ducks completed a tic-tac-toe passing play that passed from Gauthier to Mason McTavish in the bottom of the right circle and to Olen Zellweger (1), who initially flubbed the McTavish pass, but after double clutching, hit a heavy shot off the crossbar and tied the game at two, allowing the score to remain tied at the end of regulation and making the game the 16th game of these playoffs beyond that. Will increase. regulation

Although there have been many games that have gone into overtime in these playoffs, this will not be one of them. Less than five minutes into the extra frame, and after two unsuccessful clearing attempts by Anaheim, the puck ended up on Jack Eichel’s stick in the bottom of the right circle. His centering pass attempt hit Dostal’s pads and deflected onto Dorofeyev’s stick in the bottom of the left circle. Dorofeyev (7) wasted no time trying to settle the bouncing puck, instead pouncing on it and sending it bar-and-down over Dostal’s right shoulder for the game-winner. The goal came at 4:10 of overtime and was his second goal of the night and seventh of the postseason.

The Golden Knights are hoping history repeats itself this season. The Golden Knights found themselves in a similar situation against the Utah Mammoth in the first round. Heading home for Game 5 with the series tied at 2-2. The Golden Knights won that game 5–4 in double overtime before ending the series with a 5–1 win at Utah in Game 6. Game 6 of this series takes place on Thursday in Anaheim and the Golden Knights will look to finish the second round like they did the first round.

notes

• Both the Golden Knights and Ducks were once again without their captains. Ducks captain Radko Gudas missed his eighth consecutive game with a lower body injury and Mark Stone also missed his second consecutive game with a lower body injury.
• When the best-of-seven series is tied 2–2, the winner of Game 5 wins it 79.6 percent of the time (242–62). If the home team wins Game 5, it advances 80.7 percent of the time (151–36).

figures

• Shots on goal gave Anaheim a 36–32 win.
• Vegas had the edge in the faceoff circle, 53.1% to 46.9%.
• Vegas was 1-1 on the power play, while Anaheim was 1-2.
• Vegas had a slight edge in hits, 29-26.
• Vegas stopped 18 shots, while Anaheim stopped eight.
• Vegas had four more giveaways than Anaheim, 17–13, while takeaways favored Anaheim, 8–5.

armory Currently heading towards the Premier League title Christian Nørgaard has been playing a first-team role for Mikel Arteta’s side this season.

The 32-year-old has made 19 appearances in all competitions in the current campaign. However, he has only managed 56 minutes in the Premier League.

His last league minutes for Arsenal came in March, with the midfielder being on and off the bench since then.

in March, Nørgaard also played for the Danish national team as they tried to qualify for the World Cup through the play-offs. Denmark won easily against North Macedonia before facing the Czech Republic in the final.

Unfortunately for the Arsenal player and his teammates, it was the Czechs who came out on top in the penalty shootout.

The World Cup left a trail of heartbreak

After the match, Christian Nørgaard indicated he was considering his international future.

Danish bold The Arsenal player was quoted as saying:

The Minnesota Wild are one loss away from ending their season. The Colorado Avalanche scored four times in the third period Monday night and left Grand Casino Arena with a 5-2 victory in Game 4 of the Western Conference Second Round series.

Parker Kelly scored with 7:28 remaining to snap a 2-2 tie. Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson added empty-net goals in the final minute to give the Avs a 3–1 lead in the best-of-7 series. They can advance to the Western Conference Finals with a win at Denver on Wednesday night.

Mackenzie Blackwood made his first start of the playoffs and made 19 saves for Colorado. He wasn’t seriously tested, but made some great saves on Nico Sturm early in the third period to keep the game tied at 1-1. Blackwood saw his first action in the series when he relieved Scott Wedgwood in the second half of Minnesota’s 5–1 victory in Game 3.

Nazem Kadri and Russ Colton also scored for Colorado, which has not reached the conference finals since 2022, when the Avs won their second Stanley Cup championship.

Wild couldn’t hold off Avs in third period, losing 5-2 in Game 4

Danila Yurov scored a power-play goal midway through the first period to give the Wild a 1–0 lead. Sturm tied the game at 2-2 at 9:15 of the third after Colton’s goal at 6:56 put Colorado ahead for the first time.

The Wild got a stellar effort from rookie goaltender Jesper Wallstad, who finished with 29 saves. The “Wall of St. Paul” gave his team a chance to win on a night when Minnesota was outshot 34–21, outgained 77–48 in attempts and outshot for most of the game.

“We made a conscious choice tonight not to play the style of play we needed to win the game,” Minnesota coach John Hines said. “So, we’ll revisit that and then we’ll get ready for Game 5.”

Minnesota leads 2–6 all-time after falling behind 3–1 in the series. Both of those comebacks took place in 2003; One came when they lost three of the first four games to the Avs before winning the next three games and the series.

Colorado dominated almost every aspect of the game in the first round – except the scoreboard, which matters.

The Avs had a 10–4 advantage in shots on goal and attempted 22 shots compared to only six for Minnesota. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Avs had all five high-danger attempts at 5-on-5.

But he also gave up the Wild’s only power play in the early period — and paid a price for it.

Avs defenseman Josh Manson, making his first appearance of the series, drew a double minor off Wild center Michael McCarron at 7:07. This happened when both of them were lying on the ice. The original call was five minutes long but was shortened after a lengthy video review. Macron made it clear from time to time that he was not happy.

“Josh is a dirty player,” he told ESPN after the opening period. “He’s always been there. Surprised he only survived four minutes (of penalties). I’m glad he’s still in the game.”

The Wild forced Colorado to pay an unnecessary penalty at 9:46. Faber fired a straight slap shot that Yurov deflected past Blackwood for his first career playoff goal and a 1–0 lead.

The Avalanche dominated the rest of the period, holding Minnesota without a shot on goal for the final 6:51. They kept the pressure on Wallstead, but Wild dominated despite taking a one-goal lead.

They were not so lucky in the second round. Colorado dominated the game for the first 12 minutes and the game was tied 1–1 at 6:08 after Minnesota took an unnecessary penalty.

The Wild eliminated Zach Bogosian’s interference penalty at 2:42. But Colorado tied the game at 6:08 — seven seconds after Yakov Trenin was called for getting his hands off the puck. Trenin gloved an aerial puck and held it for a long period of time.

Martin Necas controlled the puck after the draw and got Kadri into the high slot for a blast that was stopped by Volstad. But the rebound came back to Kadri in the slot; He knocked it into the net to tie the game.

Colorado dominated for the next few minutes. The Avs had a 10–0 lead in shots before Trenin tested Blackwood on the power play with the Wild at 12:21.

Wallstedt made a spectacular stop on close by Gabriel Landeskog with 6:02 left. But that was the Avs’ last shot of the period, as Minnesota took control of the game and had the final seven shots. Blackwood preserved the tie in the final minute by robbing Kirill Kaprizov, who was alone after beating the defence.

Colton scored his first goal of the playoffs on a beautiful backdoor feed from Nicolas Roy to put Colorado ahead for the first time in the game. But great play from Quinn Hughes set up the Sturm for the tying goal. Hughes picked up the puck along the left board, spun back to the high slot and delivered a perfect backhand pass to Sturm. The son of Boston Bruins coach Marco Sturm scored from below the left circle to make the score 2–2.

However, a takeaway from Colorado’s Jack Drury made it the game winner. Drury forced a turnover and found Kelly in high position for a quick release that Walstead had never seen.

Minnesota got only two shots on Blackwood before empty-netters by MacKinnon and Nelson.

COL-MIN Key points after Game 4

ruin wallstead

Minnesota’s rookie goaltender did everything except stand on his head to keep his team in the game, although in the end it wasn’t enough.

He was the only reason the Wild were even tied 1-1 in the third period. Colorado outscored Minnesota 20–4 in the first 32 minutes of the game, but could only score one goal. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Colorado forward robbed Colton shortly before the game was tied and gave them a chance to win despite giving up 39 scoring chances.

There were many reasons for Wild’s loss. Wallstead was not one of them.

Does Quinn Hughes ever get tired?

The Wild gave up a lot to get Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks in December and he’s showing why in this year’s playoffs. His assist on Sturm’s goal was his 14th, tying Kaprizov for second in the league behind Mitch Marner of the Vegas Golden Knights.

He is second in assists with 10 and third in plus-minus with a plus-9.

What is more impressive is that he is playing virtually every other innings. Hughes led all players on both teams in playing time with 34:13 on Wednesday after playing more than 28 minutes in each of the first three games. His average ice time of 30:59 is the most of any player on the eight teams that reached the second round.

Wild still struggle on penalty kill

Minnesota continued a streak that coach John Hynes is not happy with. His team allowed a power-play for the 10th consecutive game. This includes all six against the Dallas Stars in the first round, as well as all four games of this series.

Minnesota ranks last out of eight teams on the penalty kill and heads into the second round at 59.5 percent, allowing 15 goals on 37 opposition power plays. This includes Colorado’s performance of 5 of 12 in the first four games.

stat shots

The Wild were 4-0 when scoring first this spring.

Teams leading 3-1 in best-of-7 series are 328-32 (.911) all-time. Teams that start the series at home are 212–17 (.926).

The Avs are 14-2 when leading the series 3-1, including 10-2 when starting at home. He has won seven consecutive times.

Jon Krieger covered his first New York Rangers game (against the California Golden Seals) in November 1975 and it… More about Jon Krieger

new york liberty And Marine Johannes has made it back-to-back wins to start the season by defeating the Washington Mystics 98-93 in overtime on Sunday at CareFirst Arena.

Johannes continued his hot shooting, scoring a game-high 25 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 6-of-13 from three-point range. He also had two assists and two steals that night.

On his part, the Liberty veteran Breanna Stewart Added 23 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks in another all-around performance.

The pair also had stellar performances for the Liberty in their 106-75 opening win over the Connecticut Sun on Friday. Stewart had 31 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and three blocks, while Johannes added 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting from long range, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.

According to the Liberty, Marin Johannes became the third player in league history to make at least 10 three-pointers in her first two games of the season.

“She joins Nikki McCray (2000) as the only players in league history to start a season with consecutive games of 5+ three-pointers,” the post on X (formerly Twitter) said.

The 31-year-old French guard has stepped up in the absence of superstar Sabrina Ionescu, who is out for two weeks with a foot injury sustained in the preseason.

Johannes went undrafted in 2017 and linked up with different teams in Europe. He signed with the Liberty last season, making it his third stint with the team. He played a career-high 44 games, averaging 6.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 18.3 minutes off the bench.

Since his first foray into online journalism in 2019, Peter Okereke has written widely on entertainment, politics and pop… More about Peter Okereke

The NHL has announced two fines following Game 3 of the second-round series between the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres.

The first was Sabers forward Beck Malensteen, who ran down Habs goaltender Jacob Dobbs in the second period. Malenstein never attempted to stop, hitting Dobbs at full speed in what looked like a clear attempt to injure the rookie netminder.

Malensteen was fined $3,515.63, the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement.

Beck Malensteen ran him at full speed in an attempt to injure Jacob Dobbs.

No attempt to stop.
He got a 2-minute penalty. pic.twitter.com/OOXGECxjl0

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 11 May 2026

Game 3 saw a significant increase in goalie-related moves, with the Sabers attempting to disrupt Dobbs as often as possible.

The good news for the Canadiens is that Dobbs remained in the game, and was in good enough mood to chat up the Sabers bench after Juraj Slafkowski took advantage of the ensuing power play.

laugh out loud

Dobbs takes a little skate to thank the Buffalo bench after Slafkowski powerplay goal.

Classic. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/fjOyWZMyWn

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 11 May 2026

Xhekaj fined

The second penalty was awarded to Habs defenseman Arbor Zekaj, who decided it was a good idea to throw a pair of gloved punches at the end of the game, and felled Sabers forward Sam Carrick at the final whistle.

It was an ugly play, and although some may justify the action by pointing to several poor plays made by the Sabers early in the game, there really is no place for that in a hockey game.

Czekaj has been particularly efficient in the playoffs, producing excellent numbers on the third pairing, meaning the Canadiens are lucky not to have to lose him due to suspension, but they must be careful not to let emotions boil over moving forward. He performs at his best when he walks the line, not when he goes past it.

Arbor Zekaj has been fined $3,385.42 for abusing Sam Carrick. pic.twitter.com/JPNvfzw3IQ

– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) 11 May 2026

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

During the first three games of their second round series, the power play was actively hurting the Anaheim Ducks.

But everything changed on Sunday night.

The Ducks scored a pair of power-play goals, their first in the series, and won 4–3 over the Vegas Golden Knights at the Honda Center.

Alex Killorn and Bennett Seneca each scored with a man advantage, and Ian Moore and Mikael Granlund also lit the lamp. Goalie Lucas Dostal returned after being pulled in Game 3, making 18 saves and helping Anaheim even the best-of-7 series at 2 games to one.

Game 5 returns to Vegas on Tuesday at 6:30 pm PT

Ducks power play came up huge in Game 4

The Ducks’ power play hit rock bottom in Game 3. Anaheim was 0 of 11 with the man advantage in three games and allowed a back-breaking short-handed goal to Brayden McNabb in Game 3.

But their man-advantage rose from the ashes in the all-important Game 4.

Seneca opened the scoring with a man-advantage goal in the first period, then Killorn broke a 2-all tie and put Anaheim ahead on the power play at 17:58 of the second period.

“Once you score one, it changes the confidence on the power play,” Killorn said. “To see someone step up for us, it was kind of a momentum booster.

“Huge for us. He’s got a great PK.”

Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville talked about Anaheim needing to get the puck to the net more, as it only had two shots on two power plays in the first period. That Sunday the Ducks did just that and got a reward.

