By Jack Sponagle, The Hockey News Intern

Jeff Skinner’s streak of 1,078 games without making the post-season is over, as he has played one playoff game with the Edmonton Oilers this spring. Ron Hainsey used to have the record of 907 games before he finally got into the 2016-17 playoffs with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and then went all the way to a Stanley Cup victory.

While both of those droughts were long, at least they came to an end. That wasn't the case for Guy Charron, who saw action in 734 NHL games in the 1970s and early 1980s with the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, Kansas City Scouts and Washington Capitals and never once made it into the post-season.

Here are the 10 active NHL players with the most games played without ever making the playoffs.  

1. Rasmus Ristolainen – 776 games

With Skinner’s 1,000-plus game drought over, the hard-hitting Philadelphia Flyers blueliner is now the league leader in this unfortunate stat. He has played in the NHL for 12 seasons, eight with the Buffalo Sabres and four with the Flyers.

2. Rasmus Dahlin – 509 games

The Buffalo Sabres defenseman – and No. 1 overall draft pick in 2018 – made the jump to the NHL at age 18. He’s now 25 and still waiting to see post-season play. The Sabres last made the playoffs in 2010-11, when Dahlin was 11.

3. Tage Thompson – 448 games

The third consecutive player to have ties with the Sabres, Thompson was traded to Buffalo by the St. Louis Blues in the deal that sent Ryan O’Reilly the other way. O’Reilly helped lead the Blues to the franchise’s first Cup. Thompson, meanwhile, hasn’t played in the first round yet.

4. Troy Terry – 427 games

The 27-year old University of Denver product is 73 games away from his 500th outing without his chase for Lord Stanley’s Cup ever really starting. Terry has been with the Anaheim Ducks for all eight of his seasons in the NHL, but has yet to appear in the post-season.

5. Mario Ferraro – 408 games

Ferraro is another veteran player on another struggling California team. The San Jose Sharks haven’t made the playoffs since 2018-19, and Ferraro played his first game with the Sharks the following season.

6. Henri Jokiharju – 407 games

The final player on this list to have spent time in Buffalo is Jokiharju, who’s now with the Boston Bruins. The defenseman spent six seasons with the Sabres after one year with the Chicago Blackhawks. He was dealt to the Bruins at this year’s trade deadline, and the team failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16.

7. Michael Rasmussen – 390 games

The ninth-overall pick in the 2017 NHL draft is a member of a Red Wings team that has missed out on the playoffs for the ninth-straight year. Rasmussen has been with the team for six of those seasons.

8. Isac Lundestrom – 337 games

The 25-year-old Swede is still relatively early in his career, which has been entirely spent with the Ducks. His teammates, Trevor Zegras (268 games) and Mason McTavish (229 games) are both headed for spots on this list if Anaheim can’t turn in some positive results.

9. Lucas Raymond – 320 games

Lundestrom’s countryman Raymond is another young, promising forward who has yet to get a crack at the playoffs. He’s an important cog in the Red Wings' machine, as one of many promising young players that Detroit has picked up in the last nine years of being in the draft lottery.

10. Philipp Kurashev – 317 games

The final player to crack the top 10 is the 25-year-old Blackhawks center. A fourth-round choice in 2018, the Swiss native has featured in over 300 matches with the Hawks, none coming after the regular season’s 82nd game. He edges out Calgary’s Morgan Frost (310) and Blackhawks teammate Joe Veleno (306). Perhaps not the honor he would most want to have.

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Connor McDavid hasn’t forgotten that the Vegas Golden Knights ended the Edmonton Oilers’ Stanley Cup hopes in 2023.

“We owe Vegas a good series,” he told Sportsnet’s Gene Principe just minutes after the Oilers eliminated the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, setting up the second-round rematch.

Two years ago, with the series tied 1-1, the Golden Knights turned to Adin Hill when Laurent Brossoit was injured in the first period of Game 3. They won that game 5-1 on the road, finished out the series in six and went on to capture the Stanley Cup.

Hill was solid in his 16 appearances that year, finishing at a .932 save percentage, 2.17 goals-against and 7.7 goals saved above expected. 

In Round 1 this year, the 28-year-old gave up 17 goals in six games to the Wild. He’ll start the series against Edmonton with an .880 save percentage and minus-2.0 goals saved above expected, per moneypuck.com.

The Oilers’ path to the second round cleared after a goaltending switch of their own. After helping to save Edmonton’s season with a two-game cameo against the Vancouver Canucks while Stuart Skinner was struggling last year, Calvin Pickard took the net with his team in an early 0-2 hole and ran with it. 

His .893 save percentage and minus-0.9 goals saved above expected may not be dazzling. But he made the saves that Edmonton needed, his numbers are better than Hill’s this spring, and it’s hard to argue with a 4-0 record.

Skinner may return at some point, but McDavid has been effusive in his support for Pickard.

“He’s a guy who’s just been a battler his whole career,” he told Principe. “Couldn’t be a better guy. We love playing for him. We love battling for him. Does a great job, giving us a chance.”

