All posts by Josh Gold-Smith

Report: Boeser unable to play due to blood clot

The Vancouver Canucks will be without Brock Boeser for Game 7 of their second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night, head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed.

Boeser is dealing with a blood clotting issue and his recovery timetable is unclear, but it's not a life-threatening situation, sources told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The Canucks' medical staff found a blood clot that had developed in Boeser's leg after Game 6, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports. He's been placed on blood-thinning medication and is expected to miss the rest of the playoffs, Seravalli adds.

"Obviously had a great year for us. Big part of the team," Tocchet said. "Scored some big goals for us. So, it's a tough one, but next man up, right? That's the way you gotta approach it, like we have all year."

Tocchet didn't divulge the specifics of Boeser's injury and didn't give a timeframe for his return.

The American forward leads the Canucks with seven goals this postseason, and he's tied for the team points lead with 12 in as many outings. He was averaging 20:18 of ice time, up from 18:36 during the regular season.

Boeser notched a hat trick in Vancouver's Game 4 victory over the Nashville Predators in the first round, and he collected two goals and an assist in the Canucks' Game 3 win over the Oilers.

He racked up a club-high 40 tallies along with 33 assists over 81 regular-season contests.

The Canucks are 17-11-4 over the past half-decade without Boeser in the lineup, according to Sportsnet Stats.

Game 7 is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on Monday in Vancouver.

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McDavid lauds Draisaitl: He’s the best player on many nights

The Edmonton Oilers didn't need Leon Draisaitl to do much in their 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 6 on Saturday night, but he still found a way to make headlines.

Draisaitl became the third-fastest player ever to collect 100 career playoff points when he assisted on Evander Kane's tally that made it 5-1 in the third period. He got his 99th when he set up Dylan Holloway's goal that opened the scoring in the first.

"He has always been good in the playoffs from Day 1," Connor McDavid said about his fellow Oilers superstar, per Sports 1440's Jason Gregor. "He is one of the best players in the world, and many nights, he is the best player. He is able to elevate his game at the most important time. He's been great again this playoff."

Draisaitl leads all NHL skaters in these playoffs with 23 points in 11 games. His 15 assists are second only to McDavid. Teammate Zach Hyman and Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin (who was banned from the playoffs Monday before his team was eliminated Friday) are the only players with more goals than Draisaitl in this postseason (10 and nine, respectively).

The German dynamo has been dominant in the playoffs over the last few years. He racked up 13 goals and five assists across 12 postseason games in 2023 after amassing 32 points (including 25 helpers) over 16 contests in 2022.

McDavid chipped in three assists of his own in Saturday's victory, which forced Game 7 on Monday in Vancouver. The three-time Hart Trophy winner now has 96 playoff points of his own, and he's done that in 60 games.

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Barkov wins Selke Trophy over Matthews, Jordan Staal

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov is this year's recipient of the Frank J. Selke Trophy, the NHL announced Saturday.

Barkov won the honor for the second time in his career. He last claimed it for the abbreviated 2021 season and was also a finalist for the next campaign.

The 11-year veteran beat out Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews and Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal for this year's award, which recognizes the league's top defensive forward.

Barkov ran away with it in a landslide. Here's how the top 10 shook out among the 41 players to garner votes:

Place Player Voting Points
1 Aleksander Barkov 1817
2 Jordan Staal 539
3 Auston Matthews 514
T4 Sam Reinhart 440
T4 Anze Kopitar 440
6 Roope Hintz 315
7 Adam Lowry 308
8 Seth Jarvis 152
9 Sidney Crosby 85
10 Joel Eriksson Ek 65

Barkov excelled at both ends of the ice in 2023-24. In addition to posting 80 points in 73 games, the 28-year-old played a significant role in the Panthers tying the Winnipeg Jets for the fewest goals against.

He authored a sublime 61.07 expected goals for percentage at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick, while ranking among the NHL's best in standing points above replacement, wins above replacement, and goals above replacement, per Evolving Hockey.

Barkov also dominated in the faceoff circle, winning a career-high 57.3% of draws (ninth in the NHL among players with 50 games played and at least 500 taken), while lining up for a team-high 1,100 in total.

Matthews ranked second in the league in SPAR, WAR, and GAR while trailing only Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin in takeaways (by five) among all NHL skaters.

Staal boasted favorable underlying numbers of his own while helping the Hurricanes allow the fourth-fewest goals.