“I think sometimes you can move the puck around too much and you’re looking for the right opportunity on the power play,” Killorn said. “I think for us, it’s about getting more chances on net and more shots.”

Seneca’s blast from the point somehow went under the pads of Vegas goalie Carter Hart. Killorn then received a pass from Seneca and executed a give-and-go with Cutter Gauthier, who had three assists, before beating Hart on a stoppable shot on the power-play tally.

“I think the first three games I wasn’t getting enough shots,” Gauthier said. “Fortunately, people were able to bury one. I made a few passes.”

Anaheim’s depth also increased in Game 4

The Ducks became more physical in Game 4 with the Golden Knights. But they also got contributions from key role players.

The Ducks’ fourth line was on the ice for Granlund’s goal, with wing Jeffrey Viel getting the only assist. Moore, who had played well in Games 2 and 3 and played only 8:27 minutes in Game 4, then buried the game-winning goal, with teammate Olen Zellweger getting a secondary assist in his first Stanley Cup playoff game.

“I thought they both did a great job,” Quenneville said of Zellweger and Moore. “He may not have had a lot of minutes, but also the quality of his shifts was important. He defied us to a certain extent. He gave us a little bit of everything.”

Killorn reported that Moore has been playing both forward and defense, and has been playing throughout the season. But Quenneville put him back on the blue line with Zellweger to replace Drew Helson and Tyson Hinds, who were Game 4 scratches.

“That’s the kind of mentality you have to have in the playoffs. It’s next up,” Killorn said. “I think these guys have done a great job of putting themselves in a position where they’re ready to come in and not only play but make an impact on the game.”

Game 5 is the biggest Ducks game in nine years

The Ducks and Golden Knights have alternated wins and losses in the first four games, and Anaheim’s win assures a return to Honda Center for Game 6 on Thursday.

To the outside world, the fact that the Ducks are still tied after four games will be surprising, as they are ahead of schedule. But Anaheim deserves to stay where it is, even though it hasn’t played a game of this outcome since Game 5 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals against the Nashville Predators.

The Anaheim roster did not have a single player playing in that series, and Quenneville was the coach of the Chicago Blackhawks that year.

Still, the panic and anger will only escalate from here. buckle up.

Pat Pickens is an award-winning sports writer and author who has covered the NHL since 2013. He reveals more about Pat Pickens.

What was at stake for the Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 in Anaheim on Sunday night? Teams that take a 3–1 lead in a best-of-seven series win the series 90 percent of the time (247 out of 275). Additionally, if a Game 4 win comes en route to taking a 3–1 series lead, that team wins 92 percent (151 of 165) of the series. Given these percentages, the pressure was on the Anaheim Ducks (2-2), who rose to the occasion and scored two power play goals en route to a 4-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights (2-2).

Both teams were without captains. Anaheim was missing Radko Gudas for the seventh consecutive game, while the Golden Knights were without captain Mark Stone due to an undisclosed injury. Stone played only 4:24 minutes in Game 3 before being sidelined with a non-contact injury. Without Stone in the lineup this season, the Golden Knights were 8–9–5 and a winning percentage of .519, while with him they were 31–17–12 and a winning percentage of .593.

The scoring began when Anaheim finally figured out the Vegas penalty kill and got the first goal of the game via the power play. The Anaheim power play was 0-11 before Game 4, but that changed at 8:43 of the first when Beckett Seneke (4) blasted a slap shot through Carter Hart’s five-hole from the top of the right circle to give Anaheim a 1-0 lead. It was Seneca’s third consecutive game with a goal in the series. Not only was the Golden Knights’ penalty kill perfect in the series before Seneke’s goal, it had killed 21 consecutive penalties and 26 of 27.

Just 1:40 into Seneke’s goal, the Golden Knights got a power play goal of their own, tying the game at one point. Jack Eichel took a slap shot from the top of the left circle that bounced off the glove of Anaheim netminder Lucas Dostal. Before Dostal could get the rebound, Pavel Dorofeyev (5) beat Anaheim forward Mikael Granlund on net, attacked the puck and put it into the net for Vegas’ third power play goal of the series in ten chances.

While Granlund could not tie Dorofeyev on the tying goal, after only 5:05, he atoned for his sins by scoring a goal on an awkward bounce. Granlund (4) fired a wrist shot from inside the left circle that hit the stick of Golden Knights forward Cole Smith, causing the stick to slip out of his hand. The deflection of Smith’s stick changed the trajectory of the puck, bouncing off the ice just past Hart and then through his tool to give Anaheim a 2–1 lead.

Vegas is known for its many high-profile magic shows, with William Carlson performing magic tricks such as Shin Lim delivering a pass to Brett Howden for a goal. Karlsson was the first to forecheck and got the puck on his stick under the goal line. As he was enduring a big hit from Jacob Trouba, he somehow delivered a backhand pass from an extremely tight area to Howden (7), who beat his man in front of the net and Karlsson was able to chip the pass over Dostal to tie the game at two. The goal came at 4:04 and Howden tied Minnesota’s Matt Boldy for most postseason goals. Mitch Marner picked up a secondary assist, moving him ahead of Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov for most points in the postseason with 15 points. Marner finished the night with three points, giving him seven points in his last two games.

Anaheim got its third power play opportunity of the game at the end of the second frame and solved the Vegas penalty kill for the second time in the game. After Seneca entered a beautiful area and did some perimeter passing, Alex Killorn (4) collected a loose puck in the bottom of the right circle, drove hard toward the net, and then fired a wrist shot that went under Hart’s left hand and in at 17:58 of the second.

After trailing by a goal to start the third, the Golden Knights started the frame on a power play due to Seneca taking a cross-checking call at the 20-minute mark of the second period. However, Anaheim was able to kill a penalty and then maintain that momentum to take a two-goal lead shortly thereafter. At the 3:43 mark of the third, Anaheim defenseman Ian Moore (1) took a slap shot from the left point with a puck that was near the rim. The shot deflected off the back of the net and deflected off Hart’s blocker, giving Anaheim a 4-2 lead. It was the first career playoff goal for the 24-year-old Moore, who was a healthy scratch for Anaheim in Games 2 and 3.

With Hart pulled for the extra attacker, Tomas Hertl (1) got on the board at 18:56 of the third minute to make things interesting, scoring his first goal in 29 games, on March 4, but it proved to be too little, too late, as the Golden Knights iced the puck with 10 seconds remaining, dashing any hopes of tying the game.

Three-to-two odds for blackjack in a Vegas casino are the best you can get. Likewise, whichever team wins Game 5 on Tuesday will take a three-to-two series lead and that team will certainly like its chances of going to the Western Conference Finals.

notes

• Anaheim’s win after leading by multiple goals was the Ducks’ 24th consecutive win in playoff history.
• With Mark Stone in the lineup, the Golden Knights are averaging 3.32 goals per game. His average without Stone in the lineup is 2.96. Similarly, the power play percentage is 22.6% with Stone in the lineup, but only 17.0% with Stone out.

statistics

• Shots on goal gave Anaheim a 23–21 victory.
• Faceoff win percentages were 52.9 percent for Vegas and 47.1 percent for Anaheim.
• Vegas was 1-3 on the power play, while Anaheim was 2-4.
• The Hits defeated Anaheim 34–27.
• Vegas had a 14-13 edge in blocked shots.
• Vegas had four more giveaways than Anaheim, 14 versus 10.
• Vegas won the takeaway battle 7-5.

It’s starting to look like a lost season for Addison Barger. The Toronto Blue Jays’ breakout slugger from 2025 has had a disastrous 2026 so far. And the latest report from the Rogers Center looks like it could get much worse.

Barger had a rough start, with a .045 batting average (1 for 19) and a .305 OPS in 28 plate appearances. He missed 25 games due to injuries to both ankles, including a severe left ankle sprain. Then, after his long-awaited return on Saturday, he woke up with “right elbow soreness” on Sunday. He has now left for MRI.

Barger was inserted into Sunday’s lineup as the leadoff hitter. But just hours before the game he was pulled due to an elbow problem. Imaging is expected to provide some answers on Monday.

Barger forced a runner out at the plate on Saturday with a 101.2 mph throw.

One has to suspect that the laser beam throw he made — at more than 101 mph — to catch Jorge Soler at the plate in Saturday’s game had something to do with Sunday’s ominous development.

The Montreal Canadiens (5-4) will face the Buffalo Sabers (5-3) in Game 3 of their second-round series on Sunday, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

The Habs lost the first game of the series, but the scoreline was in favor of the Sabres, who were defeated by Martin Saint-Louis’ team by a wide margin.

The numbers show that Montreal will be in a great position to bounce back in Game 2, and although the underlying statistics don’t always reveal the future, in this case, it was an accurate prediction.

Fueled by an impressive two-goal effort from Newfoundlander Alex Newhook, the Canadiens began Game 2 with an intensity that had been absent for most of the opening round all year. It took them about a minute to take the lead and never looked back, emerging from Buffalo with a 5–1 win and a tied series.

Simply put, momentum is now firmly in the Canadiens’ corner, especially now that the series has reached Montreal, where the Bell Center faithful serve as the ultimate motivator.

And given the first line’s play, they’ll need it.

Nick Suzuki continues to produce as per tradition, but the offense from the team’s other top forwards, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkowski, has slowed. Caufield has not recorded a point since April 26 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, while Slafkowski has offered only one assist since his playoff-opening hat trick on April 19.

This would normally be a recipe for disaster, but Montreal’s depth has done a borderline miraculous job of providing aggression when the team needs it most.

Whether it’s Newhook, Kirby Dach, Alexandre Texier, Zachary Bolduc, or Josh Anderson, there always seems to be a player ready to carry the torch while the first line attempts to find its rhythm.

Of course, this is not a sustainable situation, but if Caufield and Slafkowski return to their scoring ways, having primary, secondary and tertiary scoring available will be a game changer for the Canadiens.

Possible Lineup Changes

St. Louis doesn’t like to change its lineup after wins, so we can assume the lines and defensive pairings will remain intact.

If the team announces any changes, we will update the article with accurate information.

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Cole Coffield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkowski

Alex Newhook – Jake Evans – Ivan Demidov

Alexandre Texier – Philippe Danault – Josh Anderson

Zachary Bolduc – Kirby Dach – Joe Veleno

Mike Matheson – Alexandre Carrier

Caden Guhle – Lane Hutson

Arbor Zekaj – Noah Dobson

jacob dobbs

jacob fowler

Buffalo Sabers Projected Lineup

Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch

Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn

Zach Benson – Josh Norris – Josh Doan

Jordan Greenway – Tyson Kozak – Beck Malensteen

Rasmus Dahlin – Mattias Samuelsson

Bowen Byram – Owen Power

Logan Stanley – Connor Timmins

Alex Lyon

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

How to watch Hubs Vs. saber

Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres, Sunday, May 10, 2026, will be broadcast on CBC, Sportsnet and TVA Sports. A quick recap with highlights will be available on SportsNote once the final whistle blows.

Additional NHL Playoff Analysis

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

A return to Grand Casino Arena, a three-day break and big nights from key players were all the Minnesota Wild needed to bounce back in their Western Conference Second Round series against the Colorado Avalanche.

Kirill Kaprizov and Brock Faber each had a goal and two assists, while Quinn Hughes added a goal and an assist to lead the Wild to a 5-1 win over the Avalanche on Saturday night in Game 3 of their best-of-7 series. Minnesota bounced back with a solid defensive effort after giving up 14 goals after losing the first two games in Denver. The Wild won a second-round game at home for the first time since May 9, 2014. They handed Colorado its first loss in seven games this postseason and evened the series with a win on Monday night.

Wild coach John Hynes went back to rookie goaltender Jesper Wallstad, who was replaced by Filip Gustavsson for Game 2 after allowing eight goals in a 9–6 series-opening loss. He justified Hines’ decision by making 34 saves, allowing only Nathan MacKinnon’s second-period power-play goal. Walstead played as he did in Minnesota’s first-round series win against the Dallas Stars and gave Minnesota a solid night between the pipes.

He also got a lot of help. In addition to Kaprizov, Faber and Hughes, Ryan Hartman and Matt Boldy scored for the Wild, with Matt Zuccarello adding two assists.

Neither team made any continuous attack for the first 15 minutes. Colorado’s Parker Kelly had the best chance around 11 minutes, but his backhander was denied at the right post by Volstad.

However, things opened up after roughing penalties to Kelly and Hartman at 14:54 and each team left with one man skating.

Kaprizov took advantage of open space to put the Wild ahead 1-0 at 15:11. He took a pass from Faber and raced to the middle of the Colorado zone, knocked Wedgewood to the ice and lifted the puck over himself.

Hughes, who had the second assist on Kaprizov’s goal, made it 2–0 with a 4-on-3 power-play goal at 16:44. With Devon Toews hooking up, Hughes controlled a pass at the left point, made his way to the high slot and fired. Wedgwood had lost his stick, was screened by Kaprizov and was helpless as the shot passed him.

Hughes was called for an unnecessary cross-checking penalty at 17:42. But the Wild kicked the penalty without any trouble and ended the period with their first two-goal lead of the series.

Minnesota’s power play came again at 4:23 of the second period and the score became 3–0. Zuccarello’s shot hit Toes on its way to the net; Hartman got a piece of the airborne puck and put it in the net.

That was the end of the night for Wedgwood, who came into the game 6-0 with a 2.12 goals-against average and .923 save percentage. Mackenzie Blackwood, who had not played at all in Colorado’s first seven games, replaced him.

MacKinnon got the Avs on the board at 13:11. Wallstedt made a save after Gabriel Landeskog took the puck to the net, but Wild defenseman Damon Hunt caught him and both men fouled Wallstedt. This caused the puck to sit just outside the crease; MacKinnon scored his 60th career playoff goal.