McDavid and Pickard first joined forces nearly a decade ago, winning gold with Team Canada at the 2016 World Championship in Russia. Pickard served as Cam Talbot’s backup, getting into two games, then earned silver when he returned as the starter in 2017.

After playing 50 games with the Colorado Avalanche in 2016-17, Pickard got just 30 NHL games over the next five seasons, with four different teams. But after joining the Oilers organization, he saw 23 games of action in 2023-24 and 36 this season, for a regular-season record of 51-34-17 and a .903 save percentage as an Oiler.

'He's Overcome So Much': Journeyman Calvin Pickard Answers The Call As Oilers Eliminate Kings AgainIn 2017, Calvin Pickard was known as the prototypical journeyman goaltender who was traded by the Vegas Golden Knights without ever playing a game for them as their first expansion draft pick.

Going into Round 2, Pickard has a legitimate chance to outduel Hill. He’ll have to do it behind a defense that isn’t as pedigreed as the Golden Knights’ but is showing some promising signs.

Vegas is healthy on the back end and has made only one change from its Cup-winning blueline from 2023: Noah Hanifin replaced Alec Martinez. 

With Mattias Ekholm still sidelined and potentially unavailable for all of Round 2, the Oilers leaned hard on Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse and Brett Kulak in Round 1. 

But give credit to Jake Walman and John Klingberg. After Klingberg entered the series in Game 2, the pair controlled over 71 percent of expected goals during their shifts and did not get scored on at 5-on-5 against L.A. 

In the regular season, the Golden Knights averaged 3.34 goals per game, although that slipped to 3.00 against the Wild. They can get scoring from throughout their lineup, so Edmonton will need Walman and Klingberg to continue to deliver those strong shut-down minutes.

After finishing with 4.5 goals a game against Los Angeles, the Oilers must prioritize even-strength scoring again in Round 2. 

To their credit, they got five power-play goals on just 13 chances over six games against a Kings penalty kill that was eighth-best in the league in the regular season. Vegas ranked 26th. But the Golden Knights were the NHL’s least-penalized team during the regular season and also gave Minnesota just 13 power plays over six games in Round 1. 

Vegas enjoyed 18 power plays against the Wild but scored five goals and gave up one shorty. So their net power-play impact was lower than Edmonton’s, despite more opportunities.

The season series between the Oilers and the Golden Knights was dead even this year. All four games ended in regulation, with each side winning once at home and once on the road. All time, Edmonton is 15-9-2 against Vegas in the regular season. 

The Oilers and Golden Knights series will kick off on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. ET at T-Mobile Arena.

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Dallas Stars right winger Mikko Rantanen took revenge against the team he used to see a future with for the long term.

Time ticked away in Rantanen's season as the Colorado Avalanche led the Stars 2-0 early in the third period. Just about 20 minutes later, it was Colorado's season that ended, and Rantanen was the biggest part of that happening.

"The belief in the group, the whole team of ours, there was no quitting at any point," Rantanen told ESPN's Emily Kaplan on the bench post-game.

First, let's rewind.

Rantanen was with the Avalanche for parts of 10 seasons. They drafted him 10th overall in 2015, and they won a Stanley Cup together in 2022. He recorded two 100-point seasons for them.

As January arrived without a contract in place for the then-pending UFA, the Avalanche traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes in a three-team blockbuster involving the Chicago Blackhawks. Rantanen told reporters in mid-March he never wanted to leave Colorado.

Rantanen didn't sign a new contract with the Hurricanes, so they traded him to the Stars at the NHL trade deadline. Rantanen signed an eight-year contract with a $12-million cap hit to stay in Dallas for the long term.

Fast forward to April, and Rantanen's Stars faced his former team, the Avalanche, in the first round.

Colorado struck first in Game 1. The Stars won the following two games.

Colorado tied it. Dallas took the lead again. Colorado tied it again.

During that time, Rantanen recorded two goals and eight points in six games. He already made a mark in the later stages of the series, with three points in Game 5 and four points in Game 6.

It all led up to a Game 7 on Saturday night, with less than 13 minutes left in the third period. The Stars were still not on the scoreboard.

Rantanen changed that.

He walked into the offensive zone and took a snapshot that beat Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, cutting the deficit to one.

His teammate, Matt Duchene, received a penalty for tripping Martin Necas, who went from Carolina to Colorado in the initial Rantanen deal. But Cale Makar got a tripping penalty to force 4-on-4 play and a Stars power play when Duchene hit the ice.

Rantanen once again took matters into his own hands. He skated around the net and scored on a wraparound while taking contact from Blackwood and falling to the ice. Just like that, it was a tie game, and Rantanen reignited the Stars crowd.

An all time revenge game from Mikko Rantanen 👏 pic.twitter.com/RaUOjb5wFB

— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) May 4, 2025

The game could have went to overtime for the third time in the series, but Avalanche center Jack Drury, who also went to Colorado from Carolina, got a holding penalty. Dallas went back to the power play.

