Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice defended Mark Scheifele on Thursday after the star earned a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety for charging Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans."You need to do everything you can to stop a goal from being scored. It was a heavy, heavy hit for sure, but it was clean," Maurice said, according to The Athletic's Murat Ates.Maurice added that Scheifele didn't leave his feet or lead with his elbow, and that Evans' head wasn't the target of the impact.Scheifele skated nearly the entire length of the ice and steamrolled Evans as he tucked a goal into Winnipeg's empty net late in the third period of Game 1 on Wednesday night. Evans was stretchered off the ice and is sidelined indefinitely with a concussion.Scheifele's hearing isn't in-person, meaning he can be suspended for a maximum of five games. He's never faced supplemental discipline to this point in his NHL career.Game 2 goes Friday night.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets star Mark Scheifele will have a hearing Thursday for charging Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans in Game 1, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced.The hearing isn't in-person, meaning he can face a maximum suspension of only five games. Scheifele has never been suspended in his career.The Jets pivot lined up Evans from across the ice as he buried an empty-netter with less than a minute remaining in the contest. Evans was stretchered off the ice.

Petr Mrazek will start in goal for the Carolina Hurricanes versus the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 on Thursday night, head coach Rod Brind'Amour confirmed to reporters.Alex Nedeljkovic had started Carolina's eight previous playoff games so far, posting a .920 save percentage and 2.18 goals against average."Ned's been great, that's not really the issue," Brind'Amour said, according to the Raleigh News & Observer's Chip Alexander. "We're going to need everybody as fresh as possible to get a victory."Mrazek missed much of the regular season due to injury but was reliable when healthy. The 29-year-old had a .923 save percentage in 12 appearances.The Hurricanes are in desperate need of a win after dropping the opening two games of the series to the defending champions.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans will miss an undetermined amount of time after suffering a concussion in Game 1 on Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets, head coach Dominique Ducharme announced.Evans was on the receiving end of a vicious hit from Jets forward Mark Scheifele, who's scheduled for a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety on Thursday for charging.Ducharme added that Evans wasn't taken to the hospital, and instead team doctors evaluated him overnight at the club's hotel, according to The Athletic's Arpon Basu.The 25-year-old notched 13 points over 47 regular-season games, and he's added one goal in four playoff contests.The Canadiens won the series opener 5-3, with Game 2 scheduled for Friday in Winnipeg.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, and Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson have been voted as the NHL's 2021 rookie of the year finalists for the Calder Trophy, the league announced Thursday.Kaprizov dazzled in his long-awaited NHL arrival. The 24-year-old played five seasons in the KHL after the Wild drafted him in 2015, and he paced all freshmen with 51 points through 55 games in his debut season in North America. Kaprizov was instrumental in leading Minnesota to the playoffs.Nedeljkovic took over the Hurricanes' crease in his first full NHL campaign, going 15-5-3 while leading all netminders in save percentage (.932) and goals against average (1.90). Nedeljkovic also registered three shutouts and ranked fifth in the NHL with 16 goals saved above average.Robertson burst onto the scene for a veteran Dallas squad and was second in team scoring with 45 points in 51 contests. The 21-year-old managed to put up impressive numbers despite ranking 11th among Stars skaters in average ice time.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer seems to be more upset at his opponent than the officiating for a controversial penalty call in the Colorado Avalanche's Game 2 win on Wednesday.Golden Knights forward Reilly Smith was handed a slashing minor after he knocked Mikko Rantanen's stick out of his hands in overtime.

The Buffalo Sabres will select first overall in July after winning the NHL draft lottery.The Seattle Kraken moved up to second, dropping the Anaheim Ducks to third. There were no other changes based on the pre-lottery odds.Here's the order of the first 15 picks:The Arizona Coyotes forfeited their first-round pick for violating the NHL's combine testing policy in 2019-20. A redraw would've occurred if the Coyotes won.There's no consensus top player in this year's draft. Canadian defenseman Owen Power is the top-ranked North American skater, while Swedish winger William Eklund is the No. 1-ranked international skater, according to NHL Central Scouting.The Sabres have picked first overall three times in franchise history. They selected Gilbert Perreault in 1970, Pierre Turgeon in 1987, and Rasmus Dahlin in 2018.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan supported his star players Wednesday in the aftermath of their latest playoff blunder."We are going to do this in Toronto, with this group. There'll be changes that are made, there'll be tweaks along the way, the team will evolve, the people will evolve. But we are going to get this done," Shanahan said, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton.The future of the Maple Leafs' big four - Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander - has been brought into question after Toronto failed to advance out of the first round for the fifth consecutive year, this time blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Montreal Canadiens.Much of the flak has fallen on Marner and Matthews, as Tavares was injured for nearly the entire series and Nylander led the team in scoring. Marner said earlier Wednesday that he's against the team going into "panic mode," and Shanahan delivered a similar message."I'll say this about our top four (forwards). Any team in the league would want them, but we like them, we want to keep them here," Shanahan said, according to NHL.com's Dave McCarthy.Although Shanahan offered a vote of confidence, he did admit his club has yet again proved it doesn't quite have what it takes to win a championship."There's a killer instinct that is missing that we need to address," he said, per The Athletic's James Mirtle. Shanahan added, "We have to really be honest with ourselves. We have to support our players and help them get over that hump."The Leafs made a clear effort to obtain veteran experience this season, bringing in Wayne Simmonds, Joe Thornton, and Nick Foligno to reinforce a roster that many believed lacked grit.Despite the additions, Toronto remains without a series win since 2004.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Joe Thornton hasn't yet made up his mind on if he'll play a 24th NHL season."This came so sudden, I really haven't had time to think about it," Thornton said Wednesday, according to Sportsnet. "First and foremost, I have to be a dad for a little bit here. But I feel really, really healthy. I feel really, really good."Thornton's campaign ended Monday after Toronto squandered a 3-1 series lead to the Montreal Canadiens.The 41-year-old signed a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Leafs last offseason. He notched 20 points in 44 regular-season games and added one goal in the playoffs.Thornton's inked one-year deals in each of the past four years. The future Hall of Famer is still chasing his first Stanley Cup.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mitch Marner believes the Toronto Maple Leafs' best strategy is to stay the course despite another disastrous first-round playoff exit."Everyone just wants to get into panic mode and do stuff and try to change something up, but I think they (management) have a lot of confidence in our team," Marner said at his end-of-season media availability, according to The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta. "It's up to them to decide what they want to do. We all know how much talent we have."The heavily favored Maple Leafs blew a 3-1 series lead against the Montreal Canadiens, marking the 17th straight season they've failed to win a playoff round. It's also the fifth time the Auston Matthews and Marner-led core has been unable to advance, leading to increased criticism in recent days."The end result is terrible," Marner said, according to the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan. "It's not what we wanted. No one is feeling good about this. It's awful ... what we didn't accomplish is a really shitty feeling."Marner registered four assists in seven games versus the Habs while averaging over 24 minutes per night. He's riding an 18-game goalless drought in his playoff career.The online backlash included a report that Marner refused to change his role on the Leafs' struggling top power-play unit, which he denied Wednesday."It's a complete lie," Marner said, according to Kristen Shilton of TSN. "It's just people trying to get their name out there. It sucks that stuff like that's being said. I think everyone can see I'll try and play any role I can to help this team win."Toronto drafted Marner fourth overall in 2015. He's recorded 358 points in 355 career games with his hometown team.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The 2021 women's world championship will take place in Calgary from Aug. 20 to 31, Hockey Canada announced Wednesday.The event was supposed to take place in Nova Scotia in May but was abruptly canceled weeks before the scheduled start date due to COVID-19 restrictions."Despite the unfortunate cancellation of the IIHF Women's World Championship in April, Hockey Canada's ongoing priority has been to host the event this year, and we have remained committed to running a world-class event in Canada," said Scott Smith of Hockey Canada.He added: "A tremendous amount of work and collaboration with Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services has taken place to ensure the event will be held in a safe and secure manner. We are grateful to the province of Alberta, the city of Calgary, Tourism Calgary, WinSport, and all our event partners for working together to provide the best women's hockey players in the world an opportunity to compete for a gold medal."The event was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. The United States claimed its fifth consecutive gold medal in 2019.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Sidney Crosby are the finalists for the 2021 Ted Lindsay Award, given to the most outstanding player as voted by the NHL Players' Association, the union announced Wednesday.McDavid led the league in scoring by a landslide, registering a whopping 105 points in the shortened 56-game season. The Edmonton Oilers captain is likely to claim the award and the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP. He's won the Ted Lindsay twice in his career.This marks Matthews' first nomination for the honor. The Toronto Maple Leafs sniper won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy with a league-leading 41 goals in 2021.Crosby didn't receive as much attention throughout the regular season as McDavid and Matthews, but the Pittsburgh Penguins legend was quietly fantastic. He notched 62 points in 55 games and carried a Pens roster that was decimated by injuries to a first-place finish in the East Division. Crosby's won the award three times.All three superstars were eliminated in the first round of this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

2021 NHL Draft Lottery

Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour did not offer a promising assessment on center Vincent Trocheck's injury sustained in Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning."Doesn't look good," Brind'Amour said postgame, according to Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer. "I don't know the extent of it at this point but, obviously, he couldn't continue. You know he would have come back and played if he could."Trocheck collided with teammate Warren Foegele in the second period. He returned to start the third but departed again.

