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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 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.

The New York Giants established their foundation under new head coach John Harbaugh with the team having seven selections in the 2026 NFL Draft.

• Averell Reese, LB, Ohio State (5^th overall)
• Francis Mauigoa, OT Miami (10^th overall)
• Colton Hood, CB Tennessee (37)^th overall)
• Malachi Fields, WR Notre Dame (74^th overall)
• Bobby Jamison-Travis, DT Auburn (186^th overall)
• Jesse Davis, OL Illinois (192^Ra overall)
• Jack Kelly, LB BYU (193^third overall)

Although we will have to wait and see how the players perform on the field to properly evaluate them, the Giants should be considered one of the winners of the draft, considering the players they drafted where they were taken.

It was eye-opening to see how the franchise handled the first draft under Harbaugh, and here are the four biggest takeaways.

Giants signing DJ Reeder seems inevitable

Defensive tackle was one of the team’s biggest needs coming into the draft in the wake of the Dexter Lawrence trade with the Cincinnati Bengals. They ultimately took Jamison-Travis in the sixth round, but he is a project and not ready to be a starter. That’s why the team is expected to sign free agent DJ Reeder at any time.

The 6’3, 330-pound defensive tackle started 32 games for the Detroit Lions over the past two seasons and recorded 51 tackles with 12 quarterback hits and three sacks. He spent his last four seasons with the Bengals, and the first four years of his career with the Houston Texans.

Reeder will turn 32 in July, and he would be an ideal candidate to fill the void in the middle of the defense for a season until a team drafts a defensive tackle in the 2027 draft.

The signing of the veteran defensive tackle could happen as early as this week or sometime during OTAs.

The new system believes you can never have too many pass rushers.

There’s an old Giants adage that you can never have too many pass rushers, and the Giants’ new regime, led by Harbaugh and Senior Vice President of Football Operations Don Aponte, believes it too.

Although Averell Reese would play inside linebacker with New York, he played the majority of his snaps playing on the edge in his final year at Ohio State. He will now run faster from the A gap and sometimes line up on the outside in passing situations.

The team now has four leading pass rushers in Reese, Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux. There were reports that the team was engaged in trade talks with the New Orleans Saints for Thibodaux. But the Saints did not offer the compensation the Giants were looking for, and decided not to part with the 25-year-old edge rusher.

It’s possible the team parted ways with Thibodaux at the end of this offseason. But right now, they have a group of pass rushers that are going to make life difficult for opposing offensive lines. They may not have been the 2011 NASCAR package that led the franchise to victory in Super Bowl XLVI, led by Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Jason Pierre-Paul and Mathias Kiwanuka, as they played on the defensive line. But fans are hopeful that this generation of pass rushers will help the franchise win a Super Bowl just like the previous generation of pass rushers.

RELATED: 6 best 2026 NFL draft classes including the Bills and Browns

The team got great value from their choice

One reason Big Blue gets high praise for the players they have selected is because of where they have selected them.

Some thought Reese would be a top three pick, but he fell to fifth and New York rushed to hand him his card for the pick. Mauigoa was viewed as the most drafted offensive lineman in the draft, and some mock drafts had him included in the top 10. For the Giants to land him at 10 is great value for a team that was in desperate need of offensive line help.

In terms of price selection, New York is getting the hood with 37^th The overall pick could turn into one of the best value selections of the 2026 NFL Draft. He had a first-round grade by many and will have a chance to start at cornerback.

The Giants committed a turnover of 105.^th and 145^th Trading a selection in the 2026 draft and a fourth-round selection in the 2027 draft and taking Malachi Fields at 74. The 6’4, 218 pound wideout has five years of playing experience, and if not for his 4.61 40 time, he would have been off the board sooner.

The team’s final selection, Jack Kelly, totaled 106 tackles and 15 sacks in his two seasons at BYU. The versatile linebacker will get playing time on special teams but will eventually slide into the defensive rotation.

Caleb Downs wasn’t ranked that high on the Giants’ draft board

In the creation of draft, it is also. For months before the draft, there were reports that the Giants were very high on Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.

Many mock drafts had New York playing the All-American safety with the fifth overall selection. Then, when they got 10^th In the Dexter Lawrence trade, the assumption was that if they didn’t take Downs at five, they would definitely take him at 10 if he was still on the board. But this did not happen.

Big Blue passed on him twice, and now they’ll have to face him twice a year as the Dallas Cowboys have made a deal to take him with pick 11.^th choose. Only time will tell if Big Blue will regret not taking the best safety in the draft.

RELATED: 2026 NFL Draft stunners: The biggest surprises from Round 1, including Simpson going to the LA Rams

The New York Sirens could not make a dent on the scoreboard in their regular season finale on Saturday afternoon, losing 4–0 to the Boston Fleet at the Tsongas Center.

Erin Frankel set a new PWHL record with her eighth shutout of the season and Boston scored four times in the third period to earn its 16th regulation win.

New York held a 24–8 lead in shots for the first 40 minutes, but failed to overcome Frankel, who made 30 saves in 60:00. Boston swept the ice in the third, outscoring the siren 16–6.

“I think today’s game was a really good sign for our season,” Sirens coach Greg Fargo admitted after the game. “We’re playing well, we’ve got a second team, and we can’t find a way to get that first or second team. So you get a team that’s as good as Boston, and they’re going to pay you.”

Sirens finished the season in seventh place with 36 points (9-3-3-15); Their 15 regulation losses ranked second in the league behind the Seattle Torrents (16). The Fleet improved to 62 points (16-5-5-4), passing the Montreal Victoire for first place, although Montreal earned the No. 1 seed via tiebreaker.

With no playoff or draft implications on Saturday, Sirens coach Greg Fargo turned to rookie goalie Kelly Shanahan for her third start this season, and New York got things under control early. Boston managed only one shot in the first period, which was completely neutralized by an aggressive Siren forecheck.

But Fleet made a breakthrough in the third, leading Shanahan by three points and reaching a scoreless tie. Former Sirens forward Jessie Aldridge deflected a long shot from captain Megan Keller just 2:53 into the frame to give Boston a 1–0 lead. Ella Huber increased the lead to 2-0 at 7:28, collecting the puck in the slot and speeding past Shanahan on the glove side. With the Fleet on the power play, rookie defender Haley Winn picked up the corner on a long shot from the point, blasting in a one-time feed from Keller to make it 3-0 at 13:43.

Fargo pulled Shanahan to take a 6-on-4 lead after a boarding penalty on Fleet defender Noemi Neubauerova at 14:29 of the third, but Jill Saulnier won a puck battle in Boston’s zone and scored an empty-netter at 14:56.

Keller, Eldridge and Liz Schepers each scored two points; Keller led all PWHL defensemen with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 2025–26.

“I thought we did a good job of getting first touches on pucks on both ends of the rink in the first 40 minutes of the game, and that led to a lot of offensive zone time. We had few chances offensively, and were really limited on their timing and the quality of their looks,” Fargo said. “I have to give credit to Boston, they definitely had a little something up their sleeves in the third period and came at us. And credit to them for doing that, and the way they finished the game.”

The Fleet won their 11th consecutive game against the Sirens, the longest winning streak between two teams in PWHL history. New York’s last win against Boston came on March 25, 2024, during the league’s inaugural season.

Highlights after Sirens’ season ends with shutout loss to Fleet

The siren’s crime subsides in the final stages

Despite strong shot totals, New York’s offense slowed toward the end of the 2025–26 season.

After losing star rookie Kristina Kaltunkova to a season-ending lower-body injury, Ciaran averaged 1.6 goals in her final nine games, scoring one or fewer goals in six of those contests. Saturday marked New York’s fifth shutout loss of the season after being shut out just once in 30 games last season.

Saturday followed a familiar script. The Sirens dictated the game in the first 40 minutes, but had nothing to show. The power play once again faltered and four chances went waste.

New York’s offense relied heavily on star forward Sarah Fillear and rookie center Casey O’Brien in the final month. Both performed well, but the Sirens’ thin attack proved difficult to sustain, especially against red-hot goaltenders like Regan Kirk, Gwyneth Phillips and Frankel.

The Sirens have outscored opponents in six of their last nine games, and Fargo often praised the offensive process, but this is a results-based business at the end of the day — and the results weren’t there when it mattered most.

Fargo ‘proud of growth’ from youth group

In training camp in November, the Sirens set their sights on the first postseason berth in franchise history. For the third consecutive season, that goal eluded them.

Fargo said after the game, “It’s definitely sad to miss the playoffs. We want to be there. That’s where we set our goals at the beginning of the year.” “But at the same time, you have to appreciate the growth of this group.”

