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Evander Kane reportedly battling multiple injuries

ESPN

The Los Angeles Kings are on the ropes in their Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Edmonton Oilers following their 6-3 setback in Game 5 at Rogers Place Tuesday night. 

And one Oilers player who has played a major role in his team’s success against the Kings, just as he did in their Round 1 series last season, is Evander Kane. Not only did he score in Tuesday’s Game 5, but he also tallied the game-tying goal late in Game 4, setting the stage for Zach Hyman to pot the overtime winner. 

In fact, his 16 postseason goals the last two seasons are good for best in the entire NHL. The only problem with Kane right now is that he’s noticeably hurt. He’s already dealt with not only broken ribs this season, but also the frightening wrist laceration that kept him out of action for several months. 

According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman in his latest “32 Thoughts” podcast, Kane is battling not one but various ailments.

“He’s got at least two injuries. He’s got I think a lower and an upper-body injury,” Friedman opined. “There’s something on his leg that’s bothering him, I think there’s something up higher that’s hurting him a little bit. He’s playing through a ton of stuff.”

Kane, who has played in all five playoffs games so far, has lit the lamp three times. He and the Oilers will look to punch their ticket to the second round of the postseason for the second straight year when they take on the Kings in Game 6 at Crypto.com Arena in downton Los Angeles tomorrow night. 

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Nathan MacKinnon tears into officials after Game 5 loss

The Denver Gazette

The defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche find themselves on the brink of elimination after they dropped last night’s matchup against the Seattle Kraken in Game 5 of their Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. 

Seattle was powered by Tye Kartye lightning the lamp in his NHL debut, along with former Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer making 26 saves in the win. For Kartye, he became the 8th player in NHL history to score his first goal in his first playoff game. 

And immediately ahead of Kartye’s goal, Avalanche star forward Nathan MacKinnon slammed his stick on the boards in frustration after not getting a tripping call when he appeared to have been clipped by Seattle’s Will Borden.

MacKinnon wasn’t able to back check quick enough, and before you knew it, the Kraken took the lead that they wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the night. And afterward, he voiced his frustration at not getting the call while also admitting that his reaction wasn’t the correct move. 

“I get five feet on a guy, and he takes my feet out,” MacKinnon said after Colorado’s 3-2 loss. “I don’t know what to do. It’s not 1975. I feel like that’s a trip.”

“I’ve got to keep my cool there better,” he continued. “I can’t get upset. It’s on me there.”

The Avalanche were already playing without reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winning defenseman Cale Makar, who was suspended due to his hit of Jared McCann in Game 4. 

Both teams will get back at it at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena tomorrow night starting at 10:00 PM EST. 

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Critical update released on David Krejci

MassLive

The Boston Bruins have been without the services of veteran center David Krejci for their last three games in their Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Florida Panthers, which has now lasted much longer than just about anyone could have guessed.

The two teams are headed back to FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, FLA after the Panthers were able to stun the Bruins on their home ice for the second time in the series, this time in the form of an overtime victory following a brutal turnover behind the net by goaltender Linus Ullmark. 

Krejci, who has not suited up since Game 2 last week thanks to an upper body injury, will be with the team as they travel back down south – though whether or not he actually suits up in tomorrow night’s Game 6 remains in question, according to head coach Jim Montgomery.

“Krejci is traveling with us, and has a couple more boxes to check before we can say he’s a player,” Montgomery explained. 

The Bruins did get captain Patrice Bergeron back for Game 5; he had previously missed the first four games of the series.

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Maple Leafs release projected lines for Game 5

CTV News Toronto

The Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves in familiar (and also unfamiliar) territory entering tonight’s pivotal Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scotiabank Arena. 

Because of their 3-1 series lead, they have the chance to become the first NHL team to advance this postseason after the Bruins failed to do so last night against the Florida Panthers. As you may recall, the Leafs have been here before with the chance to punch their ticket to Round 2 of the playoffs for the first time since 2004 in recent years, having played in several deciding Game 7’s, including in 2021 against the rival Montreal Canadiens in which they enjoyed an identical 3-1 series lead. 

We don’t need to go into how all of those postseason series ended up, as Leafs fans are all too familiar with the refrain that’s plagued them for years now of being unable to put together four victories when it matters. But in 2023, it feels different given how they stole both games at Amalie Arena in overtime, including a furious four unanswered goal comeback in Game 4 that put the Lightning on the brink of elimination.

