The Vegas Golden Knights host the Seattle Kraken tonight with quite a bit of uncertainty with their lineup.
Jack Eichel and Alex Pietrangelo are confirmed to be out, as Eichel deals with an upper-body injury and Pietrangelo battles an illness. Brett Howden will remain on the top line, centering Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev in Eichel's usual place. Kaedan Korczak will remain in the lineup, skating alongside Nicolas Hague, who will return to the lineup after missing the previous game with an illness.
“It feels nice to be back,” Hertl said. “It sucks to miss games, especially close to the playoffs. When you’re injured, you feel alone because you’re staying here and you don’t travel. It was nice just being with the guys again and being part of the team.”
Victor Olofsson was absent from practice, dealing with the same illness Pietrangelo and Hague have been plagued by, but he'll be a game-time decision. HC Bruce Cassidy said he is likely to play, but if he can't go, Alexander Holtz will draw into the lineup.
The Golden Knights can clinch the Pacific Division tonight if they defeat the Kraken and the Los Angeles Kings lose in regulation to the Anaheim Ducks.
Avoiding Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs is vital, and could be the key to a long playoff run.
Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.
Some say Aleksei Kolosov is the worst goalie on the Philadelphia Flyers, and others say he is the best. But what do the stats say?
The stats say the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Kolosov, 23, has a .867 save percentage in his 16 games this season, and only Arturs Silovs (.861) and Cayden Primeau (.836) are worse among NHL goalies with at least 10 games played.
Sam Ersson, the Flyers' starter, and Ivan Fedotov have not been much better with their identical .881 save percentages.
Based on these raw numbers, it's easy to see why Kolosov might be the "worst" Flyers goalie, but he's actually played as good or better than his counterparts, except in one area.
According to MoneyPuck, Kolosov actually leads the Flyers in low-danger save percentage on unblocked shots with .956. Fedotov (.954) and Ersson (.953) narrowly trail the Belarusian, but they still trail him.
As for medium-danger attempts, Kolosov is by far and away the Flyers' best, with his .900 medium-danger save percentage on unblocked shots blowing away that of Fedotov (.844) and Ersson (.835).
The one area Kolosov is severely lacking in, however, is the one that might count the most. That is, his ability to make the big save for the Flyers, or lack thereof.
The 23-year-old's save percentage on unblocked high-danger shots is just .574, which is significantly lower than Fedotov's .784 and Ersson's .785.
Further to that point, MoneyPuck projects Kolosov's high-danger save percentage on unblocked shots to be .686, while Fedotov and Ersson are projected to sit at .685 and .662, respectively.
In short, Fedotov and Ersson are coming up big for the Flyers more than they probably should, while the opposite is true of Kolosov.
With added context, this phenomenon is not necessarily unusual, either.
Despite his similar lack of NHL experience, Fedotov has had more time to become familiar with the NHL, his Flyers teammates, and the callouts his defensemen use to coordinate breakouts and plays behind the net.
Ersson has been playing in North America for the Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms since 2022, including three seasons as a full-time starter between the two.
Kolosov does not have those advantages.
He's younger, less experienced as a pro player, speaks the least English, and is eight inches shorter than Fedotov and three inches shorter than Ersson. The Flyers' former third-round pick has to do more with less, and bouncing around between the AHL and NHL and sitting in the press box for prolonged periods of time has done him no favors, either.
It's impossible to make a concrete evaluation on a young goaltender in just one season, especially one as chaotic as this.
We can, however, deduct that there are designs of an NHL goalie within Kolosov, and his full potential will not be unlocked overnight.
It is up to Kolosov himself and the Flyers organization to coax that out.
Kolosov was rock-solid for the Flyers as recently as Wednesday night, stopping 20 of the first 22 shots he faced through the first 40 minutes against the New York Rangers.
Then, he allowed two poor goals to forwards Jonny Brodzinski and J.T. Miller, which allowed the Rangers to tie the game at 3-3, then take the lead at 4-3.
Based on the stats referenced above, we can safely say that it was uncharacteristic of Kolosov to allow two such goals, but it can happen to anyone.
The Flyers, of course, ultimately won 8-5, with Brad Shaw, Sean Couturier, and Tyson Foerster all praising the young goalie's efforts during and after the game.
Kolosov earned his first NHL win since Dec. 12, when he made 25 saves on 26 shots in a 4-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings. Notably, this was the first time the Flyers won a game in which Kolosov posted a save percentage below .900.
The Flyers are 5-1-0 in all games where Kolosov has a save percentage of .900 or higher.
As long as the youngster continues to work and improve alongside his teammates, he can carve out a long and productive NHL career. This is proof.
Denver, Colo. - It's Fan Appreciation Night at Ball Arena! While fans celebrate the last home game before the postseason kicks off, it's business as usual for the Colorado Avalanche.