New York was the youngest team ever in the PWHL this season. When the Sirens acquired Minnesota Frost forward Denisa Krisova in a trade in late March, the 31-year-old immediately became the team’s oldest player – and the only one over the age of 30.

The young man quickly became one of their greatest assets. Despite major changes in the offseason, a new-look Sirens team started 7–0–0–3. That pace eventually slowed, but the New York rookie continued to impress.

The first-round combination of Kaltunkova (No. 1 overall) and O’Brien (No. 3 overall) headlined a deep rookie class that paced the PWHL with 28 goals and 62 points. Kaltunkova scored 11 goals in 21 games before being placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), and O’Brien led all rookies with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists).

Fourth-round pick Maddie Wheeler (No. 28 overall) made an immediate impact on New York’s top six with her physical 200-yard game, finishing fifth in team scoring with 10 points (three goals, seven assists). Second-round pick Anne Cherkovsky (No. 9 overall) wasn’t far behind with nine points (two goals, seven assists). Undrafted reserve defender Nicole Valario worked her way into a steady role in the Sirens’ defensive core, entering the third pairing following the departure of veteran blue-liner Jincy Rouse.

Fargo said, “We’ve got a young team with a young core. And I think we were able to take some positive steps this year.” “There are parts of our game that we really like. Obviously, we have to find ways to score.”

Outside of the rookies, second-year defender Maja Nylen Persson scored a career-high 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 2025–26, and Petey Lewis reached double-digit scoring (10 points) for the first time in his three-year PWHL career.

“I’m really proud of the growth of this group, this organization,” Fargo said. “I think we’ve taken a lot of steps forward.”

Sirens coach addresses ‘untenable’ extension rumors

Unfortunately for New York, keeping that young core together could be quite a challenge.

The PWHL has not released specific details yet, but all signs point to another batch of expansion teams joining the league this offseason. If last offseason was any indication, another roster overhaul may be in store for the Sirens.

“It’s upsetting,” Fargo said of the uncertain offseason. “We feel really good about the group we have in the locker room. It’s been a challenge to build a team from day one.”

Sirens coach Greg Fargo spoke on the looming threat of another expansion following New York’s regular season finale:

“It’s upsetting because we feel really good about the group we have in the locker room. Building a team from day one has been a challenge. And so I think if… pic.twitter.com/HEC5Qd2R04

– Lou Orlando (@SweetLouuuu) 25 April 2026

Under last offseason’s rules, teams were allowed to protect up to three players they had rights to. Once two players were taken to extensions, teams could add a fourth player to their protected list. It’s unclear whether this offseason will follow the same format, but anything remotely like that would result in a big loss for New York.

“I think if there’s a way to keep a good number of players and staff together in that room, we feel really good about what we’re building. It’s just a matter of whether we can keep it together for a long time,” Fargo continued. “We know there will likely be some bumps in the road, but we will do our best to try and adapt and put together the best group we can possibly have come next season.”

On top of the extension, the Sirens have 11 players set to become unrestricted free agents, including Kristin O’Neal, Taylor Girard and midseason additions Claire DeGeorge and Chrisova. General manager Pascal Daoust has his work cut out for him.

Lou Orlando is an alumnus of Fordham University, where he covered the New York Rangers for three seasons… More about Lou Orlando

The New York Knicks made a tremendous comeback on Saturday night. They defeated the Atlanta Hawks 114–98 to tie the first-round playoff series 2–2.

After losing two games in a row, New York was focused, physical and determined when it came out of the locker room. Here are three things we discovered after Game 4.

The Knicks always need a wakeup call

This team seems to play its best basketball when its back is against the wall. After losses in Games 2 and 3, including a blowout 109–108 loss where they blew a late lead, the Knicks came to Atlanta with something to prove. And he did exactly that.

With a jump ball at tip-off, New York set the tone. They led in every quarter, ran sharp offensive sets and defended with alacrity. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with a postseason triple-double (20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists), and OG Anunoby exploded for 22 points.

Knicks’ true character – tough, deep and disciplined – was revealed in the moment he felt the pressure. This is quite reassuring, but at the same time, it is also a little worrying as we head towards a winner-takes-all series.

Mickle Bridge requires less than 20 minutes

We all know Mikal Bridges just isn’t producing when it comes to the biggest moments of the playoffs. After a scoreless performance with a shocking minus-26, the Knicks reduced their time on the floor in Game 4.

Although he scored a few times in the first half, his defensive mistakes and offensive struggles put him at risk in crunch time.

Mike Brown needs to accept the truth. In one trade, Bridges was the reason the Knicks had to give up five first-round picks; However, in the playoffs, performance matters, not loyalty.

Limiting their playing time to under 20 minutes allows the Knicks to keep their most effective and reliable players on the field in the final minutes, while also getting some benefits from their length and defense in controlled doses.​

Kat needs to be the main guy, not Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson is the heart of this team, but this game tells a clear story: They turned the ball over six times. Meanwhile, Kat was an absolute monster. He scored, counter-attacked and planned attacks all night long.

When the Knicks run the post and play through Towns in the mid-range, they look like a completely different team. The Knicks are at their best when the Cats are dominating and Game 4 proved that again.

Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from London School of Journalism and has four years of experience… More about Jayesh Pagar

Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy did everything he could to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning past the Montreal Canadiens in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference First Round series on Friday night at the Bell Centre. This was not enough.

Vasilevskiy denied three Montreal breakaways in regulation, but he never saw Montreal defenseman Len Hutson’s slap shot from the right point as it passed multiple bodies and into the net 2:08 into overtime to give the Canadiens a 3–2 win and a 2–1 lead in the best-of-7 series.

Alexandre Texier, who opened the scoring early in the first period, flicked a shot back to Hutson, and the 2025 Calder Trophy winner produced a rocket that found its way through a half-dozen bodies and into the net.

Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel scored for the Lightning. Hagel’s goal early in the second period put Tampa Bay ahead 2–1, but Kirby Dach put the Canadiens even at 12:43. Vasilevskiy finished with 26 saves on 29 shots; Montreal rookie Jacob Dobbs faced only 17 shots and stopped 15.

This was the third consecutive overtime game in the series, the first for the Lightning since entering the NHL in 1992. The Canadiens had not gone to OT in three straight playoff games since Games 2, 3 and 4 of the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals – they won all three en route to their most recent championship. It was the first time that an NHL playoff series began with three straight overtime games since the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals did so in 2021.

The teams split OT wins in Games 1 and 2 at Benchmark International Arena, with the Canadiens winning 4–3 in the opener and Tampa Bay taking the series with a 3–2 win in Game 2. The Lightning have not won consecutive playoff games since the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Rangers.

They will try to even the series on Sunday night in Montreal.

The sellout crowd of 20,962 was roaring from the moment Canadiens legend Yvan Cournoyer took the torch to lead Montreal onto the ice. This became even more intense when his heroes gained a quick lead.

Zach Bolduc moved the puck to the right circle and saw that Texier was late in the middle, with no Lightning defender there to pick him up. Bolduc fed a pass onto Texier’s stick for a perfect shot from the slot that took the top corner past Vasilevskiy’s glove at 4:53, giving Montreal the lead 1–0.

But this lead did not last long. Dobbs was called for fouling Yanni Gourde, and the Lightning capitalized at 7:42 when Point found space in the slot, took a pass from Jake Guentzel and one-timed it into the net for a 1–1 tie.

The Lightning got another power play 30 seconds after the goal when Dach was called for tripping but produced very little power. Montreal had a good chance after Nikita Kucherov took an unnecessary tripping penalty at 12:23, and the Lightning again failed to convert after Mike Matheson took a hooking penalty at 19:11.

Tampa Bay dominated the game for the first few minutes of the second period and led 2–1 at the 4:47 mark. Hagel picked up a pass from Jake Evans in the neutral zone, raced to the left circle and surprised Dobbs with a quick shot that beat him on the short side for his fourth goal of the series.

Vasilevsky maintained the lead just over a minute later by stopping Montreal rookie Ivan Demidov on a breakaway. Demidov, who led all NHL rookies with 62 points during the regular season, gave the Lightning their fourth power play at 9:59 when he carelessly high-sticked Ryan McDonagh, but Tampa Bay could not take advantage.

This set the stage for the Canadiens to even the score. Vasilevskiy blocked Dach from the slot, but the puck went along the right board. Dach tracked him down and fired through the maze of bodies; Vasilevskiy never saw the puck, which deflected off McDonagh and into the net at 12:43, making the score 2–2.