With four minutes left in the third frame, Rantanen found Duchene in the bumper position beside Blackwood's left post. Duchene then passed the puck past Blackwood and two Avs defenders to Wyatt Johnston. The 21-year-old finished the tic-tac-toe by beating Blackwood to complete the comeback and take a 3-2 lead. Rantanen earned the secondary assist.

As the Avalanche pulled the goalie to try to score with the extra attacker, Rantanen got the puck with seconds remaining in the series to secure the hat trick, the first one in the third period of a Game 7 in NHL history.

The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live: Join The Chat As Stars Win Game 7, Plus Round 1 WrapWelcome to The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live, streaming nightly during the first round of the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs.

Rantanen's Stars looked like they were heading out of the playoffs. They're now sending the Avalanche home with their eighth straight Game 7 loss.

After the Stars celebrated, they shook hands with the Avalanche players. Rantanen called it an emotional moment.

"They're my brothers, you know?" Rantanen said. "I still love every one of them. Obviously, we were enemies in the series on the ice, but they're my dear friends off the ice."

The Stars now await the winner of Game 7 between the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues on Sunday. 

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Right winger Matt Coronato signed a seven-year extension with the Calgary Flames, the team announced on Saturday. 

Coronato will earn $6.5 million annually through the 2031-32 campaign on this next deal and has a 10-team no-trade clause in the final two years of the contract, according to PuckPedia.

This contract takes the 22-year-old through the beginning of his prime years as the Flames look to their youngsters to propel the team forward.

"Matt wants to be here long-term, and that says a lot about him and where this is kind of going, moving forward," Flames GM Craig Conroy said in a statement. 

Coronato had a breakout season with the Flames in the final year of his entry-level contract, scoring 24 goals and 47 points in 77 games. Only Flames veterans Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau had more points than him on the team. 

Coronato also ended the season on a high note with a seven-game point streak where he scored four goals and four assists for eight points.

Coronato was a crucial piece to Calgary’s late-season push to make the Stanley Cup playoffs, but the team missed out by a tie-breaker scenario that favored the St. Louis Blues.

This was his first full season in the NHL, as he made 34 appearances last season. 

He spent most of that campaign with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, where he had an impressive 42 points in 41 games, along with a solid playoff campaign with six points in as many games.

Although the Flames missed out on post-season this time, having Coronato signed until he’s 29 years old is just one step to having the younger players take charge and drive the team back into the playoffs in the long term.

Along with Coronato, Flames rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf led the way for Calgary and its young core. In 53 games, the Flames' netminder had a 29-16-8 record, a 2.64 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.

As part of Calgary’s young group of players, Zayne Parekh made his NHL debut in the final outing of the regular season. The ninth pick in the 2024 draft doesn’t require a new contract until the 2027-28 campaign, but he has the upside to join the young Flames’ core in the future.

Parekh scored in his debut against the Los Angeles Kings, clocking 20:31 of ice time and a plus-three rating. The 19-year-old came off a 107-point campaign with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, recording 33 goals and 74 assists in 61 games. He was the second defenseman in OHL/OHA history to score 30 goals in multiple seasons. Bobby Orr was the other D-man to accomplish that from 1964 to 1966.

NHL Rumor Roundup: Calgary Flames Could Face Another Busy SummerLast summer, the Calgary Flames were sellers, shipping out goaltender Jacob Markstrom and left winger Andrew Mangiapane after missing the playoffs. 

Left winger Joel Farabee and center Morgan Frost will also look to hit the ground running next season after recording six and 12 points with Calgary, respectively. The Flames acquired the 25-year-olds in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers in January.

After this signing, Calgary GM Craig Conroy has a handful more RFAs to deal with heading into next season, including Frost. Connor Zary could be next on the list, as he emerges to be a middle-six forward on the roster. He finished the season with 13 goals and 27 points in 54 games. 

Others RFAs include center Sam Morton, right winger Adam Klapka and defenseman Kevin Bahl.

The NHL has had some terrific hockey in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. 

There’s been the high pressure of the Maple Leafs and Senators showdown, the rollercoaster action of the Kings and Oilers battle, the drama of the Panthers and Lightning series and the high-octane competition of the Jets and Blues clash. 

The most exciting first-round series of the first round between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche has had all of that in a true heavyweight punch fest, which ends in Saturday's winner-takes-all Game 7.

In fact, the Stars and Avalanche series has had just about everything. They’ve had high-scoring games, including the Stars’ 6-2 win in Game 5 and the Avalanche’s 7-4 victory in Game 6.

They’ve had thrilling overtime games, including Dallas’ 4-3 win in Game 2 and 2-1 win in Game 3. 

They’ve had convincing victories, including Colorado’s 5-1 win in Game 1 and 4-0 win in Game 4. However you’ve liked your hockey, you’ve had a taste of it in this series.

On top of that, you’ve had high drama and then some between the Stars and the Avalanche. 