But before Wild fans had a chance to worry, Faber restored Minnesota’s three-goal lead at 13:31. During a delayed penalty, Blackwood blocked Vladimir Tarasenko’s shot near the left face-off dot. But the rebound hit him, bounced off Faber and slid past the goal line for a 4–1 lead.

Wallstadt stopped all 13 shots he faced in the third period. Boldy’s 155-foot empty netter with four seconds remaining sealed the victory.

Highlights from Minnesota’s 5-1 win over Colorado in Game 3

Big night for Kaprizov

“Kirill the Thrill” lived up to his nickname in Game 3.

The NHL’s soon-to-be highest-paid player was named the game’s first star on a night when he was seemingly everywhere. His compete level was off the charts, he went to the corners, got to the front of the net to screen Wedgwood on Hughes’ goal, blocked two shots and finished plus-3.

“He was going tonight,” Faber told TNT’s postgame show. “When he’s moving his hips, that’s when he’s playing fast. He’s one of the best players in the league and one of the hardest workers. He was at his best tonight.”

Volstad reclaimed the net

When you’re down 2-0 in a series against the reigning NHL regular season champion, your goaltender needs to step up. That’s exactly what Volstad did in Game 3, denied by the Avs’ flurry of goals in Game 1 and benching in a 5-2 loss in Game 2.

Kelly being saved for the first time might have been the biggest highlight of the night. The game was scoreless when Volstad blocked his wide-open backhander and managed to keep the rebound out of the net. Instead, Wild were not playing from the back; After less than six minutes they were leading 2–0.

Barring injury, it’s hard to imagine Hines changing goaltenders again.

Wild power play finally pays off

Minnesota was 0-for-5 with an extra man in two losses in Denver and 1-for-15 in its last five games before cashing in twice on Saturday.

The Wild cannot afford non-productive power plays when they are facing the NHL’s top regular season team. Even with two PPG in Game 3, Minnesota is just 5 of 33 (15.1 percent) with the extra man. But the advantage the Wild gained by converting their first two chances was clear. By turning a 1–0 lead into a three-goal lead, Minnesota forced Colorado to chase the game – something that had not happened this postseason.

stat shots

Kaprizov’s three-point night gave him 14 points, the most of all NHL players so far this postseason. Hughes is tied for second with Mitch Marner of the Vegas Golden Knights with 13 points.

Kaprizov extended his individual point streak against Colorado to 16 games (regular season and playoffs).

Faber (plus-12) and Kaprizov (plus-11) are 1-2 in plus-minus in the league through Saturday.

Zuccarello has nine points (three goals, six assists) in six games this postseason. He missed three times due to injuries but has at least one point in every game he has played.

Jon Krieger covered his first New York Rangers game (against the California Golden Seals) in November 1975 and it… More about Jon Krieger

The Carolina Hurricanes had a full plate as they prepared for a tough game against a Philadelphia Flyers team with their backs against the wall and a chance to stamp their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, one player had something else in mind and needed an incredibly important position.

Shawn Walker, the Hurricanes’ second-pairing defenseman, was far from Philadelphia on the morning of Game 4. Instead, he was in the air on his way back to Raleigh.

His wife, Taylor, was expecting. And it so happened that their first child was about to arrive soon.

“She called me at 1:00 at night – I was still awake and she said her water had broken,” Walker told the media after the game. “So, I immediately called ‘Brownie’, and thankfully there was a 6:00 a.m. flight.”

‘Brownie’, or rather, Michael Brown, is the Hurricanes Manager of Team Services: the man behind the team’s travel and logistics. Walker arrived in time for his daughter’s birth, with the undercarriage touching down back in Philadelphia at 2:00 p.m. Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon chartered a private jet so he would not miss the game.

“It was like one of the easiest and hardest games I’ve ever played, if that makes any sense.” Walker said. “You know, you just live in the moment – ​​going without sleep, I ate my pregame meal in the hospital cafeteria.

“Yeah, it’s absolutely crazy. But, you just show up, and the people were amazing. Everyone, from Team Services, the owner, the whole organization really made it possible for me to be there and get back on time.”

In Game 4, Walker had the second-most minutes among Hurricane skaters, with 23:13 of ice time, and he was first for the Hurricanes in hits, with three. He also recorded two shots on net and one takeaway.

Of course, being able to wrap up the series sooner was a joy that he expressed his gratitude for as he looked forward to reuniting with his family.

“I didn’t want to go up to the boys and tell them we better win tonight,” he said, laughing. “I really appreciate everyone — and this is huge for everyone, but spending this time with my family is going to be really special.”

Congratulations to both Shawn and Taylor!

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

Joel Embiid doesn’t want any blame for the Philadelphia 76ers’ failures in their semifinal series against the New York Knicks. And after their defeat in Game 3, they took the path of conspiracy to escape from it.

Friday was a must-win scenario for Embiid and the 76ers. They entered last night’s Game 3 up 2-0, having lost a lot of confidence after the Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics in the quarterfinals. With the return of the seven-time All-Star after missing Game 2 and some home support, Philly was in a better position to get its first W of the series.

However, after a strong first quarter and an early lead, the Knicks took control of the game in the second quarter and never relinquished it the rest of the night. While there are many who could take the blame for going 3-0, Embiid doesn’t want to take any of it.

After Game 1, he tried to put responsibility on the referees and accused the Knicks of dirty play. Unsurprisingly, he is also blaming the referees for the Game 3 failure. Yet, he has now gone beyond claiming poor performance by officials and is taking the path of conspiracy.

Joel Embiid: ‘I think it’s good when New York wins’

Embiid said when asked about officiating after Game 3, “They shot 32 free throws, we had 16. We’re not a team that shoots a lot of threes. We attack, put the ball on the floor. I don’t know.” “I think it’s good when New York wins, so we’ve got to have a mentality of not fouling. Being smart enough to not put ourselves in a position where they can take advantage of it.”

Of course, it must be the case that the league just wants the Knicks to advance and reach the NBA Finals. It can’t be that he was 3-11 in 14 minutes and .24 when he was on the floor in Game 1. Or that he missed Game 2 because of his lame body. Or that he let Tyrese Maxey take the lead in Game 3 instead of taking 17 shots and being -9 when he clearly wasn’t hot.

Making matters worse is Embiid’s avoidance of blame for the 76ers’ 3-0 series loss, becoming a viral sensation for his flop-a-thon in Game 3 on Saturday. The one-time NBA MVP is already an elite player. Taking responsibility for losses and being a leader makes him one of the least-liked stars in the NBA.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

If you didn’t get it or didn’t believe it at first, the San Antonio Spurs’ Game 3 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves confirmed that Victor Wembanyama is the scariest player in the NBA, and the rest of the Western Conference players should be terrified.

Beyond his 7 foot 4 inches height – which can actually be misleading – Vembanyama is not a scary looking athlete, as he weighs only 234 pounds on his massive body. For old-school fans, he physically reminds them of frustrating, weak big men like Manute Bol and Shawn Bradley. Yet, through his first three seasons, he continues to prove that he is the league’s real unicorn, not Kristaps Porzingis.

Over the course of the season, he emerged as a top-10 talent and a legitimate MVP candidate, leading his 62-win Spurs team in scoring (25.0), rebounds (11.5), and blocks (3.1) in just 29 minutes per night. Although he did not win MVP, he earned Defensive Player of the Year honors and tied the game during the regular season. Still, the talented 22-year-old hasn’t progressed to new levels as if the NBA is his own personal video game.

Victor Wembanyama becomes the NBA’s scariest star during the 2026 playoffs

In case you haven’t noticed, Wembanyama has put himself in some elite company during this year’s playoffs. But especially in the Spurs’ ongoing series against the Timberwolves, he has been absolutely terrible. In Game 1, he made NBA history by becoming the first player to post 12 blocks in a playoff game. However, they were on the wrong end of a 104–102 loss at home. This obviously enraged the French.

In Game 2, he scored 19 points and posted 15 boards in a dominant 133–95 victory. Still, it was just an appetite for what he’ll do Friday night in Game 3. In the Spurs’ 115–108 win, the teen barely had 39 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks. But these aren’t the best numbers as he somehow shot an absurd 72.2% from the field while hoisting five three-pointers.

On Friday, he became the first player since LeBron James in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals to have 35 or more points, 15 boards and shoot at least 70% in a playoff game. He is now the fourth player in NBA history to have 35 or more points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks in a playoff game. The basketball icon is joining Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Vembanyama is not just a talented scorer in the NBA. There’s a bunch of them in the league. But because he’s 7-foot-4, when he’s on, he can’t be guarded. However, although he can be a complete problem on offense, he is the best defensive player in the game at the moment. Sending fear into any man who dares to drive in the lane. That’s why, at just 22 years old, the French phenom is officially the NBA’s scariest player.

What’s worse for the league’s teams is that they are loving every minute of it. “I’ve really been looking forward to living those moments, those high-stakes games, since I’ve been in the league. That’s what I love. That’s what I’m made for. I love it more than anything else,” he said Friday night.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

While it seems like the entire basketball world knows that Tyrese Maxey is the best player on the Philadelphia 76ers, Nick Nurse clearly doesn’t, and his decision to let his veteran lead in Game 3 vs. the New York Knicks may cost him his job next week.

On Friday night, the 76ers were in position to win. They lost 2-0 in their semifinal series against the Knicks and had to deal with an atmosphere at Xfinity Mobile Arena that seemed to have just as many, if not more, New York fans. Still, Nurse had the horses to pull out a win and escape a 3-0 hole, especially with Joel Embiid back on the field.

There’s no doubt the 76ers are in a better position with Embiid on the floor. The seven-time All-Star commands respect on both sides of the court, even in this diminished version. However, the 2025-26 season confirmed an undeniable fact: Maxi is and should always be the No. 1 option on offense. Yet somehow the Sixers head coach hasn’t gotten the memo.

Where was Tyrese Maxey Friday night?

In addition to being the fifth-highest per-game scorer in the NBA this season, Nurse had enough evidence to focus on Maxey in Game 3, especially against the Knicks. The two teams split their four games during the regular season, and Games 1 and 2 of this series were very different.

With Embiid being the focal point in the opener, he got blown out for 40 points. With Embiid sidelined and Maxey moving on, Game 2 was close the entire time, and over-utilization of its starters was likely the difference between victory and defeat on Wednesday. As good a defense as the Knicks have, Maxi gives them the same problems he does the rest of the NBA. He is a wonderful blend of lightning speed and cunning.

This is Tyrese Maxey’s team now. Still, in the most important game of the 2025-26 season, Nurse wanted his 76ers to play like they did in 2022-23.

On Friday night, the two-time All-Star led not only the 76ers, but all players with 44 in Game 3. Yet, in the most bizarre statistic of the night, he took the fourth-most shots on his team. Paul George looked like he was 36 as he led the team with 18 shots, Embiid had 17 and Kelly Oubre — who averaged just 10 a game during the season — tallied 16 on Friday. Maxi had 12 shots in Game 3.

Nick Nurse loses his 76ers job in Game 3 vs. Knicks

Furthermore, it was clear that neither George nor Embiid were on a heater at halftime, as they were both outscored by Oubre on Friday as he led the 76ers with 22 points in a 108-94 loss to the Knicks in Game 3.

It’s baffling that as soon as the Knicks took control of the game in the second quarter, Nurse did not pull his team to the bench and demand an offensive run through Maxi, their best player and scorer.

Maxi can certainly take some blame for not asserting himself and demanding the ball. But he’s still only 25, and it’s no surprise he’d take on a pair of NBA greats in a big game. This is where Nurse must show the courage and leadership to engage his veterans in this instance to do what is best for the team.

Nurse was already feeling some heat in his third season as head coach of the 76ers. However, his coaching in Game 3 proves that – barring a history-breaking comeback to win this series – he is not the guy to take this team to the next level and will be out as head coach next week.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

The Carolina Hurricanes are just one win away from closing out the second round against the Philadelphia Flyers as they aim to accomplish that Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The game is scheduled for 6:00 pm EDT.

In Game 3 on Thursday night, the Hurricanes took a commanding 3-0 lead in the series with a 4-1 victory in the first tilt over the Flyers in their own barn. Like most games in the series, it was filled with penalties, including a two-minute minor boarding penalty against Taylor Hall (which was reviewed for a major penalty), several roughing penalties across teams, and a 10-minute foul on the Flyers’ top line winger, Travis Konecny.

A rarity, the Hurricanes had the edge on power-play chances. His special teams were effective, with only one of his four field goals coming at five-on-five.

You can read all about Game 3 here!

in the crease

With Frederik Andersen and Dan Vladar both performing well so far in the postseason, there is no reason to expect a change in net at this point.

Projected Carolina Hurricane Lines

Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis

Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake

Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook

William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson

protect

Jacob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield

K’Andre Miller – Shawn Walker

Shayne Gostisbehere – Alexander Nikishin

goaltender

Frederick Anderson / Brandon Bussey

Projected Philadelphia Flyers Lines

Tyson Foster – Christian Dvorak – Travis Konecny

Alex Bump – Trevor Zegras – Porter Martone

Carl Grundstrom – Denver Barkey – Matvey Mitchkov

Luke Glendening – Shawn Couturier – Garnet Hathaway

protect

Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York – Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seiler – Noah Julson

goaltender

Dan Vladar/Samuel Ersson

special teams

Carolina Hurricanes power play: 14.7% (10th, up two spots from last game)
Carolina Hurricanes Penalty Kill: 94.6% (3rd)

Philadelphia Flyers Power Play: 9.1% (14th, down one spot from last game)
Philadelphia Flyers Penalty Kill: 84.2% (9th, down one spot from last game)

storm game notes

Entering Game 4 against a beleaguered Flyers team, the general expectation is that the intensity will be at its highest in this series. As such, there is a possibility that Nicolas Deslauriers could be added to the lineup for additional patience. If so, it will mark the first time in his 13-season career that he has faced a former team in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

On Thursday, Jordan Staal’s two points moved him ahead of the Hurricanes’ franchise record list, putting him in sole ownership of the fifth-most playoff points in franchise history, surpassing his brother Eric Staal, who he was tied with.

