The Winnipeg Jets were dealt another significant blow during their 4-2 Game 4 loss Monday, as Mark Scheifele was forced to leave with an upper-body injury.
Scheifele exited following a shot attempt during a first-period power play and did not return.
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) April 25, 2023
He crashed hard into the boards earlier in the game after being tripped by Vegas Golden Knights netminder Laurent Brossoit.
A massively blown tripping call against Brossoit on Mark Scheifele. Took out another key piece to the jets, i'm at a point where i despise my hometown team. #GoJetsGopic.twitter.com/z6GEW2P8Oq
Jets head coach Rick Bowness said postgame that Scheifele will be re-evaluated Tuesday and his status for the rest of the series is unknown, according to TSN's John Lu.
Scheifele becomes the third key player missing from the Jets' lineup. No. 1 defenseman Josh Morrissey was ruled out for the remainder of the series after suffering a lower-body injury in Game 3, while dynamic forward Nikolaj Ehlers has yet to suit up in the postseason due to an upper-body issue.
Scheifele led the Jets with a career-high 42 goals during the regular season. He's tallied one goal and no assists in these playoffs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are one win away from the second round.
After a remarkable third period in which the Maple Leafs came back from a 4-1 deficit, Alexander Kerfoot deflected Mark Giordano's shot on the power play to end overtime.
The Maple Leafs are now up 3-1 over the defending Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning as the series shifts back to Toronto for Game 5 on Thursday.
"That's what you dream about: scoring a goal in overtime of the playoffs," Kerfoot said postgame, according to The Athletic's Joshua Kloke.
Kerfoot had a down regular season, tallying just 32 points after racking up 51 a year ago. But head coach Sheldon Keefe always had a hunch the versatile forward would come through in a big moment.
"I felt he was going to score a massive goal for us," Keefe said. "A guy that works as hard as he does, as important he is to the leadership group ... that's the type of guy who gets rewarded."
Auston Matthews scored twice in a 2:45 span in the third period before Morgan Rielly tallied the game-tying goal with 3:56 remaining in regulation. Ilya Samsonov made 27 saves in the victory.
"Credit to the spirit of the group," Keefe said. "It's outstanding to witness."
Toronto won Game 3 in a similar fashion via Rielly's OT winner after Ryan O'Reilly tied the contest in the final minute of regulation.
The Maple Leafs haven't won a series since defeating the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The New York Rangers were dealt a tremendous opportunity to put the New Jersey Devils on the brink of elimination after winning the first two games on the road, but following back-to-back home losses, the two sides are all square.
Head coach Gerard Gallant was not pleased with his club's effort to put a stranglehold on the series in Monday's Game 4 loss.
"Not good enough," Gallant said postgame. "Not even close to good enough."
He added: "We didn't show up. We didn't play hard enough. We didn't compete hard enough. All we did was yap at the linesmen for getting thrown out of the faceoffs. Lot of bad things tonight."
Gallant was particularly upset with the effort from some of his wingers in the neutral zone.
"Tonight, weak-side winger was a little bit lazy, staying on the other side of the ice to watch the play instead of supporting it," Gallant said. "How many times did you see us whipping pucks across and them picking them off in the middle? Just the old recipe when you look like you're tired or lazy, that's what happens."
Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck, who scored New York's lone goal in the 3-1 loss, lamented the team's struggles while noting it was a tough sledding for both teams.
"I think they had a hard time getting into our end as well," Trocheck said. "A lot of play in the neutral zone. It's playoff hockey. It's clogged up out there."
The Rangers and Devils each recorded 23 shots, but New Jersey registered more quality chances, controlling 66.2% of the expected goals at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.
"We have to do a better job of getting to the middle of the ice and getting more pucks on net," Rangers captain Jacob Troubaadded.
The Calgary Flames signed forward Walker Duehr to a two-year contract extension, the team announced Monday.
The deal is one-way and has an average annual value of $825,000. Duehr will require waivers to be sent down beginning next season.
After an eight-game stint with the Flames in January, Duehr was called up to the NHL for the remainder of the campaign in February. The 25-year-old appeared in 10 of Calgary's final 11 games. He finished his rookie season with seven goals and 11 points in 27 NHL games while playing 10:12 per game.
The South Dakota native became the first player born in the state to score in the NHL on Jan. 12 against the St. Louis Blues.
Calgary originally inked Duehr to a two-year entry-level contract in 2021 as an NCAA free agent out of Minnesota State-Mankato. He was set to become a restricted free agent this summer.