The Leafs will be keeping forward Michael Bunting out of the lineup, even though he’s now eligible to return from the three game suspension he served for his dirty elbow on Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak in Game 1. Rookie Matthew Knies will get another opportunity to strut his stuff at the NHL level, while it will once again be Ilya Samsonov between the pipes. Take a look at tonight’s projected line combinations via beat writer Jonas Siegel:

Forwards

Calle Järnkrok — Auston Matthews — William Nylander
Matthew Knies — John Tavares — Mitch Marner
Alex Kerfoot — Ryan O’Reilly — Noel Acciari
Zach Aston-Reese — David Kämpf — Sam Lafferty

Defensemen

Jake McCabe — T.J. Brodie
Mark Giordano — Justin Holl
Morgan Rielly — Luke Schenn

Goaltenders

Ilya Samsonov
Joseph Woll

Tonight’s Game 5 will begin from Scotiabank Arena at 7:00 PM EST. 

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Former NHL forward Bobby Ryan hits back at Ottawa reporter

SenShot

As you may remember, the 2016-17 Ottawa Senators exceeded all reasonable on-ice expectations by taking down the Boston Bruins and later the New York Rangers in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, setting up an Eastern Conference Final showdown against the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins. 

By the time it was all said and done, the Senators had come within one goal of advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in what would have been a decade; the image of the knuckle puck shot from Chris Kunitz beating a bewildered Craig Anderson in overtime of Game 7 still haunts the dreams of Ottawa fans everywhere. 

There were reasonable expectations for the Senators to at least qualify for the playoffs in the 2017-18 season, given what they accomplished the year prior. However, no such repeated success took place. They would ultimately finish last in the Eastern Conference and 7th in the Atlantic Division, coming nowhere near qualifying for the postseason.

Things really began to fall off the rails after Ottawa played two games against the Colorado Avalanche in Stockholm, Sweden in November of 2017. And according to Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun in a recent social media message, the team essentially stopped practicing. 

“The reason the Sens were so bad after returning from Sweden is Guy Boucher was so convinced he and the players were exhausted they essentially quit practicing. Rest was no weapon. That’s why the year went off the rails,” Garrioch posted on his Twitter account yesterday.

But it wouldn’t be long before a member of that squad in now-former Senators forward Bobby Ryan caught wind of Garrioch’s words and responded.

“WTF are you talking about, Bruce?” Ryan replied

Garrioch would try and pivot by telling Ryan not to act like his co-hosts on his Senators based podcast called ‘Coming in Hot’. But Ryan wasn’t finished. 

“Not sure which one you’re talking about as I tell them both daily they are knobs but don’t say something that asinine when I can name about 5 things that mattered more during that season,” Ryan responded. 

Senators fans remember all too well the drama surrounding defenseman Erik Karlsson and the reported online abuse that his wife suffered allegedly at the hands of the girlfriend of teammate Mike Hoffman. There was also the ill-fated acquisition of Matt Duchene, along with an eyebrow suggestion of potential relocation from late owner Eugene Melnyk prior to the outdoor “NHL 100 Classic” game against the Montreal Canadiens. 

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Matthew Tkachuk issues bold declaration after Game 5 win

Twitter

The Florida Panthers absolutely stunned the Boston Bruins last night at TD Garden, winning a back and forth affair thanks to an ill-timed gaffe from goaltender Linus Ullmark in overtime that opened the door for scrappy and offensive minded forward Matthew Tkachuk to play the role of hero. 

His goal at 6:05 of overtime ensured that the series will head back to Florida for a Game 6. And while the Bruins are still the favored team after having won 65 games during the regular season, they’re finding out the hard way what the 62-win Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019 found out against the Columbus Blue Jackets that there’s absolutely nothing guaranteed in the postseason based on regular season accolades.

And if the bold declaration from Tkachuk in the dressing room afterward holds true, there could be a winner-take-all Game 7 that would take place on Sunday back in Boston. 

“Boys, remember this room,” Tkachuk said, per a clip shared by the Panthers. “We’ll be back here for (Game) 7.”

The Panthers have every right to feel confident right now, having stolen two games on Boston’s home ice where the Bruins losing a game during the 2022-23 season was about as rare as a solar eclipse. And with that seed of doubt being planted in the minds of Bruins players and fans, there’s no telling where it could lead. 

That’s why the NHL is unique as opposed to the NBA, where lower seeded teams almost never upset the betting favorites. In hockey, just as the mantra goes – get in and you have a chance. Not many expected the Panthers to win even a single game in this series, but that’s why you play! Can the Panthers force a deciding Game 7? 

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Linus Ullmark quotes popular TV coach after brutal giveaway

San Diego Union Tribune

The Boston Bruins came into TD Garden last night leading the Florida Panthers in their Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs series by a three games to one advantage, and understandably feeling confident after a 6-2 triumph in Game 4 to take the series stranglehold. 

However, the Panthers have absolutely refused to go away quietly, and stunned the capacity crowd in Boston last night by taking advantage of a brutal giveaway in overtime by goaltender Linus Ullmark; Matthew Tkachuk’s goal at 6:05 of the extra session gave Florida new life, ensuring that there will be a Game 6 back at FLA Live Arena: 

This kind of adversity is unfamiliar territory for the Bruins, who won an NHL record 65 games during the regular season while also re-writing several franchise marks for success. It goes to show that regular season success means nothing when it comes to the postseason. 

“I tried to get back in the net, and then he sent it in. You know, I tried to put myself in a position where he can’t bank it off me. Unfortunately, it hits my skate, and then it ends up in the wrong hands,” Ullmark said of the fateful giveaway in overtime. “And from there it was kind of a situation where I couldn’t get back into position. And you know, he takes it by and puts it in.”

“I don’t know. I have to look at it tonight or tomorrow and see what I could have done better,” Ullmark said on how he moves on and throws this game in the trash. “You know, maybe I should have rimmed it, maybe I should have went up the middle. It’s hard to say. I thought that was the best play. That’s it. And it ended up being, you know, the worst play. That happened, and we can all think about what I should have done or could have done. But also, maybe if I did that, maybe it would have been the same results. Who knows? This is the life of hockey and this is the game sometimes.”

Ullmark then delivered a quote from the popular Emmy Award-winning Apple TV series ‘Ted Lasso.’

“You just have to have the mind of a goldfish,” Ullmark said, quoting the eponymous soccer coach. 

Game 6 between the Panthers and Bruins will be back in the Sunshine State on Friday night.

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Penguins could come calling to Marc Bergevin

TSN

As you may remember, the Pittsburgh Penguins elected to completely clean out their front office after they missed the postseason for the first time in 17 years earlier this month, terminating general manager Ron Hextall, assistant general manager Chris Pryor, and president of hockey operations Brian Burke. 

And while speculation has been building as to who could potentially take over as the new general manager in Steel City, one particular figure floated by a noted NHL Insider is a former Penguins defenseman. 

Marc Bergevin, who currently is a senior advisor to the general manager with the Los Angeles Kings and works under vice president and GM Rob Blake, was suggested by Elliotte Friedman in his latest “32 Thoughts” Podcast. 

As you may remember, Bergevin served as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens from 2012 through 2021. 

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Rick Bowness announces update on Mark Scheifele

CTV News

The Winnipeg Jets suffered two key losses in Game 4 of their opening round Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Vegas Golden Knights. 

First, they lost where it matters most on the scoreboard, dropping a 4-2 decision to Vegas and falling into a three games to one hole. Second, they lost key forward Mark Scheifele to an upper body injury in the first period of play. He crashed into the boards following a failed breakaway attempt, but tried to remain in the game. However, he would soon depart for the dressing room:

The good news for Jets fans who are hoping to catch a live glimpse of their team at least one more time this season is that Scheifele’s status for the pivotal Game at T-Mobile Arena has been described as “hopeful” by head coach Rick Bowness: 

Should Scheifele be able to suit up, it would certainly go a long way in trying to force a Game 6 back in front of the White Out at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. 

Game 5 between the Jets and Golden Knights will start at 10:00 PM EST from Sin City. 

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Laurent Brossoit hits back at Jets fans

Las Vegas Sun

He may have played in 54 games for the Winnipeg Jets, but that era in his career is over. Now, goaltender Laurent Brossoit is suiting up for the Vegas Golden Knights and facing his former Jets teammates and fans in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And following a stunning Game 1 loss at The Fortress in Sin City, Brossoit has helped the Golden Knights rattle off three straight victories to take a 3-1 series stranglehold. 

And the fans who used to cheer him at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg gave him a less than friendly welcome back, deriding Brossoit with chants of “You’re a Backup” that were clearly caught on the television broadcasts and from more than a few homemade fan videos. 

Unfortunately for the Jets fans, it didn’t seem to phase Brossoit one bit, as he made 24 saves in his team’s 4-2 victory to put them within reach of advancing to the second round of the postseason for the first time since 2021. 

And for Brossoit, he welcomed the jeers from the White Out crowd. In fact, he said that it fueled him.

“Oh yeah, I could hear them,” Broissoit explained in his postgame media session. “Honestly, it’s just fuel. When you have that many people chanting your name, whether it’s positive or negative, it’s fuel.”

“(It) didn’t really seem like much fazed him,” Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore explained of the chants. “I know the crowd was kind of getting on him there, but he’s a fantastic goalie, and he’s on his game right now.”

Brossoit and the Golden Knights can eliminate the Jets from the postseason on Thursday night when the series returns to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for Game 5.