Dallas has pulled out gutsy wins despite not having injured star left winger Jason Robertson and star defenseman Miro Heiskanen.

Stars goalie Jake Oettinger has had some excellent performances and has narrowly outplayed Colorado's counterpart, Mackenzie Blackwood, who has the lone shutout. You’ve had a Stars team that has overcome losing the first game of the series – and the Avs tying the round in Game 4 – to take multiple series leads.

The Avalanche, meanwhile, have had life-and-death struggles when facing elimination in Game 6.

The Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar continue to live up to their superstar status, leading the way despite Colorado being down 2-1 and 3-2 in the series. And you’ve had one of the most bizarre goals ever scored in playoff history, when MacKinnon’s shot in Game 6 came to Stars center Sam Steel, who tried to clear the puck, only to have his clearing attempt go off of Dallas teammate Colin Blackwell and into the net for the game-winning marker.

Last but not least, there have been personal storylines making waves in the hockey world.

Star right winger Mikko Rantanen said in mid-March he never wanted to leave the Avalanche, which traded him in a blockbuster to the Carolina Hurricanes in January. The Stars then traded for him at the trade deadline and signed him to an eight-year contract extension. 

Rantanen’s now facing his former team and scored two goals, including a game-winner, and eight points in six games so far. It would be quite a moment for Rantanen if he could send the Avalanche packing in the early stages of his life without them.

Then, of course, you have Gabriel Landeskog.

'The Best Story In Sports': The Hockey World Reacts To Gabriel Landeskog’s First NHL Goal In 1,041 DaysColorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog grabbed the headlines with a storied goal against the Dallas Stars in Game 4 on Saturday.

The 32-year-old didn’t know whether he would ever get to play again after trying for three years to recover from a knee injury. The last time he played in the NHL was when he won the Cup with the Avalanche in 2022. As the playoffs approached, he had a trial run in the AHL.

In Game 3, he returned in front of a fan base that couldn’t be prouder, and he threw hits and made an impact in this series with a goal and four points.

At the start of the post-season, many pundits picked the Stars and Avalanche series as the key series to watch. Because of the elite skill and depth on each squad, the winner of this series has a great chance of going all the way. These teams lived up to the hype, creating one of the best first-round showdowns we have ever seen.

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There is no shortage of young players getting into their first NHL playoff action or taking another step in the post-season – and it’s only been the first round.

The first round of the NHL playoffs has always had some of the most exciting hockey in the sport. The intensity, speed, skill, and tenacity are all ratcheted up. It’s often where we see whether or not young players have the juice to compete and excel at the highest level of hockey. 

Let’s look around the NHL to see which under-24 players put their talents on display at the start of the playoffs. 

Matt Boldy, LW, Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wildwent home earlier than hoped in their series against the Vegas Golden Knights. That said, the play of Matt Boldy on the top line alongside Kirill Kaprizov was a big reason the Wild took a 2-1 lead in the series, leading to more excitement about the prospects of a Minnesota team at full strength. 

Boldy’s blend of power and speed, as well as his center-focused attack, led to many scoring chances for the Wild’s top line. His five goals and seven points lead all U-24 skaters.

Anton Lundell, C, Florida Panthers

In each of the Panthers’ last two deep playoff runs, Anton Lundell consistently found a way to be an effective player. He’s grown in each of their playoff runs, with 10 points in their first run to the final and 17 in last year's Cup-winning campaign. 

This year, he has been the centrepiece on the team’s third line with Eetu Luostarinen and Brad Marchand, providing a level of depth no other team can match.

Lundell has the two-way ability to match up against the best offensive players in the world, so even when Aleksander Barkov isn’t on the ice, the Panthers are more than capable of winning their minutes.

Tim Stutzle, C, Ottawa Senators

Although the Senators lost to the Leafs in six games, the first foray for Ottawa’s new core into the playoffs was a great showcase of their talent, Stutzle included. 

The dynamically skilled center was consistently one of the most dangerous players on the ice, attacking downhill and cutting laterally to change the angle of the defender and goalie. He was electric to watch at times, and the Senators should be extremely happy with the fact their emerging superstar is capable of stepping up when the lights get brightest. 

Whether it was Stutzle, Jake Sanderson or Brady Tkachuk, the Sens were a ton of fun in the post-season. 

Matthew Knies, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Although his stats don’t jump out at you with just three goals in the six-game victory over Ottawa, Matthew Knies brings functional physicality to the Toronto lineup that’s been sorely missing during the Core Four era. 

Knies is a bull in a china shop, barrelling through defenders with his strength and using his puck skill to keep up with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. 

Knies would make former Leafs GM Brian Burke proud because he embodies truculence. 

Lane Hutson, D, Montreal Canadiens

Everyone who watched Lane Hutson this season was in awe of his ability to generate offense, but there was always the question of whether he would be able to do it in the playoffs. 

While the Canadiens weren’t expected to get into the post-season this year, they surprised everyone and reached the playoffs, largely because of Hutson’s incredible play. 