Tampa Bay spent most of the remaining period killing penalties. Hegel was called for holding a stick at 14:05, Emil Lilleberg was sent for hooking at 16:14 and Darren Raddish was called for a high-sticking minor at 19:29.

Montreal outshot the Bolts 13–7 in the middle period, and Tampa Bay did not have a single shot on goal until the final 13:25.

Vasilevskiy was the biggest reason the Lightning forced overtime despite being outshot 21-11 in the final two periods, including 8-4 in the third when he faced two more breakaways.

Cole Caufield, the 51-goal scorer during the regular season, came in alone at 3:29, but Vasilevskiy came out to challenge him, but was unsuccessful. Josh Anderson took a breakaway pass coming out of the penalty box midway through the period, but Vasilevskiy did not fake the pass and made a wrist save from his close range.

According to Natural Stat Trick, the Bolts applied little pressure on Dobbs and had only three high-danger scoring chances over the course of 60 minutes. Hutson’s game-winner came on the only shot in overtime.

Key takeaways after Canadiens top Lightning in OT to win Game 3

wasting a precious gem

The Lightning couldn’t have asked for anything more from their future Hall of Fame goaltender. They did everything but stand on their heads as Hegel’s goal put them ahead 2–1, despite managing all five shots on goal.

Dach’s tying goal came after “Vesey” made a big stop on him – and as was the case with Hutson’s game-winner, No. 88 never saw the shot due to the series of bodies in front of him.

Tampa Bay did almost nothing offensively after the first five minutes of the second period and only the play of Vasilevskiy gave them a chance to win.

Hagel and linemates need help

The Lightning scored eight goals in the first three games of this series. Hagel has four of them, assisted on the fifth and has been on the ice for all eight. For good measure, he also became the first player in Lightning history to get a Gordie Howe hat trick (goal/assist/fighting major) in Game 2.

His goal in Game 3 was an unassisted gem, ending with a spectacular shot that completely caught Dobbs by surprise.

Hegel and his teammates, Guentzel (five points, all assists) and Nikita Kucherov (four points; one goal, three assists) each had 14 points. The other three in a row combined have three (point goal and two assists) by Anthony Cirelli in Game 2. This is not a formula for playoff success.

too much punishment

The Lightning’s penalty-killers could use the day off before Sunday’s game.

Tampa Bay did a great job of shutting down all four Montreal power plays in Game 3, including three in a span of just over five minutes in the second period. They limited the Canadiens to five shots on goal during four shutouts and were generally successful in keeping Montreal out. This was a huge change from earlier in the series, when the Lightning surrendered four power-play goals on the Canadiens’ first six opportunities.

But eight minutes of power-play time for the Canadiens meant Tampa Bay had to keep top offensive players like Kucherov on the bench. He played only 41 seconds over the course of 9:59 spanning the second and third periods – most of which Tampa Bay played down a man. Not having your top players in tie games is no way to be successful, especially in the playoffs.

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

The New York Sirens defeated the Toronto Sceptres 1-0 in a tense overtime contest Tuesday night — but there was no reason to celebrate. By failing to win in regulation, New York was eliminated from playoff contention for the third consecutive season.

Siren is the only member of the PWHL’s Inaugural Six to not appear in the postseason in the league’s three-year history. New York finished in last place in its first two seasons.

Alison Simpson scored the game-winner with a wrist shot between the circles at 2:42 of overtime, just minutes after sealing New York’s playoff fate in disappointing fashion.

This was the only goal scored by either side. The Sirens took a 33-21 lead in shots, but Sceptres goaltender Regan Kirk kept New York off the board in regulation, making 32 saves in 62:42 en route to Second Star honors. Kyle Osborne stopped all 20 shots he faced to earn his fourth shutout of the season.

The Sirens needed six points in their final two games to have a chance to challenge Toronto and Ottawa charge for the No. 4 seed. They improved to 36 points (9-3-3-14) with their third overtime win of 2025-26, but the 40-point mark is now out of reach with one game remaining.

It was New York’s first road win since January 6, snapping an eight-game losing streak. The Sirens have the second-worst road points percentage at .214.

The Scepters remain in fifth place with 38 points (10-1-6-12), one point behind fourth-placed Charge. Ottawa can clinch a postseason berth with a regulation win over Boston Fleet on Wednesday.

“I think we showed a lot of confidence today, not even late in the game, but right from the drop of the puck,” Sirens captain Micah Zandi-Hart said after the game. “I think you saw the energy we came out with – we wanted to win. You look at the shot total, we were getting a lot of good chances. We didn’t get the ball going our way, but we had a lot of confidence right from the start.”

New York outshot Toronto 8–1 midway through the first period and opened the scoring at 14:29 when Maja Nylen Persson beat Kirk Blocker’s side with a point shot on the power play. The officials immediately dismissed this and ruled that Sarah Fillear had interfered with Kirk outside the crease.

The Sirens failed to convert four power plays, and when the Cubs broke into a 3-on-1 shorthanded rush against Osborn, they nearly surrendered their fourth jailbreak goal in three games.

With the third period still scoreless, Sirens coach Greg Fargo pulled Osborn at 18:40, but New York had only two shots on goal at 6-on-5.

Fargo said, “We knew going into the situation – if we were tied, we would have had to pull the goalie. We would have liked to get him out a little quicker.” “We had a hard time creating possession in the offensive zone there. It took us a while to get him out of the net, but I thought we did a pretty good job of getting him out.”

Toronto gained momentum from Maddie Wheeler’s tripping penalty at 11:11 of the third minute, leading to a forecheck that prevented New York from pulling its goalie with more time on the clock.

Even with their playoff hopes officially dashed, the intensity of the siren did not diminish in overtime.

“We wanted to win. We’re all competitors,” Fillier said after the game. “When there’s a chance to win the game, and it doesn’t matter what’s at stake, you want to win.”

Casey O’Brien collected the rebound from a field shot and fed the trailing Simpson, whose wrist shot went through Kirk’s five-hole. Fillier extended her points streak to three games and led all skaters with seven shots.

He refused to take solace in victory.

“Not really. We knew what was at stake. We knew we needed a regulation win,” Fillion said after the game. “It’s nice to be rewarded in overtime, but it’s too late for us.”

Montreal Victoire’s late lead – led by a natural hat trick from Hayley Scamurra in just 2:44 – fell short. Vancouver won 4–3 in regulation.

In a single night, the New York Sirens were eliminated from the race for the playoffs and the #1 overall pick. Ouch.

– Lou Orlando (@SweetLouuuu) 22 April 2026

New York can accumulate draft points when it visits Boston Fleet on Saturday. However, the No. 1 overall pick is off the table after the Vancouver GoldenEyes defeated the Montreal Victoire 4-3 in regulation on Tuesday.

Key takeaways after Cubs dash Sirens’ playoff hopes in overtime

Ciaran regrets missed opportunities: ‘We had a lot of chances’

The Sirens couldn’t get ahead against Kirk in regulation, although they certainly had plenty of chances.

“We just needed a bounce to really get our way,” Fargo said. “From the moment the puck dropped, I liked our game. I thought we got a lot of the puck first. We established a good forecheck and really caught on to them right away. It was O-zone time. We had some opportunities.”

Denisa Krisova got free on a second-period breakaway but lost the puck in the final seconds. Later in the frame, Fillier nearly went in alone after picking off Sceptres defender Renata Fast at the blue line, but Fast quickly recovered and put away the chance. In the third, a turnover created a 2-on-0 for Fillier and Wheeler, but Kirk swept it aside.

Jaime Bourbonnais had a golden opportunity to give the Sirens a 1-0 lead when she found the open net on Anne Cherkovsky’s one-timer feed in the final seconds of her fourth power play. Instead, he misfired, sending the puck harmlessly into the corner.

“We had a lot of chances,” Philier lamented. “I had a lot of chances on my stick, just to finish something early. I thought we had a lot of good chances the whole game, and I think we deserved better.”

Toronto withstood a strong New York attack behind a stellar outing from Kirk in net.

“Our process tonight was really good,” Fargo insisted. “Definitely needed the bounce, but they also deserve some credit for keeping us off the board.”

Despite ‘disappointing finish’, New York excited to pursue 2025-26 campaign

The Sirens were in a playoff position by the end of March, but were unable to survive an inconsistent second half.

Unfortunately for New York, the lows outweighed the highs. The Sirens went 2-3-0-8 in 13 games after the Olympic break and struggled mightily on the road. Long-term injuries to top scorers Kristina Kaltunkova and Taylor Girard, as well as Osborne’s uneven play, contributed to a poor second half.

