The Ottawa Senators netminder has put up the best showing among goaltenders through the first half of the conference finals, turning aside 112 of the 118 shots he's faced for a league-best .949 save percentage.
That lofty clip is 10 points higher than the one belonging to Anaheim's John Gibson, who left Game 5 on Saturday with a lower-body injury.
In all, six netminders have seen crease time in the third round:
Goalie
GP
Starts
Record
GAA
SV%
Craig Anderson
4
4
2-2
1.48
.949
John Gibson
5
5
2-2
2.16
.939
Matt Murray
2
1
1-0
1.69
.935
Pekka Rinne
5
5
3-2
2.09
.924
Marc-Andre Fleury
3
3
1-2
2.62
.910
Jonathan Bernier
1
0
0-1
3.08
.889
Through the postseason so far, the credit for the best single-series showing belongs to Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne, who allowed just three goals in a four-game sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Russians proved to be too much for Finland on Sunday at the World Championship in Cologne, Germany, as the Red Machine pulled out a 5-3 victory to earn the bronze medal.
Nikita Gusev continued his hot streak with two goals and an assist, Valeri Nichushkin added three helpers, and Andrei Vasilevski made 26 saves in the win.
Despite scoring three goals, the Finns were never really in the game and have the Russian's sloppy play to thank for the trio of tallies. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist and 19-year-old Sebastian Aho chipped in with two apples in the losing cause.
Russia broke out to a formidable 4-0 lead - chasing Finland goalie Joonas Korpisalo from his net - before allowing the Finns to score three unanswered goals. The comeback effort would be for naught, however, as Nikita Kucherov sealed the victory with just under 12 minutes to play with his seventh goal of the tournament.
Finland fails to medal for the fifth time in eight years, while the Russians earned some hardware for the fourth consecutive tournament.
The IIHF Hall of Fame added eight new inductees Sunday, including former NHLers Teemu Selanne, Joe Sakic, and Saku Koivu.
Selanne is the highest-scoring Finnish player in NHL history, recording 1457 points in 1451 games. He was the NHL rookie of the year with the original Winnipeg Jets, scoring a record 76 goals in 1992-93. Selanne won an Olympic silver in 2006 and the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007.
Sakic ranks ninth all time in NHL scoring, tallying 1641 points in 1378 games. He spent his entire career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise, captaining the team to the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001. He won the Hart Trophy in 2000-01, scoring 118 points in 82 games.
Koivu won a silver medal alongside Selanne at the 2006 Olympics. He is the NHL's third all-time leading scorer from Finland, behind only Selanne and Jari Kurri. Koivu was named the 27th captain of the Montreal Canadiens in 1999. In 2001-02, he was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma, missing most of the season before making an inspiring return. Koivu received the Bill Masterton Trophy that year, recognizing his dedication to hockey.
The induction ceremony was held prior to the medal rounds at the world championships in Cologne, Germany. Here are the eight inductees:
The Nashville Predators are one victory shy of advancing to the Stanley Cup Final. It'd mark the first trip for the 19-year-old franchise and the third for head coach Peter Laviolette.
Joining the Predators in 2014, Laviolette brought winning experience from his Stanley Cup championship with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and Cup Final showing with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010.
Only three coaches have guided three franchises to the championship round: Scotty Bowman, Dick Irvin, and Mike Keenan.
While Laviolette doesn't get the same recognition as Chicago's Joel Quenneville, Washington's Barry Trotz, or Toronto's Mike Babcock, his playoff pedigree places him in the upper echelon.
Earlier this season, Laviolette became the second U.S.-born coach to win 500 games, one month after Columbus Blue Jackets bench boss John Tortorella did so. In league history, only 25 coaches have reached that total.
Laviolette is also the third coach since 1994 to guide three different clubs to the conference finals, joining Ken Hitchcock and Darryl Sutter.
With the offseason underway for a number of teams and the remainder to join them in a few weeks, we're looking at what's in store for each club in the coming months.
2016-17 Grade: C
The New York Islanders nearly salvaged their season after swapping out Jack Capuano for new bench boss Doug Weight.
The change was made in mid-January, with Weight, the former assistant, filling in throughout the stretch drive. Under his guidance, the Islanders went 24-12-4, but missed the postseason by a single point.
Free agents
Only three Islanders are in need of new contracts, with just one regular among the trio. Defenseman Calvin de Haan had a breakout year, appearing in all 82 games and finishing with 25 points while holding down top-four minutes.