Three years.After failing to escape the initial round of the NHL postseason for a fifth straight year, three is the magic number for this Toronto Maple Leafs era.That's how many seasons the Leafs have left with this core group of players. Auston Matthews is an unrestricted free agent following the 2023-24 season. So is William Nylander. Mitch Marner and John Tavares are UFAs following the 2024-25 campaign. Other key veterans - Zach Hyman, Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, TJ Brodie, Jack Campbell - are free at different points over the next three years as well. Some will sign extensions, and others will leave. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesThe Stanley Cup window is already shrinking for a team that, on paper, should challenge for Cups every year. Fresh off Monday's Game 7 loss to the underdog Montreal Canadiens, let's break down the three different paths the Leafs' brass could take this offseason. For the purposes of this exercise, we'll assume the leadership group of president Brendan Shanahan, general manager Kyle Dubas, and head coach Sheldon Keefe remains the same.1. Major changesOn its own, the Maple Leafs being eliminated by an inferior team shouldn't cause mass panic; the series went seven games, and sometimes the favored team loses.Yet, given the tortured recent history of this franchise and the Cup-contending potential of its star-studded core, what unfolded over the past two weeks set off alarms throughout Leafs Nation. This roster established a new team high in points percentage, and multiple players dominated individually in the regular season. But that means squat without results in the playoffs.Ahead 3-1 against Montreal - a solid but largely unremarkable squad - the Leafs fell apart at the seams. They were inconsistent in Games 5 and 6 and then showed little urgency in Game 7. The Carey Price-led Habs deserve credit for the upset, but Toronto's inability to finish the job was the story of the series. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesA pattern has emerged, too. In seven closeout games from 2018-21, Matthews has one goal and two assists, Marner has two assists, and Nylander has two goals and two assists. Sure, seven games isn't a large sample size - but there aren't that many elimination games in a player's career.In terms of significant changes, a trade involving Alex Kerfoot, Justin Holl, or even top prospect Nick Robertson won't move the needle. Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, and Marner would be the pieces in question.Matthews isn't going anywhere. Trading a generational scorer would be a colossal mistake, no matter the circumstances. Nylander's stock has never been higher after he scored five goals in this series. Then again, the $7-million AAV of his deal has become a bargain, and the cap-strapped Leafs need bargains. Meanwhile, Tavares' hefty contract is basically immovable. Darcy Finley / Getty ImagesThat leaves Marner, who looked like someone in the middle of a psychological struggle during seven lackluster playoff games. He was a shell of his regular-season self, gripping his stick too tightly and not shooting when he should. His playoff goal drought has now stretched to 18 games.If, as many outside observers proclaim, Marner doesn't have "it" - the killer instinct and playing style that translates to playoff success - perhaps it's time for the Leafs to ship the playmaker elsewhere and reallocate his $10.9-million annual salary to multiple players. Even with his reputation in tatters, the market for Marner would be piping hot, and the Leafs need an injection of depth.A second option could be Rielly. The club's No. 1 defenseman has just one season left on his deal and carries a manageable cap hit of $5 million. Rielly was one of the Leafs' best players versus the Habs, which makes the idea of trading him appear ridiculous on the surface - but if management feels the need to make a seismic change, Rielly qualifies as a legitimate trade chip.2. Minor changesThe best counterargument to making a major change is that trading a Marner or a Rielly means losing a high-impact player for the next regular season and beyond. Trading for equal talent isn't an impossible task in the NHL, but it's not easy.And the grass isn't always greener: Look no further than the recent blockbuster between the Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets. Neither Patrik Laine nor Pierre-Luc Dubois excelled after a change of scenery. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesWith Marner, Dubas must weigh the pros and cons of bidding farewell to Matthews' top-line running mate. Marner is an exceptional talent, a game-changer, and it's not out of the realm of possibility that he gets over his playoff yips next year and the Leafs are fine.So, if a major move is deemed too reactionary, Dubas will probably shift his focus to the rest of the operation to find a formula that can end the organization's 17-year run of playoff incompetence. Dubas has already adjusted his original plan, bringing in veteran leadership, toughness, and defense over the past couple of years after starting his tenure as a GM willing to bet almost exclusively on skill.A few minor changes that come to mind:

Let the whiteout commence ... sort of.The Winnipeg Jets will allow 500 fully vaccinated healthcare workers to attend Games 1 and 2 of their second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens.

Marc-Andre Fleury, Philipp Grubauer, and Andrei Vasilevskiy were named the three finalists for the Vezina Trophy, the NHL announced Tuesday.General managers vote on the award, which is handed out annually to the league's top goaltender.Fleury finished his season for the Vegas Golden Knights with a .928 save percentage and 1.98 goals against average, and he combined with teammate Robin Lehner to win the William M. Jennings Trophy, which is awarded to the goaltenders who allow the fewest goals during the regular season. The 36-year-old ended the campaign ranked third in wins (26) and shutouts (six) in 36 games, and this is his first time being nominated for the Vezina.Grubauer helped lead the Colorado Avalanche to their third Presidents' Trophy in franchise history with his superb play this campaign, finishing the regular season ranked second in wins (30), first in shutouts (seven), and second in goals-against average (1.95) alongside a solid .922 save percentage. This is also the first Vezina nomination for the 29-year-old.A finalist for the fourth straight year, Vasilevskiy turned in yet another outstanding season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 26-year-old led the NHL in wins (31) for the fourth straight season, which hasn't been done since Martin Brodeur did it from 2002-03 through 2006-07. Vasilevskiy finished the season with a dazzling .925 save percentage and 2.21 goals-against average.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens will meet in the second round for North Division supremacy - as we all expected. Actually, if you read my North Division playoff preview, you might have seen this coming.Instead of a Connor McDavid vs. Auston Matthews second-round series, we get Connor Hellebuyck vs. Carey Price - a fascinating duel between two of the league's best and hottest goaltenders.3. Jets (-135) vs. 4. Canadiens (+115)OverallJETSSTATCANADIENS30-23-3Record24-21-116-3-0H2H3-3-346.79 (23rd)xGF%*53.00 (11th)48.3 (18th)CF%*54.31 (6th)44.63 (29th)HDCF%*51.88 (12th)8.6 (9th)SH%*7.52 (25th).923 (6th)SV%*.914 (21st)23.0 (7th)PP%19.2 (17th)80.5 (13th)PK%78.5 (23rd)*five-on-fiveHead-to-headDATEHOME-AWAYxG*CF%*HDCF*GOALIES2/25WPG 6 - MTL 31.95 - 1.9147.84 - 52.166 - 11Hellebuyck - Price2/27WPG 2 - MTL 1 OT1.18 - 2.9124.34 - 75.668 - 12Hellebuyck - Allen3/4MTL 3 - WPG 4 OT1 - 2.3852.4 - 47.65 - 11Allen - Hellebuyck3/6MTL 7 - WPG 12.12 - 2.0352.43 - 47.5710 - 8Price - Hellebuyck3/15WPG 2 - MTL 42.37 - 2.3747.82 - 52.1812 - 10Hellebuyck - Price3/17WPG 4 - MTL 3 OT1.93 - 2.8240.71 - 59.298 - 14Hellebuyck - Price4/8MTL 2 - WPG 41.5 - 1.948.8 - 51.28 - 9Allen - Hellebuyck4/10MTL 0 - WPG 50.98 - 2.0337.15 - 62.856 - 9Allen - Hellebuyck5/30MTL 5 - WPG 32.71 - 1.1565.36 - 34.6412 - 7Allen - Hellebuyck*all strengthsThe Canadiens face a quick turnaround after their Game 7 win in Toronto on Monday, with Game 1 scheduled in Winnipeg on Wednesday. As thrilling as their first-round series against the Maple Leafs was, it puts them at something of a disadvantage in the second round.Wednesday's opener will be especially tricky - it's a prime letdown spot after an emotional and improbable comeback, and the Jets are well rested. But that's only the start. Montreal's going to have a very tough time getting any rest. The Canadiens played seven games in 12 nights against Toronto, and have just one night off before playing Games 1-4 against Winnipeg over a six-day span (including one back-to-back). Meanwhile, the Jets haven't played since May 24, resting and getting some key players - especially Nikolaj Ehlers and Pierre-Luc Dubois - healthy.Downtime was a decisive factor during the nine regular-season meetings between these teams, as well, with Montreal's compressed schedule resulting in the club being at a rest disadvantage in seven of the nine games (which was reflected in its overall 3-3-3 record). But it's a lot tougher to ramp up the intensity for a third game in four nights on a random weeknight in February than it is when stakes are raised in the playoffs, and the Canadiens hope they'll be buoyed again by having fans back in the Bell Centre stands, as was clearly the case in Game 6 against Toronto.There's also an argument to be made that being locked in and feeling that playoff intensity every other night is actually beneficial to teams in the postseason, so the long layoff could potentially hurt the Jets. Teams didn't have extended breaks between series in last year's playoffs, but in 2019, three teams won via sweep and had at least nine days off before the next round, and all three of them lost after their lengthy layoff.Despite the difficult circumstances in the majority of the Canadiens' games against Winnipeg, they got the better of the Jets at five-on-five. The Canadiens held an edge in xGF% and HDCF%, along with a massive advantage in CF% over nine meetings. And there's every reason to expect more of the same in this series.The Jets allowed 11.47 high-danger chances per 60 minutes in the regular season, by far the worst mark among playoff teams, while generating only 9.25 per 60. That troublesome trend continued against Edmonton. The Oilers were middle of the road in both chance creation and prevention during the regular season - both areas Montreal had success in - and despite being swept by Winnipeg, they led the first round with a whopping 13.84 HDCF/60. The Jets not only allowed a lot of quality chances, they also struggled to generate much, posting a 39.39 HDCF% and 41.29 xGF% - both bottom-two marks in the first round.Being out-chanced and out-possessed is hardly new to this Winnipeg team; it survives thanks to its high-end attack and elite goalie. The Jets' bounty of capable scorers up front helps them convert a higher rate of their chances, while defensively they lean into their best asset: Hellebuyck. They have an innate ability to withstand pressure and hit teams on the counter - it's why poorer underlying metrics aren't always indicative of their success. What they lack in quantity, they make up for in quality.It was the formula the Jets used against the Canadiens this season, too. Despite being significantly out-chanced, they shot a terrific 10.16% at five-on-five, and an even more impressive 13.56% in their six wins over Montreal. Hellebuyck posted a .937 SV% in those victories, compared to .868 in the three losses. Despite Hellebuyck's excellence and Winnipeg's quality up front, marks of 13.56% and .937 shout regression. A locked in Price or any slips from Hellebuyck could prove catastrophic for the Jets.Special teams will also prove crucial for Winnipeg. They were a driving force behind its success in Round 1, while Montreal struggled early against Toronto. The Canadiens were 0-for-14 through five games before breaking through with three power-play goals over the final two. They need to build off that momentum, as another anemic run could cripple their chances. It won't be easy against a Winnipeg team that held the Oilers' top-ranked power play to under 20% in the first round.Montreal's penalty kill was excellent while its power play struggled. The Canadiens held the Leafs to only three goals on 23 opportunities, though Toronto's power play was miserable for some time in advance of the playoffs. The Jets are much more efficient and productive when up a man, ranking seventh during the regular season, and were a top-five unit in the league before going 2-for-22 without Ehlers over the final nine games of the season. They went 3-for-10 against an Edmonton penalty kill that ranked top 10 in the league this year, while Montreal's finished in the league's bottom half.If the Habs can maintain respectable numbers on special teams, the series will be there for the taking thanks to their strong five-on-five play. Winnipeg's weak defensive corps was exposed in Round 1 - only the Blues and Capitals allowed more xGF/60 at five-on-five - and is set for an even tougher matchup against a deep Canadiens forward group.Montreal runs four lines and forechecks aggressively, which will place added pressure on a weak Jets defense and force it into quicker decisions with the puck. That typically leads to turnovers, as we saw with Toronto's Travis Dermott and Rasmus Sandin.Hellebuyck covered up the Jets' defensive deficiencies