“It’s obviously disappointing,” said Zandi-Hart, nearing the end of her third season as New York’s captain. “This is not where we want to be.”

After a 2025 offseason that saw an influx of young talent, New York set its sights on making the playoffs. It fell short of that goal, although optimism remains in the locker room.

“This season, especially, we were a brand new team. We had a lot of new players. We had a lot of injuries. We had a lot of new players coming into the mix,” Zandi-Hart explained. “For me personally, it’s disappointing to not help the team reach the playoffs for the first time as captain, but I’m really proud of this specific team and what we were able to accomplish at the end of the season.”

The Sirens lost nine out of 10 games (1–0–2–7) from January 20 to March 28, but still managed to get back into playoff contention thanks to inspired play from Fillier. A 5-1 loss to the Charge on Saturday dealt a major blow to their playoff chances, but there was still a narrow path for New York to the postseason entering Tuesday’s game.

“We’re proud of our group,” Fillier said afterward. “We believed we were going to go into it – and we played like we believed.”

In theory, a promising rookie class led by Kaltunkova, O’Brien and Wheeler should generate optimism for the future. But an impending extension – the exact details are still unknown – could make it difficult for New York to mount a promising campaign.

Gold Plan Update: Sirens fighting for No. 2 overall pick

New York is officially out of the race for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 PWHL Draft, but there is still a lot to play for heading into the regular season finale against Boston.

University of Wisconsin star Caroline Harvey is considered the top prize this summer after leading all skaters in plus-minus at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. But with fellow Wisconsin defender Laila Edwards and University of Minnesota forward Abby Murphy also heading up a deep draft class, any top three selection could give the Sirens an instant star.

The No. 2 overall pick would theoretically give New York the choice of Edwards or Murphy — a particularly beneficial luxury for a team that desperately needs an elite playmaker on its backend. Of course, landing that pick won’t be easy.

To top it off – the Sirens may still get the #2 pick in the PWHL draft, but the odds are against them.

Seattle already has 1 draft point and 2 games left.

If you are a supporter of anarchy, here is my favorite scenario:
Seattle lost twice in OT and the Sirens won in regulation. Both… https://t.co/gieUYIIkJ3

– Lou Orlando (@SweetLouuuu) 22 April 2026

The Seattle Torrents are in second place in the Gold Plan standings with one draft point and two games remaining. The GoldenEyes are in first place with three points and locked up the tiebreaker over New York with a regulation win on Tuesday. The Cubs could also potentially be in the running if Wednesday falls out of the playoff race.

If Seattle goes higher than three draft points the Sirens will be out of the running for the No. 2 overall pick.

Lou Orlando is an alumnus of Fordham University, where he covered the New York Rangers for three seasons… More about Lou Orlando

The Tampa Bay Lightning have leveled their Eastern Conference first round series against the Montreal Canadiens after a 3-2 overtime win in Game 2 at Benchmark International Arena on Tuesday night.

Defenseman JJ Moser’s first career playoff goal sealed a one-point win in the series, with the next two games scheduled for Friday and Saturday at the Bell Center in Montreal. The goal also ended Tampa Bay’s seven-game playoff losing streak in overtime games.

The Lightning dominated the extra period, defeating Montreal 8–0, before Anthony Cirelli scored on a pass in the offensive zone to the right of goalie Jacob Dobbs. Moser got the puck near the left point, worked his way around the right circle and fired through a screen. As the puck hit the back of the net at 12:48, the sellout crowd of 19,092 erupted and the series was tied.

Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov scored the other goals for the Lightning, and Andrei Vasilevskiy bounced back from an average performance in Game 1 with 25 saves.

Lane Hutson scored a power-play goal in the first period and Josh Anderson scored late in the second period to put Montreal ahead 2–1. Dobbs made 31 saves.

The win at home was a relief for the Lightning, who were 1-10 in their last 11 playoff games in their own building. They lost to the Florida Panthers three times in the first round in each of the last two seasons before losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2023. The last time Tampa Bay went beyond Round 1 was in 2022, when they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the finals while trying to win their third consecutive championship.

Lightning even series with OT win against Canadiens in Game 2

The Canadiens had the better of the game early on, holding the Lightning without a shot for more than eight minutes after an early face-off. But Bolt converted his first shot into the opening goal.

Hagel circled into the high slot and shot, but his shot hit a body and landed on the left board. He followed it up and fired again – but this time, the shot went through a screen and past Dobbs at 8:20 to put the Lightning up 1–0.

Tampa Bay got its first power play of the game at 10:11 when Montreal’s Arbor Zekaj got an extra minor after a clash with Yanni Gourde. But it was the Canadiens who almost scored; Vasilevskiy intercepted Jake Evans on a 2-on-1 break and the rebound bounced off the feet of Alex Newhook, who was alone but couldn’t get his stick on the puck.

Then it was the turn to fill the penalty box. A major scrum behind the Montreal net erupted on the Canadiens power play when referees Frederic L’Ecuyer and Graham Skilliter called out 11 minors – Lightning forward Corey Perry received an additional one.

Montreal made it 4-for-6 with an extra man in the series, when Hutson’s straight-up slapper from inside the blue line hit Lightning defenseman Eric Cernak and went past Vasilevskiy at 16:11.

The Canadiens could not score on their next power play after a cross-checking call against Nick Paul at 17:49 and the period ended even at 1–1.

Hegel and the Canadiens’ Game 1 hero Juraj Slafkowski dropped the gloves at 5:14 of the second period and earned the first fighting major of the series, with Hegel downing the much larger Montreal forward to end the fight.

The goaltenders exchanged clutch saves with just over six minutes remaining in the period, but the Canadiens began to get the better of the game and took the lead with 1:24 remaining in the period. Anderson, who had scored the opening goal in Game 1, arrived in front of the net and converted the pass to Philippe Danault, who won the puck battle behind the net. Anderson found position between two defenders and beat Vasilevskiy to give Montreal a 2–1 lead.

The Bolts equalized about five minutes into the third period when Moser beat Dobbs but hit the post. They got a power-play opportunity shortly after when Montreal’s Ivan Demidov was called for tripping but did not apply much pressure.

But Kucherov electrified the crowd when he took the carom of Cirelli’s blocked shot, swung into the back of the net and fired the puck inside the right post at 12:33 to tie the game at 2–2. It was the star forward’s first playoff goal in 17 games.

The Lightning had to survive one more threat to get overtime. After Scott Sabourin’s unnecessary interference penalty with 2:15 left in regulation gave Montreal a late power play, Hutson slapped a straight shot with less than a minute remaining that went off Vasilevskiy’s hand before hitting the post.

Dobbs was brilliant in overtime but had no chance for Moser’s game-winner.

Highlights after Lightning beat Canadiens 3-2 in OT

stars come for bolt

As the third period wore on and the Lightning trailed by a goal, you could have eased the tension with a knife. It wasn’t nice to think about going 0-2 in Montreal, especially after two more home losses.

But then some of Bolt’s stars saved the situation.

Kucherov had gone 16 playoff games without a goal since Game 1 of the 2023 first round against Toronto – before the game was tied. The NHL’s No. 2 scorer during the regular season looked like a giant eagle as he swooped in to grab the blocked shot, fly around the net and deposit the puck into the wide-open net because Dobbs couldn’t move from right to left in time.

Then it was Vasilevsky’s turn. After Sabourin’s penalty he made two big stops on Hutson to give the Canadiens a late power play to preserve the tie.

A “Gordie Howe” for Hegel.

This is the 18th time the Lightning are appearing in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but Hagel became the first player in franchise history to achieve a Gordie Howe hat trick (goal/assist/fighting major) in a postseason game.

The first period goal was his third in the first two games, and he got a secondary assist on Kucherov’s goal. There is nothing surprising in any of this.

This is the main theme of the fight which was out of the ordinary. Hagel only had two fighting majors during the regular season, despite playing on the NHL’s most fighting team – the Lightning led the NHL with 43 majors. He was also watching Slafkowski gain about 40 pounds. Despite this, he landed a punch, knocking out the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft before officials stopped the fight.

bang, bang

The series has only featured Hegel-Slafkowski fighting majors during the first two games, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of physicality.

There were 77 hits in Game 2 (43 for Montreal, 34 for the Lightning). This comes after 86 hits in Game 1 (44-42 lead for the Bolts). Tuesday’s game also saw 23 penalties, including two fights and 14 minor ones for roughing.