When the pressure increased, Hutson showed the world that he was ready, recording five assists. 

His dynamism and skill never waned. He was still just as cerebral as ever, and it helped Montreal play some of the tightest and most entertaining games of the playoffs against Washington despite its series loss.

The Canadiens Are Saving Money On Lane Hutson, But They'll Pay For It This SummerNobody, not the Montreal Canadiens, not Lane Hutson and certainly not his agent, thought that this year would turn out the way it did for the rookie defenseman.

Thomas Harley, D, Dallas Stars

There was hope the Stars would see franchise defender Miro Heiskanen return from injury, but it wasn’t in the cards in the first round. That left a massive void for the Stars on the blueline.

While almost no one could fully fill his shoes, Thomas Harley has elevated his game and shown himself to be more than capable at both ends of the ice, recording two goals and two assists.

We’ve seen Harley leverage his skating and vision in every facet of the game. The Stars needed someone to step up to have any hope of getting past the Avalanche, and now they head into Game 7 with Harley being their stud on the back end.

Seth Jarvis, RW, Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes' biggest issue over the last few playoffs is struggling to score against top-end teams, but Seth Jarvis has helped turn that around this year with two goals and five points.

His pace-pushing offensive game allows him to break the opposing defense down, layering skill on top of his speed. His ability to change the game in an instant was key to the Hurricanes taking out the Devils handily.

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By Zoe Pierce, The Hockey News intern

In a game of inches, getting video reviews correct has always been important in the NHL.

Allowing or disallowing a goal can change an entire period, game, or even a playoff series. 

For some reviews, such as the referee deciding whether or not a major penalty called on the ice should stand, things can be more subjective.

What makes a five-minute boarding penalty called on the ice get modified to a two-minute boarding call? The referees make this decision on the ice, in consultation with the other on-ice officials, at their discretion based on the degree of violence and recklessness of the hit into the boards.

However, discretion can only go so far in a game where the position of a three-inch puck on the ice can make all the difference.

No matter how many camera angles or eyes watch a certain play, sometimes it's almost impossible to conclusively determine what happened.

Either the puck fully crossed the line, or it didn't. Either the player's skate was onside, or it wasn't. But can the human eye figure this out all the time?

Other sports, such as soccer, tennis and, most recently, football, have decided it's not.

Over a decade ago, in 2013, the Premier League announced it would implement Hawk-Eye technology across all its soccer matches.

Hawk-Eye, which has been around since 2001, is a computer vision system that uses cameras to track a ball's trajectory during play. Officials can use it to determine whether the ball has completely crossed the goal line. In soccer, this information is sent to the referee's watch within a second to assist in making the correct call.

In tennis, Hawk-Eye has been used since 2002, also known as Electronic Line Calling.

The system uses six or more computer-linked television cameras positioned around the court to create 3D representations of the ball's path. Chair umpires rely on this system to make accurate calls and only intervene if the technology malfunctions.

Should The NHL Allow Video Review For Uncalled Headshots During A Game?Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad was suspended for elbowing Brandon Hagel in the head, but he wasn't penalized when he did it.

The NHL does not use goal-line puck-tracking technology, but implementing it can save time and make the game smoother and more accurate.

For Cole Perfetti and the Winnipeg Jets, relying on the NHL's current video-review system left a recent play up for debate, even after the NHL Situation Room in Toronto made the final decision. 

In Game 3 of the first-round series between the Jets and the St. Louis Blues, Perfetti's one-timer in the second period was caught by Blues goalie Jordan Binnington in what appeared to be an impressive glove save. However, Binnington's glove was partially in the net when he made the catch, making it difficult to tell whether or not the puck had crossed the goal line.

The NHL Situation Room ruled that there was no conclusive evidence to overturn what was originally called a no-goal.

Jordan Binnington robs Perfetti with the glove... but did the puck cross the line? 👀

(via @espn) pic.twitter.com/DIygtBThoX

— BarDown (@BarDown) April 25, 2025

Jets winger David Gustafsson scored later in the third, leaving fans to wonder how the game might have shifted if Perfetti's goal had counted, as Gustafsson's goal would have made it 3-2 with momentum instead of 3-1 in what ultimately ended as a 7-2 loss for the Jets.

Another issue is the amount of time it can take for reviews to be conducted. 

In the Jets game, it took over five minutes to make the decision on the Perfetti no-goal.

Swings of momentum are important in hockey. One moment, you're buzzing on the power play. The next, your legs get stiff while you wait for the referees to decide the future of the game based on plays that come down to less than inches.

In January 2024, Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid voiced his frustration after an offside review that took nearly 15 minutes to determine whether a Zach Hyman goal was offside or not.

The play was eventually overturned, and although the Oilers came away with a 2-1 win, it highlighted a problem with the length of reviews and the difficulty of ensuring they're correct.

In April 2025, the NFL announced it would adopt Sony's Hawk-Eye virtual measurement technology, using 8K cameras positioned around the stadium to determine whether the football has crossed the line to gain. On-field officials, who traditionally make these calls while running up and down the field, will be used as backup.