The Hurricanes’ top line of Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis currently holds a very unique and ironic all-time playoff goals record. Aho currently has 37 goals (which is Svechnikov’s sweater number), while Svechnikov has 24 (which is Jarvis’ sweater number), and Jarvis has 20 (which is Aho’s sweater number).

Frederik Andersen is the first goaltender since Hockey Hall of Famer Jacques Plante in 1969 to start his first seven games of the postseason, going 7-0, while posting a goals-against average of 1.02 and a .957 save percentage or better.

Although the remainder of the postseason will only be available to watch via national broadcasts, local play-by-play announcer Mike Maniscalco and analyst Trip Tracy will continue to call games on the Hurricanes’ radio partner. 99.9 fan.

how to see

TV: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max
Radio: 99.9 The Fan

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

It took just 66 seconds for the Anaheim Ducks’ good vibes to end in Game 3 against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights won 6-2 on their first shot of the game Friday at Honda Center on the strength of Mitch Marner’s first career Stanley Cup playoff hat trick.

Former Ducks defenseman Shea Theodore had a goal and an assist, and Brayden McNabb scored a key short-handed goal in the first period. Lucas Dostal allowed three goals on eight shots and was pulled for Ville Husso for the second time in these playoffs.

Husso made 17 saves and Bennett Seneca and Chris Kreider each had a goal for Anaheim. Vegas leads the best-of-7 series, and Game 4 takes place on Sunday at Honda Center at 6:30 pm PT.

Ducks power play fails again

The Ducks’ inability to solve the Golden Knights’ offensive penalty kill was a big story entering the game on Friday. But in Game 3, Anaheim’s man-advantage was an active handicap.

The Ducks again went 0-for on two power-play attempts – extending their drought in the Vegas series to 11. But McNabb’s short-handed goal, which came on a nice drop pass from Marner at 12:13 of the first period, was a back-breaker that put the Golden Knights up 2–0.

“I think we’ve got to go with a weird goal there,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said. “I think we have to establish more shots, not just the right shot or the right way to pass it into the back of the net.”

Anaheim’s power play was an X-factor in a six-game series win over the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. Their first power play featured a solid setup and some extended zone time, but neither unit could beat Vegas goalie Carter Hart, who made 31 saves.

“We found something good there,” Quenneville said. “I think we have to be smooth on second and third chances based on good looks and pay that price.”

But the Ducks’ power play is becoming a momentum killer in this series, as in addition to the goal allowed, Anaheim had several squirting Vegas was shorthanded on the power play Friday.

Vegas’ strong start leaves Anaheim in trouble

The Ducks have found a way to rally all postseason. But it is difficult to get off the mat again and again.

Theodore struck out just 1:06 into the game, fielding a clean, cross-slot pass from Jack Eichel and beating Dostal on the Golden Knights’ first shot.

The Ducks were resilient, again scoring a pair of penalties in the first 10 minutes of the game. McNabb’s shorty deepened the hole, and Marner’s goal, which came with 4.6 seconds left in the first period, sent Vegas to the dressing room with a 3–0 lead.

“I didn’t mind our start until they scored a goal and we lost momentum there,” Quenneville said. “Getting that third at the end of the period was definitely a killer. That was basically the game.”

Quenneville, a coach for more than two decades with three Stanley Cup rings, saw Vegas take their game to a new level in Game 3 and he understands it’s time for his team to do the same.

“We have games like this, and we have to make sure we respond in the right way, which is [this is] Unacceptable,” Quenneville said. “I think we should take a lesson from today’s game. It will become more difficult with each game. “It’s not going to be easy, so let’s be ready to go to war.”

A goalkeeper controversy?

Dostal was pulled in the first period of Game 5 against the Oilers, seemingly as a message sent to the Ducks and a way to get them a break in a game that had gotten out of hand.

But pulling Dostal in Game 3 on Friday suddenly felt like a message to the embattled goaltender, especially after he gave up two goals on the first three shots he faced. His save percentage has dropped to .867, and Dostal has given up at least three goals in six of his 10 contests.

Even if you gave him the pass for Theodore’s opening goal, Dostal had to stop McNabb’s innocuous-looking shot that turned out to be a disastrous short-handed goal. He also missed Marner’s initial attempt, giving the wing a chance to score on the rebound.

When Quenneville was asked if he had pulled Dostal to send a message to the team or the goaltender, he said briefly, “Both.”

Husso, who played 20 games for the Ducks during the regular season, held Marner to two goals on 19 shots faced. Husso has a 2.12 goals-against average and .900 save% in his two starts, but he played in seven games for the St. Louis Blues in the 2022 playoffs.

Going down 3-1 to Vegas, which is both seasoned and experienced, would effectively be a death sentence. So the most likely outcome will be that Dostal will start with Husso waiting to enter if the Ducks goalie fumbles again.

Not surprisingly, Quenneville wouldn’t confirm his plans for Sunday’s all-important Game 4.

When Quenneville was asked who would play goal, he said, “We’ll see.”

Pat Pickens is an award-winning sports writer and author who has covered the NHL since 2013. He reveals more about Pat Pickens.

The Montreal Canadiens (4-4) will face the Buffalo Sabers (5-2) in Game 2 of their second-round series on Friday, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

The Habs dropped Game 1, although the 4–2 scoreline was slightly favorable to the host Sabres, a team that had scored four goals on its first nine shots. That doesn’t mean they didn’t deserve to win the game, but there were some key factors that suggest Montreal might have better luck in Game 2.

The first line, in particular, had an encouraging game, which is important, as Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkowski have had a very hard time making an impact at 5v5. And as we all know, a team without a functional first line is barely a team, especially in the playoffs.

With that in mind, we shouldn’t overlook Suzuki’s impact, as he currently leads the Canadiens with seven points in eight games.

Buffalo Sabers captain Rasmus Dahlin on Habs captain Nick Suzuki:

“I think he’s got the whole package. He can score, he’s foul foul and he can play defense. He’s just a legitimate first line center in this league, so he really definitely deserves that (Selke) nomination.” pic.twitter.com/59feGVCZzC

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 8 May 2026

Montreal also received significant and regular offensive contributions from its depth players, which was a recurring theme in April and May. This certainly wasn’t the case for most of the regular season, but fans certainly won’t be looking a gift horse in the mouth at this point in the schedule.

Players like Kirby Dach, Alex Texier and Josh Anderson have done wonders to complement the goal output, including a stellar individual effort from Dach in Game 1.

Very good! What a goal from Kirby Dach! #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/S70CqWC9Fn

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 7 May 2026

Possible Lineup Changes

The Canadiens did not practice Friday or make their players available to the media.

Given that this is the playoffs, any changes to the lineup will have to be confirmed after the teams take the ice for pre-game warm-ups.

Head coach Martin Saint-Louis seemed quite satisfied with his team’s performance in Game 1, suggesting there will not be any major changes in Game 2.

However, don’t be surprised if he revises his third pairing and fourth line, with Jaden Struble potentially replacing Arbor Zekaj while Joe Velano makes way for Brendan Gallagher.

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Cole Coffield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkowski

Alex Newhook – Jake Evans – Ivan Demidov

Alexandre Texier – Philippe Danault – Josh Anderson

Zachary Bolduc – Kirby Dach – Joe Veleno*

Mike Matheson – Alexandre Carrier

Caden Guhle – Lane Hutson

Arbor Zekaj* – Noah Dobson

jacob dobbs

jacob fowler

Buffalo Sabers Projected Lineup

Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch

Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn

Zach Benson – Josh Norris – Josh Doan

Jordan Greenway – Tyson Kozak – Beck Malensteen

Rasmus Dahlin – Mattias Samuelsson

Bowen Byram – Owen Power

Logan Stanley – Connor Timmins

Alex Lyon

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

How to watch Hubs Vs. saber

Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres, Friday, May 8, 2026, will be broadcast on CBC, Sportsnet and TVA Sports. A quick recap with highlights will be available on SportsNote once the final whistle blows.

Additional NHL Playoff Analysis

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

It cannot be denied that the Montreal Canadiens would have been in a better position if they had won the first game of their second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres.

With that in mind, the 4–2 scoreline in Game 1 was a bit favorable for the Sabres, who scored four goals on their first nine shots. Given how much good luck the Canadiens have enjoyed in the shooting department, we can’t dismiss Buffalo’s small but efficient offense.

Still, there were some positives to look for as the Habs prepared for Game 2.

montreal canadiens positive

The Habs actually managed to beat the Sabres, and by a fairly wide margin. Montreal held an 18-11 edge in shots on net at 5v5, not to mention a 28-16 lead in all situations.

There are some mitigating factors to consider in this situation, including the fact that Montreal blocked a lot more shots than the Sabres, leading to a huge difference in shots on net. And the Sabers actually produced more high-danger shots than the Canadiens (12-11, all situations).

It’s also worth considering that the Habs were trailing the Sabers for the majority of the game, and thus, the score effect came into play.

And yet, the fact that Montreal managed to beat an opponent as talented as the Sabers is a very encouraging sign for a team that rarely beats anyone in the NHL.

Keep in mind, the Canadiens were only 23rd in shot share at 5v5 during the regular season, while the Sabers finished 16th.

The increase in shot volume from the Habs was not only encouraging, but it was a necessary step forward for a team that relies on quality rather than quantity when attempting to score.

Lane Hutson led all Canadians with four shots, although he was tied with forwards Alex Newhook and Juraj Slafkowski. Nick Suzuki and Ivan Demidov each had three shots apiece, while Cole Caufield, Jake Evans and Noah Dobson had two each.

In other words, most of Montreal’s best players were able to make above average shots in the series against the Lightning.

something’s Gotta Give

As for Montreal’s best players, Suzuki, Slafkowski and Caufield once again failed to score at 5v5, although the Captain did manage to find the back of the net on the power play.

Through eight playoff games, only Suzuki has managed to score at 5v5, which is a red flag when discussing a team that relies on its first line to drive offensive attack.

And yet, Wednesday’s game was arguably the first line’s best performance at 5v5 since the start of the playoffs.

They put more pucks towards the net than their opponents (9-7), and they were able to generate a respectable amount of movement through the neutral zone, which led to more scoring opportunities from the rush.

This should benefit Caufield, especially for a player who has struggled to find the net after having a career-best season with 51 goals.

Game 1 was far from a masterclass, but it featured a significant increase in shooting opportunities for Caufield and company. This is due in part to the Sabres’ style of play. They’re suffocating, but they’re also hell-bent on creating awkward rushes, which leads to a little more open ice than what we saw in the series vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning.

If the trend continues, expect Caufield to begin finding the back of the net with more regularity than he did with the Sabres.

Moreover, given the success of the first line in the regular season, there is no way left but to go to the playoffs.

canadians can be better

Without trying to make any excuses for the Game 1 loss, it’s fair to point out that the Sabers were rested and waited out the Canadiens for several days, while the Habs were coming off a hellish series against the Lightning that included an unreasonable amount of extracurricular activities.

As a result, the Canadiens approached the first period of Game 1 with the same intensity of a wild animal trapped in a gate for several days before finally being rescued.

With a little better preparation, not to mention some rest, the Habs should be able to avoid another multi-goal loss.

All Montreal Canadiens statistics are via Natural Stat Trick.

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

Manchester United to pass newcastle unitedSandro Tonali is on his target list for the summer.

The midfielder’s future remains uncertain after this season and is already attracting interest from England and beyond. Manchester United belongs to the former category.

For much of this season, the Italian media have regularly discussed the possibility of a move back to Serie A for the former AC Milan star. However, Newcastle United’s demands have been an issue for its supporters such as Juventus.

Two months ago, Tonali’s agent giuseppe risso said Possible steps can be taken after the World Cup. At the end of that month, we broadcast news His team is working on finding a new club in the Premier League.

On 27 April, Game Witness Covered claims from Italy That Manchester United has already taken a step.

Manchester United ready to move on

The Newcastle United star turns 26 today TuttoMercatoWeb There is a recent report on his future. It’s worth noting that, like others in Italy, TMW speaks to Tonali’s agent regularly.

Juventus are chasing the Italy international and are dreaming of securing his services. However, the fee required to convince Eddie Howe’s side is ‘completely out of their budget’.

The Magpies now sit 13th in the table, six points behind seventh-placed Brentford and are likely to miss out on Europe.

Sandro Tonali is one of their prized assets and is valued at €100m. In fact, it is ‘pointless’ to start negotiations on a fixed fee below €80m.

Manchester United, for its part, is ‘Had already informed that they are ready to submit a suitable proposal.’ It is unclear whether the Old Trafford club informed his agent or Newcastle United, but that seems more likely.

Tonali earns €8 million net plus bonuses per year, another factor that puts him beyond Juventus’ reach.

Manchester United prioritize midfield improvements

The Red Devils have qualified for the Champions League and need a bigger squad next season.

Casemiro will leave Old Trafford after this season and Manuel Ugarte could also be on his way.

Both of these situations, coupled with the return to Europe, will force Manchester United to bring in further reinforcements, especially in midfield. Tonali could be a quality addition while they are also focusing on other goals.

Werder Bremen continue to play transfer game as they seek relaxation southampton Debtor Yukinari Sugawara this summer.

BILD HANOVER REPORT ON DEFENDER TODAYThat includes comments from manager Clemens Fritz regarding the 25-year-old.

transfer doubt

The newspaper states that while Yukinari Sugawara has been the most valuable asset of the seven loaned players this season, No decision has been made about signing him permanently.

