NHL News

Kirby Dach • C • Canadiens

Kirby Dach Battles and Scores Two Points in Friday Triumph

Montreal Canadiens center Kirby Dach has not had the easiest NHL career. Dach has battled through frequent injuries and worse. However, on Friday night, he was clutch on the ice, even with limited ice time. Despite playing less than 12 minutes, the center scored a goal and added an assist in Montreal's 3-2 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dach managed two shots on goal and was on the ice for all of the Canadiens goals. Alexandre Texier also had a goal and assist, but noted that Dach was able to screen Andrei Vasilevskiy, which led to the Lane Hutson overtime tally. A little self confidence goes a long way, and Dach could see more ice time going forward in this series.

6 hours ago

Connor McDavid • C • Oilers

Connor McDavid Delivers Mixed-Bag Performance Friday

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid lit the lamp on Friday night and added an assist. The power-play goal in the third period cut the deficit to one at the time. However, Jackson LaCombe continued to frustrate the center of the Oilers early and often. McDavid appeared almost a step slow at times. He did have three shots on goal but missed three shots. The captain of Edmonton was also minus-four with two giveaways. McDavid did deliver three hits in the 7-4 Game 3 defeat. He also lost eight of 11 face-offs at the dot. Something appears off, whether it be injury or frustration, but the Oilers may have to consider playing Leon Draisaitl with McDavid more often.

6 hours ago

Karel Vejmelka • G • Mammoth

Karel Vejmelka Saves Utah With Huge Effort Friday

Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka was peppered on Friday night with a lot of shots from the Vegas Golden Knights, but the Mammoth goaltender turned aside 30 shots in the 4-2 victory. Vejmelka held Vegas to two goals on the road in Game 2. However, his performance in Game 3 may have been the highlight of Friday night. Vejmelka made quite a few sensational saves and kept Vegas from making a comeback. Utah only managed 12 shots on goal as the ice tilted toward the Czech goalie. There is a reason why the workhorse, who started 64 games (38 wins), continues to be relied on so heavily. He makes the extra save, including a critical one on Tomas Hertl late to preserve the two-goal lead.

6 hours ago

Lane Hutson • D • Canadiens

Lane Hutson Scores Crucial Overtime Goal in Montreal Win

Defenseman Lane Hutson called his own shot early in overtime on Friday night for the Montreal Canadiens. The defenseman launched a blast past Andrei Vasilevskiy to give Montreal a critical 3-2 win in Game 3 of their best-of-seven series. Not only did the Canadiens go up 2-1 in the series, but now they have home-ice advantage back. Hutson also blocked four shots, produced two shots on goal, and delivered three hits. Hutson scored 12 goals during the regular season but has two already in three postseason games, as the young defenseman continues to produce at the right time for Montreal.

6 hours ago

Lawson Crouse • LW • Mammoth

Lawson Crouse Cashes in With Two Goals for Utah

Utah Mammoth forward Lawson Crouse is a big-bodied left winger who can throw his body around. Crouse can also score playoff goals that most pundits talk about. The forward delivered on Friday night with two goals, including the game-winner in a 4-2 Mammoth win. Crouse tallied twice in the middle frame to push the Utah lead to 4-0. He may have had only two shots on goal, but both changed the trajectory of the game. Crouse also delivered four hits in the win as Utah went up two games to one on the Vegas Golden Knights. The left winger has had his chances in all three games of the series, but Game 3 proved to be the charm.

6 hours ago

Mikael Granlund • C • Ducks

Mikael Granlund Serves Up Trio of Assists in Anaheim Big Win

Anaheim Ducks center Mikael Granlund continued to impress as he dished out three assists and added a power-play goal in Anaheim's 7-4 win on Friday night. Granlund turned several plays into goals solely from second effort alone. He had a second goal wiped off the board due to a high stick in the second period, but that did not slow Granlund down. The Anaheim center also delivered four hits as the 34-year-old, along with the Ducks' offense, wore down the Edmonton defense. Granlund and the Ducks are playing fun hockey and wearing down the Oilers, especially later in contests.

6 hours ago

Troy Terry • RW • Ducks

Troy Terry Available for Game 3 Against Oilers

Anaheim Ducks right wing Troy Terry (undisclosed) will play in Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, Hayley Elwood of the Ducks' official site reports. Terry missed the morning skate, but Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville has confirmed he will remain in the lineup. The long season has taken a toll on Terry's body, and he has regularly skipped morning skates lately. While it appears Terry is banged up, he hasn't let it affect his performance. In the series between two high-octane offenses, Terry has been the top-scoring forward alongside Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl. He has contributed two goals and two assists through the first two games.