While the NHL has implemented new technology over the years – such as NHL Edge, which provides new advanced statistics on things such as skating speed, skating distance, shot speed, shot location and zone time based on puck and player tracking – the league's lack of goal-line and offside technology sticks out. It continues to be exposed on bigger stages come playoff time and will likely keep causing problems if the NHL doesn't get with the times like other leagues have.

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The second round of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs starts Monday, so it’s time to predict them.

Your humble correspondent is riding high, as we went 4-0 in our first-round Eastern Conference predictions, including the Toronto Maple Leafs winning in six games over Ottawa, and the Carolina Hurricanes needing five games to beat New Jersey. 

We’ll have to wait a couple of days to see how our Western Conference picks turned out, but it’s time to make some educated guesses for who wins the second-round matchups in the East between the Washington Capitals and Hurricanes and between the Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers.

Game 1 between the Leafs and Panthers is scheduled for Monday at 8 p.m. ET, while the Hurricanes and Capitals kick off their series on Tuesday.

As always – and before you skewer us in the comment section – remember that what follows are educated guesses. With that said, let’s get down to business:

Washington Capitals (M1) Vs. Carolina Hurricanes (M2)

Season series: 2-2 tie

Why Washington will win:The Capitals got a good test from the Montreal Canadiens in the first round, but they weathered the storm to eliminate the Habs in five games. 

Washington’s high-octane offense was better than the Canadiens’ offense, but it ultimately was the Caps’ defense that was the deciding factor, as they allowed only six goals in their four victories.

Against the Hurricanes, Washington has the edge in goal. Logan Thompson has delivered as advertised, while his counterpart in Carolina, veteran Frederik Andersen, always seems to be an injury risk.

With the Capitals’ speed, coaching and depth, a series win for Washington is definitely within the realm of possibility. They were the best team in the East for good reason, and they can get to the Eastern final for the fourth time in franchise history.

Washington Capitals To Renew Bad Blood With Carolina Hurricanes In Round 2As the Washington Capitals beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in Game 5 on Wednesday, the first second-round matchup of the Stanley Cup playoffs is set. 

Why Carolina will win: Playing against an injury-depleted New Jersey team in the opening round, the Hurricanes could’ve taken their foot off the gas and given the Devils a chance to get a couple of wins under their belt.

Instead, Carolina kept its foot on New Jersey’s neck, limiting the Devils to only four goals in their first three wins.

The Hurricanes also showed they could run-and-gun, beating New Jersey 5-4 in double overtime in the deciding fifth game. So Carolina can beat you any way you want.

The Hurricanes’ best players met expectations in Round 1, with Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov combining for 10 goals and 19 points. With a solid defense corps that is superior to Washington’s, Carolina has what it takes to get back to the Eastern final for the second time in the past three seasons and the third time since 2018-19. 

Prediction: Hurricanes in six games

The Capitals and Hurricanes are two well-above-average teams with very few flaws, but the latter looked slightly more dominant against New Jersey than Washington was against Montreal. So long as Andersen stays healthy, the goaltending picture between the two teams is more or less even.

Washington won’t be swept in this showdown, as it has too much talent and is too well-coached to be sent home in shame. 

But the Hurricanes’ power play and penalty kill were better than Washington’s in the first round. Carolina also had the NHL's top penalty kill in the regular season. If that success continues, that could be the difference in the Hurricanes’ favor, so we’re going with them in what will almost assuredly be a ferociously contested series.

Toronto Maple Leafs (A1) Vs. Florida Panthers (A3)

Season series: 3-1 Florida

Why Toronto will win:The Maple Leafs were playing to save their jobs in the first round against the Ottawa Senators.

Although there were some hiccups for Toronto in eliminating the Sens, coach Craig Berube pushed all the right buttons – for example, sticking with veteran left winger Max Pacioretty in Game 6, when some were calling for him to be scratched and replaced with youngster Nick Robertson.

Pacioretty came through with the game-winning goal, and the Buds lived to fight another day, getting out of the first round for the second consecutive year.

Beating the Panthers will take everything the Leafs have, but this year’s Toronto defense is far and away a better unit than last year’s ‘D’ corps.

Meanwhile, Florida’s elite collection of agitators will find they can’t goad the Maple Leafs into taking dumb penalties. And Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz is a Grade-A battler who will be helped out immensely by his defensemen who constantly limit opponents’ shots to the outside fringe.

It all adds up to a drastically different Buds team, and Florida has its flaws like any group, so Toronto has a golden opportunity to shock the Panthers and get to the third round for the first time since 2001-02.

This is the best Maple Leafs team in ages, and they may finally have the right recipe to going far for the first time in a generation.

Five Of The NHL's Best Defensive Defensemen In 2024-25 The three finalists for the NHL’s Norris Trophy are more than capable in their own end.

Why Florida will win: When you’re the defending Cup champions, you should never be counted out, and we’re certainly not going to do so at this juncture.