Lightning coach John Cooper said his team was stepped up physically after recent seasons, and said this was due to the development of players like Sabourin, who is known for his physical play.

“These are two proud teams,” Cooper said. “You have to do what you have to do to move forward. No matter how we do it, we’re going to do it.”

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

Sunny Mehta is living his dream as the general manager of the New Jersey Devils.

He himself had said this in his opening statement.

“First and foremost, I really want to thank David Blitzer, all of Devils ownership, Josh Harris and Bob Myers, Tad Brown for hiring me not only today, but 12 years ago,” Mehta began. “I can definitely tell you that my career wouldn’t be the same without these people. And it’s a thrill. To be honest, it’s a dream to be back here.”

The local boy has come home – where he previously worked as Director of Analytics – but now in a very different role.

However, he has returned before. When the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup — in both 2024 and 2025 — Mehta brought Lord Stanley back to his days in New Jersey with the trophy.

For Mehta, it’s always been New Jersey.

It was here that he fell in love with hockey. It was here that he fell in love with devils. And that is why he is in this position today.

There was not a single revelation in Mehta’s initial press conference. This is the 48-year-old officers’ second day on the job. He revealed that he has had at least one conversation with everyone in the organization, including the coaching staff and every player on the roster.

What it revealed was that their optimism stemmed from some of the parts the Devils already had.

“I’m extremely optimistic about this team,” Mehta said. “We have a lot of talented players, and I really believe that these talented players are going to reach a turning point and get over that hurdle. It’s my job to make sure this roster continues to be filled with the amount of talent needed to be a championship team, and I intend to do that.”

And while that’s all well and good, it’s the results that will speak the loudest.

So, what was the biggest takeaway from his introductory press conference?

Everything is under evaluation

Mehta decapitated the snake at the beginning of his introductory press conference. He explained to everyone and everything working under him is for evaluation.

It starts with Sheldon Keefe – who was present at Mehta’s introductory press conference – and extends to Nico Hischier, Simon Nemec and Arseny Gritsyuk.

This also extends to his personal cabinet, assistant coaching staff and scouting department.

“As far as the short term is concerned, moving forward, there is going to be a period of evaluation for all the players, coaches and staff,” Mehta said. “No decisions are made on anything related to him. As for David.” [Blitzer] As indicated, this is literally day two for me.”

So, there is no answer today as to who will be the head coach when the puck drops in September. And no, we don’t know the level of urgency to lock down some key pending free agents.

However, we will soon find out.

Worth noting is that when he was asked who he wanted to be like as GM, Mehta said, “I want to be like Sunny Mehta.”

In a copycat league, that’s definitely the right mindset to have going into this position.

expense for cap

The story is that the Devils owners are cheap and don’t spend where necessary.

Uh, have you seen the net worth of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment Enterprises?

With Devils co-owner David Blitzer in attendance, he answered the question everyone, including Mehta, wanted to hear.

In fact, Mehta sat on his chair as soon as he heard the answer. There is no bond on the new Devils GM. He is free to spend as he sees fit.

“It’s fair to say that we intend to spend up to the limit,” Blitzer explained.

We’ll see how it looks in the offseason. However, this is not the strongest crop of free agents. This does not mean that Mehta cannot work for top talents in the trade market. It is interesting to note that there is no restriction on this.

However, Mehta’s gutted reaction to Blitzer’s answer was obvious. It’s clear he’s excited to scout the Devils roster and put his fingerprints on it.

familiar territory

Yes, Mehta grew up in Wyckoff, New Jersey, after moving to the Garden State at the age of four. Sure, he played high school hockey in Ramapo, New Jersey.

However, that’s not why Mehta is in familiar territory as the Devils’ new GM.

Mehta arrived in the Florida Panthers organization in 2020 as vice president of hockey strategy and an analyst. The Panthers were still in turmoil. They finished the season with a 35–26–8 record, and lost in the qualifying round of the playoffs during the second half of the COVID cutoff season.

However, since that time Mehta has helped the Panthers become two-time Stanley Cup champions. Still, not without some changes. Mehta is looking to do the same thing for the Devils.

“I see a lot of similarities [in New Jersey’s roster] Because when I got to Florida, they were going through some tough times recently,” Mehta said. “But they had some very talented players. There are some things we need to keep and some things we need to change.”

After consecutive first and second round exits, Mehta played a hand in sending key players Jonathan Huberdeau and McKenzie Weegar to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Matthew Tkachuk in a blockbuster deal.

That’s when the culture of Florida changed.

The Panthers then made their second appearance in the Finals, but ultimately lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023. And then, they became consecutive Stanley Cup champions in 2024 and 2025.

“I think the biggest thing is that I was already involved in that decision-making process, I was fortunate that I got a chance to work under my last boss, Bill Zito. Our backgrounds were a little different, in the sense that he went into law, I went into finance. But, he’s also a guy who grew up in hockey like me, and he’s also a guy who never played professionally. But I think that’s Bill’s biggest strength, and the fact that he’s a group of guys in Florida. Our biggest strength was the idea of having a diverse group of different people with hockey backgrounds and different perspectives. Bill did a phenomenal job of gathering those different perspectives and coming to a decision, and that’s what I intend to do here.

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

Juraj Slachowski showed why Montreal selected him No. 1 overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, completing his first playoff hat-trick by scoring a power-play goal 1:22 into overtime, leading the Canadiens to a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opener of their Eastern Conference First Round series on Sunday at Benchmark International Arena.

Tampa Bay’s Jake Guentzel took a high-sticking penalty with 21 seconds remaining in regulation, and Slafkowski made him pay with his third power-play goal of the game. Lane Huston played a pass to Slafkovsky as he went to the left circle and the 22-year-old beat goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevskiy to wrap up the win.

It wasn’t a great night for Vasilevskiy, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Bolts. He allowed four goals on 19 shots and rarely looked like the goaltender who excelled when the Bolts won Cup in 2020 and 2021. Montreal rookie Jacob Dobbs made 20 saves.

The Canadiens lead the series 1-0, with Game 2 being played on Tuesday night in Tampa.

Slafkowski’s first power-play goal tied the game at the end of the second period, and his second goal gave the Canadiens a brief 3–2 lead in the third. Josh Anderson opened the scoring with the only goal of the first period.

Brandon Hagel scored twice for Tampa Bay after defenseman Darren Radish tied the game at 1–1 early in the second period.

The Lightning had their first good scoring chance of the game when Eric Cernak found himself alone in the slot, but Dobbs came well out of his net to narrow the angle and make the save.

The Canadiens missed a pair of 2-on-1 opportunities after the Lightning called too many people at 10:37 and failed to capitalize on their first power play. But thanks to some good work from their fourth line they went 1–0 up at 13:24.

Alexandre Carrier worked the puck free behind the net and inserted a pass into the slot, where Anderson quickly put it into the net at 13:24 to put the Canadiens ahead. Vasilevskiy appeared to lose track of the puck and the Lightning defense did the same to Andersen, one of the few Montreal players left in the Canadiens’ five-game loss to the Bolts in the 2021 finals.

Montreal spent most of the remaining period killing penalties. Tampa Bay played 4:13 of the final 5:23 with an extra man in the opening period, but did not get much offense. Despite falling behind 10-4, the Canadiens took the lead with a one-goal lead.

Neither team led much in the first half of the second period, but at 10:43 the Canadiens were looking to double their lead when Anderson stepped up and drilled a point shot into the net. However, a video review showed that Anderson’s stick was slightly above the crossbar, and the goal was disallowed.

Anderson was called for charging 12 seconds later, and the Lightning took advantage of their fifth power play to tie the score. Radish evened it up at 12:15 when he took an accurate feed from Nikita Kucherov and one-timed it past Dobbs from inside the left circle at 12:15 to tie the game at 1–1.

This match lasted only 29 seconds. The Canadiens misplayed the puck behind their own net, and Guentzel slipped a pass off a defender’s stick that came straight to Hegel, whose quick backhander from out of the blue beat Dobbs at 12:49. In just over two minutes, the Canadiens went from an apparent 2-0 lead to an actual 2-1 deficit.

It seemed as if this period might end just like this. Montreal managed only one shot on goal until Tampa Bay’s Connor Geikie took an unnecessary high-stick penalty with 1:28 remaining. Vasilevskiy made some great saves, but had no chance on Slafkovsky’s one-timer from inside the right circle, tying the game 2–2 at 19:36.

Each team scored another power-play goal before reaching the midpoint of the third period. Slafkowski found some space in bumper situations and converted a perfect pass from Cole Caufield at 5:56 to give Montreal a 3–2 lead. But Hagel tied it at 8:58 when he extended his shot in front of the net and redirected Guentzel’s pass past Dobbs.