Dan and Sat welcome in Don Taylor to talk about this weekend's Stanley Cup Playoffs. Donnie goes off about Eastern biases. NHL Insider Frank Seravalli joins the guys to discuss the inconsistencies in NHL officiating and how it has gotten worse this playoff season.
This podcast was produced by Dominic Sramaty
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
Is Bo Horvat struggling with the Islanders or is he just playing to his true potential? Dan Riccio and Sat Shah discuss the truth behind Horvat's playoff performances with the New York Islanders.
This podcast was produced by Dominic Sramaty
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
Jack Campbell appreciated getting an opportunity to enter the crease as his Edmonton Oilers rallied to defeat the Los Angeles Kings in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series Sunday night.
Campbell came on in relief of Stuart Skinner, who allowed three goals on 11 shots before getting the hook after 20 minutes in Edmonton's 5-4 overtime victory.
"It's a nice win, nice to get a shot, and (I'm) just happy for the guys," Campbell said postgame. "Stu's been playing great when he's been in there. We had a tough first (period), but everybody bounced back, and (it) feels good."
The Kings stormed out to a 3-0 lead after the opening frame, but the Oilers responded with three goals of their own in the second. Los Angeles defenseman Matt Roy gave his team a 4-3 lead early in the third period, but Evander Kane tied it late in regulation before Zach Hyman won it in overtime to even the series at two games apiece.
Oilers star Leon Draisaitl scored two of the three goals in the second period, finding the back of the net twice in a span of just over 10 minutes. He's been on the ice for all 14 goals Edmonton has scored in the series. The German forward praised Campbell's performance postgame.
"Really, really good," Draisaitl said. "Not an easy situation, (it) hasn't been an easy year for him. But the way he showed up (Sunday night) was really, really great, and we're very fortunate to have him."
Campbell turned aside all but one of 28 shots after entering the contest. The 31-year-old was outplayed by Skinner during the regular season, but the younger netminder has been a bit inconsistent in these playoffs, going 1-2 with an .881 save percentage in four games.
Skinner had grabbed Edmonton's No. 1 job from Campbell and held it for the balance of the regular season. Skinner provided stability in goal for the Oilers in what was technically his rookie campaign, posting a .914 save percentage in 50 regular-season games.
Campbell was expected to be the unquestioned starter heading into the season because the Oilers signed him to a five-year, $25-million deal as a free agent last July. But the veteran was uneven out of the gate and ultimately posted a paltry .888 save percentage over 36 games - his worst mark in any season in which he played more than a single game - before these playoffs.
Game 5 of the series is scheduled for Tuesday night in Edmonton.
Justin Braun called it a career Monday after playing more than a decade in the NHL.
The 36-year-old defenseman suited up for 13 seasons in the league, including nine with the San Jose Sharks, who traded him to the Philadelphia Flyers in June 2019.
Braun spent parts of four campaigns with the Flyers in two separate stints, rejoining them for his final season in 2022-23 after Philadelphia dealt him to the New York Rangers at last season's trade deadline.
The Minnesota-born blue-liner was known more for his defensive play than his offensive production, topping out at a career-high 33 points with the Sharks in 2017-18. He was part of several playoff runs with San Jose, helping the club reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2016.
Braun collected 34 goals and 165 assists over 842 regular-season games. He also played 119 postseason contests, including 84 with the Sharks.
The Edmonton Oilers rebounded on the road Sunday, erasing a large deficit to stun the Los Angeles Kings 5-4 in overtime and tie their first-round playoff clash at two wins apiece. The series is a best-of-three now, and the answers to these Oilers-centric questions will decide which team prevails.
Will Hyman, Kane, RNH step up again?
Andrew Bernstein / NHL / Getty Images
Besides Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, five Oilers players have fired the puck past Joonas Korpisalo in the series. Evan Bouchard, Klim Kostin, and Derek Ryan all got on the board before Game 4, during which Zach Hyman saved Edmonton from facing elimination and Evander Kane resembled the shooter who menaced the Kings a year ago.
Upstaging Jonathan Quick, Korpisalo's predecessor in the L.A. net, Kane potted seven goals in the Oilers' Round 1 triumph in 2022. Hyman scored twice in that series and added nine tallies over the rest of Edmonton's playoff run. This year, Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins both obliterated their previous season highs in goals and assists.
Quieted for a few games, the stars of Edmonton's supporting cast finally broke out Sunday. Nugent-Hopkins fed Draisaitl in the slot to set up his power-play goal. Kane's equalizer in the third period exposed Korpisalo's glove hand. The Kings outchanced the Oilers 18-10 in Hyman's five-on-five shifts, per Natural Stat Trick, but Bouchard's pinpoint outlet pass in overtime sprung him to beat Korpisalo through the goalie's blocking arm.
It's vital they keep producing. L.A.'s Adrian Kempe (three goals in the series) remains an Edmonton killer. Alex Iafallo, Gabriel Vilardi, and Trevor Moore have provided additional scoring. Viktor Arvidsson has dished four assists, all of them in clutch moments. By supporting Anze Kopitar, the Kings' offensive fulcrum, these players compensated for the absence of point-per-night dynamo Kevin Fiala through the first three games.
Can Oilers triumph on special teams?
Andrew Bernstein / NHL / Getty Images
Edmonton's record-setting power play paces the playoffs in efficiency. The Oilers have scored on six of 11 chances throughout the series (54.5%), dwarfing their own 32.4% regular-season conversion rate that made NHL history. Bouchard's bomb from the point and Draisaitl's short-side snipe keyed Edmonton's three-goal comeback Sunday.
L.A.'s power play has clicked on five of 17 attempts (29.4%). Avoidable stick infractions have put Edmonton a man down before every crushing goal the Kings have scored, including the tying tallies in Games 1 and 3 and each of L.A.'s subsequent overtime game-winners. Draisaitl might regret slashing Drew Doughty during a goal celebration if the Oilers don't advance.
The Kings are equipped for this battleground. Their power play ranked fourth in the NHL this season. Only six teams league-wide drew more penalties. Arvidsson's seam passes have eluded Oilers sticks and caused trouble throughout the series for Stuart Skinner, who yielded the net to Jack Campbell in Sunday's first intermission after Kopitar deked him during five-on-four play.
If Edmonton is to pull ahead, leveling the penalty differential is imperative. McDavid has drawn a series-high three minors, and he's done damage when L.A. visits the sin bin: Both of his goals came on the power play 100 seconds apart in Game 3 when he ripped wristers past Korpisalo from the left faceoff circle.
Will McDavid burn L.A.'s defense?
Harry How / Getty Images
A lot of the offense McDavid creates stems from his charges into the offensive zone. Handling the puck on a string, the Oilers captain dangles defenders at top speed to create space to score. To emerge unscathed from those terrifying sequences, a team has to get sticks and bodies - ideally five at a time - in his way.
The opposing goalie is the last line of defense. Korpisalo, whose save percentage for the series remains solid at .918, has denied all 11 of McDavid's shots at even strength. Some were tuck-in attempts off solo rushes that would have expanded McDavid's highlight reel.
Poised and fleet of foot, the Kings' defensemen have mostly stayed in sync with each other and in front of McDavid when he pressures them in transition. The notable exception was Mikey Anderson in Game 1. Kempe and Kopitar slipped up late in regulation of Game 4, letting McDavid gain the zone and sneak the puck through their sticks to facilitate Kane's equalizer.
McDavid's 30:22 of ice time on Sunday led the team and was his highest mark this season. Edmonton has effectively played with 10 forwards in back-to-back games, scratching one more than usual and benching Kostin for prolonged stretches. For the first time in the series, head coach Jay Woodcroft deployed McDavid with Draisaitl throughout Game 4, and the Oilers outscored the Kings 3-0 during their shared five-on-five minutes.
Can Edmonton sustain a lead?
Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
No lead is safe in this series.
The Oilers bagged two rapid goals to open Game 1 but failed to preserve the advantage and fell short in OT. Edmonton squandered another 2-0 edge in Game 2 before Kostin's third-period winner made the difference. Game 3, the first contest to see the Kings hold a lead, went back and forth until Moore struck in sudden death. The clubs exchanged three-goal periods in Game 4 to set the stage for Hyman's heroics.
Like most teams, the Oilers rarely lose when they score first (32-8-4 in the regular season for a .773 points percentage) or lead entering the third frame (34-1-5, .913). They ranked first in the NHL in both first-period goals (1.12 per game) and second-period tallies (1.56 per game). Controlling the game from wire to wire, as they're capable of doing, reduces angst and demoralizes the opponent.
Composed and dogged, the Kings don't fret when they start slow, trail late, or lose a lead at any point. Coolheadedness helped them rally to tie the opener, tighten up in Game 3 following McDavid's power-play eruption, and score in two of three overtime sessions.
The Oilers laughed last on Sunday. If they net the icebreaker in Game 5, maybe they'll maintain the lead this time and push L.A. to the brink.