With the Vancouver Canucks officially eliminated from playoff contention as of Wednesday night, the Avalanche look to hold onto their 3rd place position in the Central for the rest of the regular season.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
CENTRAL:
1. X - Winnipeg Jets - 78 GP - 110 points
2. X - Dallas Stars - 78 GP - 106 points
3. X - Colorado Avalanche - 79 GP - 100 points
PACIFIC:
1. X - Vegas Golden Knights - 78 GP - 103 points
2. X - Los Angeles Kings - 77 GP - 97 points
3. Edmonton Oilers - 78 GP - 95 points
-----
WILD CARD:
1. Minnesota Wild - 79 GP - 93 points
2. St. Louis Blues - 80 GP - 93 points
Post-Morning Skate Roster Updates:
Happy Thursday, everyone! Updates at morning skate ahead of tonight’s game vs. the Vancouver Canucks:
🏒 Mackenzie Blackwood in the starter’s crease 🏒 Jonathan Drouin is skating in a red no-contact sweater 🏒 Necas and Girard both present and dressed to take contact 🏒 No… pic.twitter.com/lYiGbIrLDY
Head Coach Jared Bednar spoke with the media following today's morning skate. It was a full skate; the only players missing were Nathan MacKinnon, Josh Manson, Ross Colton, Ryan Lindgren, and Charlie Coyle.
Of those players, the only one ready to go for tonight is Charlie Coyle. Bednar also said that both Martin Necas and Samuel Girard, who skated in full-contact uniforms, will be in the lineup tonight, as well.
Nathan MacKinnon is also apparently dealing with a "minor injury" and will not play tonight. Bednar even went as far as saying he may not play in either of the back-to-back games this weekend either for the sake of rest.
Ross Colton is still considered day-to-day.
Ryan Lindgren suffered an upper-body injury last game against the Vegas Golden Knights and will sit out tonight.
Jonathan Drouin skated this morning in a red no-contact and Bednar had a good update on him, saying he "looks like he'll play this weekend."
With all of the injuries and resting guys, the Avalanche recalled Chris Wagner from the Colorado Eagles (AHL) this morning. He played in Tuesday's match against the Golden Knights.
It’ll be #GoAvsGo Mackenzie Blackwood vs. #Canucks Kevin Lankinen tonight
Mackenzie Blackwood occupied the starter's crease for the Avalanche this morning. Following Vancouver's morning skate, Head Coach Rick Tocchet said Kevin Lankinen will get the start for his group.
Where/How to Find the Game:
Puck drop: 7:08 PM Mountain Time
TV Broadcast: Altitude/Altitude+ (Colorado), KUSA/9News (Colorado), Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), ESPN+ (out-of-market)
Radio Broadcast: Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 (Colorado), Sportsnet 650 (Vancouver)
Peter Laviolette confirmed that Gabe Perreault will be a healthy scratch for the New York Rangers on Thursday night against the New York Islanders.
This marks the second consecutive game where Perreault won’t be in the Rangers’ lineup.
The 19-year-old signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Rangers on Mar. 31 and played three games before getting benched.
Laviolette said that he’s had conversations with Perreault over the past couple of days and expressed that he still feels the young forward is getting a worthwhile experience just by being around an NHL environment.
“Great,” Laviolette said about how Perreault has handled being scratched out of the lineup. “He's a young player being here, practicing at an NHL level, playing games at an NHl level, getting coached, he sees everything, and just conversations about the day-to-day stuff. So yeah, there are always conversations with young players.”
Perreault spent his first two games on a line with J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafrenière before getting dropped down to a bottom-six role.
In his three games thus far, Perreault is averaging 13:31 minutes.
Pionk has been out since Mar. 11 with a lower-body injury. He's been slowly recovering, taking multiple practices with and without contact before finally deciding to play. He'll slide back onto the second pairing alongside Dylan Samberg, a pairing that has been dynamite all season long for the Jets.
Ehlers will also be returning, after missing the previous two games. He was hit by the puck twice against the Vegas Golden Knights and has been nursing the injury since. He was considered a game-time decision for those two games but did not play. Now feeling comfortable and ready, Ehlers will rejoin Vladislav Namestnikov and Cole Perfetti on the second line.
The Jets enter tonight's game with a 6-4-0 record in their last 10 games. They went 1-2-0 on the three-game road trip before returning home to defeat the St. Louis Blues.
The Stars enter tonight's game with a 7-1-2 record in their last 10 but are losers of three consecutive games, two of which came in overtime. The Stars blew a three-goal lead with a minute remaining against the Vancouver Canucks before giving up the overtime winner to Kiefer Sherwood.
If the Jets win in regulation tonight, they'll build a six-point lead over the Stars with three games remaining, meaning they would need to win just one of their last three games or the Stars would have to lose one of their last three. A regulation loss brings the Stars within two points.
The goaltender matchup features two of the top goaltenders in the NHL. Connor Hellebuyck will look to improve on his .924 SV% and 2.02 GAA. Jake Oettinger will be searching for the 37th win of the season, bringing him to a tie with Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Puck drop is at 7:00 PM CST at the American Airlines Center.