The game was tied 3–3 in overtime – but not before Guentzel took a high-sticking penalty at 19:39 when he tried to put an airborne puck into the net but missed and hit Canadiens defenseman Caden Guhle in the face, leading to Slafkowski’s OT winner.

Key takeaways after Canadiens outlast Lightning in OT to win Game 1

Slafkowski’s next step

When the Canadiens made Slafkowski the first player taken in 2022, a lot of eyes were raised. He is quick to erase any questions about choice.

Slafkowski became the first Montreal player to score a power-play goal in overtime since PK Subban did so in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Boston Bruins in 2014. It is the first playoff hat trick by a Canadian since Rene Bourque scored a goal against the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals.

The hat trick followed a regular season in which he set career highs with 30 goals and 73 points. He led the Canadiens with 15 power-play goals and when he scored one the Canadiens’ score was 22–3–1.

Unsettled night for Vasilevsky

When he calls it a career, “Vesey” becomes a lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame. He has won the Stanley Cup twice, the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP (2021), and the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender (2018–19). He has started 113 consecutive playoff games for the Lightning, and his 67 playoff wins are 12th all-time.

But Vasilevskiy wasn’t sharp on Sunday. The TNT studio crew noted this after Anderson’s first-period goal, and he was not sharp for most of the night, failing to make big saves when the Lightning needed it most.

Vasilevskiy’s career goals-against average in the playoffs is 2.46 — but it has been 3.22 or worse in each of the past three seasons, a big reason the Bolts have not advanced beyond the first round since reaching the final in 2022. If the Lightning hope to avoid a fourth consecutive early departure, they need to be much better.

No home-ice advantage in OT for the Lightning

The Lightning sell out East Amaali Arena every night and have done so for every game since COVID restrictions ended. But playing at home doesn’t help when it comes to overtime in the playoffs.

Slafkowski’s game-winner handed the Lightning their seventh consecutive overtime loss in the playoffs. Overall, they are 9-13 in their own building, while they are 14-8 when they have visitors. Tampa Bay has not won a playoff game in home OT since defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–3 on May 12, 2022.

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

The New York Sirens suffered a blow in the race for the PWHL’s final playoff spot. The Ottawa Charge defeated New York 5-1 in overtime on Saturday afternoon, pushing them to the brink of elimination.

The Sirens entered the game needing a regulation win to overtake the charge for fourth place.

“We have to take it like do or die,” Sirens star forward Sarah Fillier told PWHL sideline reporter Signa Butler before puck drop.

But New York could not match Ottawa’s firepower. The Charge scored five unanswered goals – including two jailbreak goals in the second period – to extend their lead in the standings. Ottawa improved to 39 points (8-7-1-12), leaving New York five points out of the final playoff spot with only two games remaining.

Charge goalkeeper Gwyneth Phillips had a stellar performance in her 16th consecutive game starting in net, stopping 23 of 24 shots and holding New York scoreless over the final 48:16. Kyle Osborne allowed five goals on 29 shots for New York. His 14 losses and 26 games played led all PWHL goaltenders.

The Sirens struck first with a power-play goal at 11:04 of the first period, when Petey Lewis beat the Phillips blocker side-by-side with a quick wrist shot from the bumper. But New York struggled to contain Ottawa’s offensive attack, allowing three goals on Saturday, and that proved costly.

After several scoring opportunities in the opening frame, the Charge finally took the advantage at 18:59 as captain Brianna Jenner delivered a speedy passing pass that Rebecca Leslie deflected over her shoulder into the net.

New York increased the intensity in the second, as coach Greg Fargo’s team made a solid effort to press the net hard against the Phillies – much to Ottawa’s displeasure. A highly physical frame culminated in a total of six penalties and two power plays for the Sirens.

Instead, the one in charge received the reward.

With the Sirens on a 4-on-3 advantage after a holding penalty on Leslie, Jenner led another rush and sent a shot off Osborne’s right pad. Jocelyn Larocque collected a long rebound in the slot and put it into the net at 7:54 before Osborne could recover.

Peyton Hemp scored on New York’s fourth power play of the game, 37 seconds in, at 14:08 of the middle frame for a 3–1 lead. After Casey O’Brien’s pass came back into the siren zone, Maja Nylen Persson turned the puck over under heavy pressure from Hemp’s forecheck. Charging forward Alexa Wasko drove the goal line and delivered a pass across the crease which Hemp punched into the net.

Have talked a lot with Sirens coach Greg Fargo about the pace of this season. It’s hard to think of a more decadent sequence than this.

Not one, but two jailbreak goals, as Ottawa becomes the first PWHL team to score shorthanded twice in the same game.

Just sloppy puck play from new… pic.twitter.com/DvdZQYs7ro

– Lou Orlando (@SweetLouuuu) 18 April 2026

Ronja Savolainen added insurance at 3:15 of the third period, fooling Osborne with a long shot from the point. Jenner delivered the final blow on the power play at 12:28, blocking the rebound of a Larocque shot.

Jenner ranks fourth league-wide in scoring with 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) after a three-point outing on Saturday. Leslie’s 13 goals are one goal shy of Minnesota Frost forward Kelly Pannek for the PWHL lead; Her 22 points are tied with Fillier and Montreal Victoire forward Laura Stacey for fifth.

New York dropped its eighth consecutive road game (0-0-1-7) this season and fell to 2-0-1-10. Only the Seattle Torrent has the worst road point percentage. The Sirens conclude the season with two more games away from the Prudential Centre, visiting the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday and the Boston Fleet on April 25.

Fargo said after the game, “I can’t point my finger on any one specific thing, but we haven’t scored in a row, especially at home.” “On the road, when you fall behind, you start chasing the game, and it becomes harder to climb back. At home, even if you don’t score first, the crowd can help change momentum quickly. But when you’re chasing too often, it catches up to you – the matchups get tougher, and things start being stacked against you.”

Main findings after siren leaves backbreaker to charge

So you’re telling me there’s a chance?

The Sirens are not out of the playoff race yet, although the picture is not very good.

Saturday’s loss removed any control over New York’s playoff fate. With only six points available on their remaining schedule, the Sirens need a lot and a lot of help to get going in the right direction to erase the five-point deficit in the PWHL standings.

If the Charge scores more than one point in its final two games, New York will be eliminated from postseason contention. Ottawa visits second-place Fleetwood on Wednesday before hosting the Toronto Raptors on April 25.

The fifth-place Sceptres, on 34 points (9-1-5-12) with three games remaining, could also shatter New York’s playoff dreams. The Sirens need Toronto to beat Ottawa on April 25, but otherwise they are looking for a loss to the Sceptres. Toronto will visit Minnesota on Sunday before hosting New York on Tuesday, setting up a final showdown against the Charge that will likely decide who lands the final playoff spot.

The final piece of this complicated equation – and perhaps the toughest for New York – is that the Sirens must earn at least five points in the next two games to have any hope of challenging for the No. 4 seed.

The Sirens are not out of the playoff race yet, but they need a lot of help right now.

Ottawa cannot score more than one point in its last two matches (BOS, vs. TOR). The Sirens must beat Toronto in regulation on Tuesday and then hope the Sceptres beat the Charge on April 25. https://t.co/vMMWfIsCE4

– Lou Orlando (@SweetLouuuu) 18 April 2026

The Sirens currently own the tiebreaker on charge with the slight edge in regulation wins, and will be granted a postseason nod if both teams finish the season tied. But New York will need two consecutive wins — a tall order for a team that hasn’t won on the road since Jan. 6.

Stranger things have happened, but the odds are not in their favor.

Sirens get playoff teaser with ‘Chippy’ game

The postseason stakes were palpable Saturday, and it contributed to the playoff atmosphere — both on the ice and in the stands.

Ottawa racked up 25 hits in a game marked by consistent physicality. The Charge penalized New York for any drives near Phillips’ crease, resulting in plenty of scuffles after the whistle and even similar harsh penalties to Aimee Fecteau and Rory Gilday.

The record-setting crowd of 8,605 at TD Place matched the intensity throughout the game.

“I think you can definitely see the rivalry there, and it’s definitely getting intense. But again, that’s what we want,” Sirens alternate captain Jaime Bourbonnais said after the game. “We’ve done a good job of making this game a really physical game, and I think that’s what the fans want to see, and hopefully we can continue to do that. I think the fans and the atmosphere are really what make these types of games special.”