The Panthers made quick work of a very good Tampa Bay Lightning team in Round 1, beating them in five games, while scoring 18 goals in their wins. Toronto will quickly find Florida is significantly better than Ottawa right now.

The Panthers’ trade deadline acquisitions of defenseman Seth Jones and Brad Marchand make an already-talented squad all the more dangerous. The return to action of star left winger Matthew Tkachuk had an obvious boost for Florida in the opening round, with five points in five games.

There isn’t a more tenacious team than the Panthers, and they’ve had the Leafs’ number in the regular season, so they’re going to be favored until Toronto proves it can beat them.

With goalie Sergei Bobrovsky looking solid as ever, posting a 2.21 GAA and one shutout in the first round, the Panthers will give the Maple Leafs all they can handle.

Prediction: Maple Leafs in seven games.

The Panthers have played a lot of playoff hockey in recent years, with a combined 60 games in the past four post-seasons.

At some point, the toll on their core has to turn into fatigue.

We’re not saying that was true of Florida against the Lightning, but the Leafs are a well-coached, very deep, resilient team that has all the motivation in the world to pull off a win in this series. They will constantly challenge the Panthers by pushing into their defensive zone and grinding them into submission.

If the Maple Leafs get rolled in four or five games against the Panthers, their win over Ottawa will recede quickly into the minds of Leafs fans and ownership. Toronto’s players are still playing to keep the team and its management together.

Regardless of who wins this series, we see it going to seven games. And this is where Toronto’s home-ice advantage may play out in their favor. This year’s Maple Leafs are as dynamic and determined as any Leafs team in recent memory, and we expect them to outlast the Panthers.

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It’s only natural to see several coaches lose their jobs following the end of the season. With only 16 available playoff spots, the other half of the NHL is feeling disappointed and possibly seeking change. 

One of the easiest ways to search for change is by parting with a coach and hiring a new one. 

Seven coach vacancies exist after the New York Rangers took advantage of a Cup-winning coach hitting the open market, Mike Sullivan, and hired him to replace Peter Laviolette on Friday. If Sullivan can come into New York and get the best out of Alexis Lafreniere, Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox, J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck, there’s no reason they can’t compete for a playoff spot next season.

There’s still a strong market of available coaches, ranging from veterans to AHL or NCAA coaches looking for an opportunity. Let’s see which coaches whose names surfaced in speculation would be a good fit for each NHL team with a vacancy.

Philadelphia Flyers: Pat Ferschweiler

Ferschweiler recently coached Western Michigan University to a national men’s hockey championship in the NCAA, shocking Boston University in the final. Without many highly drafted NHL prospects, Ferschweiler needed his players to play a fast and structured game.

Despite playing a structured style, Ferschweiler embraced flexibility, which should bode well for the Flyers. With youngsters Matvei Michkov, Tyson Foerster, Jamie Drysdale, Cam York and more, a structured game will help them on the defensive side of the puck, but the flexibility will allow their offensive creativity to flow. 

Top prospect Alex Bump thrived under Ferschweiler with the Broncos and should be able to transform his game at the next level. 

Chicago Blackhawks: Jay Woodcroft

The Blackhawks looked like the ideal team to sign University of Denver coach David Carle, but the 35-year-old recently pulled his name out of the running for the vacant coaching job, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. 

With Carle no longer an option, the Blackhawks must look elsewhere, and Woodcroft would be a great addition to their coaching staff.

Connor McDavid had the most productive season of his career under Woodcroft's guidance, and he might be the best-equipped coach to get the same out of Connor Bedard. 

Bedard has been held back by the lack of talent on the Blackhawks, but the end of the 2024-25 season saw the franchise introduce several of its top prospects. Possibly adding a top-two pick would bolster the roster further, and Woodcroft’s offensive play style could get the best out of those young players.  

Pittsburgh Penguins: Rick Tocchet

The Penguins are refusing to surrender to a rebuild, and it’s understandable, considering Sidney Crosby scored 33 goals and 91 points this season and ranked in the top 10 in points.

Finding a coach who can instill a play style so strong that it can mask some of the issues a team faces is what the Penguins need, and Tocchet’s defensive style might be able to do so. 

With deep roots in Pittsburgh, Tocchet is likely the favorite to land in the Steel City.

Three Paths The Pittsburgh Penguins Can Take In Their Coaching SearchThe Pittsburgh Penguins opened up a particularly appealing job after parting with coach Mike Sullivan on Monday. 

Anaheim Ducks: Joel Quenneville

Quenneville hasn’t coached in the NHL since 2021, when he resigned from the Florida Panthers.

That came after a report that revealed he was aware of sexual assault allegations surrounding the Chicago Blackhawks’ video coach in the 2010 playoffs but was part of an overall lack of response by the team. He was ruled ineligible to work in the NHL until July 2024, when the NHL reinstated him, Stan Bowman and Al MacIssac.

Quenneville’s teams won the Stanley Cup three times. Although the Ducks might not be at that contender level yet, they certainly aren’t short on young NHL-proven players and prospects. 

Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov and Lukas Dostal all had excellent seasons and are barely a few years into their NHL career.

With established players like Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras still under the age of 28, the Ducks are ready to compete once again, and a veteran coach like Quenneville will help them get there. 

Boston Bruins: Jay Leach

Whether coaching the AHL’s Providence Bruins or working as an assistant coach for the Seattle Kraken or the Boston Bruins, Leach has done an admirable job in developing talent. He’s been patiently waiting and looks to deserve a chance as an NHL head coach. 

The decision the Bruins make depends on what the organization wants to do moving forward. They may look to hire a veteran coach and try to be competitive again next season, but with the major roster turnover, that might be a difficult feat.

Vancouver Canucks: Manny Malhotra

The Canucks are trying to get younger, looking to incorporate more players from their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Aatu Raty and defenseman Elias Pettersson have slowly been integrated into the NHL lineup, and their familiarity with Malhotra will help them when they become full-time NHLers.

Vancouver Canucks' Six Potential Replacements For Coach Rick TocchetIn the end, it came down to more than just money for Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet.

Tom Willander is one of the Canucks’ top prospects whose future with the team is uncertain. Hiring a coach with experience in developing players might help sway Willander to commit his future to the Canucks. Similarly to the Rangers, the Canucks are in a peculiar spot but have a deeper prospect pool, which should allow them to hire a younger coach. 

Seattle Kraken: Todd Nelson

Nelson and the Kraken organization have a history. The Hershey Bears, the team Nelson coaches, defeated the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Kraken’s AHL affiliate, in the Calder Cup final in back-to-back seasons. 

Under Nelson’s tutelage, the Bears have been the most dominant AHL team, limiting the goals they allow and scoring a lot themselves.

The Kraken have been clear about what they want from their next coach, which is to develop their young players, such as Matty Beniers, Shane Wright and Ryker Evans. A coach with vast experience in the AHL seems like the perfect candidate to help a team with loads of talent in its prospect pool.

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Tampa Bay Lightning star right winger Nikita Kucherov is one of three finalists for the Hart Trophy, underscoring his excellent regular-season performance this year. 

But after the Lightning were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Florida Panthers Wednesday night, Kucherov’s output does not compare well to his regular-season showings.

For years now, Kucherov has produced a tremendous amount of offense. In the past three regular seasons, he’s generated a combined 267 assists and 378 points. He won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s best point-producer in the past two years and he recorded at least 30 goals each time. This season alone, he had 1.55 points per game. You can’t deny him his due respect as a needle-mover.

However, the playoffs are a different story for Kucherov since winning the Stanley Cup back-to-back and losing in the final the year afterward. 

In the past three playoffs, where the Lightning have won a combined four games in three playoff rounds, Kucherov has only one goal. 

The 31-year-old Russian has put up 17 points in 16 playoff games in the past three years, which is still quite a drop from his regular-season rates, but posting just a single goal in that span is a problem.

Can you imagine the outcry that would be taking place if Kucherov were a Toronto Maple Leaf, and he only posted one goal in three playoff years when his team loses in the first round? Leafs fans and media would be tearing him apart. 

Even if you give Kucherov a bit of a break for earning only $9.5 million per season, that’s still a lot of money you’re giving to a player who has put up a combined 111 goals in the past three regular seasons but can’t make it translate into playoff success.

It would be one thing if the Lightning scored bucket-loads of goals this spring, and Kucherov was responsible for creating that offense as a playmaker extraordinaire. But against the Panthers, Tampa Bay managed only seven goals in its four losses.

Why The NHL's Three Ted Lindsay Award Finalists Each Deserve To WinThe NHL revealed the three finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award on Wednesday. 

Now, Kucherov told reporters on Friday that he suffered a left hand extensor injury on Feb. 25, and that he did not want to miss any games.

“The trainers did a hell of a job getting me to games, and we go through some hard time,s but it is what it is,” Kucherov said. “Guys are playing with a bunch of bruises and something else, but I just wanted to play hockey and enjoy the moment and be with the guys.”

For an injured player, 11 goals and a league-leading 36 points in 24 games since Feb. 25 is very impressive. But he also proved he can still play and produce at an elite level, which means those expectations remain in the playoffs.

And to Kucherov’s credit, he has been a strong playoff performer throughout his career. He has 53 goals and 118 assists for 171 points in 152 career playoff games. He had 34 points in 25 games in 2019-20 en route to the Stanley Cup, 32 points in 23 games to defend the title and 27 points in 23 games when they just missed out on the three-peat. He had seven or eight goals in each of those years.

As one of the world’s best players, Kucherov deserves credit for what he’s been able to do in the regular season and in past post-seasons. But he shouldn’t be protected from criticism. 

Athough he deserves to be in the mix for the Hart Trophy as one of the NHL’s most valuable regular-season performers, a fair estimation of his playoff production indicates that he’s been nowhere near as dynamic when the games matter most from 2022-23 to now.

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