Stay updated with the most interesting Jets stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are approaching, and teams are officially clinching playoff berths and being eliminated from contention. Here are the potential scenarios where teams can clinch or be eliminated…
We are down to the final five games of the regular season for the Columbus Blue Jackets. As of this writing, Thursday afternoon, they are mathematically alive for a playoff…
Every NHL player has a lot to prove in the playoffs, but a handful of experienced post-season players have even more at stake this time around.
Some players either missed the mark in past playoffs or have yet to win the Stanley Cup and are running out of opportunities.
In alphabetical order, here are five notable NHLers with something to prove in the playoffs.
Claude Giroux, C, Ottawa Senators
Giroux has always been a reliable regular-season producer of 50 points or more. He has 34 assists and 49 points in 78 games with the Senators this year.
However, Giroux is 37 years old and hasn’t won the Stanley Cup yet. This is his first playoff appearance in nearly three years since he joined the Senators, and he will want to make this opportunity count with an improved post-season performance.
In Giroux’s most recent playoff appearance, he had three goals and eight points in 10 games with the Florida Panthers in 2021-22. Before that, in three post-seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Giroux had only two goals and 12 points in 28 games.
Giroux may not have many more playoff games in store for him, and the Senators need him to step up and be a secondary scoring force behind Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle.
Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg Jets
Hellebuyck is the clear favorite to win this year’s Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top netminder. His 44-12-3 record, .924 save percentage and 2.02 goals-against average prove it.
His post-season stats are a different story altogether. He posted a 1-4 mark, a .870 SP and a 5.23 GAA for the Jets last spring. In 2022-23, he also went 1-4 and had a 3.44 GAA and .886 SP. He was better in the 2021 post-season, but those numbers are about as Jekyll-and-Hyde as it gets for an NHL goalie.
Needless to say, the 31-year-old Hellebuyck must be significantly better in the upcoming playoffs. The Jets have pressure on them overall, but for Hellebuyck in particular, nothing short of a long playoff run will be satisfactory.
Hellebuyck has to demonstrate he can shake off his past demons, and that means being the backbone of a Winnipeg team that can’t afford to get rolled again in the first round.
Patrik Laine, RW, Montreal Canadiens
The 26-year-old Laine has 20 goals in 48 games for the Canadiens this season, the seventh time in his nine-year NHL career that he’s gotten to the 20-goal plateau. It’s not as if Laine has been terrible in the playoffs, either, as he has eight goals and 16 points in 24 games.
That said, Laine has played only seven playoff games – all for the Jets – since 2017-18. In that span, he has three goals and four points.
He needs to prove he can be a key component of a winning team. Although the Canadiens will be playing with house money when they almost certainly square off as a wild-card team in the Eastern Conference, it still will be a letdown if Laine doesn’t produce a solid amount of offense and push Montreal to at least scare its first-round opponent.
Jacob Markstrom, G, New Jersey Devils
The Devils needed a veteran starting goaltender this summer, and they got one when they acquired Markstrom from the Calgary Flames.
The 35-year-old Swede didn’t have the greatest regular season, posting an .899 SP and a 2.53 GAA in 48 appearances. But now, with the Carolina Hurricanes as New Jersey’s first-round opponent, Markstrom will be asked to play significantly better.
Markstrom hasn’t been all that bad in his limited playoff action, putting up a 13-13 record, a .911 SP and a 2.90 GAA in 26 games. However, he’s only had two post-season runs to his credit, and this will be his first playoffs since 2022.
Markstrom will benefit from playing behind a strong Devils lineup, but he must prove he’s worth the investment so that this team doesn’t have to wonder whether it needs another starting goalie this summer.
Mitch Marner, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
No NHL star has higher stakes to deal with than pending UFA Marner.
If he performs to expectations and the Maple Leafs go on a post-season tear, Marner’s asking price will hit the $13-million mark and above it. Even if Toronto once again gets flushed out early, there will be other teams fully prepared to pay Marner a king’s ransom on a lengthy contract.
Marner’s post-season numbers – including 39 assists and 50 points in 57 career playoff games – are nothing to sneer at. However, it’s all about the team concept for the 27-year-old, as Marner must do his part to power the Leafs to at least the Eastern Conference final to be considered successful this season.
If Toronto fails to get that far, people will blame Marner, fairly or otherwise. If he’s quiet when the team faces elimination, like he was in Game 7 last year, Game 6 against the Panthers two years ago and against the Canadiens in 2021, then there will be criticism.
The Buds will look different next fall if they don’t win at least two rounds. If that happens, Marner may be the biggest name departing for other pastures. It’s that straightforward of a predicament.
The Seattle Kraken take on the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. KRAKEN (34-39-6) at GOLDEN KNIGHTS (47-22-9)…
The Anaheim Ducks take on the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. DUCKS (35-35-8) at KINGS (44-24-9) 10…
Golden Knights Clinch Home-Ice Advantage In First Round Of PlayoffsAfter picking up a point in a shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche, the Vegas Golden Knights have clinched home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. 