Player (Position)
2017-18 Status
Age
2016-17 Cap Hit
'16-17 Points
Stephen Gionta (F)
UFA
33
$575K
6
Calvin de Haan (D)
RFA
25
$1.967M
25
Meanwhile, the three-headed monster in New York's crease will be no more, as Jean-Francois Berube can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. That leaves Thomas Greiss and Jaroslav Halak to tend the twine for the Islanders.
Player (Position)
2017-18 Status
Age
2016-17 Cap Hit
'16-17 SV%
Jean-Francois Berube (G)
UFA
25
$675K
.889
2017 draft picks
The Islanders have five picks in the coming draft. They had the lowest odds at the draft lottery, with just a 0.9 percent chance at the first pick, and a three percent shot to move into the top three. In the end, New York held on to its top pick and will select 15th overall.
Round
Picks
1
1
2
1
3
1
4
0
5
1
6
0
7
1
Summer priorities
1. Sign John Tavares to a long-term extension
It could be the Steven Stamkos saga all over again. The captain and face of the franchise needs a new contract, but this time it's in Brooklyn.
Tavares' contract expires after next season, but the Islanders can put pen to paper with their leader as soon as July 1, when a maximum eight-year extension could be in the cards.
But while New York needs a commitment from their captain, the top center also needs to see more from the club. The Islanders' future remains in flux, with complications from bad ice conditions to poor fan experiences potentially leading to a quick exit from the Barclays Center.
Whether the franchise ends up in Belmont Park or heads back to a renovated Nassau Coliseum remains to be seen, but there's no doubt Tavares will need a concrete idea of the club's future before agreeing to a long-term pact.
2. Surround Tavares with a scoring winger
After Tavares has signed on for the long term, or in enticing him to do so, it's up to general manager Garth Snow to find his prized center a comparable winger.
The Islanders walked away from former first-rounder Kyle Okposo last summer, replacing him with free-agent addition Andrew Ladd. Okposo, who signed with the Buffalo Sabres, excelled in his first season in Western New York, scoring 45 points, while Ladd was limited to just 31.
If the Islanders wade back into the free-agent pool this summer, there's no better option at wing than T.J. Oshie, who potted 33 goals this season with the Washington Capitals. Oshie is familiar with playing alongside big-game talent in D.C., where he lines up with Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin, and he'd have a similar scenario in New York with Tavares.
3. Ride Thomas Greiss as the go-to goaltender
Greiss has earned the top job. Now it's time to leave him in the crease. Despite outdueling Halak a year ago - posting more wins and a better save percentage - there were still too many question marks in goal in New York this season.
Greiss has proven he's capable of holding down the top duties. He appeared in 51 games this season and should be rewarded with more starts next year.
2017-18 outlook
The Islanders adjusted to Weight, who has since lost his interim tag for the full-time coaching duties. If he can translate his half-season success to a full year, chances are his team will return to the playoffs in 2017-18.
The biggest question mark entering the coming season will surround Tavares if a long-term extension isn't on the books. Getting that out of the way will keep the captain's focus where it needs to be: on the ice.
Following a Game 5 loss to the Nashville Predators, Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf addressed a $10,000 fine that was levied against him for an inappropriate remark uttered in Game 4.
The exact nature of his remark was not disclosed by the NHL, and Getzlaf said it was a comment not necessarily directed at anyone in particular. It was, however, labeled a homophoc slur in a report from TSN's Frank Seravalli.
This did not appear to sit well with Getzlaf.
"It's tough to see anyone refer to it as (a homophobic slur). I didn't mean it in that manner in any way, and for it to go that route was very disappointing for me," Getzlaf told reporters.
"I did accept responsibility and I accepted a fine. We talked to the league and I understand that it's my responsibility to not use vulgar language, period. Whether it's a swear word or whatever it is, we've got to be a little bit more respectful of the game and that's up to me. I accept that responsibility and will move forward."
In regards to what he said, Getzlaf said you won't hear it from him again and he hopes no one was offended.
Oddly enough, Filip Forsberg, who leads the team with seven goals in the playoffs and tied for the team lead in the regular season with 31, has yet to notch a game-winner.
The Anaheim Ducks goaltender left Game 5 against the Nashville Predators with a lower-body injury, but, despite being listed as day to day by head coach Randy Carlyle, came out and said after the 3-1 loss that he'll be ready to play Game 6.
Carlyle, for his part, tapped the brakes on that declaration.
Randy Carlyle said John Gibson said he's playing in Game 6 but added "that may be the adrenaline talking."
Jonathan Bernier stopped 16 of 18 shots in the Game 5 loss and would start Game 6 - in which the Ducks will face elimination - if Gibson isn't able to go.