It is thought Werder could sign the right-back on a loan deal with Southampton this summer via a €6m option. But the last few weeks have changed this.

Sugawara is no longer undisputed in the team. His performance has reportedly become ‘stagnant’.

Manager Clemens Fritz (45) told BILD: “Yuki has a lot to give, but there is still more potential. He is a good boy, but there has been no decision yet on whether we will continue with him or not.”

southampton talks

But the German clubs are certain; They will not pay the €6m buyout clause this summer. However, this doesn’t mean that Yukinari Sugawara’s time with them is over.

Instead, Werder Bremen intend to negotiate with Southampton to secure the services of the defender. They, obviously, want a cut and want to get it cheap.

The problem on that front is that he is ready to play in the World Cup. Their performance there could help increase their market value. This is something that Southampton are very aware of. Therefore, there is no hope of reaching an agreement with the vendor soon.

Instead, they will sit and wait to see what happens. Sugawara is under contract until 2028 so there is no immediate pressure on that front either.

Looks like they know a lot about what Werder are doing and won’t play along for the time being. Whether that causes panic among the German club, who would buy Sugawara for less than his current €7.5m valuation, remains to be seen.

The Carolina Hurricanes picked up a decisive victory in Game 3 against the Philadelphia Flyers, but it was not without its own level of disaster.

On Thursday night, the Hurricanes handed the Flyers a 4–1 defeat as they took a 3–0 series lead. This was the first game in front of a Philly crowd since April 29, when the Flyers won Round One in Game 6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime.

Carolina was the first team on the board as Jordan Staal found the back of the net on the power play at the end of the first period. It was his first goal of the postseason, and it was a wonderful goal as he lofted it across the goal line on a backhand. Here both Andrei Svechnikov and Shayne Gostisbeer assisted him.

The second period soon arrived, and early in the frame, Jackson Blake took a delayed penalty for high-sticking against Cam York. However, the Flyers never really got going on the power play, as Trevor Zegras scored immediately afterward.

Later in the same frame, Taylor Hall took a hard hit on a falling Travis Sanheim, sending him into the boards. The play initially called for a five-minute main skit, but after review this was reduced to a two-minute short skit for boarding.

Just 11 seconds later, Jordan Staal and Jalen Chatfield teamed up on the penalty kill as they raced down the ice – Staal sent a daring pass to Chatfield through Zegras’ legs as the Hurricanes defenseman ripped a one-timer top shelf, returning them to the top of the scoreboard once again. Jordan Martinook was credited with an assist in the process.

Penalty Madness at the Midway Point

As the penalty kill resumed, Seth Jarvis had a shorthanded chance, but it was blocked by Jamie Drysdale – a move that should have been the end of the Flyers’ power play…except it didn’t.

After the whistle, Travis Konecny ​​began pushing and shoving Jarvis, and also cross-checked him. In retaliation, JARVIS swung his twig and caught it in his face. He was swiftly sent to the penalty box along with Drysdale as if nothing had ever happened – with the remaining 5-on-4 play in the Flyers’ favor.

…but that wasn’t the end of it either.

Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour was particularly unhappy with the lack of call against Konecny. The referee, Garrett Rank, had enough and he immediately whistled him for a bench minor due to unsportsmanlike conduct.

“Usually gets a warning,” Brind’Amour said after the game. “I didn’t get any warnings. But I was a little disappointed in that sequence with what happened. They had the original (penalty), and then I don’t know how we came up with just one (drawn penalty). That was a frustration.”

Luckily for the Hurricanes, they came away just fine in 5-on-3 hockey. This was something for which Brind’Amour expressed gratitude.

“People saved me from there – appreciate it.”

The third period saw another pair of goals for the Hurricanes as Andrei Svechnikov – who trails only Logan Stankoven in shots on goal on the team this postseason – scored his first goal of the playoffs. Sebastian Aho and Gostisbehere assisted on his power play goal, which was his second goal of the night.

Nikolaj Ehlers also scored soon after, hitting a dagger into the neutral zone. Jordan Martinook also had his second assist of the game, while K’Andre Miller had his fifth assist of the postseason, leading all Hurricane defensemen.

They don’t call them ‘Broad Street Bullies’ for nothing

As expected, the Flyers really started to show their teeth after that final goal. In the final few minutes, Konecny ​​received a two-minute minor penalty for pushing, a two-minute minor penalty for biting and a ten-minute penalty for the same tackle. Eric Robinson also got a few minutes in the box against Konecny.

Even more drama ensued after a whistle blew during the power play that the Hurricanes had earned from that ordeal. Rasmus Ristolainen started pushing on Stankoven, and soon, Nick Seiler came in to fight him. In response, Gostisbehere went after Ristolainen, and promptly worked on him.

The weight classes certainly did not match, with Gostisbehere and Stankoven both weighing under 185 pounds and less than six feet tall, while both of the Flyers’ defensemen were over six feet tall and weighed nearly 200 pounds. This was a topic that was noted during post-game pressers, as a reporter joked about Gostisbehere not being interested in weight classes.

“I guess they don’t either,” he said, laughing. “Just trying to help ‘Stanky’ out. I guess it does, but it is what it is.”

storm notes

The Hurricanes’ incredible 7–0 start to the postseason marks the fifth time on record that they have made it to the postseason, sharing the spot in history with the 1989 Montreal Canadiens (lost Stanley Cup Finals), the 1994 New York Rangers (won Stanley Cup Finals), the 2008 Pittsburgh Penguins (lost Stanley Cup Finals), and the 2024 Rangers (lost Eastern Conference Finals).

After missing Games 1 and 2, Alexander Nikishin returned to the lineup on Tuesday after clearing concussion protocol. The rookie defenseman was injured after a strong hit in Game 4 against the Ottawa Senators.

Taylor Hall’s six-game postseason-opening point streak officially ended Thursday, after failing to register a point on the scoresheet.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

After a thrilling overtime win on Monday night, the Carolina Hurricanes head north to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday for Game 3 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The game is scheduled for 8:00 PM EDT.

Game 2 between the Hurricanes and Flyers was memorable for second-line forward Taylor Hall, who has scored at least one point in every game for the Hurricanes this postseason. For the first time in his NHL playoff career, he scored the game-winning overtime goal.

However, reaching the conclusion was not the easiest. The Hurricanes were already down by two goals before five minutes of play had even begun. However, Nikolaj Ehlers’ power play goal in the first period and Seth Jarvis’ goal with new linemates Jordan Staal and Ehlers in the third frame were just what they needed to push into the extra frame.

You can read about all the big and small details of Monday’s game here!

After practice on Wednesday, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet announced that Noah Cates would miss the remainder of the series against the Hurricanes due to a lower body injury. Additionally, Christian Dvorak is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, and Owen Tippett’s return timeline is unclear.

in the crease

Frederik Andersen and Dan Vladar have both been excellent in their respective postseasons. With an extra day’s rest for the trip, there is no reason to believe there will be any changes in the net this time around.

Projected Carolina Hurricane Lines

Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis

Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake

Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook

William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson

protect

Jacob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield

K’Andre Miller – Shawn Walker

Shayne Gostisbehere – Alexander Nikishin

goaltender

Frederick Anderson / Brandon Bussey

Projected Philadelphia Flyers Lines

Alex Bump – Trevor Zegras – Travis Konecny

Luke Glendening – Christian Dvorak – Matvei Mitchkov

Tyson Foster – Denver Barkey – Porter Martone

Garrett Wilson – Shawn Couturier – Carl Grundstrom

protect

Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York – Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seiler – Emile Andre

goaltender

Dan Vladar/Samuel Ersson

special teams

Carolina Hurricanes Power Play: 12.0% (12th, down one spot from last game)
Carolina Hurricanes Penalty Kill: 93.8% (3rd, down two spots from last game)

Philadelphia Flyers power play: 10.7% (14th, down two spots from last game)
Philadelphia Flyers Penalty Kill: 86.2% (7th)

storm game notes

During Tuesday afternoon’s media availability, head coach Rod Brind’Amour announced that defenseman Alexander Nikishin has cleared concussion protocol. He suffered a concussion after a strong hit from Tyler Kleven in Game 4 of Round One with the Ottawa Senators.

In Game 2, Ehlers scored his first postseason goal as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. During his seven postseason appearances with the Winnipeg Jets, he scored nine goals.

After an incredible five-game goal streak to start the postseason, Logan Stankoven was held without a point in Game 2.

While the remainder of the postseason will only be available to watch via national broadcast, local play-by-play announcer Mike Maniscalco and analyst Trip Tracy will continue to call games on the Hurricanes’ local radio partner, 99.9 The Fan.

how to see

TV: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max
Radio: 99.9 The Fan

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

Finding a goal in Game 2 proved as difficult as finding a single-zero roulette wheel in a Vegas casino for the Vegas Golden Knights (1-1), falling 3-1 to the Anaheim Ducks (1-1) on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena. Great play from Anaheim goaltender Lucas Dostal and two missed defensive assignments by the Golden Knights, which led directly to Anaheim goals, proved to be the difference in the game.

Although the first period was scoreless, it was not due to lack of opportunities. Anaheim had a golden opportunity to score the game’s first goal early in the first period when the Golden Knights took four consecutive penalties. First, Tomas Hertl was assessed a two-minute minor for high-sticking John Carlson at 3:14, then Mitch Marner was whistled for delay of game for shooting the puck out of play, and then just when things seemed like they couldn’t get any worse for the Golden Knights, Jack Eichel took a double-minor for high-sticking Mikael Granlund at 5:33.

The Anaheim power play shot an astonishing 50% in the first round against Edmonton, but went 0-4 in Game 1 and then went 0-4 on four consecutive first period chances in Game 2. The Golden Knights’ penalty kill was so effective that Anaheim recorded zero shots during a combined 1:42 of 5-on-3 play. The Golden Knights penalty kill has been stellar so far in the playoffs, boasting a 95% success rate before an ideal five-on-five performance in Game 2.

Besides the Golden Knights’ penalty kill, the other storyline of the first period was shot inconsistency. The Golden Knights went 12+ minutes without a shot, including a two-minute power play opportunity where they did not attempt a single shot. The Golden Knights recorded a shot from Hertl at 16:46 of the first and did not get another shot until Ben Hutton had a shot on goal at 3:57. Overall, the Golden Knights were outshot 13-4 in the first.

The Golden Knights may have noticed the shot inconsistency in the first because they came out firing in the second, recording three shots on goal in the first minute of the frame and outscoring Anaheim 11-7 in the period. Despite the Golden Knights taking a greater amount of shots in the second period, it would be Anaheim who would get the first goal of the game. A defensive lapse by the Golden Knights left rookie Beckett Seneca (2) open in front of their net, allowing him to receive a Jeffrey Wiel pass from below the goal line and he immediately took the puck, beating Golden Knights netminder Carter Hart to his blocking side at 11:23 of the second. It was only the second time in eight playoff games that Anaheim scored the first goal of the game.

With exactly two minutes left in the second, Anaheim got its fifth power play opportunity and a chance to take a two-goal lead, but the Golden Knights penalty kill once again came into play and the score remained 1–0 heading into the third period.

Another missed defensive assignment by the Golden Knights gave the Ducks an elusive two-goal lead at 6:36 of the third. Leo Karlsson (4) was left alone in front of the Golden Knights net and was able to receive a beautiful backhand, cross-ice pass from Troy Terry and chip the puck up and over the glove Hart, who had no chance to make the play.

The Golden Knights got their third power play chance of the game with 8:23 left in regulation and nearly scored on a wild scramble in front of the Anaheim net. With Dostel stretched flat on the ice, exposing a wide-open net, Ducks forward Mikael Granlund made a glove save on the Golden Knights’ shot attempt, destroying what little momentum the Golden Knights had generated from the man-advantage.

Trailing by two, the Golden Knights pulled Hart for an extra attacker with four minutes remaining in regulation, but Anaheim immediately scored into an empty net to take a 3–0 lead. Just when a shutout seemed inevitable for Anaheim, the Golden Knights got a late power play, during which Mark Stone (3) deflected an Eichel shot with just six seconds remaining, ruining Dostal’s shutout bid, which would have been Anaheim’s first shutout all season.

With the series now tied at 1-1, the venue will change to the Honda Center with Game 3 taking place on Friday night.

notes

Dating back to the regular season, Tomas Hertl has now played 28 games without scoring a goal.

Ivan Barbashev’s seven-game playoff points streak was snapped.

figures

Shots on goal for the game favored the Ducks, 28–22.

The number of hits each was even at 39.

Faceoff winning percentage favored the Golden Knights 63.2% to 36.8%.

Blocked shots favored the Golden Knights 19-14.

The Golden Knights had 19 rebounds, while the Ducks had 15.

The Philadelphia 76ers have already square off against the New York Knicks in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Now we’ve learned they’ll be without Joel Embiid for Game 2 on Wednesday night.

The big man will be out of tonight’s game due to soreness in his ankle and hip. He was unable to participate in the team’s morning shootaround. As Shams Charania said, Embiid was “getting treatment around the clock for his efforts to play.”

The Knicks beat Philly 137-98 in Game 1, even with Embiid in the lineup. New York limited the former league MVP to 3-of-11 shooting for 14 points and just four rebounds. He averaged 28.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists in four games against the Boston Celtics in the first round, helping the Sixers win the series in seven games.

Embiid was still recovering from an emergency appendectomy near the end of the regular season, which caused him to miss the first three games of the Boston series.

Sixers coach Nick Nurse expected to return for Game 2

Meanwhile, head coach Nick Nurse is expected to sit out Game 2 after leaving the team under tragic circumstances after Game 1. He attended the funeral of his brother Steve, who was 62. His death was unexpected.

The Minnesota Wild are halfway to starting their summer vacation after losing 5-2 to the Colorado Avalanche in Game 2 of the Western Conference Second Round series at Ball Arena on Tuesday night.

