Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski reentered the lineup for Game 1 of his team's second-round matchup against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night.
Pavelski hadn't played since the opening contest of the first round after taking a late hit from Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba in the second period.
Matt Dumba lays a late hit on Joe Pavelski and receives a 2-minute minor penalty for roughing. pic.twitter.com/a6XTWf4Hup
Dumba was initially given a five-minute major, but that was reviewed and downgraded to a two-minute minor for roughing. He didn't receive any supplementary discipline for the incident. Pavelski was placed in concussion protocol.
The Stars eliminated the Wild in six games.
Pavelski, 38, registered 28 goals and 49 assists in 82 contests this regular season while putting up a point-per-game rate over 0.90 for the third straight year.
Prior to Tuesday's clash, the veteran amassed 126 points in 169 playoff games over his 17-year NHL career.
Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron, New Jersey Devils forward Nico Hischier, and Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner were announced as the 2022-23 Frank J. Selke Trophy finalists on Tuesday.
The award is voted on annually by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association at the end of the regular season and is presented "to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game."
This is Bergeron's 12th consecutive nomination. He won the Selke Trophy for a record fifth time last season. If he wins this year, it would be the second time he's captured the award in back-to-back campaigns.
Bergeron, 37, put up 27 goals and 31 assists in 78 games and was a plus-35 on the season while averaging 17:24 minutes of ice time per contest. He also won 61.1% of his faceoffs, good for the fourth-best clip of his career.
The underlying numbers were exceptional as per usual; the Bruins controlled 72.6% of the goals, 63% of the expected goals, 61.2% of the shots, and 61.1% of the shot attempts at five-on-five with Bergeron on the ice this season, according to Evolving Hockey.
This is Hischier's and Marner's first nomination for the coveted honor.
Hischier ranked second on the Devils with 80 points (31 goals, 49 assists) in 81 contests while seeing 19:17 minutes of ice time per game. The captain led his team with 64 takeaways and won 53.9% of his draws.
New Jersey owned 60.4% of the goals, 59.1% of the expected goals, 57.5% of the shots, and 55.4% of the shot attempts with Hischier out there at five-on-five.
He also led all Devils forwards in shorthanded ice time per game (2:06) and was a key reason why New Jersey owned the fourth-best penalty kill in the league during the regular season.
Marner, meanwhile, can become the first winger to win the Selke Trophy since Jere Lehtinen in 2003.
Marner's minutes were extremely productive during the regular season; Toronto outscored the opposition 64-39 with Marner on the ice at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick, and owned 53.8% of the shots, 54.2% of the shot attempts, and 55.4% of the expected goals.
The 2023 NHL Awards will begin at 8 p.m. ET on June 26.
Dan and Sat discuss everything surrounding JT Miller, what his future holds, and what he can bring in the playoffs. Also, hear from Irfaan Gaffar on Miller's future and Sportsnet's Mark Spector on the Oilers-Golden Knights series.
This podcast was produced by Josh Elliott-Wolfe.
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.
Bruins goaltender and Vezina Trophy front-runner Linus Ullmark acknowledged that he didn't perform to his usual sparkling standard during Boston's astonishing first-round defeat to the underdog Florida Panthers.
"It's pretty evident that I didn't play the way that I wanted to," he said Tuesday during the Bruins' final media availability of the season. "I wasn't as good as I wanted to be, unfortunately, at the worst time possible. That's something I have to live with."
The 29-year-old started the Bruins' first six games of the opening round, going 3-3 before being replaced by running mate Jeremy Swayman in Game 7.
Ullmark struggled to find his regular-season form against the Cardiac Cats:
2022-23
SV%
GAA
GSAx
GSAA
Regular season (49 GP)
.938
1.89
38.21
46.69
Playoffs (6 GP)
.896
3.33
-0.76
-2.38
On Monday, ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported that the goaltender played through a "debilitating and painful injury" that hindered his mobility in the postseason.
Ullmark opted not to disclose details of any potential ailment.
"We all go through things in life. We all go through things when it comes playoff time," he said. "We all battle our different things - whether it's mentally or if it's physically, we all have our stuff."
He added, "I had full confidence in my abilities every single game that I played. That's the honest truth. Otherwise, I would've stepped aside."
Defenseman Charlie McAvoy said he was still "kind of numb" two days after the Bruins' crushing upset.
"It's so fresh, it's hard to even put it into words, what went wrong or where it went wrong," he said. "It's just the ultimate disappointment right now."
The Presidents' Trophy-winning Bruins set new NHL records in wins (65) and points (135) during the regular season. Despite the early postseason exit, Brad Marchand hopes the Bruins can grow from the experience.
"You just gotta sit and dwell on the opportunity lost and how things played out," he said. "It doesn't get any easier, and I'm sure it won't for a while. ... At the end of the day, the sun still rises.
