4 Keys to a Jets’ Game 6 Win Over Stars
The Winnipeg Jets staved off elimination Thursday night with a near-perfect 4-0 shutout victory at Canada Life Centre over the Dallas Stars in Game 5. They face elimination again Saturday…
Monthly Archives: May 2025
NHL Playoffs: Failure To Capital-ize Will Come Back To Haunt Washington
Everything about the Washington Capitals in 2024-25 was a feel-good story. Until, of course, they ran into the buzzsaw known as the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Capitals' vaunted offense dried up, and they bowed out meekly, scoring just six non-empty-net goals in five games against a red-hot Frederik Andersen.
It was an enormous missed opportunity for the Capitals, who almost certainly will not have the confluence of great mojo they experienced this season ever again.
The off-season moves made by then-GM Brian MacLellan all worked out wonderfully, and almost every player on the roster had a career year. Alex Ovechkin chased, and passed, Wayne Gretzky's goal-scoring record, which brought a focus on both the Capitals and the NHL.
But what now? Logic would suggest that there's no way all those players are going to outperform their career numbers again. Some might, but not all of them. A regression looks to be in the cards here. The only question is how dramatic and quick it is.
Watch today's video column for more.
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Promo image credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Flyers Fans Deserve a Deeper Explanation for Rick Tocchet Hire
The Philadelphia Flyers paid a premium to make Rick Tocchet their head coach. At a cost of $26.25 million over five years, the team didn’t spare any expense to bring…
How Adam Fox’s Role Will Change Under New Rangers Coach Mike Sullivan
The New York Rangers have a new bench boss in Mike Sullivan. The former Pittsburgh Penguins coach has a history of success, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in the Steel City.…
Projected Lineups for Panthers vs Maple Leafs – 5/16/25
The Florida Panthers take on the Toronto Maple Leafs today. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. MAPLE LEAFS (1A) at PANTHERS (3A) Eastern Conference Second…
Oilers' Big Update On Pickard, Ekholm
EDMONTON – The waiting game.
No one likes to wait, least of all hockey players. The Edmonton Oilers will have a breather while the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars duke it out to determine who will play Edmonton.
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In the meantime, that provides something injured players desperately need: time. Time to recover, rehab, and get back into game shape.
On Friday morning, Kris Knoblauch updated the press on Mattias Ekholm's and Calvin Pickard's status heading into the third round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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Calvin Pickard
Pickard has been injured since Game 2 of the Oilers series against the Vegas Golden Knights. He finished the game, securing his sixth consecutive victory during this postseason.
Knoblauch said he won’t be available early on in the series, but he did say that he should return in the middle of the third round.
Mattias Ekholm
Ekholm has been injured for a while now, and his prognosis has been poor. Now, the Oilers appear to be getting some good news regarding his situation.
Knoblauch said that Ekholm would not be available for Games 1 or 2. He’s optimistic that Ekholm will return in the third round and describes him as “day-to-day.”
If the Oilers could get Pickard and Ekholm back for Game 3 or 4 of the third round, that would be a huge morale boost for the team. If not, they can keep trucking along with the current roster.
After all, they did finish off the Golden Knights without them.
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Canucks Chart New Course Under Foote
When Adam Foote was named the 22nd head coach in Vancouver Canucks history on Wednesday, it marked a full-circle moment for a former NHL stalwart who had been slowly working…
NHL Nugget: Edmonton Oilers' Corey Perry's Birthday Backcheck
Here's today's NHL Nugget – this Birthday Backcheck features Edmonton Oilers right winger Corey Perry, who turns 40 on May 16.
Perry has played for six different teams in his NHL career, including 14 years for the Anaheim Ducks. The Stanley Cup champion also has a Hart Trophy and Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy win in his career.
Brian T. Dessart takes fans on a distinctive ride through the historic-laden NHL with the #NHLNugget. Check out NHLNugget.com to find where to follow NHL Nugget on social media. And for past NHL Nuggets, click here.
Promo image credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Insider Believes Maple Leafs’ Marner Headed to Free Agency
The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the brink of elimination as they try to fight back against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, as they try to force…
Expect Panthers to Battle Past Maple Leafs in Narrow Game 6 Win
Maple Leafs aim to force Game 7 as they trail 3-2, heading to Florida for a must-win Game 6 against the Panthers on Friday
One of the most important games in the recent history of the Toronto Maple Leafs as they stare down a daunting 3-2 series hole to the defending champions in the Florida Panthers.
The odds are stacked against them as only ten teams in history have come back and won a series after winning the first two games before dropping three straight.
A loss for the Buds on Friday would be the first time this season that they lost four straight games and with the way game five went, they should respond with a much better effort.
For bettors, this matchup provides a chance to capitalize on some of our recent strong trends, like our 38-29 record on our last 67 picks, including perfect records during Game 1 and 4 of the Maple Leafs-Senators series.
All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
More NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers Betting Guide: Best Bets, Strategies and Future Options
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers Best Bets:
- Under 5.5 goals (-105)
- Panthers Under 3.5 goals (-128)
- Sergei Bobrovsky Over 22.5 saves (-102)
The game got out of hand for Toronto in game five and because of it the over hit with the Panthers continuing to pile on to a emotionally defeated Leafs team.
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I expect a much better response on defence as they will be playing for their playoff lives and put extra effort on the back end to prevent another blow up performance.
It should lead to a busy night for netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, who has made 23 or more saves in three of the five games this series and with Toronto desperately looking to extend the series, I expect him to do it once again.
Florida should respond with a similar type game as they will work extra hard to close out this series and punch their ticket to the Conference Finals versus Carolina. The home atmosphere has proven to be a massive advantage for the Panthers with a league-best 17-9 home playoff record over the last three postseasons.
Their goals per game isn't especially terrifying during that stretch at three on average but their 2.54 goals against average is one of the best. It should mean a challenging night for the already-struggling Leafs offence that has just one goal over the last two games.
Toronto typically finishes playoff series with tight, low-scoring games. For instance, their game seven against Boston last season ended with just three total goals. In their final game against Florida in 2023, only five goals were scored and their 2022 series-ending loss to Tampa Bay, totaled just three goals in game seven.
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This trend has been with the Buds in six of their last eight postseason runs dating back to 2017 so expect them to tighten up when they need to. The Panthers should find a way to win but it will be narrow and certainly not with four or more goals.