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Stars eliminate Avalanche on Duchene’s 2OT winner

Matt Duchene scored the winner in double overtime as the Dallas Stars defeated the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in Game 6 to advance to the Western Conference Final.

The Stars thought they'd won the contest in the first overtime when Mason Marchment scored, but officials immediately waved it off. Refs cited Duchene's contact with Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev and upheld the call on the ice following a review by the league.

It's the Stars' second straight trip to the conference final. The eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights ousted them in six games last year.

Dallas will play the winner of the series between the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers. The Canucks lead the series 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled for Saturday night in Edmonton.

The Florida Panthers joined the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final earlier Friday night. None of the remaining playoff teams have won the Cup in this century.

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Miller’s winner helps Canucks push Oilers to brink

J.T. Miller scored the winner with under a minute remaining as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 to take a 3-2 series lead in the second-round matchup Thursday night.

The Canucks trailed 2-1 after 20 minutes, but they outshot the Oilers 17-4 in the second period while tying the game on Phillip Di Giuseppe's tally 5:14 into the middle stanza.

Miller's goal was his third of these playoffs. It was the second-latest go-ahead playoff marker in franchise history behind Raffi Torres' goal in Game 1 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, which came with 19 seconds left.

"They (got) a bounce, they probably deserved a bounce tonight (because) I thought they were the better team," Oilers superstar Connor McDavid told the media, including Sportsnet, postgame.

Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini took the opportunity to repost something relevant (though former general manager Jim Benning was fired about two years after the zinger).

Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs made 21 saves in the victory Thursday, while Oilers netminder Calvin Pickard turned aside 32 shots in a losing effort.

Game 6 is scheduled for Saturday night in Edmonton. A potential Game 7 would take place Monday night in Vancouver.

The winner of this series will meet either the Dallas Stars or Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final. The Stars lead that series 3-2 with Game 6 on tap for Friday night in Denver.

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Kreider’s hat trick sends Rangers to ECF

The New York Rangers rallied to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 in Game 6 of their second-round series to move on to the Eastern Conference Final.

Chris Kreider capped off a natural hat trick for the eventual winner with 4:19 left in the third period as the Rangers prevailed after trailing 3-1 heading into the final frame.

Kreider netted his first goal of the night and fifth of these playoffs 6:43 into the third. He got his second of the game just over five minutes later.

The current Blueshirts forward joined Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier as the only Rangers to notch three goals in a period during a playoff game.

Kreider and Messier both did it in the third period, and Messier accomplished it in the "Guarantee Game" when he insisted they'd win Game 6 of the 1993-94 Eastern Conference Final against the New Jersey Devils. They ultimately did so before prevailing in Game 7 en route to claiming the Stanley Cup.

The current Rangers winger wouldn't say whether he predicted in the second intermission that he'd score in the third, but teammate Vincent Trocheck eventually remembered Kreider calling it.

Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour - who remains without a contract for next season - lamented how the campaign ended for his squad.

"It's a special group in there. This is a tough way to end a really good year," the bench boss said, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh. "These guys played their butts off all year, but this is what you're going to remember. That's the hard part."

New York reached the conference final Thursday for the second time in three seasons. The club got there in 2021-22, but the Tampa Bay Lightning dispatched them in six games.

The Rangers - who took home the Presidents' Trophy this season - won the first three games of this series before dropping the next two. The Hurricanes were one period away from forcing Game 7 with a two-goal lead before collapsing down the stretch.

New York will now face the winner of the second-round series between the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins.

The Panthers lead that matchup 3-2 with Game 6 scheduled for Friday night in Boston.

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Coyotes’ Ingram wins Masterton Trophy

Arizona Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram is this year's recipient of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, the NHL announced Wednesday.

Ingram - who entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to treat his obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression in 2021 - enjoyed a breakout season this past campaign.

The 27-year-old secured the Arizona Coyotes' starting job, going 17-9-1 with a .919 save percentage over his first 30 games in 2023-24. He finished 23-21-3 with a .907 mark across 50 contests for the otherwise lackluster squad.

Carolina Hurricanes netminder Frederik Andersen and Calgary Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington were the other finalists.

Andersen was forced out of the lineup with a blood clotting issue six games into his season and ultimately missed 49 contests. Upon making his return in March, the 34-year-old won nine of 10 games with a .951 save percentage and three shutouts, helping the Hurricanes place third in the NHL.