22 hours ago

Radko Gudas • D • Ducks

Radko Gudas Misses Second Straight Game Friday

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (lower body) isn't an option for Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, Hayley Elwood of the Ducks' official site reports. The Ducks lost their captain to a lower-body injury late in the regular season, and Gudas has appeared in only two games this month. Drew Helleson filled the void in the lineup in Game 2 and is set to keep his spot on Friday night. In his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut, Helleson recorded one SOG, three hits, and a minus-one rating in 7:52 of ice time. Anaheim is rolling with seven defensemen, which led to four rearguards logging 23-plus minutes in Game 2. The top-four group will remain busy on Friday against Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

22 hours ago

Charle-Edouard D'Astous • D • Lightning

Charle-Edouard D'Astous Unavailable Friday

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Charle-Edouard D'Astous (undisclosed) will miss Friday's Game 3 against the Montreal Canadiens, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The 28-year-old was injured in the series opener last weekend and didn't play in Tuesday's Game 2. There was a chance D'Astous would return on Friday night after traveling with the team, but he will remain out. Victor Hedman (personal) also isn't ready to return, allowing Declan Carlile and Emil Lilleberg to stay in the lineup. Meanwhile, Darren Raddysh and J.J. Moser will continue to split power-play duties among the defensemen.

23 hours ago

Dan Vladar • G • Flyers

Dan Vladar Considered a Game-Time Call for Saturday

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (arm) will be a game-time call on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Adam Kimelman of NHL.com reports. The Czech netminder has been one of the stars of the series, but he appeared to injure his right arm in Game 3. Vladar didn't practice on Thursday, while Philadelphia had an off day on Friday. "It's another maintenance day for him," Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said Friday. "Two days off is going to help him. That's basically it for him. We'll see how he is tomorrow." In the first-round matchup, Vladar has backstopped the Flyers to a 3-0 lead, posting a 1.33 goals-against average, a .947 save percentage, and one shutout. If Vladar is unavailable on Saturday, Philadelphia must turn to Samuel Ersson, who coughed up 3.12 goals with a .870 save percentage during the regular season.

23 hours ago

Jake Sanderson • D • Senators

Jake Sanderson Ruled Out for Game 4 Due to Concussion

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (concussion) will miss Saturday's must-win game against the Carolina Hurricanes. In Thursday's Game 3 of the first-round series, Sanderson took a hit to the head from Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall and has been diagnosed with a concussion. Senators head coach Travis Green told reporters on Friday that Sanderson is "not doing well." Now that Sanderson is on the shelf, Ottawa must face Saturday's elimination game without its top defensive pairing. Artem Zub (undisclosed), who was injured in Game 1, also won't play. Thomas Chabot and Jordan Spence are set to eat up as many minutes as they can handle, making both attractive DFS targets.

23 hours ago

Yakov Trenin • C • Wild

Yakov Trenin Won't Play in Game 4 Against Stars

Minnesota Wild forward Yakov Trenin (upper body) won't be in the lineup on Saturday in Game 4 against the Dallas Stars, Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports. Trenin was hurt in Game 2 of the series when he absorbed a big hit from Stars forward Colin Blackwell. His absence has left the Wild without a huge physical presence, as Trenin averaged eight hits per game across the first two contests in the series. Nico Strum took Trenin's spot in the lineup in Wednesday's Game 3, recording three hits and a minus-one rating in 9:00 of ice time.

23 hours ago

Mats Zuccarello • RW • Wild

Mats Zuccarello a Game-Time Decision Saturday

Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello (upper body) will be a game-time decision on Saturday against the Dallas Stars, Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports. He has missed a pair of games due to an upper-body injury but could be available for Game 4 of the first-round series. "He's questionable for tomorrow, making good strides," Wild head coach John Hynes said after Friday's practice. Bobby Brink has skated on the first line during Zuccarello's absence, posting one power-play assist in two games. Zuccarello started the series with a three-assist effort before being knocked out of the lineup. Overall, he has recorded six multi-point games in his last seven appearances, making Zuccarello a key part of Minnesota's offense.

23 hours ago

Jordan Kyrou • C • Blues

Jordan Kyrou Recovering From Minor Knee Procedure

St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou underwent a minor knee procedure this week but is expected to be ready for training camp, the team announced Thursday. Whether Kyrou will start the 2026-27 campaign with the Blues remains uncertain, as he has often been linked to a trade away from St. Louis. Late in the season, Kyrou boosted his trade value, ending the campaign with a five-game point streak. He notched a point per game across his last 11 outings. Overall, it was a disappointing year for Kyrou, who failed to hit the 50-point mark after his third career 70-point season in 2024-25. In 72 appearances, Kyrou contributed 18 goals and 28 assists. A fresh start elsewhere might benefit both sides and make Kyrou more appealing to fantasy managers.

Yesterday

Roope Hintz • C • Stars

Roope Hintz "Ways Away" From Returning

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (lower body) resumed skating on Wednesday, Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News reports. This is a significant step toward returning to the lineup, but Hintz's comeback isn't imminent. "He's still a ways away," Stars head coach Gulutzan said. "Your next step before we kind of see where he's at is probably to skate with us, so we'll see when he's ready to do that." Hintz hasn't traveled with the team to Saint Paul and will miss Saturday's Game 4 of the first-round series against the Minnesota Wild. He is also highly doubtful to play in Game 5, scheduled for Tuesday in Dallas. Justin Hryckowian has been effective on the first line this postseason and is likely to keep his spot until Hintz returns.

Yesterday

Jason Dickinson • C • Oilers

Jason Dickinson Could Be an Option for Game 3

Edmonton Oilers center Jason Dickinson (undisclosed) might be ready to return to the lineup on Friday night against the Anaheim Ducks. Following a standout two-goal performance in the series opener, Dickinson sat out Wednesday's Game 2 with an undisclosed injury. According to Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch, Dickinson had a 50 percent chance of playing Wednesday morning. Having now had more time to recover from his injury, it's possible Dickinson is healthy enough to rejoin the action on Friday. Assuming he's available, Dickinson will likely be back alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jack Roslovic on the third line after their impressive showing in Game 1.

Yesterday

Adam Henrique • C • Oilers

Adam Henrique Misses Trip to Anaheim

Edmonton Oilers center Adam Henrique (lower body) will miss Games 3 and 4 of the first-round series against the Anaheim Ducks. He has not traveled with the team as the series moves to Anaheim. The veteran remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury sustained in Game 1. With Jason Dickinson (undisclosed) also unavailable, Josh Samanski and Curtiz Lazar entered the lineup for Game 2. One of them will head to the press box if Dickinson is cleared for Game 3 on Friday. Samanski's goal in Wednesday's 6-4 loss could boost his chances of staying in the lineup.

Yesterday

Jake Sanderson • D • Senators

Jake Sanderson Dealing With Head Injury

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson exited Thursday's Game 3 against Carolina due to a head injury. Initially, it was believed his early exit stemmed from a hand injury sustained in the second period. But after the game, Senators head coach Travis Green was adamant it was due to Taylor Hall's high hit. "It's pretty obvious why he left the game," Green said. The hit occurred late in the second frame, and Sanderson left the action after taking two more shifts following the incident. Sanderson has recorded two assists, five SOG, 10 blocks, and five hits through the first three games of this postseason. He would be a major loss for Ottawa if he had to sit out any additional time, particularly with Artem Zub (undisclosed) already out of commission.

Yesterday

Josh Manson • D • Avalanche

Josh Manson Evaluated for Upper-Body Injury

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson is being evaluated for an upper-body injury after Game 3 against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, Corey Masisak of the Denver Post reports. Manson was injured in the first period after taking a hit from Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson. He tried to return to the game in the second period but clearly wasn't himself. The 12-year-old veteran logged only 4:57 of ice time, recording one assist, one hit, and four penalty minutes. Manson, who has registered assists in back-to-back games, has until Sunday to recover from his injury. If he can't play in Game 4, Nick Blankenburg will likely be thrown into action.

Yesterday

Alex Lyon • G • Sabres

Alex Lyon Comes in and Shuts Down Boston

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon has won on the road in Boston before. On Thursday night, however, Boston went up 1-0, but that was the only goal the Bruins would score. Lyon ultimately stopped 24 shots in a huge 3-1 victory. That allowed the Sabres to go up 2-1 in their first-round series. Lyon stopped several one-timers from Boston as he secured the victory. At the very least, the backup goaltender has earned a look for Game 4 to be played on Sunday. Adding in the seven saves Lyon made in cleanup duty on Tuesday, one may believe Lyon could do this again.

Yesterday

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