It’s a good harbinger for the postseason, where that intensity will become the norm — though New York won’t be able to experience it firsthand.

Siren’s power play faltered again

New York ended an 0-20 power-play drought on Wednesday when Maja Nylen Persson scored a 2-2 equalizer against Toronto at 14:53 of the third period. Fargo believed that such an impressive target could spark a falling unit.

“You hope something like that can push it,” Fargo said after the 3-2 regulation win. “I think scoring that goal at a key moment in our season, hopefully, can be something we can build on.”

For a moment, it seemed that way, as Lewis’ power-play score gave New York an early lead. But any positive momentum was destroyed in the second period when Ottawa became the first team in PWHL history to score multiple shorthanded goals in a single game.

The Sirens have scored three jailbreak goals in their last two games – a black mark for a power play that was already struggling to produce offensive output.

These types of mistakes can end a season in a very short playoff race.

Lou Orlando is an alumnus of Fordham University, where he covered the New York Rangers for three seasons… More about Lou Orlando

加西亞是周六國民隊的指定擊球手，他在當天打出了第二棒，打出了一壘安打、二壘安打和三壘安打。他的擊球很穩定，他能夠在計數開始時攻擊格拉斯諾的產品，試圖啟動國家隊的進攻。

他可能在周期中落後了一個本壘打，但還有更糟糕的問題。他當天唯一的出局是在第五局時飛出左外野。週六的比賽結束後，加西亞以 0.345/.345/.517 的擊球率開始了本賽季。

CJ 艾布拉姆斯現在距離職業生涯 500 支安打僅差一支，他在本壘打上又度過了美好的一天。他兩次上壘，並在這麼多場比賽中打出第三支全壘打。艾布拉姆斯在周日上場比賽時打出了當年的 0.286/.375/.607，他的 179 wRC+ 在所有合格的 MLB 遊擊手中排名第一。

The New York Islanders missed a big opportunity to keep their playoff hopes alive, losing 4-3 to the Buffalo Sabers at KeyBank Center on Tuesday night.

Despite being outshot by the Sabers most of the night, they were tied 2–2 when Anders Lee’s pass from the goal line to the right of Buffalo goaltender Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen went off the skate of Sabers defenseman Owen Power and into the net with 6:21 remaining. But poor defensive coverage cost the Pittsburgh Penguins an 8-3 loss on Monday, causing them to suffer again when Alex Tuch drove down the left sideline, circled the net and found a wide-open Peyton Krebs.

Seeing some fouls, Krebs hit a shot over Ilya Sorokin with 3:01 remaining to put Buffalo ahead 3–2.

“I think Bo (Horvat) or (Matthew) Schaefer could have stayed in front of the net and defended there,” coach Patrick Roy said.

Bowen Byram’s empty-netter with 1:42 remaining proved to be the game-winner when Brayden Schenn scored with two seconds remaining.

Despite the loss, the Islanders finished third in the Metropolitan Division as only one of the teams they were in contention for a playoff spot won their game. The Penguins moved three points ahead of the Islanders after defeating the Detroit Red Wings 5–1. But the Columbus Blue Jackets, who could have overtaken them with a win, lost 5–2 to the Carolina Hurricanes at home.

The Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators, who are struggling to overtake the Islanders in the playoff race, also lost.

The Islanders have a welcome two days off before the back-to-back matches. They’ll host the Flyers on Friday before traveling to Carolina for their final road game on Saturday.

Each team got a power play in the first three minutes, with Carson Soucy going for high-sticking 41 seconds into the game and Buffalo’s Josh Norris called for pass interference at 1:31.

Isles had four of the first six shots of the game before the Sabers began to take control, pushing the pace and forcing Sorokin to make some good saves. But Buffalo finally got on the board when Jack Quinn scored a power-play goal at 14:19.

With Adam Pelech ruled out of a high-sticking penalty, New York cleared at the right point; Casey Cizikas and Jean-Gabriel Pageau appeared to get in each other’s way and lose the puck battle to Norris. He slid the puck to the open left point, where Quinn was entering the play on a line change. Nobody stepped up to Quinn, who raced into the left circle before hitting a shot to give Sorokin a 1–0 lead.

Sorokin cut the deficit to one just before the 15-minute mark when he denied Brent Malensteen on a wide-open backhander from the slot after another failed clear. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Sabers held the Islanders without a goal for more than 11 minutes and had only four high-danger chances in the first 20 minutes. Buffalo finished the period with a 12-6 differential in shots and a 23-11 edge in attempts.

The Sabers controlled the game for the first few minutes of the second period, before Anders Lee was given a penalty shot at 6:34 after Power slashed him on a breakaway. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made a great save on Lee’s backhander, but the play appeared to wake up the Isles, who began spending more time in the Sabres’ zone.

They got a break when under pressure defenseman Mattias Samuelsson backhanded the puck into the crowd for a delay of game penalty at 17:41. Ritchie tied the game 16 seconds later, taking a feed from Brayden Schenn off a perfect passing play initiated by Bo Horvat and scoring into the empty net to make the score 1–1. It remained that way until the end of the period, with the Isles outshooting Buffalo 9–7, although the Sabers had a 6–5 edge in high-danger chances.

Lee was not penalized for the late-period hit that sent Norris’ face into the glass, but he had to answer the bell when ex-Ranger Sam Carrick challenged him after a face-off early in the third period. Lee threw the former Rangers center on the ice and he went to the locker room with a shoulder injury. But this game seemed to put the pressure on the Sabers – especially when Soucy was sent off for holding at 1:28. Tage Thompson’s power-play goal at 2:40 put Buffalo ahead 3–2.

Lee’s fluke goal gave the Islanders the tie and gave them hope that they could go home with at least a point after overtime. Krebs’ goal dashed those hopes.

Key takeaways from the Islanders’ 4-3 loss to the Sabers

lucky losers/missed opportunities

All things considered, the Isles came away with a discouraging loss that they expected. They finished the night just as they started it – third in the Metro, one point ahead of Columbus (which has the second wild card in the East and has played one less game), and two points in front of Ottawa, Detroit and Philadelphia – though all three have two games in hand in New York.

None of the contenders play on Wednesday, but they are all back in action on Thursday.

The Islanders looked disorganized in the second half of their loss to the Penguins and were outplayed by the Sabers for long periods. The two-day break comes at a good time, but the Monday-Tuesday loss exposed the Isles’ defensive issues and their erratic special teams, and they have a lot of cleaning up to do before the Flyers come to UBS on Friday for the second half of a back-to-back.

Sorokin hit back

Roy surprised many observers by starting Sorokin one night after the Penguins allowed seven goals before being removed. He was at no fault for any of the three goals scored before the empty-netter – and that was the biggest reason the Islanders won.

“He was excellent,” Roy said. “He made some very good saves and unfortunately for us he gave up two goals on the power-play.”

The Sabers had a 12-3 advantage in high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick (it was 15-9 in all situations). Sorokin was brilliant in the first round, when the Isles suffered a defeat and fell behind by only one goal.

He will certainly be happy with the two-day break, which could give him a chance to play against both the Flyers and Hurricanes.

PK was not good

The Islanders picked a bad night to give up their first power-play goal in six games – although they had only faced six opposition power plays over the course of their last five games.

Quinn’s goal came when he fell behind, failed to clear the area and allowed Quinn to run unimpeded down the left. Thompson, one of the NHL’s deadliest shooters, found a soft spot in the middle of the coverage and beat Sorokin – who had not seen the shot.

With one of the NHL’s worst power plays, the Islanders can’t afford another bad night by the penalty killer.

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

Despite dominating the first period, the New York Sirens couldn’t get the job done in the latest PWHL Takeover Tour game in Detroit on Saturday afternoon, falling to the Montreal Victoire 3-1. Montreal scored three unanswered goals in the third period for a strong comeback victory in the first nationally-televised PWHL game.

Victoire improved to 46 points (12-4-2-5) and extended its points streak to 11 games (7-2-2-0). They are two points behind the Boston Fleet for first place overall in the PWHL.

New York missed a chance to move ahead of the fourth-place Toronto Raptors after Boston beat Toronto 4-0 on Friday. After losing their fourth consecutive competition, the Sirens remain four behind Sceptres in the standings with 27 points (8-0-3-12); Each team has seven games left in the regular season.

Katherine Dubois took the lead in the third period with two goals just 4:44 apart. Alternate captain Laura Stacey added some relief, extending the lead just 49 seconds after Dubois’ second tally. Victoire goalkeeper Anne-Renée Desbiens took over the rest, allowing one or fewer goals for the 13th time this season.