Kylington took about a year-and-a-half off from hockey for mental health reasons before rejoining the Flames in January. He later revealed that during his absence, he'd worried about whether or not he'd be able to resume his career. The Flames blue-liner, who'll turn 27 on Sunday, averaged 17:15 of ice time while chipping in three goals and five assists over 33 games upon returning. Calgary made him a second-round pick in 2015.

The Masterton Trophy is handed out annually to the player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey." The Professional Hockey Writers Association votes to determine the winner.

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Soucy will have hearing for cross-checking McDavid

Vancouver Canucks defensemen Carson Soucy will have a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid at the end of Sunday's 4-3 victory, the league announced.

McDavid and Soucy were involved in a scrum following the final horn, and the three-time MVP caught Soucy with a slash in the leg. Soucy retaliated with a slash of his own, then he and Nikita Zadorov cross-checked McDavid at the same time, with Soucy's landing high. Zadorov also received a $5,000 fine for his actions.

The officials handed Soucy a two-minute minor for cross-checking with no time remaining on the clock. McDavid and Zadorov didn't receive penalties in the immediate aftermath.

Game 4 of the second-round playoff matchup is scheduled for Tuesday night in Edmonton. Vancouver leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.

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Bennett’s goal upheld after goalie interference review

The most hated man in Boston evened up Game 4 for the Florida Panthers in controversial fashion.

Sam Bennett scored early in the third period amid contact in the crease, and the tally was upheld after it was reviewed for goaltender interference. Bennett appeared to push Bruins forward Charlie Coyle into netminder Jeremy Swayman on the play.

"Video review supported the referees' call on the ice that the shove by Florida's Sam Bennett on Charlie Coyle and the subsequent contact with Jeremy Swayman did not prevent Swayman from playing his position in the crease prior to Bennett's goal," the NHL explained shortly thereafter.

Rule 69.1 of the league's rulebook states: "If a defending player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by an attacking player so as to cause the defending player to come into contact with his own goalkeeper, such contact shall be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, and if necessary a penalty assessed to the attacking player and if a goal is scored it would be disallowed."

Bennett downplayed his actions postgame and insisted they wouldn't have made a difference.

"On that one, it was a little shove, and I'm putting the puck in the net before Swayman's going to have an opportunity (to make a save)," Bennett told TNT. "Whether Coyle's in his grill or not, I believe I'm putting that puck in before (Swayman is) getting across, no matter what. So I think that's why it stood, and I think it was the right call."

Swayman had a different opinion about the play.

"In the moment, I didn't know what exactly happened, I just know I couldn't play my position, and the review showed that," the Bruins goalie told the media, including NESN.

Aleksander Barkov netted the eventual winner for the Panthers less than four minutes after Bennett's goal. Florida took a 3-1 series lead with the victory to put the Bruins on the brink of elimination.

Bennett hit Boston captain Brad Marchand in Game 3. Marchand left that contest and didn't return. He was deemed day-to-day and then ruled out for Game 4 with what his club called an upper-body injury.

The Panthers forward didn't receive supplementary discipline for that incident.

Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday night in Sunrise.

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Lauko: Not sure what I’m ‘supposed to do’ on questionable call

Boston Bruins forward Jakub Lauko expressed confusion postgame at the goaltender interference penalty he received early in the third period of a 6-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on Friday night.

Lauko was driving to the net and had Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad beat, but Ekblad appeared to guide Lauko into Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

Lauko was livid about the penalty.

The fans at Boston's TD Garden were equally perturbed, as they resorted to throwing beer cans and water bottles onto the ice.

Panthers blue-liner Brandon Montour scored on the ensuing power play to give his club a 4-0 lead.

Lauko insisted he didn't have any other options on the play he was whistled for.

"I was trying to get to the net and just ended up in the goalie," Lauko said postgame. "I felt the defenseman was holding me and kind of pushing me inside. So, I don't know, like what am I supposed to do to avoid it?"

The Panthers scored four power-play goals in the blowout victory, which gave them a 2-1 series lead in the second-round playoff matchup. Florida struck twice while Boston was attempting to kill off a double-minor in the second period.

Lauko got a measure of redemption less than two minutes after he emerged from the penalty box when he scored his first career playoff goal. The 24-year-old was playing his first game of the series, his third of this postseason, and only his sixth career playoff game.

His goal cut the Panthers' lead to 4-1, and Jake DeBrusk reduced the lead to two about three and a half minutes later. But Florida notched a pair of tallies - including an empty-netter - with under two minutes remaining to put the game out of reach.

Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET in Boston.

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