"These are the things that you go through that make your team stronger down the road. Obviously, it's not the way that we would've liked to end the season, but I think the worst thing we could do is not try to learn from it."
New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes, Los Angeles Kings forward Anze Kopitar, and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point were named finalists for the 2023 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy on Tuesday.
The award is given annually to the "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability." It's voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Hughes enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Devils this season. He registered career highs with 43 goals and 99 points while logging only six penalty minutes. He finished seventh in Lady Byng voting last year having received five first-place votes.
Kopitar captured the Lady Byng in 2016 and was a finalist in 2015. The 35-year-old returned to form in 2022-23 with 28 goals and 74 points, both personal highs since 2018. He was assessed only four penalty minutes despite playing the 10th-most minutes among forwards.
Point is a first-time finalist for an NHL award. He hit the 50-goal plateau in 2022-23 and set a new career high with 95 points. The 27-year-old was assessed two penalties all season - a slashing minor in overtime Nov. 3 and a fighting major Feb. 7. He's looking to become the third Lightning player to win the award after Brad Richards and three-time winner Martin St. Louis.
NHL award winners will be revealed June 26 in Nashville.
Everyone's a contender in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and anyone can exit early. The Bruins' and Avalanche's unceremonious departures should have served more as reminders than as truly shocking news. It's why trying to corner the market on a handful of Conn Smythe Trophy candidates from "good teams" is often a waste of time.
Connor McDavid takes the reins as the clear-cut playoff MVP favorite, but we've already got that ticket in hand. If you don't, the same logic we used two weeks ago still applies; McDavid's Conn Smythe odds should be closer to the Oilers' Stanley Cup odds than they are.
We were a little nervous that Leon Draisaitl would steal his thunder, as the German star's hot start suggested he might outpace McDavid in total postseason points. But while Draisaitl might be the Oilers' first-round MVP, he's still just one point ahead of his teammate. A potential Cup run should see McDavid take the lead, especially now that he's away from the likes of Phillip Danault, Anze Kopitar, and Drew Doughty.
Best of the rest
Don't fixate on what's already happened. While the first round is important, the next three will overshadow it during award voting six weeks from now. There are exceptions, of course, such as individual efforts that seem to validate hypotheses like "Matthew Tkachuk was built in a laboratory for playoff hockey."
The current favored team probably doesn't have much Conn Smythe value: None of the Maple Leafs players on the board are great bets simply because there are so many of them.
They're also not great bets because, as we've seen, favorites are vulnerable. The Panthers could knock Toronto out in the second round, and with Florida carrying both an underdog price and a clear Conn Smythe contender, now might be the time to hop on Tkachuk at 20-1 or better. If the Panthers pull off another upset, it will confirm their contender status - and the offseason addition of Tkachuk will be pegged as the reason.
Price matters
Speaking of the Panthers, Brandon Montour sure had a lot to do with their first-round win over the Bruins, but 40-1 is too short to ask him to sustain those heroics. If, however, you find him available at 100-1, that's a different story at a less taxing price point.
We backed a constellation of Stars before Dallas beat the Wild in Round 1. But we didn't throw a rope around Roope Hintz (12 points). He could continue to outpace his teammates, but it's equally likely that 109-point scorer Jason Robertson (seven points), defenseman Miro Heiskanen (six assists), and goaltender Jake Oettinger will siphon some value between now and mid-June. Dallas also has an easier path with Colorado eliminated, so while those players' prices are naturally shorter than they were before Round 1, they may not be short enough.
Conspicuous in their absence from the top of the odds board are any Devils players not named Akira Schmid or Jack Hughes. Those two were New Jersey's best in Round 1, but Nico Hischier (+7500), Timo Meier (+5000), Dougie Hamilton (+5000), or even Jesper Bratt (+10000) could emerge as New Jersey's most important player from here on out.
Matt Russell is the Lead Betting Analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.
In our Rangers-Devilsseries preview, we discussed the concepts of beliefs in handicapping and personal priorities regarding elements of the game. That series represented the most significant referendum of the first round, pitting the Devils' vociferous five-on-five offense against the Rangers' reliance on outstanding goaltending and an ability to convert seemingly every one of the few quality chances they could generate.
New Jersey spotted New York two games because its own netminder - Vitek Vanecek - couldn't supply close to league-average goaltending while the Rangers converted four of 10 power-play opportunities. Handing the net to a rookie before Game 3, the Devils won four of the next five contests, including a decisive Game 7 in which they had 70% of the expected goals at even strength.
This second-round series won't provide the same validation to those who bet on an analytical basis. The Hurricanes and the Devils both dominated at five-on-five this season and were, in fact, our two top-rated teams - a concept that's easier to digest following the Bruins' first-round exit.