It wasn’t a track meet like their 9-6 loss in Game 1 on Saturday. But the end result was the same – a three-goal loss in which the Wild couldn’t stop Avs stars Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas. MacKinnon, who finished third in the NHL in scoring during the regular season, had his second consecutive one-goal, two-assist night, while Necas scored the game’s first goal and set up another.

Gabriel Landeskog, Nicolas Roy, and Valeri Nichushkin also scored for the Avs, the NHL’s top team during the regular season. Scott Wedgwood made 29 saves to win his sixth game in as many tries.

The Wild got a goal by Kirill Kaprizov in the first period and a goal by Marcus Johansson with 5:27 left in the third period, but it was not enough against the NHL’s highest-scoring team during the regular season.

The series takes a three-day break before heading to Grand Casino Arena for Game 3 on Saturday. Extra days off Thursday and Friday due to Minnesota Frost’s PWHL playoff games. That will give coach John Hynes some more time to figure out how to stop the Avs, who have allowed 14 goals in the first two games.

Goaltender change won’t help Wild in Game 2 loss

The Wild changed goaltenders after the Game 1 loss. Rookie Jesper Wallstad took the seat and veteran Philipp Gustavsson got his first start since April 13. This is their next-to-last regular season game. But Gustavsson didn’t get the better of Wallstad in the first 10 minutes, allowing him to score on his first two shots.

MacKinnon did all the work on the first goal of the game. He raced to the right in his own area and found Necas arriving late. Necas found a gap between three defenders and beat Gustavsson with a backhander at 2:51 for a 1-0 lead.

The excitement had not yet subsided when the Wild took advantage of Colorado’s defensive mistake and tied the score. Cale Makar was well out of position and Ryan Hartman sent Kaprizov on a breakaway. Minnesota’s all-time playoff goal-scoring leader beat Wedgewood at 2:57 – six seconds after Necas scored – tying the game at 1–1.

The Wild held Colorado without a goal for more than five minutes. But Colorado made it 2-for-2 on Landeskog’s power-play goal at 8:24. Landeskog found a soft spot in the slot and finished the tic-tac-toe passing play from Makar to Necas to MacKinnon, whose perfect feed set up Colorado’s captain for a 10-foot snap shot on which Gustavsson had no chance.

Minnesota forced the tying goal during their first power play after Brock Nelson was sent off for holding at 13:16. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Wild had six high-danger chances while on the man-advantage, but Wedgwood stopped all of them.

The period ended with Colorado leading 2–1, although the Wild had a 10–7 edge in shots on goal.

As they did in the opening 20 minutes, the Avs scored on their first shot of the second period. Minnesota failed to get the puck deep in an attempt to enter the zone; The Avs took advantage after Russ Colton saw Roy intercepted. Roy immediately hit his shot and beat Gustavsson at 1:24 to take a 3-1 lead.

The Wild again had 10 shots in the second period, but they attacked less consistently and did not seriously test Wedgwood.

Wedgwood kept Minnesota from getting closer after Nelson took a tripping penalty at 4:20. The Avs did not score after Matt Zuccarello was called for tripping at 7:26, but MacKinnon’s power-play one-timer from the left circle at 13:18 extended the lead to 4–1.

Marcus Johansson got one back at 14:33, but that was as close as Minnesota got. Nichushkin’s empty net with five seconds remaining rubbed more salt into the wound.

Key takeaways after the Wild’s 5-2 loss to Avalanche in Game 2

wild stars shine

The Avalanche are getting great production from MacKinnon and Necas. The Wild can’t say the same about many of their top players.

Defenseman Quinn Hughes, who entered the game leading all players in postseason scoring, had a rough night. He played 28:07 but finished minus-1 with no shots on goal, three shot attempts, one hit and one blocked shot. The Avs paid a lot of attention to Minnesota’s top defender – especially on a big third-period hit by MacKinnon.

Kaprizov had a goal and a few other good chances, but Matt Boldy had no points, finished at minus-1 and wasn’t much of a factor. Boldy, the Wild’s leading scorer with six goals in the first round, has one assist in two games.

The Wild won’t be able to beat an elite team without their top players firing on all cylinders, they weren’t doing that on Tuesday.

Special teams problems continue

The Wild’s special teams are still dragging him down.

Minnesota was 2-for-4 on the power play in the Wild’s 6-1 win over the Dallas Stars. But it has done almost nothing since then, a trend that continued against Colorado. Minnesota went 0–2, making the Wild 0–5 in the series and 26–2 in the last seven games.

The penalty-killer, who allowed Dallas to score 10 times on 25 chances in the opening round, isn’t faring much better against Colorado. The Avs are 2-for-5 and 3-for-7 in the first two games. Minnesota’s 13 power-play goals allowed and minus-9 differential are the worst of any team in this year’s playoffs.

break time

The Wild will be glad they get an extra day off before Game 3. They’re hoping the offseason will allow injured Joel Eriksson Ek, one of the NHL’s best two-way centers, to return to the lineup at home.

Hines will undoubtedly use the time to figure out who he will start in goal on Saturday. Wallstadt scored eight goals in Game 1 but the Wild advanced to Dallas in the first round. Gustavsson, who carried most of the load during the regular season, allowed few goals on preventable shots.

Whoever he chooses will have to put in a big effort in front of the home fans. The Wild are trying to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2003.

stat shots

The Wild are down 2-0 in a series for the ninth time in their history. He won only one of the first eight. This happened in 2014, when they lost the first two games on the road but won Game 7 in Denver to clinch the series.

The Wild and Avs tied the second-fastest two-goal total in a Stanley Cup game; The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers played six seconds into Game 2 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The record is five seconds, set by the Penguins and Buffalo Sabers in Game 3 of the preliminary round in 1979.

Colorado started 6–0 in this year’s playoffs, tying the Carolina Hurricanes. This marks the fifth time in playoff history that multiple teams have started the postseason so long.

It was MacKinnon’s 21st career multi-point playoff game. This moved him ahead of Hall of Famer (now Avs president) Joe Sakic for the most wins in franchise history.

Colorado set an NHL record with 12 different goaltenders in the first two games of any postseason series.

Jon Krieger covered his first New York Rangers game (against the California Golden Seals) in November 1975 and it… More about Jon Krieger

According to Divine Sports Gospel, the San Diego Padres are reportedly calling up Sung-Mun Song for tonight’s game against the division-rival San Francisco Giants. Song previously made his MLB debut last week during the Mexico City Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He only pinch-run and did not have an at-bat in the game.

Song was the Friars’ biggest offensive tackle this offseason, signing a four-year, $15 million deal with the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). After missing his ramp-up due to an oblique injury, he was demoted to Triple-A to get used to facing MLB pitching.

He has performed relatively well in Triple-A. Song combined for a .293/.364/.354 slash line with a respectable (albeit slightly lower) .718 OPS. But the underlying numbers are not the same as Song’s. Being limited to singles, he hasn’t made too much hard contact on his hits. He has only four extra-base hits in 25 of 29 games played in El Paso.

Roster transfer still necessary

The Padres will either have to send someone down or move him to the IL for a call up. It has been speculated that the move could come in the form of starting second baseman Jake Cronenworth. He had a disappointing start to the year, batting .144/.272/.468. This basically assures the Padres of an out every time he comes to the plate. His glove is solid, but not good enough to keep his ice-cold bat in the lineup. He was hit by a pitch last night and could be sent to the IL to make room for Song.

Song was initially signed for the Friars as a utility option, capable of playing any position defensively (except catcher). It is likely that this will be on full display if he is called upon for longer periods. That being said, for now, it seems more likely that he will become the starting second baseman.

Whatever the case, Song likely won’t magically move up to the big league level after a lackluster performance in Triple-A. But reportedly that is why he is not being called. The truth of the matter is that San Diego will do anything to get out of the recession it is in. Song could perhaps provide something new that will re-energize these Padres.

armory They will face Atletico Madrid in a Champions League semi-final at the Emirates on Tuesday.

The first leg in Spain ended in a 1–1 draw as Julián Álvarez’s 56th-minute goal canceled out Víctor Gyókárez’s opener for Arsenal.

In the same match, Alvarez got injured and had to leave the field in the 77th minute.

Last week, Sports Witness Covered claims from Spain That the striker has suffered a minor setback and should be in contention to face the Premier League team. He missed the 2-0 win over Valencia last weekend.

Simeone is motivating Alvarez for the Arsenal match

Pipi Estrada, Nacho Palencia, Ramon Alvarez de Mon, Pepe Pasques, Jorge Liano and Jorge Segura analyze Julian Alvarez ahead of today’s big European clash radio markaIs a tribe.

According to journalist Pipi Estrada, Diego Simeone has been continuously motivating the 26-year-old player in recent days. He said the Argentina international would take the injection to play against Arsenal.

“Simeon has been paying a lot of attention to Julian the last few days. [He’s] Very supportive, very motivating and accessible, told him, ‘Julian, this is your game.’ Julian was man of the match for Cholo. He is facing his biggest challenge. I think he’s going to play with the injection.” He said.

On Frontman, journalist George Liano explained: “Julian is the player who poses the biggest threat to Arsenal and who dictates the playing style of the English team. If he is not fully fit, Simeone will have to consider other options. It is not about ‘Julian-dependence’, but we have to be aware that he is Atlético de Madrid’s star player.”

Mikel Arteta’s side enter the tie with a 3-0 league win over Fulham. The result helped them move six points clear of Manchester City, who had two games in hand.

Manchester City picked up a point against Everton on Monday and moved five points behind Arsenal with a game remaining.

Jorge Segura says the Citizens’ collapse should come as a relief to Arsenal ahead of today’s crucial clash.

“If possible, these matches should be played by the best players. I would like to know whether City’s slippage in the Premier League will affect Arsenal. The players, the manager and the fans will be relieved.” He added.

Arsenal’s remaining matches

Mikel Arteta’s side have at least four matches left this season.

• atlético madrid [home] on tuesday
• vs west ham united [away] on 10th may
• v burnley [home] on 18th may
• V Crystal Palace [away] on 24th may

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards suffered a knee injury on April 26, creating uncertainty about his status for the remainder of the NBA playoffs. Before the tip of Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Monday night, the Timberwolves got some positive news.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Edwards is now expected to play in Game 1 on Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs.

RELATED: NBA Playoff Predictions for the Conference Semifinals

Edwards suffered a knee injury in Game 4 of the first-round series against the Phoenix Suns. He was ultimately diagnosed with a hyperextended kneecap and a bone bruise in his left knee, with the expectation that he would miss the Western Conference Semifinals.

Sources told ESPN that the team has become more confident in Edwards’ ability to return quickly in recent days. He is undergoing “round the clock rehabilitation”, working up to light workouts over the weekend and then participating in the team’s shootaround on Monday morning.

What to expect in Anthony Edwards’ return to the Timberwolves

Edwards entered the NBA playoffs after suffering another knee injury. He missed 11 of the Timberwolves’ final 14 regular season games due to inflammation in his right knee.

This definitely seems to be having some impact on his performance. He entered the 2026 NBA Playoffs averaging 26.9 points per game, making 3.1 three-pointers per contest, while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from the perimeter in 42 career playoff starts.

In the four first-round series games against the Phoenix Suns, Edwards shot only 35.8 percent from the field and his average dropped to 2.0 three-pointers per game on 25.8 percent shooting.

The hope for Minnesota may be that nearly a full 8 days of rest and rehab can put Edwards in a better position to perform well in both Game 1 and the remainder of the series. Edwards is expected to be wearing a sleeve on his left knee, as he was spotted with one at shootaround this morning while testing it out with a quick-dribble stepback.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

On Monday, the Carolina Hurricanes will face the Philadelphia Flyers for Game 2 of Round Two at Lenovo Center – fresh off a series-opening thriller on Saturday night.

The game is scheduled for 7:00 pm EDT.

In Game 1 of round two, the Hurricanes won with a decisive 3–0 shutout over the Owen Tippett-less Flyers, but it came with the help of play. Nearly 70 penalty minutes were assessed – many of which were due to brawls – and four players were ejected from the game early due to brawls in the third period.

In blanking the Flyers, Frederik Andersen became the first goaltender in franchise history to earn two consecutive series-opening shutouts after starting round one without allowing a single goal.

You can read all about Saturday’s game here!

in the crease

Both Frederik Andersen and Dan Vladar have played very well throughout the postseason – both earning two shutouts each. At this time, there is nothing to suggest there will be any changes in net in Game 2.

Projected Carolina Hurricane Lines

Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis

Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake

Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook

William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson

protect

Jacob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield

K’Andre Miller – Shawn Walker

Shayne Gostisbehere – Mike Reilly

goaltender

Frederick Anderson / Brandon Bussey

Projected Philadelphia Flyers Lines

Alex Bump – Trevor Zegras – Porter Martone

Denver Barkey – Christian Dvorak – Travis Konecny

Tyson Foster – Noah Cates – Matvei Mitchkov

Luke Glendening – Shawn Couturier – Garnet Hathaway

protect

Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York – Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seiler – Noah Julson

goaltender

Dan Vladar/Samuel Ersson

special teams

Carolina Hurricanes power play: 10.5% (11th, down one spot from last game)
Carolina Hurricanes Penalty Kill: 96.0% (1st, up one spot from last game)

Philadelphia Flyers Power Play: 9.5% (12th)
Philadelphia Flyers Penalty Kill: 87.0% (seventh, up two spots from last game)

storm game notes

During Sunday’s press conference, head coach Rod Brind’Amour discussed the absence of Alexander Nikishin from Game 1 despite earlier speculation that he would be available. He said that before the game, the 24-year-old rookie defenseman told him that he did not feel ready and was therefore ruled out. Since then, Nikishin has yet to clear concussion protocol, so his availability for Game 2 remains unclear.

Following his game-opening score in Game 1 against the Flyers, Logan Stankoven became the youngest player in NHL history to begin the postseason with a five-game goal streak.

Following the conclusion of Round One, all Hurricanes games for the remainder of the postseason will be televised nationally only – like any other team. However, the Hurricanes’ local radio partner, 99.9 The Fan, will still broadcast play-by-play by Mike Manisalco and analysis by Trip Tracy.

how to see

TV: ESPN
Radio: 99.9 The Fan

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNut. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

The Tampa Bay Lightning did everything but beat the Montreal Canadiens in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference First Round series on Sunday night. Unfortunately for the packed house of 19,092, it was the score that mattered – and the Canadiens got a shaky goal by Alex Newhook with 8:53 remaining in the third period, earning a 2–1 victory and a second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres.

Newhook broke a 1-1 tie when he caromed Lane Huston’s shot off the end board to the right of Andrei Vasilevskiy. The puck was knocked out of the air while still behind the net and went over the Lightning goaltender’s back and into the net. This was his first goal in the series.

It was one of only nine shots on goal by the Canadiens in the game, which were outscored and outplayed. They went nearly 27 minutes without a shot on goal, including a shotless second period. Montreal became the first team since shots on goal became an official statistic in 1959–60 to win a playoff game without reaching double figures.

“They had two, we had one,” defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “It’s hard to put into words how it ended.”

Montreal’s rookie goaltender Jacob Dobbs maintained the lead with some great stops after Newhook’s goal. He made 28 saves to earn First Star of the Game honors. Dobbs made excellent stops on shots from Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jake Guentzel shortly after Newhook’s goal. He also fell on a low rocket from James with less than five minutes remaining.

The Lightning lost their fourth consecutive first-round series. Their last win came in the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals, when they defeated the New York Rangers in six games. The Canadiens won a series for the first time since defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2021 semi-finals. They lost to Tampa Bay in the finals.

All seven games were decided by one goal and four went to extra time.

“That’s all you can ask of your team, whether it’s an Olympic tournament or a best-of-7 playoff, you get better as you go along,” Lightning coach John Cooper said. And I thought as we progressed, we got better. I thought we played our best game of the series tonight.

Lightning season ends with Game 7 loss to Canadiens

The Lightning outshot the Canadiens 9–4 in the opening period and controlled the game for most of the first 20 minutes. Dobbs made his best save with less than five minutes remaining when he stopped Gage Goncalves on a backhander from the front after the Game 6 hero slipped through the defense.

But it was the Canadiens who got on the board first, thanks to a lucky bounce.

Defenseman Caden Guhle had little to do from the left point, which Suzuki deflected into the slot. It was headed wide but bounced off Lightning defense JJ Moser and past the defenseless Vasilevskiy at 18:39. His first goal in the series gave Montreal a 1–0 lead.

The second period belonged entirely to Tampa Bay. The Lightning defeated the Canadiens 12–0, as Montreal failed to register a shot on goal in the playoff period for the first time in franchise history. Tampa Bay spent most of the period in Montreal territory and the game was eventually tied 1–1 at 13:27.

Neither team scored in the first power play. But the Lightning took advantage of their second opportunity after Guhle was called for holding Jake Guentzel at 12:33. Coach John Cooper went with his second power-play unit and was rewarded when Goncalves set up Charles-Ehouard D’Estes for a slapper from just inside the blue line.

James got his stick on the shot and deflected it past Dobbs, who had no chance.

Montreal got its second power play at 15:22 when the Lightning were called for having too many men, but the Canadiens again failed to generate much pressure. Neither team was credited with a shot on goal in the final six minutes. For the fifth time in seven matches the score remained equal even after 40 minutes.

Dobbs evened the score with a big stop on Goncalves from the slot 5:10 into the third period.

Vasilevskiy finally had to make a save at 5:34 of the third period when he blocked Suzuki’s long snap shot. The Canadiens began to generate more pressure, with the Lightning blocking four shots in a 12-second span near the midpoint of the period.

According to Natural Stat Trick, Newhook’s goal stunned the crowd and the Bolts could not find an answer this time despite a 7–3 advantage in high-danger chances and a 32–12 dominance of all scoring opportunities in the game.

“Sometimes you win the game, not the score,” Cooper said. “But this is Game 7. There’s no moral victory in this.”

Key takeaways after Lightning season ends with 2-1 loss to Canadiens

Chasing but not catching Montreal

The loss of power was not due to lack of effort. But they spent the entire series chasing the Canadiens.

Montreal scored the first goal Sunday, marking the fifth time in seven games the Canadiens got the opening goal; One of the first two chances the Lightning scored was in their 1–0 overtime win in Game 6. Montreal won Games 1, 3, and 5, meaning they never took a lead in a game while trailing in the series.

The Lightning lost three of four home games, one of which they defeated Montreal 29–9.

“You have about 30 shots and you miss nine,” center Brandon Hagel said. “I don’t know if that’s ever been done before in a Game 7 — win the game on nine shots. But that’s not the point. I mean, you lose three home games, it’s going to be tough to win the series.”

The Canadiens defeated the Lightning 16–15 in the series and secured their net after Newhook’s series-winner.

“They got the lead and protected it,” Cooper said. “When they broke down, their goalkeeper was there.”

When the stars struggled the fourth line stepped forward

One reason the Canadiens won was that they shut down the Lightning’s big guns – Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, Brayden Point and Hagel – when it mattered most.

Kucherov had six points in the first four games but none in the last three. Hegel had only one assist in Games 5–6–7 after scoring six times in the first four. Guentzel’s goal in the second period of Game 5 was the last of his eight points in the series. Point, who was a three-time 40-goal scorer before finishing 18th this season, had only one point – a goal in Game 3.

The line of Goncalves, James and Bjorkstrand gave the Bolts a chance to win the series. James scored his first goal of the series in Game 5, had the primary assist on Goncalves’ OT winner in Game 6 and scored Tampa Bay’s only goal in Game 7. Goncalves assisted on both of James’ goals in addition to his series-extending goal on Friday.

What’s next for Lightning?

This is the most painful of Tampa Bay’s four consecutive first-round losses. The Lightning were largely outplayed in the first three, losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games in 2023 and to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in five games in 2024 and 2025.

Tampa Bay is not expected to make too many changes to a team that has been one of the NHL’s best teams for nearly a decade. Kucherov struggled in the final three games but still had 44 goals and 130 points (and plus-43) in 76 regular season games. Hegel has scored a career-high 36 goals and has at least 30 goals in three of the last four seasons. Vasilevskiy is a Vezina Trophy finalist and is likely to win the award given to the NHL’s best goaltender for the second time.

James and Goncalves showed they have the ability to play higher in the lineup. Moser has become an excellent defender.

One question is whether GM Julien Brisebois can find a way to retain Moser’s teammate Darren Radish, who made just $975,000 in a career year with 22 goals and 70 points. He’ll definitely get a lot of big dollar interest. According to Pukpedia, the Lightning have less than $14 million in cap room next season. How much they will be willing to spend on Radish will be a big question.

stat shots

It was the 105th Game 7 out of 202 in NHL history to be decided by one goal.

Montreal improved to 16–9 in Game 7. The Canadiens are 8–6 on the road, the most Game 7 wins away from home.

Cooper lost in Game 7, less than three months after coaching Team Canada, in a 2–1 overtime loss to Team USA in the gold medal game at the Winter Olympics. Their teams lost both games despite a combined 71–37 lead in shots on goal. “As soon as the last buzzer went off, I felt like, I’ve seen this movie before,” he said.

Vasilevskiy started his 120th consecutive playoff game. The last time the Lightning started a playoff game with a different goaltender was May 13, 2016, when Ben Bishop was injured in the first period of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Only three goaltenders in NHL history have started more consecutive playoff games than Vasilevskiy: Martin Brodeur (194), Patrick Roy (137), and Henrik Lundqvist (129).

Dobbs is the fifth rookie goaltender in Canadiens history to win a Game 7.

Tampa Bay’s loss means there will not be a Florida-based team in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2019. The Lightning (2020-2021-2022) and Panthers (2023-2024-2025) each won twice and lost once in the last six seasons.

Jon Krieger covered his first New York Rangers game (against the California Golden Seals) in November 1975 and it… More about Jon Krieger

The Montreal Canadiens are set to face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of their tightly contested first-round series, with each game decided by a single goal.

Indeed, five of the six games required overtime, suggesting that any advantage in Game 7 would go a long way in deciding the series winner.

Take a look at some of the keys to success as the Habs prepare to face the Bolts.

defensive sharpness

Prior to Game 6, the Habs had done a great job of limiting high-danger chances from the Lightning.

On average, the Bolts managed to generate less than five quality scoring chances per game at 5v5, while the Canadiens were closer to 7 per game.

However, fortunes completely reversed in Game 6.

The Lightning held a 22-7 advantage in quality scoring opportunities, essentially doubling their overall production in just one game. It was enough to erase Montreal’s significant advantage in that statistical department throughout the series (45-41, 52.3%).

If the Habs are to win Game 7, they will need to recapture the defensive excellence that led to success in the first five games of the series. Slowing down the Lightning in the neutral zone, which will slow them down from the rush, will also go a long way in limiting the odd man rush.

star effect

We’ve discussed the lack of first-line offense at 5v5 several times throughout the series, but at this point, regardless of the situation, the team just needs to show them off.

Whether it’s the power play, penalty kill, overtime, or any other possible scenario, the Montreal Canadiens will need Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkowski to lead the offensive attack.

To return to his effective ways, he must find a way to increase his shot production, an issue that has plagued him against the Lightning.

hold the line

There are many advantages to being the youngest team in the league, and the Canadiens perform at their best when their backs are against the wall, but their lack of experience in Game 7 could be seen as a red flag.

Making it to the second round of the NHL playoffs is hard enough, taking a certain level of focus that is usually easier to find among the veterans.

On the other side of the coin, their youthful enthusiasm may be enough to ease nerves and allow them to focus on the task at hand, of course, with a little help from their friends.

#hubs Brendan Gallagher has his advice for players who will be playing their first GM7 today: “Nerves are normal, being over-excited is normal, you just have to believe in yourself and trust your teammates… show up, do your job and we feel we have what it takes to get the job done.”

– Priyantha Amrith (@HabsInHighHeels) 3 May 2026

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

Logan Stankoven is currently the living, breathing embodiment of the chaos and suffocation that the Carolina Hurricanes are known for.

Their second line was the first line on the board against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night, as it has in every game this postseason. It was Stankoven who scored the first goal just 1:31 into the game – the third-fastest playoff goal in franchise history – as he extended his postseason-opening goal-streak to five, becoming the youngest player in NHL history to do so.

The next goal came off the stick of Jackson Blake at exactly 7:30 in the first period, helping Stankoven earn his second point of the game. Assists came from Taylor Hall and Mike Reilly, who interestingly scored his second point of the game, also assisting on Stankoven’s goal.

As for Reilly, who was filling in for Alexander Nikishin after he failed to clear the NHL’s concussion protocol, he had only 1:42 of ice time in three shifts when he played a crucial second game to help the Hurricanes advance. It was his first multi-point game since December 23, 2023, when he was with the New York Islanders – ironically, they were playing against the Hurricanes.

The third and final goal of the game was, once again, Stankoven’s – the goal came on a wonderful pass from Seth Jarvis, assisted by Andrei Svechnikov. Stankoven had just come off the bench, and fell down while doing so, but that little mishap put him in the right place at the right time to find the back of the net.

When play resumed after the goal, Stankoven wasted no time in trying to get a hat trick – firing the puck over Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar immediately after winning the following faceoff. He didn’t get that third goal, but the Snapperjacks certainly tried, tying Sean Couturier on goal for a game-leading five shots.

Frederik Andersen earns second shutout of postseason campaign

However, Stankoven certainly wasn’t the only standout in the match.

Throughout his 60 minutes on the ice, Frederik Andersen turned away every shot he faced en route to a 19-save shutout. During an empty-net situation, he also responsibly missed a potential goaltender’s chance with clear ice ahead. He may have taken a tripping penalty against Porter Marton, but he produced an incredibly disciplined performance in the Hurricanes’ 3–0 win.

Saturday night is fight night’

A melee broke out at the Lenovo Center, slowly moving from silly to downright chaotic. In the first period, Nick Seiler playfully grabbed Jordan Martinook’s stick and appeared to hit himself in the face on the Flyers power play…somehow.

Later, the aforementioned Marton trip from Andersen came when Jakob Slavin slid straight into the net.

But then, things turned dangerous.

In the final minute of the second period, Andrei Svechnikov took a hit on rookie Martone in a board battle for the puck, and Tyson Foster took a hard hit to the back of Andrei Svechnikov’s right knee – the same knee that required surgery to repair a torn ACL in the 2022–23 season.

Svechnikov remained down due to Hurricanes head athletic trainer Doug Bennett running onto the ice, and the game was called for a five-minute major before review reduced it to a two-minute minor. Thankfully, Svechnikov did not go down the tunnel and was able to finish the game.

However, this was not the end of things. Rough penalties were given throughout the final frame, and an altercation between Jackson Blake and Trevor Zegras resulted in both of them receiving 10-minute misconducts with 8:14 left. It was the first misconduct of Jackson Blake’s NHL career, and the second misconduct of Zegras’ postseason following a Game 4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round One.

Less than two minutes later, Shayne Gostisbehere and Seiler were both given 10-minute misconducts for their moment of scuffling after an offside whistle.

By the end of the game, both teams had a combined 34 penalty minutes, equaling 68.

TJ Luxmore followed up that whole mess with a simple announcement:

“Multiple penalties, it will be a power play”

Storm with the man advantage, Zegras and Blake have left the game, clips are coming #SoundTheSiren #LetsGoFlyers #nhl #stanleycup

– Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) 3 May 2026

storm game notes

The Carolina Hurricanes are the fifth team in NHL history not to trail in their first five playoff games. The Washington Capitals were the last to do so in the 1986 postseason campaign, extending their series to six games.

With his sixth goal of the postseason, Logan Stankoven tied Matt Boldy and Brandon Hagel for the leaguewide lead. Both Boldy and Hagel have played one more game than Stankoven.

Of the 14 goals scored by the Hurricanes this postseason, 10 had at least one second-row player (Stankoven, Blake, Hall) on the scoresheet.

Notching his 24th postseason win with the Hurricanes, Anderson passed Cam Ward for most playoff wins in franchise history. Additionally, with his fourth postseason shutout with the Hurricanes, Anderson tied Ward for the most in franchise history. Rock on, Freddy.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

The Tampa Bay Lightning forced their Eastern Conference First Round series into a seventh game with a 1-0 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 6 at the Bell Center on Friday night.

The Atlantic Division rivals were held scoreless through more than 69 minutes of action before Gage Goncalves hit a loose puck past Jacob Dobbs for the game’s only goal. Brandon Hagel crossed a checker at the right point and fed Dominic James in the bottom right circle. James threw the puck on net, where Goncalves got a shot at it.

Dobbs got a slice of the shot, but Goncalves got to the loose puck and put it into the net at 9:03 for the win.

The goals came after each goaltender made game-saving stops in OT. Seconds after Lightning star Nikita Kucherov was called for tripping 5:30 into overtime, Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy blocked Game 1 hero Juraj Slafkovsky’s one-timer from the right circle. The Lightning killed off the remaining penalties, and Kucherov almost won it by coming out of the box, getting the puck in the Montreal zone and forcing Dobbs to make a spectacular stop to keep the game scoreless.

Vasilevskiy, who allowed a soft goal in Montreal’s 3–2 win in Game 5 that proved to be the winner, bounced back with a flawless, 30-save effort. Dobbs finished with 32 saves as the teams played their fourth overtime game and sixth one-goal game in the series that has become a classic.

The series returns to Benchmark International Arena in Tampa for Game 7 on Sunday. But playing at home may not be to Bolt’s advantage; The home team has lost four out of six matches in this series.

To say that the scoreless first period was played at a fast pace would be an understatement. With the Lightning in “win or go home” mode and the Canadiens eager to end the series in front of their home fans, both teams were excited. The Canadiens had 26 hits in the opening 20 minutes; The Lightning, not known as a physical team, had 15.

Cole Caufield, Montreal’s 51-goal scorer during the regular season, almost opened the scoring less than three minutes into the game; He beat Vasilevskiy but hit the post. That happened when Tampa Bay’s Yanni Gourde picked up a foul play from Dobbs and took a shot to the back of the net, but couldn’t connect on the wraparound, causing the puck to slip through the crease.

Vasilevskiy faced tougher chances as the period progressed, robbing Jake Evans from close range twice and denying Ivan Demidov from the right circle on a 2-on-1.

The Canadiens got their first power play of the game when Jake Guentzel was called for an unnecessary high-sticking penalty with 11 seconds remaining, but nothing was generated.

The pace was a little less frenetic in the second period, but the result was the same – no goals. This was largely due to some late heroics from Vasilevskiy, who lived up to his status as a Vezina Trophy finalist – especially after Charles-Edouard was called for slashing at 16:54. He denied Caufield again from 20 feet, then robbed Demidov from the right circle after a perfect setup and denied him again on the rebound.

The Canadiens continued to control the game after the power play ended and Vasilevskiy kept the game scoreless for 40 minutes on a last-second effort by Philippe Denault.

Montreal controlled the first five minutes of the third period, but the game changed after Montreal defenseman Caden Guhle was called for slashing Guentzel at 5:11 to break up a solo scoring chance. Tampa Bay did not score but applied a lot of pressure and dominated the game for most of the rest of the period.

The Lightning got a late power-play opportunity when Demidov was called for goaltender interference with 3:17 left after fouling Vasilevsky.

Tampa Bay controlled the puck for almost the entire power play, but couldn’t get past Dobbs, who made big saves on Kucherov, Radish and the point, then denied Brandon Hagel’s tip-in attempt shortly after the penalty ended.

Tampa Bay finished regulation with a 28–27 edge in shots on goal and an 81–58 differential in attempts.

Key takeaways after the Lightning survive by defeating the Canadiens 1-0 in Game 6

Vasilevsky stepped forward

The Lightning were swept in Game 5, but were even at 2–2 before Vasilevskiy was defeated by a blocked shot 99 out of 100. He more than atoned for it in Game 6, earning the 70th playoff win and eighth shutout of his career.

The “Big Cat” was everywhere, leaving Montreal shooters (and team executives) shaking their heads.

“He was excellent tonight,” D’Astas told Scripps Sports. “Because of them we’re going back to Tampa. It was fun to see.”

Hegel said having Vasilevskiy in goal allows him and his teammates to play with more freedom.

“You can go out and play your game and not have to worry about what’s behind you,” he said. “It seemed as if Vasi would never allow another goal.”

Goncalves an unlikely hero

On a team with stars like Kucherov, Vasilevskiy and Hegel, it’s easy to lose sight of players like Goncalves, who is a bottom-six forward and does a lot of attacking work. He was scoreless in the series before getting an assist in Game 5 and had not scored a goal since March 17.

But he missed the game-winner by tipping defenseman Caden Guhle and refused to leave the game after Dobbs blocked his first-time attempt.

“I talked to him before the game about what he needs to do in this game, be where he needs to be,” Cooper said. “It was only fair that such a goal was needed to win. It was a brilliant game by both teams.”

win or go home, take 2

The Lightning probably could have flown home even without the plane – such is the feeling of a season-saving overtime win. But as Cooper said, “We haven’t won anything yet.”

Both teams have had success in Game 7. The Lightning have won seven of 10, including four of five played at home. This is their first Game 7 since the first round in 2022, when they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2–1.

Montreal is 15-9 in Game 7s, including a 7-6 mark on the road. The Canadiens’ last Game 7 came when they defeated Toronto 3–1 in the second round in 2021. Ironically, Corey Perry scored the game-winning goal – the same Corey Perry who would be trying to help the Lightning end his former team’s season.

Hegel said, “These are the moments you live for.”

Jon Krieger covered his first New York Rangers game (against the California Golden Seals) in November 1975 and it… More about Jon Krieger

On Saturday, the Carolina Hurricanes begin the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs as they welcome the Philadelphia Flyers to Lenovo Center. Interestingly, the matchup comes before Round One even reaches its conclusion, as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens will need a Game 7 on Sunday to decide their series.

Game 1 between the Hurricanes and Flyers is scheduled for 8:00 pm EDT.

In the Hurricanes’ first-round series, they defeated the Ottawa Senators in four games with key play from their second line, which consisted of Logan Stankoven, Jackson Blake, and Taylor Hall. At least one of those three players contributed to seven of the Hurricanes’ eleven goals in the series.

I recently outlined three big positives and three big negatives from the Hurricanes’ first-round performance. You can read all about it here!

Meanwhile, the Flyers did not fail to impress in their return to the postseason after a five-year absence. In their first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, they took a three-nil lead against their neighbors to the west before defeating them in overtime during Game 6.

in the crease

While Frederik Andersen was absent from practice Friday morning, head coach Rod Brind’Amour confirmed that it was only a rest day and that he would start Game 1 against the Flyers.

Meanwhile, Dan Vladar is also expected to start for the Flyers after playing all six games of the last round.

Projected Carolina Hurricane Lines

Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis

Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake

Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook

William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson

protect

Jacob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield

K’Andre Miller – Shawn Walker

Shayne Gostisbehere – Alexander Nikishin

goaltender

Frederick Anderson / Brandon Bussey

Projected Philadelphia Flyers Lines

Owen Tippett – Trevor Zegras – Porter Marton

Denver Barkey – Christian Dvorak – Travis Konecny

Tyson Foster – Noah Cates – Matvei Mitchkov

Luke Glendening – Shawn Couturier – Garnet Hathaway

protect

Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York – Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seiler – Noah Julson

goaltender

Dan Vladar/Samuel Ersson

special teams

Carolina Hurricanes Power Play: 13.3% (10th)
Carolina Hurricanes Penalty Kill: 95.2% (2nd)

Philadelphia Flyers Power Play: 11.8% (12th)
Philadelphia Flyers Penalty Kill: 84.2% (9th)

storm game notes

During Friday morning’s practice, both Frederick Anderson and William Carrier were absent – ​​but Rod Brind’Amour later said it was just a rest day for both of them. Additionally, both Alexander Nikishin and Nikolaj Ehlers completed full rehearsals.

All four games between the Hurricanes and Flyers in the regular season went to overtime, three of which went to shootouts. Interestingly, the Flyers won the first game of the season against the Hurricanes on April 13, clinching their spot in the playoffs.

Following the conclusion of the Hurricanes’ first-round series, the broadcast became national-only, as every team does. However, Hurricanes play-by-play Mike Maniscalco and analyst Trip Tracy will still call games on the team’s radio partner, 99.9 The Fan.

how to see

TV: ABC
Radio: 99.9 The Fan

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

The Boston Celtics got some terrible news about their top star just hours before a do-or-die Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Celtics 2025-26 season could surprisingly end in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs if they can’t figure out how to slow down the 76ers in the last two games and get a win at home tonight. Although they struggled in Games 5 and 6, there are still many who think they can pull out a win in Game 7.

However, the prospects for doing so have become increasingly difficult. According to Chris Haynes, “Jason Tatum has been downgraded to questionable for Game 7 tonight because he is dealing with knee stiffness.”

This is terrible news for Boston at the worst time. Still, it’s something the team should be concerned about in the long term, too. In recent days, there has been discussion about Tatum dealing with calf strain. Which makes sense because he made a surprisingly quick return to the floor from a torn Achilles in early March.

However, his knee problems are unexpected. Is this due to overcompensation as he builds confidence in his surgically repaired tendon? Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton both suffered similar injuries during last year’s playoffs, and the pair missed the entire 2025-26 season.

Being doubtful does not mean that he will not be able to play Saturday’s match. However, the Celtics have lost by double digits in each of the last two games the six-time All-Star has been on the floor. It’s hard to imagine that they’ll be able to overcome a fully healthy Philly team without him tonight.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

The Dallas Stars have become accustomed to winning dramatic, seven-game series in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, as they have done so for two consecutive years.

So after a 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on home ice in Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round, the Stars will have to do it again to advance in 2026.

Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen scored once each, with Robertson continuing his rough start in these playoffs by scoring for the fifth consecutive game. Jake Oettinger made 24 saves in the loss, and Dallas now trails the best-of-7 series 3-2.

Game 6 will be Thursday in St. Paul, Minn.

Stars didn’t do enough to win Game 5

Dallas hosted Game 5 of the first-round playoff series for the fourth consecutive year. They averaged 4.33 goals and 26 shots per game over the past three games, including a 4-0 win over the Wild in 2023.

So Stars fans could be forgiven for liking what they saw from the home team on Tuesday night. Dallas had only 22 shots on goal, and only 12 in the first 48 minutes, before a late-game push in an inexplicably flat performance for a veteran team in a decisive game that was too little, too late.

“Everyone needs to step up,” Stars coach Glenn Gulutzan said. “It’s a team effort to try and get it done. … We just need a little bit more from everybody.”

Oettinger’s playoff struggles again reared their ugly head, most notably on Michael McCarron’s insurance goal at 7:47 of the third period, which ultimately served as the game-winner. Oettinger lost his balance and failed to keep his pads on the ice, and McCarron slipped the puck under him, giving Minnesota a 3–1 lead at 7:47 of the third minute.

The Stars lacked the desperation expected in such an important game. They had no high-danger scoring chances in the first period – Minnesota led 6–0 in such chances over the course of 20 minutes – and dominated expected goal chances in the first period by 1.41–0.44, even though it was 1–1 to one.

Stars need to do more at 5-on-5

Robertson’s third-period goal will go down as an even-strength tally, but even that is misleading because it came on a 5-on-4 with Oettinger pulled for an extra attacker.

The Stars are not able to score strongly in this series also. He hasn’t scored a goal at five-on-five since Robertson scored in the first period of Game 3 – a span of nearly 220 minutes. The Stars’ three goals at five-on-five are the fewest of any team still playing – and are tied with the Ottawa Senators for 15th in the playoffs, ahead of only the Los Angeles Kings’ two.

“We thought we created some opportunities for ourselves,” Gulutzan said. “Now we have to take the next step and adopt some of those.”

Dallas made only 16 shots from five in the game.

The Stars are in the series thanks to their white-hot power play, which led to Heiskanen’s game-tying goal in the first period for the ninth time in the series. But the man-advantage went to 0 of 3 after the first period of Game 5.

Dallas needs win again at Minnesota

Dallas had earned home-ice advantage for two of the final three games after a double-overtime win over Minnesota in Game 3.

But two consecutive losses, one in OT and the other in Game 5 in a largely tied affair, have pushed the Stars to the brink of elimination. They’ll have to overcome both Matt Boldy (four goals) and the Wild, but also the noisy atmosphere at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, which certainly awaits.

Dallas is 1-3 in St. Paul this season, although one of its regular season losses came in overtime. The Wild must be feeling angry, too, as this core has yet to win a postseason series – Minnesota hasn’t won a playoff series since 2015.

But the Stars haven’t won a series since the 1999 Western Conference Finals, going down 3-2. They will need a better performance in Game 6 to have a chance to potentially win the series at home in Game 7.

Pat Pickens is an award-winning sports writer and author who has covered the NHL since 2013. He reveals more about Pat Pickens.