Blue Jackets Excel in All Phases to Defeat Flyers
Once again, the Columbus Blue Jackets faced elimination. Once again, they staved off elimination. On Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers, it was a textbook performance in all facets of…
Monthly Archives: April 2025
Panthers end regular season with 5-1 defeat in Tampa Bay
The Florida Panthers wrapped up their regular season schedule on Tuesday night in Tampa Bay.
Locked into third place in the Atlantic Division, Florida rested several of their key players in preparation for the battles to come in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Tampa Bay, on the other hand, still had a shot at the division title, so they were going all out, and that led to a lopsided 5-1 final score.
It didn’t take long for the Lightning to strike first.
Yanni Gourde sent a cross-ice pass to Brayden Point as he crossed into Florida’s zone, and Point fired a quick shot that beat Vitek Vanecek glove side and put the Bolts up 1-0 just 92 seconds into the game.
A Conor Geekie one-timer and a shorthanded goal by Jake Guentzel less than three minutes apart sent Tampa into the first intermission riding high and leading 3-0.
Things got worse for Florida early in the second period when Nikita Kucherov was the recipient of a pretty passing play.
A failed zone clear by Seth Jones led to Point finding Yanni Gourde who quickly fed Kucherov at the side of the net.
His 37th goal and 120th point extended Tampa’s lead to 4-0.
Florida finally got on the board thanks to newcomer Brad Marchand.
Taking a neutral zone pass from Carter Verhaeghe, Marchand wired a shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy’s glove to get the Cats going.
Kucherov picked up point 121 when he assisted on a 5-on-3 power play goal by Darren Raddysh late in the third after a round of penalties that started with an illegal check to the head by Jesse Puljujarvi.
These teams will meet again, soon and often.
On to the playoffs.
QUICK THOUGHTS
Florida and Tampa will meet in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.
Marchand played in his 1,100th NHL game on Tuesday.
He’s now got two goals and three points over his past four games.
Verhaeghe closed out the regular season on a five-game point streak, racking up three goals and six points during the run.
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Blues Top Prospect Jimmy Snuggerud Scores First NHL Goal
During the St. Louis Blues' April 15 contest against the Utah Hockey Club, top prospect Jimmy Snuggerud scored his first career NHL goal. It was a significant one, too, as it gave the Blues a 3-0 lead in the first period.
JIMMY SNUGGERUD!
— NHL (@NHL) April 16, 2025
That's his first NHL goal! 💥 pic.twitter.com/c5SvDSiI3y
Snuggerud certainly worked hard to score his first NHL goal, as the 2022 first-round pick jammed in front of the net before getting the puck past Utah goaltender Karel Vejmelka.
Before this goal, Snuggerud already was making an impact in this contest against Vegas. Earlier on in the first period, the promising youngster was denied on a breakaway attempt, but Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich scored on the rebound. As a result, Snuggerud recorded an assist on this play.
Snuggerud is one of the Blues' most exciting young players, and he certainly showed off his offensive potential against Utah with this multi-point game.
Exciting Blues Goalie Prospect Continuing To ThriveSt. Louis Blues goalie prospect Colten Ellis is enjoying an excellent season down in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Springfield Thunderbirds. In 41 appearances, the 24-year-old netminder has a 22-13-3 record, a 2.62 goals-against average, and a .922 save percentage. However, what's more encouraging about Ellis' strong play is that he is only continuing to thrive as the campaign carries on. In his last appearance against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on April 12, he stopped 40 out of 43 shots, which equates to a .930 save percentage. Furthermore, he has had a .900 save percentage or better in six out of his last seven appearances. This includes a 36-save shutout against the Iowa Wild on March 28.
Blues Star Is Heating Up In A Big WaySt. Louis Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich is one of the team's most important players. When playing at his best, the 29-year-old is a big difference-maker because of his high offensive skill.
Former Blues Star Struggling With New TeamDuring this past off-season, former St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko signed a two-year, $9.5 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings. This was after he appeared in 76 games split between the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers last season, posting 23 goals and 55 points in 76 games. He also won his second career Stanley Cup with Florida that spring. Kings Prospect Sets Franchise Record In Spitfires' Game Three Win
![Liam Greentree was named captain of the Spitfires at the start of the season. This is his first playoff appearance since his rookie year when Windsor was eliminated in round one [Natalie Shaver/OHL Images].](https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_hockey_news_articles_331/71786d10c6fb44bfb4c5073a37964a8a)
All of Windsor is flying high after the Spitfires pummeled the Kitchener Rangers 6-3 last night to take a 3-0 lead in round two of the OHL Playoffs. The victory is extra sweet for L.A. Kings prospect Liam Greentree, who set a franchise record by scoring five goals in the game.
He's the first player to score five goals in a playoff game since Connor McDavid, who completed the feat during the 2015 OHL Playoffs. Greentree also set a franchise record, surpassing Ernie Godden, who put up a four-goal effort back in 1981 for Windsor.
While the Spitfires' success comes from a team effort, it cannot be denied that Greentree is leading the charge,e showing all of the skill and tenacity that made him a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
He leads the playoffs with 14 goals in eight games, scoring at nearly a two-goal per game pace. The 6-foot-3 forward is tied for the playoff lead in points with linemate and Washington Capitals prospect Ilya Protas, both of whom have tallied 24 points in eight games.
Greentree scored two goals in the opening period to give Windsor a 2-0 lead heading into the second period.
His first goal in the second period couldn't have been timed better. It restored the Spitfires' two-goal lead, coming just a minute and a half after Ottawa Senators prospect Luke Ellinas scored Kitchener's first goal of the game.
Henry Mews' Commitment Shows Why The OHL Could Be In Trouble?Early yesterday evening, Calgary Flames prospect Henry Mews announced his commitment to the University of Michigan to play NCAA hockey next season. The unique decision shows how players are forging new paths in the wake of the NCAA's decision to make CHL players eligible for Division I hockey.
Early in the third, Greentree scored his fourth goal of the game on the power play, making the Windsor lead 5-2 before finishing the night with an empty net goal.
Protas, Greentree's partner in crime, also had a fantastic night scoring a goal and adding three helpers. The pair reminded the league that they are one of the deadliest duos in major juniors, scoring all six Windsor goals and accounting for 11 points.
The Windsor Spitfires have absolutely dominated the Kitchener Rangers in round two of the OHL Playoffs. Through three games they've scored 16 goals while Kitchener has only recorded five.
MVP Candidate Scores Hattrick In Game Two WinEarlier this afternoon, the Brantford Bulldogs defeated the Oshawa Generals 8-5 to take a two-game lead in the series. Chicago Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis was the center of attention, scoring a hattrick in the win.
The win gives Windsor a 3-0 series lead and the opportunity to eliminate their opponent and move on to the Western Conference Final on Wednesday. At this point it it seems almost impossible that Kitchener will make a comback in the series.
Only four NHL teams have ever come back from that kind of a deficit, the most recent being the 2014 L.A. Kings, who defeated San Jose and went on to win the Stanley Cup.
While it seems like Windsor will soon book their tickets to the Western Conference Finals, junior hockey is entirely unpredictable. We will see what happens come Wednesday night when Kitchener will host Windsor for game four.
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