On May 16, 2024, the Vancouver Canucks fought hard to secure a 3–2 Game 5 win against the Edmonton Oilers. With the victory, Vancouver took a 3–2 series lead, giving them the opportunity to close their second-round matchup out in Edmonton the game after. While the result ultimately didn’t go in Vancouver’s favour, at the time, belief was high in the Canucks. 

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The Oilers opened the scoring in this game, with Evander Kane grabbing his third of the playoffs less than five minutes into the first period. Vancouver appeared to have tied it up near the end of the first period off a goal from Carson Soucy, but Mattias Janmark found the back of the net 23 seconds after. By the end of the first period, the score fell 2–1 in the Oilers’ favour. 

Luckily for Vancouver, Edmonton’s two first-period tallies were the extent of their scoring for the night. Part of this was due to Vancouver’s perfect penalty kill, which stopped the Oilers from capitalizing on all five of their man-advantages. Another layer to the Canucks’ success was their ability to generate more chances than the Oilers. Vancouver finished the game with 35 shots on net, while Edmonton only had 23. Despite the close score, it was clear that the Canucks put as much as they could into this victory. 

Vancouver’s game-tying goal came during the second period, when Phil Di Giuseppe beat Calvin Pickard just over five minutes in. The game remained 2–2 for the rest of the second period as well as the bulk of the third. However, with 31.9 seconds left in regulation, J.T. Miller nabbed what would ultimately be the game-winning goal for the Canucks, sending Rogers Arena into a frenzy. While this was the last playoff win that Canucks fans would see in 2024, it was definitely one of the most memorable. 

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This year's Stanley Cup playoffs have already been chock-full of great performances and unbelievable moments.

And many of those performances and moments have a common underlying theme.

Or, an underlying team, that is.

If you happen to be playing in the second round of the playoffs as a former Pittsburgh Penguin, you've probably experienced some good moments. In fact, three of the biggest moments from this past week in playoff hockey have belonged to former Penguins:

- Reilly Smith, a Penguin during the 2023-24 season, scored with just 0.4 seconds remaining in Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers to give the Vegas Golden Knights their only win of the series Saturday. Edmonton Oilers

- Mikael Granlund, a Penguin briefly following the 2023 trade deadline, recorded a hat trick to account for every Dallas Stars goal in their 3-1 Game 4 win over the Winnipeg Jets Tuesday. 

- Kasperi Kapanen, who had two different stints in the Penguins' organization and was with the NHL club from 2020-23, played hero and scored the series-clinching overtime goal for the Oilers in Game 5 against Vegas.

How Have Former Penguins Fared Through Round One Of Playoffs?The Pittsburgh Penguins may not be participating in the Stanley Cup playoffs this season.

Of course, those three second-round moments take the cake, but there are still other ex-Penguins who have contributed to their current team's playoff runs as well:

Smith (Vegas Golden Knights): Smith only had two points in the Edmonton series, but both of those points came in Vegas's only win of the series in Game 3 - with, obviously, the big one coming at the end.

Granlund (Dallas Stars): Granlund has five points in five games during the second-round series against Winnipeg, and overall, he has four goals and seven points in 12 playoff games.

Kapanen (Edmonton Oilers): Kapanen scored his overtime winner in just his second playoff appearance this postseason, and although it's his lone point, it was a big one.

Matt Murray (Toronto Maple Leafs): Although Murray's only contribution to the Leafs' playoff picture - as the third-string goaltender - was relieving Joseph Woll during the third period in a disastrous Game 5 loss, he did stop six of seven shots. And, being that it was his first playoff appearance since 2020, that's a personal win for Murray.

Former Penguins Goaltender Makes First Playoff Appearance Since 2020It's safe to say that things did not go well for the Toronto Maple Leafs in their lackluster 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series.

 Anthony Beauvillier (Washington Capitals): Beauvillier registered the lone goal in the Caps' 3-1 Game 5 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes - which sent them home for the summer - and he had two goals and six points in 10 playoff games for Washington.

Jordan Staal (Carolina Hurricanes): Staal hasn't exactly set the world on fire production-wise in the playoffs, but he does have a goal and two points in his last two games and has used his trademark shutdown play to frustrate opponents, so he's doing his part.

Evan Rodrigues (Florida Panthers): After missing the first game of the Panthers' second-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Rodrigues has two points in four games and has been mixed up in just about everything.

Dmitry Kulikov (Florida Panthers): A Penguin for just a blip post-deadline in 2023, Kulikov scored a goal in Florida's Game 5 victory over the Leafs to help them earn their third straight win and put them ahead in the series. He has two points in the series and four points in 10 total playoff games. 

For a full list of former Penguins who have competed in this year's postseason, check out our comprehensive guide to ex-Penguins in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Your Guide To Ex-Penguins In The 2025 NHL PlayoffsThe Pittsburgh Penguins may not be participating in the Stanley Cup playoffs this season.

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Nick Suzuki has now proved he can be a legitimate first center on an NHL team, but the Montreal Canadiens still need to find a real second-line center. Kent Hughes has tried to address the issue a couple of times with the acquisition of Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, but neither showed up to the task.

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Perhaps Dach could have done it had he stayed healthy, but given how the Canadiens are progressing, the GM cannot afford to wait and see anymore. His young core has shown it’s ready to take the next step, and having a real second-line would go a long way towards achieving that.

One particular pending unrestricted free agent would be an excellent option: Sam Bennett. The 28-year-old former fourth overall pick by the Calgary Flames has been a significant part of the Florida Panthers' success in recent years.

While he has never scored more than 51 points in the regular season, he shines brightly in the playoffs. His last three postseasons are proof of just how clutch he can be. In 2022-23, he put up 15 points in 20 games, then 14 points in 19 duels in 2023-24, and nine points in 10 games this year.

It’s not just the points; it’s the attitude, the sandpaper, and the intimidation factor. The six-foot-one and 193-pound center plays a big game and, sometimes, a game that toes the line. Remember that discreet hit to Anthony Stolarz’s head that went unnoticed by the referees? Like it or not, it was a turning point in the series.

Does Sam Bennett deserve a hearing with @NHLPlayerSafety for his collision with Stolarz? pic.twitter.com/B7LonzNEkG

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 6, 2025

And what about that brawl at the 4 Nations Face-Off with Brady Tkachuk? Bennet is a hard-nosed player who can get very physical but is still talented enough to exploit his winger’s potential fully, see what he has done with Carter Verhaeghe. Something tells me he could work wonders with Patrick Laine and Ivan Demidov.

As things stand, Bennet is in the last year of a four-season pact with a $ 4,425,000 cap hit. Undoubtedly, he’ll be due for a raise, but that raise won’t be as high as a point-per-game player raise. Some players get you to the playoffs, like Laine, according to Hughes, but some players allow you to be successful in the postseason, and Bennett is one of those.

As a soon-to-be 29-year-old, he’s not exactly young, and there’s a chance that he might not be as efficient in the later years of a long-term contract, but if his performances in the early years allowed the Canadiens to reach new heights, wouldn’t it be worth it?

Enticing free agents to come to Montreal hasn’t been easy, but now Hughes has a few new cards in his hand, a team that’s ready to take the next step, a respected coach who’s a Jack Adams Trophy nominee and Bennett has seen the Montreal crowd at its best at the Four Nations Face-Off.

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