Series odds
TEAM
GAME 1
SERIES
SERIES HANDICAP
Devils
+100
-120
-1.5 (+135)
Hurricanes
-120
+100
+1.5 (-165)
Somewhat surprisingly, New Jersey is the favorite against the Hurricanes despite starting the series on the road. Though not as heavily favored, the Devils join the Oilers as favorites without home-ice advantage; those didn't exist in the first round.
Ratings
Using primarily even-strength metrics to evaluate a team's quality, we've established how a team rates relative to an average NHL team. We use these ratings to create an implied win probability split in each game, which we then translate to a fair moneyline price for each before home-ice advantage is applied and the sportsbook takes its vig on a bet. Here's how these teams rated over the season, when isolating play after the All-Star break, and in their first-round matchup (relative to their opponent).
TEAM
SEASON
POST-ASB
ROUND 1
Devils
+23.5%
+16%
+25%
Hurricanes
+30%
+20%
-2%
One number jumps out: the Hurricanes' first-round rating. They topped the Islanders in six games but weren't the better team at even strength, owning 49% of the expected goals against a team that entered the playoffs with only a marginally above-average rating.
The Hurricanes led the regular season in even-strength expected goal share; the Devils finished second. New Jersey led the regular season in even-strength high-danger chance share; Carolina finished second. The Devils were better at converting their chances, while the Hurricanes were better at preventing opponents from capitalizing on their opportunities.
Goaltending matchup
PLAYER
GSAx/60 MIN
Akira Schmid
0.56
Frederik Andersen
0.08
Antti Raanta
0.21
Akira Schmid showed in 18 regular-season appearances that this might be possible, but no one could have predicted 5.71 goals saved above expected in five playoff games - a rate matching that of Igor Shesterkin.
Despite solid play from Antti Raanta through five games, Frederik Andersen got the start for Carolina in Game 6. He played well, preventing nearly two goals more than an average goaltender, so expect him to get the first look in Game 1.
Special teams
TEAM
PP%
PK%
PP+PK
Devils
21.9
82.6
104.5
Hurricanes
19.8
84.4
104.2
The Devils did well holding the Rangers to 18% efficiency with the man advantage in Round 1. They should be feeling some relief entering a second-round matchup against the Hurricanes and their less lethal power play.
Moneyline betting guide
If you followed our NHL betting guide where we projected moneylines for each game, allowing us to compare and contrast our price to bet with what's available on a daily basis, you may be interested in what prices would be considered valuable for each team when they're on the road, at home, and for the series as a whole.
Price to bet
TEAM
NEUT. WIN PROB
GM 1/2/5/7
GM 3/4/6
SERIES
Devils
55.4
-110
-130
-151
Hurricanes
44.6
+135
+159
+187
Carolina's first-round rating drags down its overall rating, and there's plenty of reason to buy into that: The loss of Andrei Svechnikov with a month left in the regular season may have contributed to a decreased high-danger conversion rate, an issue that became more serious after Teuvo Teravainen broke his hand in the first round. Though the Hurricanes remain strong up the middle, they lack scoring depth on the wings - as evidenced by their 9% high-danger conversion rate against the Islanders.
Best bets
New Jersey is all depth. Until the latter half of Game 7 against the Rangers, the team hadn't seen a goal from Jesper Bratt, Tomas Tatar, or Timo Meier - three players who combined for over 90 tallies this season - and still led its opponent.
The Devils won't have to cower before Carolina's power play, and they shouldn't see too many opposition jerseys at the Prudential Center after dispatching their local rivals.
Perhaps most importantly, Schmid could regress and still be even money to be the best goaltender in the series after a superhuman effort to keep pace with Shesterkin. Between all those factors and a surprising amount of value on the favorite, the Devils are the play in both Game 1 and the series.
Game 1: Devils moneyline (+100) Series: Devils to win (-120)
Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.
The Minnesota Wild have signed forward Marcus Johansson to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2 million, Wild general manager Bill Guerin announced Tuesday.
Johansson's new deal will run through the 2024-25 campaign.
The Wild acquired Johansson from the Washington Capitals on Feb. 28. He registered six markers and 12 assists over 20 regular-season games and added a pair of goals during Minnesota's first-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars.
The 32-year-old has 163 goals and 290 assists over 833 games during his 13-year career.
Jake McCabe doesn't believe ticket restrictions imposed on Canadians by the Florida Panthers will keep Toronto Maple Leafs fans out of the FLA Live Arena.
Residents living in Canada weren't allowed to purchase tickets for any of the Panthers' home games against the Leafs when tickets went on sale Monday on Ticketmaster.
However, a Panthers representative clarified in an email that the Ticketmaster restriction would only last for the first 24 hours, according to Gregory Strong of The Canadian Press. Tickets on the secondary market were free to be purchased by anyone.
The Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to set up a series against the Panthers. It marks the first time Toronto has advanced past the first round since 2004.
Game 1 between the Leafs and Panthers is slated for 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday.