The Edmonton Oilers are back in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in nearly two decades. It's been almost 18 full years since the Carolina Hurricanes defeated them in Game 7 to win the championship in 2006. So how did Edmonton get back to the final?

The Oilers have developed more than a dozen players from within, and their numerous draft lottery wins over the years are well-documented. It would be irresponsible not to mention the No. 1 picks as a factor in Edmonton's roster construction, and the team wouldn't be where it is without the one they landed in 2015.

However, this season's Oilers also featured 17 players they brought in from outside the organization. The challenge for president of hockey operations and general manager Ken Holland (who's had the job since 2019) has been surrounding his two superstars with a championship-caliber supporting cast.

Steve Tambellini (2008-13), Craig MacTavish (2013-15), Peter Chiarelli (2015-19) and Keith Gretzky (interim in 2019) preceded Holland in building this Oilers roster. Here's how the current GM and his predecessors assembled the squad that has a chance to become the first Canadian team to win the Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993:

Note: All players played at least one game for Oilers during the regular season

Homegrown

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (June 24, 2011): Nugent-Hopkins has endured many years of ups and downs (mostly the latter) in Edmonton, and he's the longest-tenured player among both teams in the Cup Final. The skilled forward has played all 13 seasons with the club that drafted him first overall. And yet, he's still only 31 years old.

Darnell Nurse (June 30, 2013): The Oilers drafted another mainstay a couple of years later, selecting Nurse seventh overall. The defenseman has had a rough go of it in these playoffs, and his average ice time in the regular season was his lowest since 2016-17. But Nurse still plays in all situations.

Leon Draisaitl (June 27, 2014): The Oilers landed the first half of their two-headed megastar monster when they chose Draisaitl with the third pick - coincidentally sandwiched between a trio of players (after Aaron Ekblad and Sam Reinhart, and right before Sam Bennett) he'll face in the Cup Final. Draisaitl has blossomed into one of the NHL's absolute best, with three seasons of at least 50 goals and five of at least 100 points. He also won the Hart and Art Ross trophies in 2020.

Connor McDavid (June 26, 2015): Edmonton's fortunes took a monumental step forward when it won the 2015 draft lottery. The term "generational player" gets thrown around a lot these days, but McDavid was rightfully considered one from an early age, and he's more than lived up to the hype. The three-time MVP is a finalist again for the sixth time in nine seasons, and he's clearly the biggest reason the Oilers have made it this far.

Vincent Desharnais (June 25, 2016): Desharnais overcame the odds to become one of the best stories on the team. Edmonton didn't pick him until the seventh round - 183rd overall - but the 6-foot-7, 226-pound rearguard emerged as a physical force in 2023-24. He racked up 135 hits and 122 blocked shots during the regular season, but he's been replaced by another homegrown blue-liner in the lineup lately.

Philip Kemp (June 24, 2017): Another seventh-rounder (picked 208th) hasn't panned out as well, to say the least. Kemp played just one game for the Oilers during the regular season (his NHL debut), spending his other 64 with their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. In fairness to Kemp, the American defenseman is only 25. Desharnais didn't debut in the NHL until he was 26.

Stuart Skinner (June 24, 2017): The Oilers made a far more consequential selection the same day they drafted Kemp, choosing Skinner 130 picks earlier in the third round. The Edmonton-born netminder took over as the primary man in the crease last season and followed up those 50 games with 59 in 2023-24. He's had trouble in both of his postseasons, but as McDavid said, Skinner "absolutely stole" the series clincher Sunday.

Evan Bouchard (June 22, 2018): Bouchard already had a couple of solid campaigns under his belt, but he enjoyed a true breakout this season. The 24-year-old ranked fifth in the league among defensemen in goals (18), third in assists (64), and fourth in points while averaging exactly 23 minutes of ice time. Bouchard is now a fixture on the Oilers' top power-play unit, on which his bomb of a shot is a major asset.

Ryan McLeod (June 23, 2018): McLeod was a depth player at the start of his career after Edmonton took him 40th overall. But lately, he's been lining up on Draisaitl's wing, helping the German dynamo rank second in playoff scoring leaguewide behind McDavid this spring. McLeod doesn't pile up points himself, but his contributions are largely unquantifiable.

Philip Broberg (June 21, 2019): Broberg is the aforementioned rearguard who's taken Desharnais' job of late. The Oilers chose Broberg eighth overall five years ago. The Swede, who'll turn 23 on June 25, scored his first-ever playoff goal in Game 5 of the conference final against the Dallas Stars.

Raphael Lavoie (June 22, 2019): The Oilers drafted Lavoie 38th overall, so expectations weren't as high for him. But the 23-year-old forward was held pointless in all seven NHL games he played this season - his first taste of action at the highest level. Lavoie hasn't gotten into a playoff game this spring, but he remains part of Edmonton's future.

James Hamblin (April 30, 2020): Hamblin finished his season in Bakersfield, but he did play 31 contests for the Oilers in 2023-24. The Edmonton-born winger managed two goals and an assist in that span, and the 25-year-old appears to be nothing more than organizational depth at this point.

Dylan Holloway (Oct. 6, 2020): It's too early to call Holloway a bust, especially considering 2020 first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere didn't erupt for the New York Rangers until these playoffs. However, Holloway has yet to live up to the potential that inspired the Oilers to draft him 13 picks later. The 22-year-old has three goals and an assist over 18 games in this postseason.

Trade

Warren Foegele (July 28, 2021): Foegele has been a healthy scratch for the last few games, but he hasn't always been in the doghouse. Edmonton landed him in a one-for-one swap with the Carolina Hurricanes for blue-liner Ethan Bear. Foegele set career highs in goals (20), assists (21), and points during the 2023-24 regular season, his third campaign with the Oilers.

Brett Kulak (March 21, 2022): They reeled in Kulak - another Edmonton-born player - in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens, who then used the conditional second-rounder they got in the deal on star college blue-liner Lane Hutson. While that's not the best look for the Oilers, Kulak has been a reliable top-four rearguard.

Mattias Ekholm (Feb. 28, 2023): Ekholm has been a dream fit since the Oilers acquired him in a trade with the Nashville Predators. The Swede's known for steady defensive play, but he also established career highs with 11 goals and 45 points while boasting elite underlying numbers in 2023-24.

Sam Carrick (March 6, 2024): Edmonton acquired Carrick two days before the deadline as part of a deal with the Anaheim Ducks. The 32-year-old depth forward has played in nine of the Oilers' 18 playoff games this spring.

Adam Henrique (March 6, 2024): Henrique was the bigger add in that trade with the Ducks, as he was still playing effectively for Anaheim at 34 years old. The veteran notched six goals and three assists over 22 games for Edmonton down the stretch, and he's added two tallies and two helpers in 10 playoff contests so far.

Troy Stecher (March 7, 2024): The Oilers acquired Stecher and a seventh-round pick from the Arizona Coyotes for a 2027 fourth-rounder. The defenseman, who turned 30 about a month later, played seven games for Edmonton before an infected ankle cyst sidelined him and eventually required surgery in late May.

Free agency

Cody Ceci (July 28, 2021): Ceci was often maligned during his tenures with the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Pittsburgh Penguins, but he's largely flown under the radar with the Oilers. He drove possession in 2023-24, providing surprising stability on Edmonton's third pairing.

Zach Hyman (July 28, 2021): The Oilers made their most impactful free-agent signing - and one of their most important moves period - on the opening day of the frenzy a few years ago. Hyman fit in seamlessly in Edmonton, and he exploded for 54 goals over 80 games this season. His cap hit of $5.5 million through 2027-28 is a bargain given the numerous ways he contributes.

Derek Ryan (July 28, 2021): Ryan is in his third season with the Oilers after playing three with the rival Calgary Flames and his first three with the Hurricanes. The 37-year-old fourth-liner is the second-oldest player in this Cup Final and the second-oldest Oiler. He joined Edmonton on a two-year, $2.5-million deal and then inked another for the same term and a total of $1.8 million last June.

Evander Kane (Jan. 27, 2022): Undeterred by Kane's numerous indiscretions, Holland took a chance on the mercurial winger less than three weeks after the San Jose Sharks released him. Kane inked a one-year, $1.375-million deal that January, and he made an immediate on-ice impact. In July 2022, the Oilers signed him to a four-year, $20.5-million pact. Kane, who'll turn 33 in August, scored 24 goals in this regular season with his lowest average ice time since his rookie year with the Atlanta Thrashers.

Jack Campbell (July 13, 2022): Giving Campbell a five-year, $25-million contract turned out horribly for Holland. The ex-Toronto Maple Leaf wasn't the solution in the crease the organization thought he would be, and he's still under contract through 2026-27 with the right to submit a 10-team no-trade list.

Calvin Pickard (July 13, 2022): Pickard joined Edmonton on a two-year, two-way contract. Skinner obviously benefited the most from Campbell's woes, but Pickard earned the backup job in the regular season, and he's been an important piece in these playoffs. Pickard relieved Skinner in Game 3 against the Vancouver Canucks and started the next two for a .915 save percentage in that span before Skinner got back in the crease.

Mattias Janmark (July 17, 2022): Janmark signed for one year and $1.25 million, then re-upped for another year and $1 million. The 31-year-old depth forward doesn't light up the scoresheet, but he can still contribute. He scored the eventual winner in Game 4 against the Stars.

Connor Brown (July 1, 2023): The Oilers inked Brown to a one-year deal for $4 million, but with just $775,000 counting against the cap. He ultimately got the rest by playing 10 games. Brown tore his ACL four contests into his 2022-23 season, but he suited up for 71 games with Edmonton and then another 12 so far in these playoffs, chipping in a goal and three assists alongside Janmark and Henrique on the third line in the postseason.

Adam Erne (Oct. 13, 2023): Erne has played sparingly since he signed a one-year deal for the league minimum (the same cap hit as Brown but without the incentive). The 29-year-old forward hasn't appeared in a playoff game this spring and last got into the lineup on April 18 - his first appearance since January. Erne played 24 contests in the regular season.

Sam Gagner (Oct. 31, 2023): Gagner truly had to earn a roster spot to ensure a third stint with the Oilers. They brought in the journeyman - who'll turn 35 this August - on an AHL tryout, and he eventually signed a one-year pact with the Condors. Eight days later, Gagner inked a one-year, two-way contract with Edmonton. He hasn't played in this postseason, but he did post 10 points in 28-regular season games for the Oilers.

Corey Perry (Jan. 21, 2024): Despite the inappropriate conduct that led the Chicago Blackhawks to terminate his contract, the Oilers gave Perry a one-year deal at the minimum with bonuses totaling $325,000, all of which he's now hit. At 39 years old, Perry has become the first player ever to reach the final with five different teams, and he's seeking his second Cup win 17 years after his first.

(Salary source: CapFriendly)

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is getting the "Drive to Survive" treatment.

Box to Box - the production company behind the hit series about Formula 1 racing, along with "Full Swing" on golf and "Break Point" about tennis - is overseeing the untitled project for Amazon, according to The Athletic's Mark Lazerus.

The six-episode, NHL-focused series will debut on Prime Video in October.

It will follow about 20 players beginning after the 2023-24 season's All-Star break, per NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer. That list includes Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Sidney Crosby, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, David Pastrnak, Matthew Tkachuk, and Connor Bedard.

"Pastrnak is one of the funniest players I've ever sat in a room with," Box to Box co-founder Paul Martin told Lazerus. "But you want to find that mix. When we look at these types of shows, you don't want all the superstars, but equally, you don't want all the journeymen. You want that right mix. You want to look at things from slightly different perspectives."

Quinn Hughes, Jack Eichel, Jeremy Swayman, Filip Forsberg, Jacob Trouba, and Gabriel Landeskog will also appear on the show.

F1's popularity has increased significantly in the U.S. since "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" debuted in March 2019. Netflix has released six 10-episode seasons of the series, most recently in February. "Full Swing" began streaming on the same service in February 2023 with eight-episode seasons, the second of which dropped in March 2024.

The NHL has dipped its toes into the docuseries waters before, beginning with HBO's "24/7: Road to the Winter Classic" in 2011, 2012, and 2014. Amazon's "All or Nothing" series covered the Toronto Maple Leafs in the abbreviated 2021 season.

Coincidentally, Crave - a streaming service in Canada - also revealed Thursday that it's producing a docuseries focused on the Montreal Canadiens. "The Rebuild: Inside the Montreal Canadiens" will run for eight episodes and will be available to stream on Crave later this year in both English and French.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vincent Trocheck opened up Tuesday about how it felt when the Florida Panthers eliminated his New York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final.

"It was a pretty empty feeling," the forward told the media, including SNY. "(To) go as far as we did, put in as much effort, invest so much into the season, make it to the Eastern Conference Final ... and to come up short is just, it sucks. It's not fun."

Trocheck was seen consoling Igor Shesterkin in the immediate aftermath of the season-ending 2-1 defeat, and he revealed that he was offering some words of encouragement to the star goaltender.

"He was our best player by a significant margin in the playoffs, and I thought if there was one guy that I thought needed to hear that after the loss to kind of keep his spirits up, I just told him he was our best player and he deserved better," Trocheck said.

Shesterkin was in a better mood Tuesday when asked about his looming contract situation.

Shesterkin is on the books through next season, so he'll be eligible to sign an extension July 1.

Two Rangers players revealed Tuesday that they played through injuries in the postseason.

Defenseman Adam Fox told reporters he aggravated the injury he sustained in November when he missed 10 games following a knee-on-knee hit from Carolina Hurricanes star Sebastian Aho.

Forward Jimmy Vesey said he separated his shoulder, according to the New York Post's Mollie Walker. Vesey left Game 2 after playing under six minutes and sat out the final four contests.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald isn't opposed to parting with his first-round draft pick later this month - as long as the return is hefty enough.

"If we feel it helps us now and in the foreseeable future, then, yes, I'm listening," Fitzgerald told NHL.com's Mike G. Morreale on Monday. "I haven't gotten anything yet, but the more I talk to teams, I say 'Listen, I'm open to moving No. 10, but it's going to have to be something (significant).'"

The Devils have six picks in the draft, including a pair of third-rounders and two more in the fifth, but they sent their second-rounder to the San Jose Sharks as part of the Timo Meier trade in February 2023. New Jersey is also without a fourth-rounder and a seventh-rounder this year, thanks to the Curtis Lazar and Meier deals, respectively.

The Devils missed the playoffs this season following a trip to the second round in 2023, but Fitzgerald explained that their approach has changed.

"We're in a position now versus two years ago when we drafted (defenseman) Simon Nemec (second overall), where if we can find the right piece to help us get to where we want to go today, tomorrow and wherever the controllable future is for that player, great," the GM said. "That's the mindset versus 'Great, we have a top-10 pick and this kid is going to be fantastic when he's 25 years old'."

It's no secret that the Devils need a goaltending upgrade and have been exploring ways to do so. They reportedly tried to acquire Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames before this season's trade deadline and, shortly thereafter, it was reported that New Jersey planned to pursue the netminder as well as Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators this summer.

"I'm in the goalie market talking to teams, but there's a 'but' and the 'but' is how do we want to build our team?" Fitzgerald said. "We'd like to add up front, we'd like to add on the back end, so what are those pieces going to cost us. With the goaltending, what's that going to cost us?

"Does the No. 10 pick get you that type of player that you can add to the group? It's easy to say, 'Go get so-and-so and then you build from there.' But there are some guys who have different contracts, so how are those players going to re-price at? There's a lot to it, but, yes, the focus is on finding that goaltender."

The Devils' .885 team save percentage was the NHL's third-worst in the regular season. Jake Allen, who they landed in a deadline-day trade with the Montreal Canadiens, is New Jersey's only netminder with an NHL contract next season.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Peter DeBoer had one word to describe his feelings after the Edmonton Oilers eliminated his Dallas Stars with a 2-1 victory in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final on Sunday night.

"'Gutted' is the only word I can feel when you lose a game like that," DeBoer told reporters postgame. "(I'm) proud of our group, proud of our fight, proud of our battle, (but) you're just gutted. They did leave everything out there, (we) should be going to play a Game 7, (but) we're not."

DeBoer tipped his cap to the Oilers, who are heading back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since they lost it in 2006.

"You have to give Edmonton credit," the Dallas bench boss said. "Their power play particularly over the last two games was good, and their goaltender was good. It's fine lines (when) you get to this point of the year."

The Stars kept the Oilers' power play - which ranked fourth in the NHL at 26.3% during the regular season - off the scoresheet over the first four games. But Edmonton's Ryan Nugent-Hopkins struck twice with the man advantage in Game 5, and the Oilers converted both of their chances with the man advantage in Game 6. Dallas went 0-for-14 on the power play in the series.

Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner posted a .900 save percentage over the first four contests but then stopped all but two of 55 shots over the final two tilts for a mark of .964. Connor McDavid said Skinner "absolutely stole" the series-clinching win for Edmonton on Sunday.

DeBoer added that the Stars' elimination was "tough to swallow" considering Dallas hit the post in overtime of Game 1 and ultimately lost on McDavid's goal in the second extra frame.

Veteran Stars forward Tyler Seguin also lamented the end result.

"Hockey's hard," he said. "You need a lot of things to go right. You need to have that opportunity, we had that opportunity. We went through the gauntlet and beat some really good teams (and) knew we had something special. (We) lost to a team we thought we could beat."

Seguin emphasized how slim the margin for error is in the playoffs.

"Sometimes it's that one bounce ... one goal, one save, that's why we all love it," he said. "That's why this is the hardest damn trophy in the world to win."

The Stars lost in the Western Conference Final for the second straight year after the Vegas Golden Knights defeated them in six games en route to a Cup win last June. Dallas got to the championship round in the bubble in 2020, but the Tampa Bay Lightning prevailed in six that year.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Warning: Story contains coarse language

If Paul Maurice hadn't spent the better part of his life in hockey, he might've had a career as a comedian.

The Florida Panthers bench boss poked fun at his propensity for profanity when asked Saturday about Dallas Stars head coach Peter DeBoer's postgame outburst Friday night.

"I would never use that kind of language," Maurice quipped, according to The Associated Press' Colby Guy.

DeBoer got upset with Tim Cowlishaw of ESPN and the Dallas Morning News following the Stars' 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final on Friday. DeBoer told Cowlishaw he can "go ahead and write whatever the fuck" he wants after the columnist and pundit called the Stars' second-period effort "lifeless" and said they "kind of put no pressure on (the Oilers) at all" after falling behind.

"You can sit here and question our character if you want," DeBoer said before dropping the F-bomb. "You haven't been around all year; I haven't seen you here all year."

Maurice, of course, has a long history of making bleep-inducing remarks, both during and after games. Just over two weeks ago, he was seen on a broadcast shouting at his team on the bench and then explained it postgame by saying the players "just needed some profanity in their life, and I brought some."

"I don't excel at a lot of things in life, but fuck me, am I good at that," he added at the time.

Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour said Saturday that he welcomes Maurice's ability to inject levity into situations or drive home a more straitlaced message, depending on what's called for in the moment.

"I think he's got a great sense of humor," the blue-liner told reporters, including Bally Sports Florida's Katie Engleson. "(When) he comes in the (dressing) room, he's the same way with us. Obviously, serious when he needs to be, but ... this is a time, especially with our group, (when) we keep it light.

"It's not just us players. It's the coaches, it's the management, the whole organization keeps it light. In stressful times, you kind of experience how easy-going not just us players but the rest of the group is, and, obviously, he does a good job and, obviously, he's pretty funny."

The fact that the Panthers are one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight season could be why they're in a joking mood. Florida leads the New York Rangers 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Final. The Cats will get their first crack at qualifying for this year's championship round in Game 6 on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in Sunrise.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Warning: Story contains coarse language

If Paul Maurice hadn't spent the better part of his life in hockey, he might've had a career as a comedian.

The Florida Panthers bench boss poked fun at his propensity for profanity when asked Saturday about Dallas Stars head coach Peter DeBoer's postgame outburst Friday night.

"I would never use that kind of language," Maurice quipped, according to The Associated Press' Colby Guy.

DeBoer got upset with Tim Cowlishaw of ESPN and the Dallas Morning News following the Stars' 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final on Friday. DeBoer told Cowlishaw he can "go ahead and write whatever the fuck" he wants after the columnist and pundit called the Stars' second-period effort "lifeless" and said they "kind of put no pressure on (the Oilers) at all" after falling behind.

"You can sit here and question our character if you want," DeBoer said before dropping the F-bomb. "You haven't been around all year; I haven't seen you here all year."

Maurice, of course, has a long history of making bleep-inducing remarks, both during and after games. Just over two weeks ago, he was seen on a broadcast shouting at his team on the bench and then explained it postgame by saying the players "just needed some profanity in their life, and I brought some."

"I don't excel at a lot of things in life, but fuck me, am I good at that," he added at the time.

Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour said Saturday that he welcomes Maurice's ability to inject levity into situations or drive home a more straitlaced message, depending on what's called for in the moment.

"I think he's got a great sense of humor," the blue-liner told reporters, including Bally Sports Florida's Katie Engleson. "(When) he comes in the (dressing) room, he's the same way with us. Obviously, serious when he needs to be, but ... this is a time, especially with our group, (when) we keep it light.

"It's not just us players. It's the coaches, it's the management, the whole organization keeps it light. In stressful times, you kind of experience how easy-going not just us players but the rest of the group is, and, obviously, he does a good job and, obviously, he's pretty funny."

The fact that the Panthers are one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight season could be why they're in a joking mood. Florida leads the New York Rangers 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Final. The Cats will get their first crack at qualifying for this year's championship round in Game 6 on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in Sunrise.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Leon Draisaitl is confident that his Edmonton Oilers are better than any opponent when they play at their peak - as long as they can sustain it.

"I truly believe that our best beats anyone's best, it's just a matter of consistently playing that way and that's ... a hard thing to do," the superstar told reporters Friday, hours before Game 5 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars in Texas.

Draisaitl has been largely satisfied with the Oilers' performance in the series against a versatile Stars squad.

"They obviously defend well. They're a deep team," the German forward said. "They've got threats on every line. I think for the most part, we've done a pretty good job, maybe giving up a couple too many odd-man looks headed our way, but I think we've adjusted well and (we're) looking to take another step (Friday night)."

Draisaitl ranks second in playoff scoring this spring with 10 goals (behind teammate Zach Hyman's 13) and 26 points (behind Connor McDavid's 28) in 16 contests. Six of Draisaitl's tallies came on the power play, but neither Edmonton nor Dallas has produced a goal with the man advantage over four games in this matchup.

The series is tied 2-2, with Game 5 scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matthew Tkachuk had a zinger for Chris Kreider after the New York Rangers forward threw the Florida Panthers winger's mouthguard in the air during the Cats' 3-2 win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final on Tuesday night.

"I told him that was the best play he made all game," Tkachuk said Wednesday.

Kreider heaved Tkachuk's mouthguard into the air following a scrum early in the third period.

While it initially appeared as though the mouthguard went into the crowd, Tkachuk clarified Wednesday that it didn't make it that far.

"Luckily it didn't go over the (glass), he just threw it up in the air, so (I) got to wash it off and just use it," Tkachuk said.

The Panthers' victory evened the series at two. Game 5 is scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sheldon Keefe believes he's improved at his job in his half-decade as a bench boss at the highest level.

"After five years and six playoff rounds, I'm a far better coach than when I arrived in the NHL," the New Jersey Devils head coach said Tuesday at his introductory press conference.

The Devils confirmed Thursday that they hired Keefe after the Toronto Maple Leafs fired him May 9 following yet another early-round exit. The Boston Bruins vanquished the Maple Leafs on David Pastrnak's overtime winner in Game 7 five days earlier.

Keefe got the Leafs to the second round last spring, but they then fell to eventual Stanley Cup finalists the Florida Panthers in five games.

Toronto went 212-97-40 in the regular season with Keefe at the helm beginning in 2019-20, racking up the fourth-most points in the NHL over that span. The club made the playoffs every season but failed to advance to the second round in all but the one aforementioned campaign.

The Maple Leafs have endured seven opening-round exits in the last eight years and haven't won the Stanley Cup since 1967. The 43-year-old acknowledged Tuesday that the pressure isn't any less significant with his new team.

"Driving in here this morning seeing the statue of Martin Brodeur, you know the expectations are high," Keefe said.

The Devils missed the postseason this spring after reaching the second round in 2022-23. They've made only two playoff appearances in the 12 years since they last reached the Cup Final, which they lost to the Los Angeles Kings.

New Jersey won championships in 1995, 2000, and 2003. Brodeur backstopped the Devils to each of those triumphs. The Colorado Avalanche defeated them for the Cup over seven games in 2001, and the New York Rangers ousted them in seven in the 1994 Eastern Conference Final.

Keefe inherits a talented Devils squad that underachieved this season amid injuries to Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton. New Jersey fired Lindy Ruff as head coach on March 4, replacing him with associate coach Travis Green for the rest of the campaign.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.