in Round 1 by saving a ridiculous 6.82 goals above expected - by far the highest mark of the playoffs despite the fact he's played only four games. His exploits are something the club's become accustomed to, but it leaves Winnipeg with a very small margin for error. Anything but excellence from their netminder and the Jets are in big trouble.Price faces similar pressure in Montreal, but he doesn't have to be otherworldly in order for the club to be successful. Montreal's team defense is far superior to Winnipeg's - it's a much more sustainable model. The Jets allowed 60 high-danger chances in the first round compared to 59 allowed by the Canadiens, and Montreal played three more games. That's extreme pressure on a goalie, and sooner or later, whether it's in Round 2 or beyond, it'll catch up to Winnipeg eventually.Pick: Canadiens (+115)Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Now that the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is in the books, it's time to evaluate the eight remaining clubs. Here's how we rank the squads that qualified for Round 2:8. Montreal Canadiens Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / GettyOne would be hard-pressed to find any reputable expert who predicted the Canadiens would prevail over the Toronto Maple Leafs in their opening-round series, and Montreal certainly deserves credit for that. But this team was the worst postseason squad entering Round 1, and that distinction remains accurate despite its improbable triumph in seven games.7. New York Islanders Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThe Islanders' upset win over the East Division champion Pittsburgh Penguins in six games was impressive, but lackluster play from Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry aided them greatly. New York's second-round opponents play a strong defensive game just like the Islanders do, so the East's No. 4 seed must prove it can beat a more balanced club in Round 2.6. Boston Bruins Boston Globe / Boston Globe / GettyThe Bruins also made a statement in Round 1 after a somewhat disappointing regular season by their standards. Boston knocked out the higher-seeded Washington Capitals in five games while allowing only two goals per game in the first-round series.5. Winnipeg Jets Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyThe Jets earned a lot of respect after sweeping a higher-seeded Edmonton Oilers club led by Connor McDavid, the Hart Trophy favorite, and Leon Draisaitl, who won that award last season. Three of the games went to overtime - including the clincher, which required three extra frames - but Winnipeg overcame its defensive question marks with elite play in goal and strong performances up front.4. Vegas Golden Knights Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / GettyIt took the Golden Knights seven games to eliminate the Minnesota Wild, and Game 1 of Vegas' second-round matchup illustrated this team has its hands full against the No. 1 team on this list. But the Golden Knights remain deep and skilled, having posted as many points in the standings as their second-round foes during the regular season. So don't count them out just yet.3. Carolina Hurricanes Gregg Forwerck / National Hockey League / GettyThe Hurricanes proved their Central Division title was no fluke by defeating the Nashville Predators in six games, but now a much tougher test awaits. Carolina's officially the higher seed against the next squad on these rankings due to regular-season play, but the Canes' second-round opponents were missing one superstar for all 56 of those contests and another for the final month.2. Tampa Bay Lightning Eliot J. Schechter / National Hockey League / GettyThe Lightning needed six games to eliminate the upstart Florida Panthers, but perennially feared Tampa Bay remains one of the NHL's most dangerous squads. Despite the inferior regular-season record compared to the Hurricanes, this team shouldn't be considered an underdog now that Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos are both dominating again since returning from significant injuries in time for the playoffs.1. Colorado Avalanche RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images / Denver Post / GettyThis one is a no-brainer, as the high-octane Avalanche swept the St. Louis Blues with ease despite Ryan O'Reilly boldly predicting the 2018-19 champs would beat Colorado. It wasn't close at all, really - the Avalanche won all four games by three goals or more while scoring at least four goals in each contest and netting five or more in three of them.This team further proved its mettle with a 7-1 rout over the Golden Knights in Game 1 of their second-round matchup, but they've been the Stanley Cup favorites for a while now, and that remains the case.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the books, theScore counts down the top five players of the postseason so far in all three positional groups. Players on eliminated teams are eligible for this list, as these rankings are explicitly based on performances in Round 1.Forwards | Defensemen | Goalies5. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning Mark LoMoglio / National Hockey League / GettyGPPxGF%ATOI6855.07%17:27The Lightning were a force in Round 1 in a hard-fought battle with their in-state rivals, and their captain played a huge role in the victory. Stamkos, who missed the last chunk of the regular season due to injury, came out flying and found the scoresheet in all but one contest while producing three multi-point efforts. The 31-year-old fired 17 shots on goal and looks hungry for another championship after being sidelined for most of Tampa's Stanley Cup run last year.4. Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPPxGF%ATOI4861.74%20:17Landeskog brought it in every facet of the game in Round 1, which saw the Presidents' Trophy winners sweep the St. Louis Blues. Colorado's 28-year-old captain tallied four goals and four assists - all of them at even strength - and was dominant physically. The Avalanche's top line will be a problem for any playoff opponent.3. Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers Eliot J. Schechter / National Hockey League / GettyGPPxGF%ATOI61043.49%19:45Huberdeau's exploits came in a losing effort, but there's no denying the Panthers' top winger was sensational against the Lightning. The 27-year-old had three multi-point performances and is tied for first among all playoff skaters with eight assists. His underlying metrics weren't great, but Huberdeau made a significant impact on the power play, an area of the game that can often decide a tight series.2. Nikita Kucherov, Lightning Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / GettyGPPxGF%ATOI61158.29%19:36Kucherov sure didn't show any signs of rust after missing the entire regular season. The former Hart Trophy winner was unstoppable in his 2021 debut, torching the Panthers for 11 points, including four in under 15 minutes of ice time to secure an emphatic Game 4 victory. If his goal in Round 1 was to remind the hockey world just how dangerous he is, the 27-year-old most certainly succeeded.1. Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche Michael Martin / National Hockey League / GettyGPPxGF%ATOI4959.1%20:48MacKinnon has proven he lives for this time of year. After running rampant with 25 points in 15 postseason games in the bubble last summer, the Avalanche's 25-year-old dynamo picked up right where he left off, obliterating the Blues with six goals and three assists to lead all skaters with a 2.25 points-per-game clip thus far in the playoffs. When MacKinnon plays with postseason intensity, there's no arguing he's on the shortlist of the best and most dominant players in the world.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sheldon Keefe believes there's no reason why the Toronto Maple Leafs couldn't have avoided blowing a 3-1 series lead and getting eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens in their first-round series."We were in a good spot and didn't close it out," the Maple Leafs head coach said following a 3-1 loss in Game 7 on Monday night, according to The Athletic's James Mirtle. "We added enough pieces and depth to be able to deal with those (injury) situations, so there's zero excuses."Keefe also expressed just how deeply the loss affected his team."Really hard to put it into words. We're obviously devastated (and) disappointed," he said, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton. "(We) expected better of ourselves, and we think we're capable of a lot more, not just (Monday night) but through the whole series."In fact, Keefe revealed the team was so distraught he opted not to speak to them as a group afterward.Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews - who earned the 2021 "Rocket" Richard Trophy with 41 goals during the regular season but scored just once in the series - also conveyed his disappointment."I'm not really sure how to sum it up. It's extremely frustrating all around," the dynamic center said.Mitch Marner, whose giveaway allowed Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher to score the opening goal of Game 7, took some responsibility for his lackluster play."I just have to make sure that it stops happening," Marner said, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.The Maple Leafs were playing without two key players. John Tavares was stretchered off in Game 1. The Toronto captain sustained both a concussion and a knee injury on the play and was later ruled out for the series. Defenseman Jake Muzzin exited Game 6 after appearing to pull something and missed Game 7 after being ruled out for at least three weeks.Toronto acquired forwards Nick Foligno and Riley Nash in separate deals at the trade deadline, as well as defenseman Ben Hutton. Foligno dealt with an injury of his own during the series, while Nash barely played and Hutton did not suit up in this postseason.The Maple Leafs claimed the North Division title and entered the playoffs as the division's top seed. Montreal finished the regular season with the worst record among postseason clubs and earned the North's No. 4 seed as a result.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carey Price reminded everyone Monday why he's still in the conversation for best goalie in the world.The Montreal Canadiens goaltender stopped 30 of 31 shots during a spectacular performance in Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was less than two minutes away from a shutout before William Nylander beat him with a meaningless tally after Montreal already scored an empty-netter en route to a 3-1 win.Habs forward Brendan Gallagher, who scored the opening goal in Game 7, was highly complimentary toward his netminder."We gave him one goal, it was almost like we knew it was going to be enough," Gallagher said postgame, per Sportsnet."It's a different level of confidence when you know Price is back there - especially in these elimination games," Gallagher added. "He's the best I've ever seen."Price is now 22-10 with a 2.00 goals-against average, .929 save percentage, and three shutouts when facing elimination across all competitions, including international play, in his career, per Sportsnet. He's also 7-2 with a 1.54 goals-against average, .944 save percentage, and two shutouts in winner-take-all games.However, since 2017-18, he owns a pedestrian .909 save percentage and minus-7.7 goals saved above average in the regular season. Yet, time and time again, he's proven to step up big when it matters most. He recorded a .936 save percentage during last year's playoffs and a .931 mark in the first round against Toronto this year.The media asked Price postgame if this is the best hockey he's ever played, but he calmly deflected the question, just as he did to most of Toronto's shots in the series."That was our best game of the series," the 2015 Vezina Trophy winner said.Price will go toe-to-toe with the reigning Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck in what could be a goaltender's duel for the ages when the Canadiens take on the Winnipeg Jets in Round 2.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carey Price turned in a marquee performance when it mattered most, stopping 30 shots to help the underdog Montreal Canadiens upset the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 in Game 7 on Monday.Montreal came all the way back from a 3-1 series deficit. They never trailed after Game 4.Brendan Gallagher opened the scoring for Montreal 3:02 into the second period, beating Jack Campbell five-hole following a Mitch Marner turnover. Corey Perry added some insurance later in the frame, redirecting a point shot on the power play with his knee.Toronto didn't score until after Tyler Toffoli had already buried the empty-netter to seal the series.The Habs will face the Winnipeg Jets in Round 2. The winner will take on the victor between the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights, which means the winner of the East Final will battle the winner of the Central Final in Round 3.The Maple Leafs still haven't won a playoff series since 2004. They've now lost in the opening round in five straight years dating back to 2017.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves will sit out a pair of contests for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct against Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ryan Graves, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Monday.Reaves was assessed a match penalty for attempting to injure Graves during a scrum in the third period of Colorado's 7-1 victory in Game 1 of their second-round series Sunday.

Vegas Golden Knights head coach Pete DeBoer has come to the defense of Ryan Reaves."It's not hard to defend Ryan Reaves," DeBoer said Monday, according to David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "For me, Ryan Reaves is one of the cleanest tough guys I've seen in the league in my 12, 13 years."The Golden Knights forward was assessed a match penalty for attempting to injure Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ryan Graves during a scrum after a whistle in Game 1 of their teams' second-round series Sunday night.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman upheld Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri's eight-game suspension, the league announced Monday.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin is expected to miss a minimum of three weeks due to a lower-body injury suffered during Game 6, head coach Sheldon Keefe announced Monday, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.Muzzin left Saturday's contest in the second period after appearing to pull something.Prior to the injury, the 32-year-old led the team's defensemen in ice time this postseason. He contributed two goals and one assist through six games while also adding 16 hits and 11 blocked shots.Keefe confirmed Rasmus Sandin will replace Muzzin, and that's the club's only lineup change after Game 6, according to TSN's Mark Masters.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will host 550 fully vaccinated frontline health care workers at Scotiabank Arena for their Game 7 matchup against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night."Every single day our healthcare workers put their lives on the line to help others," Ontario Premier Doug Ford's statement reads. "This small token of appreciation doesn't measure up to the sacrifices they've made during COVID-19, but it is an opportunity for us to recognize their heroic efforts to keep each and every one of us safe."MLSE, the company that owns the Maple Leafs, will cover the costs for the workers to attend and give each attendee a jersey.On Sunday the province rejected a proposal to allow spectators into Scotiabank Arena for Game 7, according to TSN.Fans were welcomed back to the Bell Centre in Montreal for Game 6 on Saturday, the first time a Canadian NHL team has permitted spectators at home since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The club won 3-2 in overtime with 2,500 fans in attendance.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

What happened?Less than a week ago, a not-insignificant portion of NHL fans and media (myself included) were convinced the Toronto Maple Leafs had the Montreal Canadiens right where they wanted them: Down 3-1 in a first-round playoff series and frantically searching for answers ahead of Game 5 in Toronto.Then, the Habs were the more opportunistic, steady team in Games 5 and 6. They deserved to win two straight - and did - and now, with Game 7 set for Monday night, all the goodwill the Leafs built up over the first four games is gone. It's Toronto who's frantically searching for answers. Minas Panagiotakis / Getty ImagesWill the Leafs reverse course, or is this the latest collapse in the franchise's tortured history? Will the Habs complete the comeback, or is this just a matter of an underdog pushing a series to seven games but no further?These questions are why sport is the greatest form of reality TV.Here are the top-five storylines for what could be a Game 7 for the ages.5. The early edgeThe Habs have done one of two things in the opening frame of each game: Dictated play and opened the scoring, or kept the Leafs honest by heading into the intermission with, at worst, an even score. They've carved out a 4-1 advantage in goals and lead 63-56 in shots over those six first periods.In the second frame, the Leafs have responded with a commanding 11-2 advantage in goals and 90-48 advantage in shots, while Toronto has strung together a 5-3 lead in goals in the third period despite getting outshot 61-46. Minas Panagiotakis / Getty ImagesPeriod-by-period breakdowns aren't usually super instructive or useful. However, this may be an exception to the rule, given the persuasive evidence and toll a weak start in Game 7 could have on the Leafs' collective psyche.Can you imagine what kind of thoughts might enter the minds of longtime Leafs Morgan Rielly, Zach Hyman, William Nylander, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner - heck, everybody on the bench - if the Habs once again push play in the first 20 minutes Monday and/or open the scoring?For whatever reason, the Leafs didn't seem focused at the start of Game 5; perhaps they were dreaming of a second-round meeting with the Winnipeg Jets. In Game 6, the presence of fans in the building for the first time in more than a year probably had a psychological effect; it's hard to say for certain.Monday will be a different environment altogether, of course. There'll be no time to warm up to the moment - no room for error - because regrouping with a 3-1 or 3-2 series lead is far easier than regrouping in a do-or-die Game 7.4. Price vs. CampbellGoaltending was a bit of a wild card going into this Leafs-Habs matchup.Interestingly, it's become arguably the most reliable position for each club, with Montreal's Carey Price entering Playoff Price mode and Toronto's Jack Campbell picking up where he left off following a breakout regular season. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesNeither netminder has been dominant, per se, but both have saved their team's bacon on more than a few occasions. Take Game 6 - Campbell was seemingly the only Leaf to show up for the first period, and in overtime, Price turned aside 13 shots in the lead-up to Jesperi Kotkaniemi's game-winner.Overall, Price has been slightly better, at least according to MoneyPuck.com's goals saved above expected statistic. Prior to Sunday's games, Price boasted a 5.6 rating, ranking him third among the 14 goalies who appeared in four playoff games or more. Campbell (3.8) sat fourth on the list.Based on reputation and experience, the smart money is on Price - winner of Hart and Vezina trophies and owner of an Olympic gold medal - outdueling Campbell on Monday. Then again, it's nearly impossible to handicap single-game goaltending. One bounce can change the direction of an entire contest and, with the heat turned up in Game 7, momentum likely will swing wildly.3. Potential Muzzin void Kevin Sousa / Getty ImagesJake Muzzin leaving Game 6 with an injury was as big a blow as the loss itself.The 32-year-old blue-liner is the glue that holds Toronto's defense corps together, and now he's dealing with an apparent groin injury that may keep him out of Game 7. If the Leafs advance to the second round, his status becomes an even larger story with a rested and healthy Jets squad waiting.The immediate conundrum isn't only about who might fill Muzzin's spot in the lineup (probably youngster Rasmus Sandin). It's also about how his 21-plus minutes might be dispersed in Game 7. All of a sudden, ice time for top-pair guys Rielly and T.J. Brodie could be through the roof, and Justin Holl, Muzzin's partner on the second pair, could be tasked with a heightened role. Mark Blinch / Getty ImagesOf note up front for the Leafs: Nick Foligno doesn't appear to be 100%, Joe Thornton has been ineffective most of the series, and Alex Galchenyuk has been hot and cold. Does coach Sheldon Keefe slide trade deadline pickup Riley Nash into the bottom-six and take one of them out (Foligno likely stays in but the possibility remains) after sitting Nash for Games 2, 4, 5, and 6?Boy, a team's depth can get tested quickly in the playoffs. While William Nylander's terrific play (series-high four goals) doesn't necessarily show it, the Leafs are really missing injured captain John Tavares heading into Game 7.2. The Caufield factorCole Caufield is one of those players who's so obviously talented with the puck that even somebody watching him for the first time can identify his offensive chops. He's surely turned a lot of heads outside Quebec this series.Caufield will probably score 40 goals in an NHL season one day. He was a prolific scorer at every amateur level, and he bagged seven in his first 12 regular-season games as a pro (10 in the NHL and two in the AHL). No big deal.So far versus the Leafs, zilch; the Wisconsin native has yet to capitalize on myriad scoring opportunities in the four games he's drawn into Montreal's lineup. He's dinged the crossbar twice - in the first period of Game 3 and then in the second frame of Game 6 - and recorded his first career playoff point off a nifty give-and-go with sophomore Hab Nick Suzuki on the Game 5 winner. Mark Blinch / Getty ImagesKotkaniemi, Montreal's other young stud forward, enjoyed his big moment with an overtime tally in Game 6. So will Game 7 be Caufield's night? At five-on-five among Habs forwards, he ranks third in shots on goal per 60 minutes, fifth in shot attempts per 60, and fourth in scoring chances per 60, according to Natural Stat Trick. In other words, it feels like the 5-foot-7 sniper's due.1. Matthews and MarnerNobody's reputations are hanging in the balance quite like Nos. 34 and 16 on Toronto. Matthews, the sport's best goal scorer, has just one goal in six games. Marner, one of the sport's top playmakers, has collected four assists.Matthews has been fairly dangerous, racking up a series-high 2.6 expected goals during five-on-five play, per Natural Stat Trick. He's a career 16.2% shooter in the regular season, but he's shooting 3.1% in all situations this series on 32 shots on goal. Needless to say, Matthews' process ultimately doesn't matter if he can't produce actual goals when his team needs him most.Marner, on the other hand, has looked out of sorts pretty much from the series' opening faceoff. He seems afraid to shoot the puck, even when it's on his stick and he's staring down a prime scoring opportunity. The 24-year-old winger hit a low with a puck-over-glass penalty late in Game 6. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesFour first-round exits in the past four seasons have set the stage for questions about the two superstars' killer instincts - or lack thereof. And if the Leafs can't win Game 7 against the Habs, the current chatter around these two core pieces could very well evolve into outright kicking and screaming. It won't be without sustenance, either, seeing as Matthews and Marner are paid a combined $22.5 million annually to guide their team deep into the postseason.How will Leafs Nation and the greater hockey world view Matthews and Marner if they produce in Game 7 and Toronto advances? Admirably, no doubt. These are likable young men who are exceptionally gifted. Monday presents an incredible opportunity for both of them. Can they seize it?John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. You can follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) and contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights netminder Robin Lehner was between the pipes for Game 1 against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.Lehner allowed seven goals on 37 shots in Vegas' series-opening 7-1 loss. Marc-Andre Fleury played all seven games of Vegas' first-round series versus the Minnesota Wild, posting a 1.71 goals-against average and .931 save percentage.The switch to Lehner appears to be a coach's decision as Fleury isn't known to be battling any injuries.Lehner posted a 2.29 goals-against average and .913 save percentage in 19 regular-season contests this campaign. His last outing was on March 10 against the Avalanche.Vegas rotated its goalies every other game during the regular season when both were healthy. The duo shared the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the league.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It appears the Carolina Hurricanes will have to play their entire series against the Tampa Bay Lightning without Nino Niederreiter.Following Tampa Bay's 2-1 win over Carolina in Game 1 on Sunday, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour said the forward is "very, very doubtful" to suit up during the best-of-seven matchup, according to the team's senior editor, Michael Smith.Niederreiter was a late scratch for Sunday's game due to an upper-body injury. He played all six of Carolina's first-round contests against the Nashville Predators, scoring the game-winner in the opener.The 28-year-old left Saturday's practice early and didn't return. Brind'Amour labeled him questionable for Game 1 after Sunday's morning skate before ruling him out just prior to puck drop.Niederreiter ranked second on the team with 20 goals over 56 games during the regular season. His 0.36 goals per game were a career high over a full campaign, and he also collected 14 assists.The Swiss winger has spent two-plus seasons with the Hurricanes, who acquired him from the Minnesota Wild in a trade for forward Victor Rask in January 2019.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL revealed the schedules for the four Round 2 series of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday.All times ET.

The Vancouver Canucks signed forward prospect Vasily Podkolzin to a three-year entry-level contract, the team announced Sunday."Vasily is a competitor who plays an aggressive game," general manager Jim Benning said. "He's effective using his size and skill to get to the net and produce offensively. We're pleased to sign him today and look forward to adding him to our young core of skilled players."Vancouver drafted Podkolzin 10th overall in 2019. He recorded 11 points over 35 games for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL this past season, adding 11 points in 16 playoff contests.The 19-year-old has also suited up for Russia during the past three world juniors.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Seth Jones informed the Columbus Blue Jackets he won't sign an extension with the club once he's eligible, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Friedman added Jones could always change his mind, but it appears he wants to test the open market.Jones is an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career following the 2021-22 season. He'd be permitted to sign an extension with Columbus once the current campaign ends.The 26-year-old currently makes $5.4 million per season. Jones has been a top-pairing defenseman most of his career and is likely to fetch a handsome payday in free agency, but his underlying numbers this past season indicate some red flags.

Nick Foligno couldn't explain how the Montreal Canadiens outplayed his Toronto Maple Leafs early in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss in Game 6 of their first-round series."I can't," the forward said postgame, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton. "That's unacceptable (at) this time of year."The veteran forward, who returned for the contest after missing the previous three with an injury, tried to put a positive spin on the defeat.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin was ruled out for the remainder of Game 6 against the Montreal Canadiens with a lower-body injury, the team announced.Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters postgame that there was no update on Muzzin, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Muzzin left in the second period after suffering an apparent groin injury.The 32-year-old leads all defensemen on the Maple Leafs during the postseason with 22:21 minutes of ice time per game. Muzzin's also recorded 16 hits and 11 blocked shots.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Foligno will play Game 6 versus the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night after missing the previous three contests with a lower-body injury.Foligno's return bumps Adam Brooks out of the forward group. Travis Dermott is also back in the lineup for Rasmus Sandin, who had a pair of costly turnovers in a Game 5 loss on Thursday.The Maple Leafs acquired Foligno from the Columbus Blue Jackets ahead of the trade deadline. The 33-year-old registered four assists in seven regular-season games and has one helper thus far in the playoffs.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Since the unveiling of the divisions and playoff format, this highly anticipated series felt almost inevitable.The Minnesota Wild tried to throw a wrench into our plans, but the inescapable has been confirmed. The regular season's top two teams will meet for West Division supremacy in what might be the most enticing series of the entire playoffs.1. Avalanche (-185) versus 2. Golden Knights (+165)OverallAVALANCHESTATGOLDEN KNIGHTS39-13-4Record40-14-24-3-1H2H4-4-060.71 (1st)xGF%*54.02 (5th)60.32 (1st)CF%*54.56 (4th)58.65 (1st)HDCF%*53.47 (9th)8.72 (8th)SH%*9.5 (3rd).916 (17th)SV%*.920 (11th)22.7 (8th)PP%17.8 (22nd)83.1 (8th)PK%86.8 (1st)*Five-on-fiveHead-to-headDATEHOME-AWAYxG*CF%*HDCF*GOALIES2/14VGK 1 - COL 01.86 - 2.5844.19 - 55.819 - 9Fleury - Grubauer2/16VGK 2 - COL 32.53 - 2.448.09 - 51.9115 - 6Fleury - Grubauer2/20COL 3 - VGK 2**1.75 - 1.4255 - 455 - 5Fleury - Grubauer2/22COL 0 - VGK 31.86 - 1.8751.4 - 48.69 - 7Grubauer - Fleury3/25COL 5 - VGK 13.16 - 1.3954.41 - 45.5912 - 9Grubauer - Fleury3/27COL 2 - VGK 3 OT0.95 - 1.6250.16 - 49.843 - 7Grubauer - Fleury4/28VGK 5 - COL 22.75 - 2.3646.05 - 53.9511 - 10Fleury - Dubnyk5/10VGK 1 - COL 21.58 - 2.3852.11 - 47.896 - 9Lehner - Grubauer*All strengths

The Bell Centre will welcome 2,500 fans for Game 6 between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, marking the first NHL game in Canada with spectators since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.It's a small fraction of the rink's 21,302-seat capacity, but both teams are excited for a return to something close to the usual atmosphere of the league's oldest rivalry."It's going to be electric," Canadiens rookie Cole Caufield told Josh Clipperton of The Canadian Press. "You can just count on those fans to be passionate and dedicated to being behind us, giving every ounce of excitement they can."Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner said his squad is also eager to play in front of fans."I'm sure there'll be some blue and white in there as well," he told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "We've played in front of fans before. It's going to be fun playing in front of people again and hear people actually cheer, so we're excited for it as well."Quebec recently lifted the COVID-19 curfew that had been in place since January. Fans in attendance for Game 6 must socially distance themselves from people outside their groups, and the first 12 rows of the lower bowl will remain empty.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL's North Division commands wall-to-wall coverage in Canada, but stellar hockey is being played south of the border in front of spirited home crowds, a striking change from the regular season.On cue for Round 2, we preview the postseason's next slate of American series. Here's a rundown of what's at stake, and key storylines and battles to monitor, in the East, Central, and West Division finals.––––––––––East Division: Boston vs. N.Y. IslandersSix points in the standings separated this division's first and fourth playoff seeds, and now a couple of the NHL's stingiest defensive clubs get to square off for the East title.The Bruins are undeniably more dynamic; that'll be true until older stars Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Krejci fall off. And the team probably improved more than anyone at the trade deadline, adding impact contributors Taylor Hall and Mike Reilly at the cost of a bottom-six forward, Anders Bjork, and two picks.Boston's Taylor Hall. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesKyle Palmieri was a nice acquisition for New York, but the Islanders are dangerous because they trust and execute Barry Trotz's system. They're workmanlike, bunker down in the defensive zone to inhibit shot quality, capitalize on counterattacks, and buck the idea that possession control is needed to thrive.Take New York's six-game defeat over Pittsburgh. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Penguins owned 58.92% of shot attempts at five-on-five but only 52.25% of high-danger chances, and they were outscored 18-12. One big reason was Ilya Sorokin, the 25-year-old rookie who authored a .943 save percentage (to Tristan Jarry's .888). Now, he'll encounter a formidable netminding foe in Tuukka Rask.What's at stake: Beyond the question of how many runs Boston's thirtysomething core has left, how's this for a subplot: pending free agent Hall's quest for personal playoff success. The 11-year vet is drumming up something resembling momentum, if we ignore his woeful stint in Buffalo. He won his first career postseason series with Arizona last season (albeit in the bubbled play-in round) and scored twice to help the Bruins dispatch Washington in five games.The Islanders want to build on the headway they've made under Trotz's command. They don't have a superstar on Alex Ovechkin's level, but the former Capitals coach's emphasis on team defense has powered the Isles to series victories three years running, including their surge to the 2020 Eastern Conference Final. They lost to Tampa Bay in six games that postseason, but a rematch in Round 3 or a trip to the Stanley Cup Final remains possible.New York's Josh Bailey. Mike Stobe / NHL / Getty ImagesBoston's player to watch: Charlie McAvoy. If the Bruins are through to Round 3 by the time Norris Trophy finalists are announced on June 9, expect that their No. 1 defenseman dictated play. In the heavy minutes that McAvoy shouldered this year without Torey Krug or Zdeno Chara around, Boston outscored teams 50-32 at five-on-five, an elite figure. He assisted on all five of Boston's Round 1 power-play goals.New York's player to watch: Josh Bailey. Brock Nelson's right-winger scored in double overtime against the Penguins and leads the Islanders in playoff assists and points (23 and 32 in 36 games) since Trotz's arrival. Mathew Barzal dazzles, but Bailey, Nelson, and Anthony Beauvillier are New York's safest bet to drive offense as a collective.––––––––––Central Division: Carolina vs. Tampa BayBy the standings, the odds in this matchup tilt toward the Hurricanes, the divisional top seed whose defensive game is on par with Boston's and New York's. Spiritually, the reigning Stanley Cup champions have to be favored until a challenger unseats them.Why not the Hurricanes? Nashville goalie Juuse Saros just pushed them to six overtime periods, but the 'Canes controlled 56.69% of five-on-five expected goals in the series, signaling good process. Sebastian Aho, Vincent Trocheck, and Jordan Staal each center a wicked Carolina forward line. One compelling battle to track this round: Norris Trophy aspirant Dougie Hamilton seeking to outplay Victor Hedman, 2020's Conn Smythe Trophy winner.Carolina's Sebastian Aho (right). Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesCarolina is deep, yet the Lightning remain stacked, and Nikita Kucherov dispelled against Florida the concern that he'd be slow to boot up following his return from hip surgery. Blame the Panthers' goalie carousel for conceding 22 goals in six games, but acknowledge Tampa's firepower, too. Eight forwards scored multiple first-round goals, including Steven Stamkos, the captain who saw only 2:47 of ice time during the Cup run.What's at stake: The Bruins gave Carolina fits the past two postseasons, winning eight of nine games to stunt the Hurricanes' transition from up-and-comers to legit contenders. Ousting the Lightning would signify that this team has made the leap. Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Martin Necas are no longer playoff newcomers. Do any of them have a career performance in store?Tampa Bay is gunning to become the Stanley Cup's second repeat victor this century, taking after Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017. Consider it a golden opportunity before the bill's due. Twelve Lightning players earn more than $4.4 million annually; the club contorted below the salary cap by stashing Kucherov ($9.5 million) on long-term injured reserve for the entire season. Tougher decisions loom this summer.Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov (right). Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesCarolina's player to watch: Alex Nedeljkovic. No one's taking the Calder Trophy from Kirill Kaprizov's mitts, but 25-year-old Nedeljkovic was a revelation in net in his first full NHL campaign. His save percentage in 23 appearances was .932, the best in the league among regular starters. Per Evolving Hockey, only Marc-Andre Fleury and Connor Hellebuyck topped his mark of 12.92 goals saved above expectation.If he dominates the Lightning as he did in three starts during the season - Nedeljkovic stopped 75 of 78 shots and posted a shutout - then hockey will crown a new champ this year.Tampa Bay's player to watch: Alex Killorn. The Lightning have nailed their share of first-round draft picks since the 2005 lockout - Stamkos, Hedman, Andrei Vasilevskiy - and unearthed gem after overlooked gem later in the process. Kucherov and Brayden Point are studs, while Ondrej Palat and Anthony Cirelli were inspired finds.Teams like the Panthers lose hope when guys like Killorn, the 77th pick in 2007, snare four goals and four assists in a series - two fewer points than he contributed to Tampa Bay's entire 2020 Cup charge. Kucherov, Stamkos, and Point will inevitably get their points. Let Killorn score at will, and Carolina's in trouble.––––––––––West Division: Colorado vs. VegasColorado's Nathan MacKinnon. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesBitter: This matchup is worthy of the Cup Final, let alone the second round. Sweet: After Joel Kiviranta's Game 7 hat trick booked Dallas - not Colorado - a playoff date with Vegas last summer, at least these powerhouses finally are meeting.Little separated Colorado and Vegas in the regular season, though the Avalanche's edge in regulation wins broke a tie for the Presidents' Trophy. Colorado was first in the NHL in goals for, third in goals against, and - accounting for goal differential and schedule strength - a close second in Hockey Reference's Simple Rating System. Vegas was third, first, and first in those categories, respectively.One distinction: Colorado's 60.08 expected goals percentage was by far the league's top mark, according to Natural Stat Trick's data. Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog menace defenses together, but what separates Colorado from, say, Connor McDavid's Oilers is influential forward depth, plus the terrific blue-line corps that Cale Makar headlines and Devon Toews has fortified.Vegas' Mark Stone. Jeff Bottari / NHL / Getty ImagesPhilipp Grubauer was a top-10 goalie this season by save percentage and goals saved above average; he let in a mere seven goals on 110 shots (.936) as Colorado swept the Blues in Round 1. Minnesota, the Golden Knights' first opponent, really distressed Vegas, but Fleury's .931 save percentage over seven games was almost as pristine.Although Max Pacioretty sat out the postseason's first six games, Mark Stone and top-line fill-in Alex Tuch combined to burn the Wild for seven goals. Pacioretty scoring and playing 16:28 in Game 7 was a welcome sight, considering how sorely Vegas missed his point-per-game touch in two shutout defeats.What's at stake: Recent history dictates that Colorado has more riding on this matchup. The Avalanche have the core, the ascendant young talent, and the team-friendly superstar contract - MacKinnon is signed at $6.3 million through 2023 - to achieve staying power and compete for Cups annually. But they've lost consecutive second-round Game 7s and haven't reached Round 3 since 2002.It only took three years for the playoffs to thrill, devastate, and vex the NHL's 31st franchise. The Golden Knights made the 2018 final as expansion darlings, crashed epically in a first-round Game 7 in 2019, and got stoned by Anton Khudobin in last year's Western Conference Final. This is their last shot to hoist the Cup before the Seattle Kraken debut.Colorado's Cale Makar (left) and Mikko Rantanen. Michael Martin / NHL / Getty ImagesColorado's players to watch: Andre Burakovsky and Makar. The MacKinnon line is Colorado's greatest edge in this and any matchup. If the club's next-best scorers can pressure Fleury and swing possession in the Avalanche's favor, that would offset Vegas' signature strengths: goaltending and offensive variety.Burakovsky was serviceable for half a decade in Washington, but the second-line winger rounded into a marksman once he was dealt to the Avs in 2019. He would have challenged for 30 goals had 2020-21 been a full season. At any rate, he tallied a career-high 0.83 points per game (44 in 53).Makar has aced each of his NHL tests, starting with his 2019 playoff baptism out of college. The Golden Knights held him to two points in six games this season, and they're relentless when they hit top gear. Watching Makar try to pick them apart in the postseason should be tremendous fun.Vegas' players to watch: Stone and Alex Pietrangelo. No need to strain to identify these difference-makers. Stone, the NHL takeaways king, tied for sixth in the league in five-on-five scoring in the regular season. His 37 points in that phase of the game bested Rantanen's 35 and MacKinnon's 34.If Stone is the most potent scorer in the series, pencil Vegas in as the West Division champ and Stanley Cup favorite. The subtext here: That would require slowing MacKinnon, the forward Pietrangelo and Alec Martinez faced the most this year.Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. 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Vegas Golden Knights sniper Max Pacioretty was back in the lineup for Game 7 against the Minnesota Wild on Friday night.Pacioretty hadn't played since May 1 due to an undisclosed injury. He scored the winning goal in Vegas' 6-2 victory over Minnesota, sending the Golden Knights into a Round 2 series with the Colorado Avalanche..He returned to his familiar spot on the top line with Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin played just 1:56 in the first period of Friday's Game 7 against the Vegas Golden Knights before departing with an apparent injury.Brodin was slow getting up after Nicolas Roy hit him hard into the boards early in the contest.

If there's one thing these playoffs have taught us, it's that hockey is alive and well in the south. The Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning were involved in two of the most entertaining first-round series and now go head to head for the Central Division crown in a matchup hardly lacking in star power.Tampa is playing its best hockey when it matters most, but Carolina seems poised to make the jump to legitimate Cup contender. Do the Lightning need to #TakeWarning, or is it merely an empty threat from a Hurricanes team that floundered when the going got tough in each of the last two postseasons?1. Hurricanes (+110) versus 3. Lightning (-130)OverallHURRICANESSTATLIGHTNING36-12-8Record36-17-34-3-1H2H4-3-153.89 (7th)xGF%*53.22 (10th)54.96 (2nd)CF%*53.12 (7th)54.37 (6th)HDCF%*51.91 (11th)7.21 (28th)SH%*8.34 (14th).935 (2nd)SV%*.921 (10th)25.6 (2nd)PP%22.2 (9th)85.2 (3rd)PK%84.2 (4th)*Five-on-fiveHead-to-headDATEHOME-AWAYxG*CF%*HDCF*GOALIES1/28CAR 1 - TB 0 OT2.58 - 3.6247.99 - 52.0111 - 16Mrazek - Vasilevskiy2/20CAR 4 - TB 03.13 - 3.2154.85 - 45.1512 - 15Nedeljkovic - Vasilevskiy2/22CAR 2 - TB 42.32 - 3.0547.75 - 52.2511 - 9Reimer - Vasilevskiy2/24TB 3 - CAR 02.09 - 1.4949.11 - 50.898 - 6Vasilevskiy - Nedeljkovic2/25TB 3 - CAR 10.87 - 1.9942.92 - 57.083 - 8McElhinney - Reimer3/27CAR 4 - TB 31.79 - 2.0545.03 - 54.976 - 11Reimer - Vasilevskiy4/19TB 3 - CAR 2 OT2.1 - 1.2557.37 - 42.6313 - 6Vasilevskiy - Mrazek4/20TB 1 - CAR 41.04 - 2.3940.39 - 59.612 - 10Vasilevskiy - Nedeljkovic*All strengthsIt's hard to gauge just how much stock to put into the Lightning's regular-season stats or their eight head-to-head meetings with the Hurricanes, because Nikita Kucherov didn't play at all. On the other side, Teuvo Teravainen also missed all eight for Carolina, which at least slightly mitigates Kucherov's absence.Carolina should be worried about how good Kucherov looked in the first round - he recorded three goals and eight assists for a league-leading 11 points. He made massive contributions on the power play right away in Game 1, though there was also an element of rust as he posted an expected goals percentage of just 44 through the first three contests. He got his legs under him for the second half of the series, pushing that number to 73% in the final three games. A fresh and in-form Kucherov spells danger for the Hurricanes.His offensive exploits were obviously a driving force behind Tampa's success in Round 1, with seven of his 11 points coming on the power play. The Lightning relied heavily on the man advantage against the Florida Panthers, scoring an absurd eight goals on 20 opportunities (40%). However, it's unlikely they replicate that sort of success against the Hurricanes.The penalty kill was the Achilles' heel for the Panthers this season, and it was a definite strength for the Hurricanes. Carolina finished third during the regular season with a terrific 85.2% success rate and upped that number to 88.5% in Round 1, killing 23 of the 26 Nashville Predators power plays. Special teams is an overall strong suit of this Hurricanes team, which also ranked second on the power play during the regular season and could be a real difference-maker in this series against a Tampa penalty kill that was significantly underwhelming - 72.7% - in the first round.Also aiding the Lightning's red-hot power play was Florida's miserable goaltending situation. Sergei Bobrovsky remained a problem and Chris Driedger turned into a pumpkin. Here's how the pair ranked in GSAA and GSAx among the 20 goalies to suit up in the first round:RANK GOALIE GSAA18Chris Driedger-2.819Sergei Bobrovsky-5.0520Tristan Jarry-6.13RANK GOALIE GSAx17Chris Driedger-2.8918Jordan Binnington-2.919Sergei Bobrovsky-5.5820Tristan Jarry-6.72Goaltending is a strength for the Hurricanes, who match up incredibly well with the Lightning thanks to Alex Nedeljkovic and Petr Mrazek. It's Nedeljkovic's crease to lose, and he got the better of Andrei Vasilevskiy in the regular season. In three starts against Tampa, he saved 4.82 goals above expected, stopping 75 of 78 shots.It wasn't just against the Lightning that Nedeljkovic excelled, either, as he ranked fifth in GSAA and third in GSAx this season. Vasilevskiy ranked third and fourth, respectively, but also played nearly double the number of games. When you average it out, Nedeljkovic posted considerably better marks in both GSAA/60 and GSAx/60. Goaltending is a key in the playoffs, and Tampa's perceived edge in this series might not actually be an edge at all.Nedeljkovic was solid in Round 1, but this is a step up in class against a Lightning team with elite scoring and high-end talent. Tampa doesn't necessarily generate a ton of chances but scores a lot given its quality up front. The same can be said of the Hurricanes, though, who feature elite offensive talent backed by quality depth.Carolina is the better of the two teams at driving play. The Hurricanes were among the league leaders in xGF%, CF%, and HDCF% in the regular season, and they didn't miss a beat in the first round, managing 55.01% of the expected goal share. Tampa's numbers paled in comparison, as it posted a 45.4% mark in six games against the Panthers, but the quality of opponent certainly has to be taken into consideration.The Hurricanes need to improve when it comes to chance conversion. They ranked 28th in five-on-five shooting percentage this season at 7.21, and that number actually dropped to 6.74 in the first round. Juuse Saros was a big part of that, but Vasilevskiy can be just as stingy.With everyone in the lineup and a series under their belt, the Lightning have to be considered the slight favorites here, but not to the extent the line suggests. Home ice is massive for the Hurricanes, who were 20-3-5 at PNC Arena in the regular season - including 3-1 against Tampa - and a perfect 3-0 in Round 1. Even shy of full capacity, the building was deafening against the Predators, and being able to control the matchups against the Lightning's elite playmakers is massive for Rod Brind'Amour.This series will showcase some of the best the league has to offer, and though the defending champions look the part once again, there's a clear path to success for Carolina in this series. If the Hurricanes can take fewer penalties, remain efficient on special teams, and not lose the goaltending matchup, they will reach the Stanley Cup semifinals for the second time in three years.Pick: Hurricanes (+110)Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins and New York Islanders will kick off Round 2 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, the NHL announced Thursday.Additionally, the Colorado Avalanche will take on the winner of Game 7 between the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.The Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning will start the Central Division final Sunday at 5 p.m. ET in Raleigh. Carolina punched its ticket to the second round Thursday night with an overtime victory over the Nashville Predators in Game 6.The North Division schedule remains undetermined. The Toronto Maple Leafs hold a 3-2 series lead over the Montreal Canadiens with Game 6 set for Saturday. The team that advances will face the Winnipeg Jets in Round 2.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A pair of defensive juggernauts are set to clash in an East Division final that - on the surface at least - shapes up to be a tense affair.But the Bruins have been scorching hot since a flurry of deadline acquisitions, easily disposing of a strong Capitals team in Round 1. The Islanders, meanwhile, have been trending in the wrong direction and were gifted a first-round victory thanks to Tristan Jarry's incompetence.Will upsetting the Penguins be the spark New York needs to get back on track? Or will the Bruins prove too much to handle, as they have for nearly all of their opponents over the past six weeks?3. Bruins (-240) vs. 4. Islanders (+200)OverallBRUINSSTATISLANDERS33-16-7Record32-17-73-3-2H2H5-2-153.33 (8th)xGF%*54.07 (4th)54.88 (3rd)CF%*49.35 (16th)50.44 (14th)HDCF%*56.21 (3rd)7.1 (30th)SH%*8.37 (13th).920 (13th)SV%*.931 (3rd)21.9 (10th)PP%18.8 (20th)86.0 (2nd)PK%83.7 (6th)*five-on-fiveHead-to-headDATEHOME-AWAYxG*CF%*HDCF*GOALIES1/18NYI 1 - BOS 00.88 - 1.1833.93 - 66.075 - 3Varlamov - Rask2/13NYI 4 - BOS 22.79 - 1.5553.65 - 46.3514 - 5Varlamov - Rask2/25NYI 7 - BOS 23.01 - 3.0650.38 - 49.6213 - 13Varlamov - Halak3/9NYI 2 - BOS 1 SO1.56 - 1.4247.01 - 52.9911 - 6Varlamov - Halak3/25BOS 3 - NYI 4 OT1.4 - 1.5859.5 - 40.54 - 5Halak - Varlamov4/15BOS 4 - NYI 12.29 - 0.8461.88 - 38.129 - 0Rask - Varlamov4/16BOS 3 - NYI 01.71 - 1.1361.31 - 38.6910 - 6Swayman - Sorokin5/10BOS 3 - NYI 2 OT2.22 - 0.963.81 - 36.197 - 3Rask - Sorokin*all strengthsDespite being the league's hottest team over the final month of the regular season, the Bruins (+1000) entered the playoffs with just the sixth-best odds to win the Stanley Cup. After a first-round demolition of Washington, those odds have been slashed by more than half, and only the Avalanche (+240) are now priced shorter than Boston (+450) to win it all.Up next for Boston is an Islanders team that will be aiming to replicate its regular-season success against the Bruins in hopes of making a second successive trip to the Stanley Cup semifinals. New York's 5-2-1 head-to-head edge during the regular season is a bit misleading, though.The Bruins improved drastically over the final month of the campaign after a trio of deadline acquisitions. They led the NHL with a 63.09 expected goals for percentage at five-on-five with Taylor Hall in the lineup, going 11-3-1 in those games. They faced the Islanders three times over that span, winning all three contests while owning a 69.49% share of the expected goals. And New York was hardly dominant in winning the first five meetings. The underlying metrics were relatively even in those games, with goaltending proving key to the Islanders' success.To win this series, goaltending will once again be pivotal for New York, as it was in Round 1. The Penguins were largely the better team in their series against the Islanders, who owned just a 46.33 expected goals for percentage at five-on-five but capitalized on an absolute horror show from Jarry. The netminder was directly to blame for three of Pittsburgh's losses and was miserable throughout, posting minus-6.44 goals saved above average and minus-6.72 goals saved above expected. Both marks were by far the worst among goaltenders this postseason. New York's Ilya Sorokin was third with 3.07 goals saved above average.The Islanders will need something similar to unfold to have a chance against Boston. The Bruins are better than the Penguins at both five-on-five and on special teams, and they just manhandled a very good Capitals team while owning 59.27% of the series' expected goal share at five-on-five. Boston limited Washington's high-powered offense to just 1.76 expected goals for per 60 minutes, and it generated 48 high-danger chances across five games compared to the Capitals' 30.The Bruins' power play and penalty kill both consistently rank among the league's best, and this season was no exception. Boston was especially efficient on the penalty kill, setting up what should have been an epic first-round battle against a lethal Capitals power play. But it wasn't a close contest, as the Bruins held Washington's third-ranked power-play unit to just three goals on 21 opportunities. Boston will now look to shut down an Islanders power play that ranked 21st in the regular season and went 3-for-18 against the Penguins' 26th-ranked penalty kill in Round 1.New York will have to withstand a lot of pressure in this series, staying patient - a defining trait of Barry Trotz's teams - and disciplined against a Boston squad likely to control possession. The Bruins should have no issue generating offense at five-on-five and can be trusted to win the battle on special teams, as well. It's hard to see New York charting a path to Round 3 without Sorokin significantly outplaying Tuukka Rask, who isn't quite the goalie he once was. Boston's quality should ultimately prove too much for an Islanders team that simply hasn't played good hockey over the past two months.Pick: Bruins (-240)Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. 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The Carolina Hurricanes eliminated the Nashville Predators in Game 6 in overtime Thursday by a score of 4-3.Sebastian Aho tipped home Jaccob Slavin's point shot just over a minute into the extra frame for the game-winner. It was the fourth straight contest in the series that required OT.The Canes will now take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 2 for the Central Division crown.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In a perfect world, a rare playoff series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens would go the distance. Yet, unless something unforeseen occurs in the next 24 hours, we probably won't even see a Game 6.The first four games of the North Division matchup have left no doubt the Habs are in way over their heads against the significantly deeper and more balanced Leafs. With Toronto up 3-1 heading into Thursday's Game 5 at Scotiabank Arena, a series victory for the home team feels inevitable.Here's why the Leafs appear primed to win a playoff series for the first time since 2004 - and also a few glimmers of hope for the Habs and their fans:Leafs' attack overwhelming Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesAnybody who's watched William Nylander relatively closely knows he's been building toward this moment. So his four goals in four games - including the openers in Games 3 and 4 - shouldn't register as some shocking development. What's notable instead is the energetic lead-up to his tallies.By controlling possession in transition, blazing to the net with no fear, and putting absolutely everything into his wrist shot, Nylander's been driving a second line that lost center John Tavares to injury 10 minutes into Game 1 and was short left-winger Nick Foligno for Games 3 and 4. Nylander's been doing these things off and on throughout his entire career, but rarely has it all come together so seamlessly and consistently over a string of physically demanding games."To me, he's competing a lot harder, he's really engaged, and with that, offense comes," Keefe told reporters following Game 3. "You look at losing Tavares and then you lose Foligno, two guys that Will started out with on a line, and he's just continued on and produced and played hard and given us real good shifts."Meanwhile, the ageless Jason Spezza has been brilliant in his own right, looking closer to 27 than 37 as he bolts up the right wing, handles the puck in tight spaces, and engages in battles in the corner. He ranks second on the Leafs in goals with two, and there are six others with one - Auston Matthews, Morgan Rielly, Alex Galchenyuk, Rasmus Sandin, Joe Thornton, and Alex Kerfoot. That's the team's first-line center, first-pairing defenseman, second-line winger who was scratched for Game 1, third-pairing defenseman who was scratched for Game 4, fourth-line winger, and third-line center who was elevated to the 2C spot after Tavares went down, respectively. Francois Lacasse / Getty ImagesAs a team devoting half of its annual payroll to four stud forwards, the Leafs don't necessarily need production from all four lines to win games. However, these past four contests have demonstrated how overwhelming Toronto can be when the bulk of its forward group - which is filled with guys boasting offensive chops - is weaponized.Of course, the Habs were supposed to be the team in this series that leaned on its depth. What Montreal lacks in elite finishers, it makes up for in uniformity from lines one through four. That just hasn't been the case so far, though, with the squad recording a grand total of four goals in four games. At five-on-five, the Habs trail the Leafs in shot attempts, shots on goal, scoring chances, high-danger chances, and expected goals, according to Natural Stat Trick. In Game 4, specifically, Montreal chased the game, and the Leafs, most of the night.A glimmer of hope? In theory, the reins will be loosened in Thursday's do-or-die setting. Defenseman Jeff Petry, who has zero points this series after 42 in 55 regular-season games, should have the green light to join the rush early and often. Cole Caufield, the organization's purest goal-scorer, should skate more than 17:41 a night (the fact he didn't draw into the lineup for Games 1 and 2 is another story). Power forward Josh Anderson, who's failed to mark up the scoresheet following a fantastic Game 1, should be encouraged to fly the defensive zone to create odd-man opportunities the other way. Overall, the Habs need to throw something different at the Leafs.Goaltending's a washWe heard it before the 2020 postseason, and before this series: the Habs' playoff success largely hinges on Carey Price's work between the pipes.Price has played well against the Leafs, turning aside 115 of 125 shots for a cool .920 save percentage. You can't expect much more from the 33-year-old former superstar, especially considering the high volume of quality looks he's faced thus far. Arguably, Price is to blame for only two of Toronto's 10 non-empty-net goals (Spezza's in Game 2 and Rielly's in Game 4). Too often a Leafs player has gone uncovered in premium scoring areas, leading to an easy goal. Mark Blinch / Getty ImagesJack Campbell has gone save for save with Price, posting an eye-popping .965 save percentage on 114 shots. Though, on aggregate, the Leafs' new No. 1 goalie hasn't faced scoring opportunities as dangerous as Price has, Campbell's reliable play has basically minimized the Montreal goaltender's impact on the series."We've got to find a way to get to the inside," Petry told reporters after Game 4. "A lot of our shots are coming from the outside and he's sucking up the puck and not allowing rebounds. So we've got to find a way to get in his eyes, get tips, get some sort of greasy goals here to get us going."At the end of the day, Price has proven he's capable of keeping the Leafs to two or fewer goals per game in a best-of-seven series. Yet, if you were to replay this series 100 times, the Habs wouldn't win four of seven many times with the woeful goal support they've offered Price.Put another way, can Montreal win 1-0 on Thursday? Yes. There's always a real possibility of that final score with Price in net, even this late in his career. But to what end if it's an unsustainable brand of hockey? Based on what we've seen, the Leafs will just outscore the Habs in Game 6 and/or Game 7.Habs' power-play drought Francois Lacasse / Getty ImagesIn the regular season, Montreal's power play generated 5.1 expected goals per 60 minutes to rank 29th in the league. It led to the NHL's 17th-ranked power play (19.2%). Somehow, the Habs have been worse in the playoffs, at 4.4 xG per 60 and zero goals on 14 power-play opportunities.Entering the zone with possession has become a struggle, and zipping the puck around the 1-3-1 setup in the Leafs' end has been an even rarer sight. The Toronto penalty kill deserves credit but, mostly, the Habs' power play, whether it's the top unit or second, has simply looked out of sync.An optimist might suggest it couldn't get any worse for the Habs' power play and the table is set for a breakout in Game 5. This isn't a delusional thought, either. Power plays go cold, and all it takes sometimes is a clear lane and the puck on the stick of the right shooter (say, Caufield or Tyler Toffoli) for the floodgates to open. Montreal fans can only hope.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. You can follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) and contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Michigan defenseman Owen Power leads Central Scouting's final North American skater ranking prior to the 2021 NHL Draft.The latest lists for North American and international players were released Thursday.Here's the top 10 from each location:North American skatersRankPlayerPositionTeam (league)1Owen PowerDMichigan (NCAA)2Mason McTavishCPeterborough (OHL)3Kent JohnsonCMichigan (NCAA)4Luke HughesDUSA U-18 (NTDP)5Dylan GuentherRWEdmonton (WHL)6Matthew BeniersCMichigan (NCAA)7Brandt ClarkeDBarrie (OHL)8Brennan OthmannLWFlint (OHL)9Matthew CoronatoRWChicago (USHL)10Cole SillingerCSioux Falls (USHL)Power recorded 16 points over 26 games as a freshman this season, and he's currently suiting up for Canada at the world championship in Latvia. The Wolverines continue to churn out quality NHL prospects, as two Michigan teammates join Power in the top 10.Hughes is the younger brother of Jack and Quinn. The New Jersey Devils drafted the former first overall in 2019, while the Vancouver Canucks selected the latter seventh in 2018.International skatersRankPlayerPositionTeam (league)1Wiliam EklundLWDjurgarden (SHL)2Simon EdvinssonDFrolunda Jr. (J20)3Aatu RatyCKarpat (Liiga)4Nikita ChibrikovRWSt. Petersburg (KHL)5Daniil ChaykaDCSKA (KHL)6Fedor SvechkovCTogliatta (VHL/MHL)7Aleksandr KisakovLWDynamo Moscow 2 (MHL)8Isak RosenRWLeksand (SHL)9Fabian LysellRWLulea (SHL)10Samu TuomaalaRWKarpat Jr. (U20 SM-sarja)The entire rankings can be seen here.The first round of the NHL draft goes July 23.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Ethan Bear has been the victim of racist behavior on social media since his costly giveaway led to the Winnipeg Jets' tying goal during Monday's Game 4 triple-overtime loss, which ended Edmonton's season.Bear, who is from the Ochapowace First Nation, responded with a powerful video message on Wednesday.

The New York Islanders eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins from the postseason with a 5-3 victory in Game 6 on Wednesday, ripping off three straight wins to take the series 4-2.The Islanders will now face the Boston Bruins in the second round.More to come.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.