Former Hurricanes Forward Is Red-Hot Right Now

Nino Niederreiter (© Tim Fuller-Imagn Images)

The Winnipeg Jets fell to the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of their second matchup by a 5-2 final score. With this, the Jets are now down 2-1 in the series and will aim to tie it back up on the road in Game 4. While the Jets lost, former Carolina Hurricanes forward Nino Niederreiter did his part to try to get them a victory. 

At the 10:07 mark of the second period, Niederreiter scored to tie the contest up at 2-2. The former Hurricanes forward's goal was a nice one, too, as he received a great feed from Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey before beating Stars goalie Jake Oettinger with an excellent snap shot.

With this goal, Niederreiter has extended his point streak to three games, where he has two goals and an assist over the span. In addition, he now has four goals and six points in his last six contests. Thus, the former Hurricane is certainly hot right now for the Jets.

During his tenure with the Hurricanes, Niederreiter was impactful because of his secondary scoring ability and tenacity. He is providing just that for the Jets this post-season, and now ranks second on Winnipeg with four goals and fourth on the team with six points in 10 playoff games. 

In 234 games with the Hurricanes over four seasons from 2018-19 to 2021-22, Niederreiter posted 69 goals, 137 points, 287 hits, and a plus-53 rating. His time with the Canes ended when he signed with the Nashville Predators during the 2022 NHL off-season. 

Recent Hurricanes News 

Carolina Hurricanes Have Golden Opportunity In Game 4Carolina Hurricanes Have Golden Opportunity In Game 4After a 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals in Game 2, the Carolina Hurricanes bounced back in a big way in Game 3. The Hurricanes put together a strong effort in Game 3, defeating the Capitals by a 4-0 final score. Hurricanes Provide Positive Update On Injured PlayersHurricanes Provide Positive Update On Injured PlayersCarolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour delivered some positive news on the injury front Sunday afternoon. 'That Was Textbook Hurricanes Hockey': Rod Brind'Amour, Andrei Svechnikov, Eric Robinson, Jack Roslovic, Frederik Andersen On Game 3 Win'That Was Textbook Hurricanes Hockey': Rod Brind'Amour, Andrei Svechnikov, Eric Robinson, Jack Roslovic, Frederik Andersen On Game 3 WinThe Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Washington Capitals 4-0 in Game 3 at Lenovo Center Saturday night to take a 2-1 series.

IceHogs Eliminated By Admirals In Devastating Fashion

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The Rockford IceHogs were looking great in the Calder Cup Playoffs. When they took a 2-0 series lead over the Milwaukee Admirals in their second-round matchup, they did it with their fourth win in a row.

That gave them three chances to close out the series. After losing the next two, the two teams competed in a winner-take-all game five on Sunday in Milwaukee. 

Game five started negatively for Rockford. Chase De Leo scored his first of the playoffs for Milwaukee to put them up 1-0. 

However, the IceHogs showed some life in the first ten minutes of the second period. Zach Sanford scored two goals in under three minutes to give Rockford a 2-1 lead. 

Before the middle frame ended, the Admirals took the lead back. Back-to-back goals by Fedor Svechkov and Jesse Ylonen made it a 3-2 score. 

At 11:09 of the third period, Joey Anderson tucked in his fifth of the playoffs to tie the game for the IceHogs. At that point, it was clear that both teams wanted to move on badly. It would be an understatement to say that they were evenly matched, despite where they finished in the regular season standings. 

60 minutes wasn't enough to settle this game or series. Just 1:38 into the fourth period, Fedor Svechkov scored his second to win the game and the series for Milwaukee. It was a hard-fought matchup between two great teams. It was only fitting that it came down to one sudden-death goal.

Now, the Admirals will move on to the Central Division Championship of the Calder Cup Playoffs. They will see the Texas Stars in that series. 

As for Rockford, there will be some changes. The Chicago Blackhawks may have a handful of their players in their opening night lineup next year.

Guys like Artyom Levshunov, Ethan Del Mastro, and Nolan Allan, amongst others, are all going to compete for jobs at training camp. There are also players on the IceHogs roster who may be looking to make their NHL debut in the fall. 

Reinforcements could be on the way as well. The Blackhawks will likely have some of the younger guys, like Taige Harding and Marek Vanacker, play in Rockford to begin their careers.

Goaltender Drew Commesso deserves some individual praise. He gave the IceHogs a chance to win every night. The Blackhawks' backup situation in 2025-26 is cloudy, but he will be in the mix.  

Only time will tell if Rockford has what it needs to make a run again next season. It can be difficult in the AHL with all of the NHL transactions that affect their on-ice list of players.

Every player, including veterans like Joey Anderson and Brett Seney, should be proud of the year that they had. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

On This Day In Penguins Playoff History: May 11

Brooks Orpik - Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins just wrapped up their 57th season, missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season. Despite their recent lack of success, the franchise has appeared in the playoffs 37 times and won five championships.

Our newest series will reflect on how the Penguins performed on specific days leading up to the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

Today, May 11, Pittsburgh has compiled a 6-3 record in nine games on this date.

  • 1991 - Game 6 Win vs. Boston Bruins (5-3)
  • 1992 - Game 5 Win vs. New York Rangers (3-2)
  • 1996 - Game 5 Win vs. New York Rangers (7-3)
  • 1999 - Game 3 Win vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (4-3)
  • 2008 - Game 2 Win vs. Philadelphia Flyers (4-2)
  • 2009 - Game 6 Loss vs. Washington Capitals (5-4 OT)
  • 2013 - Game 6 Win vs. New York Islanders (4-3 OT)
  • 2014 - Game 6 Loss vs. New York Rangers (3-1)
  • 2022 - Game 5 Loss vs. New York Rangers (5-3)

Notable Penguins Performances On This Day

May 11, 1991 - The Penguins advance to their first Stanley Cup Final with a Game 6 win over the Bruins, thanks in part to Larry Murphy's four points (goal, three assists) along with three point nights from Mario Lemieux (goal, two assists) and Mark Recchi (goal, two assists).

At the time, it was Murphy's first four-point playoff game, and Lemieux's sixth career three-point playoff game.

May 11, 1996 - Lemieux records his third and final career playoff hat trick. Meanwhile, Jaromir Jagr records his only postseason in the same game, the only time these two legends combined for six goals in one contest with the Penguins.

May 11, 1999 - Ten seasons after his first career three-point playoff game, Rob Brown picks up three assists in a 4-3 win over the Maple Leafs. Moreover, Jagr has a goal and two helpers for three points. 

Former Penguin Marc-Andre Fleury Named To NHL Quarter-Century TeamFormer Penguin Marc-Andre Fleury Named To NHL Quarter-Century TeamTwo days after Pittsburgh Penguins' forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were named to the NHL Quarter-Century Team, another longtime former teammate will be joining them.

May 11, 2008 - Sergei Gonchar compiled his first three-point playoff game with the Penguins, registering three assists in a 4-2 win against the Flyers.

May 11, 2009 - Evgeni Malkin records three assists in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Capitals. At the time, it was his seventh three-point playoff game. As of 2025, he's up to 16. 

May 11, 2013 - Brooks Oprik is the overtime hero, eliminating the Islanders in Game 6 with his first career overtime goal. 

PWHL Ottawa-Montreal Game 2 goes to 4 OTs, breaks league record for longest game

A playoff game between the Montreal Victoire and Ottawa Charge set a record for the longest game in Professional Women’s Hockey League history on Sunday night, spanning over 135 minutes and four overtime periods.

The puck dropped at 2:08 p.m. ET, and the game went on for more than five hours, finally coming to an end at 7:42 with Montreal winning 3-2.

Catherine Dubois scored the game-winning goal with just under five minutes remaining in the fourth overtime period to give Montreal its first playoff win in franchise history.

“I’m just happy we got a win and it’s over now,” Dubois said after the game.

It was the second consecutive year – on the exact same day – that Montreal’s second game of the postseason turned into a hockey marathon. Last season, Boston beat Montreal 2-1 in triple overtime with Taylor Wenczkowski’s game-winner at 111:44.

Sunday night’s game was more than twenty minutes longer than last year’s record (135:33) and longer than two regulation hockey games combined.

At one point during the game, Ottawa had packets of mustard and pickle juice on the bench, according to rinkside reporter Kelly Greig.

“At some point, you just laugh,” said Ottawa forward Emily Clark. “The mustard was coming out, the pickle juice … It honestly went down easier than I thought it was going to.” 

For most of regulation it looked like Montreal might cruise to victory, holding a 2-0 lead in the third period. But Ottawa charged back with two goals in the final five minutes, including Brianne Jenner’s game-tying goal with only 42 seconds left to force overtime.

“There’s so much to be proud of,” said Ottawa defender Jocelyne Larocque, who led the team with 56 minutes of ice time. “We never gave up. We tied it up late in the game. We gave an amazing effort.”

Both teams had quality chances to end the game in the first overtime period, including five-on-three power plays on both sides, but failed to capitalize. Montreal forward Alexandra Labelle also appeared to win the game just minutes into the fourth overtime period, but the puck rang off the post behind Ottawa netminder Gwyneth Philips.

Finally, Dubois ended it on the 121st shot of the game. It was her first career playoff goal and builds off a strong regular season for Dubois, who finished tied for third in goals on the Victoire behind only captain Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey.

Montreal goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens set a record with 63 saves on 65 shots. Philips made 53 saves for the Charge, good for a franchise record.

Montreal defender Erin Ambrose logged a game-high 58:09 in ice time, less than her all-time high 61:33 in last year’s Game 2 thriller. Stacey led all forwards with 46:47; her 12 shots on goal is a new PWHL single-game record.

It was the second-longest game in Montreal’s rich professional hockey history, just shy of Game 1 of the 1936 semifinals between the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Maroons (176:30). It was also the second consecutive year that Montreal’s second game of the postseason turned into a hockey marathon. Last season, Boston beat Montreal 2-1 in triple overtime en route to a 3-0 series win.

With the win on Sunday, the Victoire have tied the best-of-five semifinal series and took a key step toward avenging last year’s opening-round sweep against Boston.

“I think that the group showed the grit that was needed to win a playoff game,” said Montreal coach Kori Cheverie. “I’d like to think that the momentum is in our corner, but we’ll have to wait and see and be able to put another game together for 60-plus minutes.”

In the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader, the Minnesota Frost beat the Toronto Sceptres 7-5 in the highest-scoring game in league history. Minnesota, the reigning champions, now have a 2-1 series lead.

The PWHL playoffs continue on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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Veterans First: NHL Insiders Pick Players Who Deserve Cup First From Each Contender

Who gets the Cup first? NHL insiders pick likely Stanley Cup handoff heroes for each contender.

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The moment every kid dreams of is the one where they hoist the Stanley Cup. Some of the most memorable moments from Stanley Cup wins is when the team captain makes the first handoff to a player who worked long and hard to finally lift up the greatest trophy in sports. 

Who could forget when Ray Bourque finally won his first Stanley Cup in year 22 of his legendary career? Or when Scott Niedermayer passed the Cup to his brother Rob in 2007? 

These iconic moments endure through time, creating unforgettable memories as fans witness the players who’ve represented them for generations finally achieve the ultimate glory in the sport.

With that in mind we look at all the eight current Stanley Cup Contenders and spoke with team insiders as to which player would most likely get the first handoff. 

All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

More NHL: Jonathan Toews NHL Return Could Be With Anaheim Ducks, According to NHL Insider

Winnipeg Jets - Mark Schefiele (+10000)

We spoke to both of The Hockey News' Winnipeg Jets insiders in Carter Brooks and Julian Gaudio with the two coming to the consensus that captain Adam Lowry’s first handoff would go to Mark Scheifele, the first-ever draft pick of this era of the Jets franchise.

The 32-year-old Kitchener native has been with the team for 14 seasons and has totaled 804 points through 879 career games. Scheifele is the longest active tenured Jet and makes the most sense for the honor of getting the Cup first. 

Dallas Stars - Tyler Seguin (+800)

Mikko Rantanen is putting together a solid resume for the Conn Smythe trophy if the Stars were to win the cup but would that mean he gets the Cup first? Team insider Taylor Newby believes it would be longtime Star Tyler Seguin being the first handoff. 

After spending the first three years of his career in Boston, Seguin has solidified himself as a Dallas Stars legend with 688 points through 786 games over 12 seasons with the team.

He and captain Jamie Benn have been known to have a very close relationship and they are the team's two longest tenured players and would make the most sense for them to celebrate the moment together.

Edmonton Oilers - Adam Henrique (+10000)

The Devils run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012 was headlined by several big goals by a young Henrique, who put his name on the map. Unfortunately the Devils fell just short but the now 35-year-old centre is still on the hunt for his first cup and could get a chance with the red hot Oilers. 

People expect McDavid to pass it to his star teammate in Draisaitl but history shows the veterans get it first. When Sidney Crosby won all three of his Stanley Cups, none of his first handoffs were to superstar teammate Evgeni Malkin. 

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Vegas Golden Knights - Tomas Hertl (+3000)

The 31-year-old forward came close to lifting lord Stanley when reaching the Finals in 2016 with the San Jose Sharks. Gaudio also covers the Golden Knights and spoke to Hertl's character of being a positive guy and that the team would be more than happy to give him to Cup first. 

Toronto Maple Leafs - John Tavares (+750)

The hometown hero has been a difference maker to Toronto’s success this season, racking up 74 points—including 38 goals, matching the second-highest total of his career. After being the Leafs captain over the last five seasons, Tavares stepped down to allow superstar Auston Matthews to take over as the leader and face of the franchise they drafted him to be. 

More NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers Betting Guide: Best Bets, Strategies and Future Options

Johnny Toronto getting the Cup first makes as he is the third-oldest player on the team but an honorable mention is veteran Max Pacioretty, who is the oldest on the team at 36 years old. 

Florida Panthers - Nate Schmidt (+1500)

The runaway favourite for the defending Stanley Cup Champions is newcomer Nate Schmidt, who has come close before when reaching the Finals in 2018 with the Vegas Golden Knights.

At age 33, Schmidt has played nearly 750 games and has accrued a dominant +106 rating, which is 48th-best in the NHL since joining the league back in the 2013-14 season. 

Carolina Hurricanes - Brent Burns (+490)

Hurricanes insider Ryan Henkel agrees with sportsbooks that have Burns as the overall favourite to be the first handoff for the cup.

The sure-fire Hall-of-Fame defenceman has never won before despite ranking ninth all-time in goals and 12th in points. He currently holds the fourth longest iron man streak in the NHL and is three games short of 1,500 games played. 

Washington Capitals - Nic Dowd (+10000)

Washington's pick is easy as the 34-year-old winger joined the Caps shortly after they won the Stanley Cup in 2018 and has become such an integral part of the team that many may not know, he hasn't won yet. 

Team captain Alex Ovechkin will surely spot that their second-oldest player on the roster after himself hasn't won yet and deserves the respect of getting the first handoff. 

Carolina Hurricanes Have Golden Opportunity In Game 4

Jordan Staal (© James Guillory-Imagn Images)

After a 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals in Game 2, the Carolina Hurricanes bounced back in a big way in Game 3. The Hurricanes put together a strong effort in Game 3, defeating the Capitals by a 4-0 final score.

Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen was undoubtedly a significant reason for the victory, as he recorded a 21-save shutout. Hurricanes forward Jack Roslovic also stepped up for the Metropolitan Division club, scoring a goal and adding an assist. Jackson Blake, Eric Robinson, and Andrei Svechnikov all scored for the Hurricanes as well.

With their strong team effort, the Hurricanes now sport a 2-1 series lead over the Capitals. With this, they now have a major opportunity in front of them heading into Game 4. If the Hurricanes can win at home again, they will take a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Capitals. This would be massive for the Hurricanes, as it is always incredibly challenging for teams to overcome 3-1 deficits. 

A loss to the Capitals, on the other hand, would certainly be a tough blow for the Hurricanes. If the Hurricanes are defeated in Game 4, the series will be tied back up at 2-2, and the Capitals would regain their home-ice advantage. Thus, this matchup carries great weight for both teams.

Nevertheless, it will be very interesting to see if the Hurricanes can stay hot and pick up a win in Game 4 from here.

Recent Hurricanes News 

Hurricanes Provide Positive Update On Injured PlayersHurricanes Provide Positive Update On Injured PlayersCarolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour delivered some positive news on the injury front Sunday afternoon. 'That Was Textbook Hurricanes Hockey': Rod Brind'Amour, Andrei Svechnikov, Eric Robinson, Jack Roslovic, Frederik Andersen On Game 3 Win'That Was Textbook Hurricanes Hockey': Rod Brind'Amour, Andrei Svechnikov, Eric Robinson, Jack Roslovic, Frederik Andersen On Game 3 WinThe Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Washington Capitals 4-0 in Game 3 at Lenovo Center Saturday night to take a 2-1 series. Carolina Hurricanes Defend Home Ice, Shutout Capitals In Game 3Carolina Hurricanes Defend Home Ice, Shutout Capitals In Game 3The Carolina Hurricanes defended home ice in Game 3, smashing the Washington Capitals 4-0 at Lenovo Center Saturday night.