Sirens goaltender Kayleigh Osborne suffered her fourth consecutive loss despite a strong start, stopping Montreal’s first 17 shots. In her league-leading 22nd appearance of the season she finished with 26 saves on 29 attempts.

New York kept things quiet for Osborne by outshooting Montreal 11–2 in the opening frame. Jade Downey-Landry recorded Montreal’s first shot at 1:58, but Victoire went 14:26 without another shot until Michigan native Shian Darkangelo ended the drought at 16:24.

The Sirens took the lead into the first half for the first time since March 8, thanks to Casey O’Brien’s sixth goal of the season. Jaime Bourbonnais’ one-timer went past Desbiens, and O’Brien crashed the net to bury the loose puck at 9:09.

O’Brien extended his point streak to three games. The 2025 No. 3 overall pick leads all PWHL rookies with 16 points (six goals, 10 assists).

Coach Greg Fargo offered after the game, “I thought today was a different story for us than the last few games.” “We got off to a great start. I thought our first period was as good as we’ve played.”

Montreal took the momentum in the second round by defeating New York 15–7. The Sirens maintained the lead thanks to the composed play of Osborne, who stopped Lena Ljungblom on a breakaway and denied Hayley Scamurra twice in a row. Desbiens was just as quick, stopping O’Brien on two breakaways.

New York nearly took a 2–0 lead at 7:54 when Kristin O’Neal deflected a point shot from Micah Zandi-Hart, but the officials ruled out a clear goal for high-sticking after review.

Victoire maintained its lead in the third period – only this time, it showed on the scoreboard.

Dubois took advantage of a miscue by Siren rookie Anna Bergman to equalize at 1:54. The 2025 fifth-round pick (No. 33 overall) sent a cross-ice pass straight to the stick of Victoire rookie Natalie Mlinkova, who quickly led the Montreal Rush and knocked the puck back to Dubois in the high slot. Bergman then collided with Siren forward Claire Degeroge as Dubois stretched it to the left point and fired a wrist shot over Osborne’s blocker.

Dubois gave Montreal its first lead of the day at 6:40 of the third minute, when a slick backhand feed from Darkangelo set up the 30-year-old for a one-touch shot through Osborne’s five-hole. Stacey immediately redirected defender Kati Tabin’s long shot to make it 3–1 at 7:29.

Victoire Fourcheque suppressed any possibility of the siren’s return. New York managed one shot after Montreal took the lead – a Sarah Fillear wrister at 19:47 broke a 14:06 shotless stretch.

“Momentum is a funny thing,” Fargo reflected. “You get a little bit, and I think Montreal started to get a little bit more as that second [period] Close, and they took it to third for good. Some mistakes hurt us.”

Sirens lost for the second time this season after scoring the first goal (6-0-0-2). New York’s points percentage dropped to .391, more than 50 percentage points below the fourth-place Sceptres (.449) and fifth-place Ottawa Charge (.455).

New York was without rookie star Kristina Kaltunkova, who missed her second consecutive game with an unspecified injury. The 2025 No. 1 overall pick is day by day.

Detroit native Elle Hartje joined Fillier and O’Brien in New York’s starting lineup in front of a crowd of 15,938 at Little Caesars Arena. He won four of six face-offs and recorded one shot on goal in 15:15 of ice time.

“It’s been great to be home. That’s a hard question to answer right now,” Hartje said after the game. “Obviously, it’s about hockey, so not getting the ‘W’ is pretty disappointing, but it’s great to see Hockeytown represented all the time.”

Victoire: The siren failed in the third period against the takeaways

New York flips the script on first period problems

The struggles of the Sirens’ first period are well documented. New York entered the opening frame on Saturday with the most goals scored (26) — an even greater increase from the minus-eight goal differential since the Olympic break.

They flipped the script against Victoire thanks to a strong forecheck and impressive play from their top forward line of Fillier, Anne Cherkovski and O’Brien.

“I don’t think we need to change anything,” O’Brien insisted during the first intermission.

This is easy to say but not easy to do. New York was outrebounded 27–13 in the final 40 minutes, having only six shots and three scoring chances in the third.

“Some parts of our game that we liked – the way we were handling the puck – as the game went on, we started to get away from it a little bit for one reason or another,” Fargo explained. “We have to find a way to match and exceed that effort moving forward.”

Despite strong offensive pressure out of the gate, the Sirens failed to finish second behind reigning PWHL Goalkeeper of the Year Desbiens. New York was clearly frustrated when Dubois tied the score in the third and offered little resistance in the face of a heavy Montreal forecheck.

“When we have a tough game or something that ends up in the back of your net, we’ve got to find a way to respond a little better in those moments, because bad things are going to happen,” Fargo said. “we know that.”

The sirens are still chasing ‘the full 60 minutes of hockey’

There are some serious issues in New York right now, but continuity is key.

O’Brien said after the game, “I don’t think we’ve played a full 60 minutes of Siren hockey in a long time.” “And we know that if we do that, we’ll win.”

Whether it’s a slow start or a late-game collapse, the end result has been all too familiar lately. And at this stage of the season, the Sirens cannot afford to leave points on the table.

“I think the important thing for us is to stay connected to our game on a more consistent basis,” Fargo said. “Playing a complete game with good habits, great structure and great energy – that’s what it takes to win at this level. You can see that the difference between winning and losing in the PWHL is really small.”

Even as the Sirens entered the Olympic break in a playoff spot, questions arose from time to time about their consistency, especially with such a young roster. Those concerns only grew with this second half’s decline.

Fargo added, “We have to put together 60 minutes of hockey with our habits and the details of our game.” “The team is working through it. They want to win. We all want to win, and it’s going to change for us. We just have to stay on track with what we’re doing.”

New York doesn’t have much time to right the ship.

Do you get déjà vu?

The Sirens lost six out of seven games after the Olympic break and nine out of 10 through January 20. If this vibe sounds oddly familiar, you’re not imagining things.

In 2024–25, the Sirens lost nine consecutive games (0-0-3-6) from January 31 to March 5. They finished the season last in the PWHL, missing the playoffs by seven points.

Last season, the New York Sirens lost 9 consecutive games from January 31 to March 5.

Some déjà vu this season. Since January 20, the Sirens have lost 9 out of 10 games. 4 points out of a playoff spot with only 7 games remaining. If they miss the playoffs again, you know where to look.

– Lou Orlando (@SweetLouuuu) 28 March 2026

This year’s team still has a chance to avoid that fate, but it will need a sharp turnaround to do so.

“Obviously, nobody likes to lose, so I’m not happy about it, but I don’t think anybody is disappointed,” O’Brien said. “We all know what a great team we have.”

If the Sirens look for a spark to break out of this slump, they will have to find it on home ice. New York returns to the Prudential Center on Wednesday to host the Minnesota Frost before Saturday’s matchup against the Seattle Torrent in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd.

Lou Orlando is an alumnus of Fordham University, where he covered the New York Rangers for three seasons… More about Lou Orlando

JJ Redick heaped praise on Luka Doncic after he stunned the Nets in the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Miami Heat on Thursday night.

Doncic is going through the eighth season of his NBA career, his second with the Lakers. He has made significant progress in his adaptation to Los Angeles, which has become a key factor in the team’s chances of success.

In 38 minutes of action, Doncic lit up the court from nowhere against Miami’s defense. He finished with a stat line of 60 points, seven rebounds, five steals and three assists. He made 18 of 30 shots from the field, including 9 of 17 from beyond the arc and 15 of 19 from the free-throw line.

Redick reflected on Doncic’s hot stretch of scoring after the game. After Thursday night, the Lakers superstar has scored 51 points, 30 points, 36 points and 40 points in the team’s winning streak. This resulted in the head coach praising Doncic’s remarkable efforts.

Reddick said, “His teammates are enjoying it just as much as him right now… It’s a special race.”

Luka Doncic, how the Lakers played against the Heat

JJ Redick and the Lakers are happy to see Luka Doncic getting hot at a crucial time. Los Angeles is coming off a big win, moving it up in the conference standings and the playoff picture.

Four players scored in double figures for Los Angeles in the win, including Doncic. LeBron James delivered a triple-double performance of 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists on 8 of 12 shooting from the field. Austin Reeves was next with 18 points and five rebounds, while Marcus Smart added 13 points and four assists.

Los Angeles improved to a 45–25 record on the season and finished third in the Western Conference standings. They are above the Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets, while trailing the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Coming off the back of eight consecutive wins, the Lakers will be looking forward to their next contest. They are on the road when they face the Orlando Magic on March 21st at 7pm ET.