The NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Vancouver Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy one game Monday for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid.
The incident occurred at the end of Sunday's Game 3.
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) May 13, 2024
Defenseman Nikita Zadorov was fined $5,000 for his cross-check earlier Monday.
Soucy will be unavailable for Tuesday's Game 4 with the Canucks holding a 2-1 series lead. He called the play unfortunate due to the timing of Zadorov's cross-check and said he didn't intend to hit McDavid high, according to Sportsnet's Brendan Batchelor.
New York is the 12th team in NHL history to start 7-0 in the playoffs, most recently accomplished by the 2008 Pittsburgh Penguins. The last time the Rangers did so was in 1994 when they won the Stanley Cup.
Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour called out his top players amid an 0-for-14 stretch on the power play in the series.
"Our special players have to be special at the right times and that's during the power play," he said, according to team reporter Walt Ruff. "That's what's missing here right now."
Otherwise, Brind'Amour had praise for his team: "We're focusing on how bad we're playing, but we're playing pretty damn good," he said, according to The Athletic's Arthur Staple.
Carolina's Andrei Svechnikov scored with under two minutes remaining in regulation to send the game to the extra frame. The Hurricanes fired 47 shots on Igor Shesterkin in the loss.
It's the second straight season Carolina has gone down 0-3 in a series after losing each contest by one goal. The Florida Panthers did the same to the Hurricanes in the 2023 Eastern Conference Final.
NHL Utah owner Ryan Smith put out a survey Wednesday featuring 20 potential team names.
Fans can vote once and choose up to four options as the club takes the next step in renaming the former Arizona Coyotes. The first round of voting is open until May 22.
Here are all 20 names in the survey:
Black Diamonds
Blast
Blizzard
Canyons
Caribou
Freeze
Frost
Fury
Glaciers
HC
Hive
Ice
Mammoth
Mountaineers
Outlaws
Powder
Squall
Swarm
Venom
Yeti
Smith confirmed the team will don jerseys with "Utah" across the front in its inaugural season. The chosen branding will debut for the 2025-26 NHL campaign.
The NHL's board of governors approved the sale and relocation of the Coyotes to Salt Lake City on April 18.
After months of simulations and excitement, the NHL's draft lottery offered little drama on Tuesday as the order remained unchanged for the first time since 2010.
With the first 23 selections of the draft finalized following the lottery and the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it's time to take another look at how the picks could play out in June.
Celebrini continues to make history as the first Hobey Baker winner to go first overall in the NHL draft.
The Sharks get a dynamic future No. 1 center in Celebrini, who is an incredibly well-rounded and polished prospect considering he doesn't turn 18 until June and dominated every level along the way to cementing his place atop the 2024 class.
Not only is Celebrini an incredibly exciting player to add to a rebuilding team, but he's also a bit of a local product for San Jose. Celebrini played for the under-14 Sharks in 2019-20 when living in the Bay Area, and his father, Rick, works with the NBA's Golden State Warriors as their director of sports medicine and performance.
The Sharks - and Rick - get their wish to commence the draft, giving San Jose a scary one-two punch of Celebrini and 2023 No. 4 pick Will Smith down the road.
After landing a generational prospect in Connor Bedard last summer, the Blackhawks snag the top defenseman in the 2024 class.
Levshunov leads an array of exciting blue-liners that will litter the top 10. The Belarusian was a beast at Michigan State as a freshman, registering 35 points in 38 games and leading the Big 10 champs with a plus-27 rating.
Chicago adds a future top-pairing rearguard whose two-way skill set will feature nicely alongside either Alex Vlasic or Kevin Korchinski.
Standing at 6-foot-7, 211 pounds and boasting skating skills is what launched Silayev into the conversation at the top of the draft after a strong start to his season in the KHL.
The Ducks are more than happy to take a home-run swing on a potentially elite shutdown defender to complement the offensive blue-liners in the system like Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger.
The combination of size, skating, and skill that Lindstrom presents is too tantalizing for the Blue Jackets to pass on at No. 4.
Lindstrom tallied 13 goals and 21 points on a 12-game point streak in December before his campaign was disrupted by a hand injury. He plays mean - just look at his 66 penalty minutes in 32 games - and gives Columbus a legitimate double-headed monster with Adam Fantilli down the middle.
The Habs don't pass on a supremely skilled Russian winger for a second time in a row and take the best player available in Demidov.
The most electrifying player in the draft, Demidov decimated the Russian junior circuit with 60 points in 30 regular-season games before a hilarious 28 points in 17 playoff games.
There's a case to be made that Demidov has the highest potential in the draft, but he's also average-sized, has barely played above the Russian junior league, and has no international history to lean upon.
After a conservative pick in 2023, Montreal takes a swing in 2024.
GM Bill Armstrong is moving to a new state, but his roster-building philosophy remains the same.
After using a top-10 pick on 6-foot-4 Dmitriy Simashev last summer and a first-rounder on 6-foot-7 Maveric Lamoureux two years ago, Utah's first selection continues the theme. Yakemchuk stands at 6-foot-3, has an absolute cannon from the point, and racked up 30 goals this season. However, he'll need to become more disciplined before reaching the pro ranks.
Among the most exciting risers this season is Iginla. After being a bottom-six depth player with the Seattle Thunderbirds last season, a move to the Kelowna Rockets has seen the son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla flourish.
His 47 goals in the regular season and another nine in 11 playoff games were punctuated with a splendid showing at the under-18s with Canada. Make no mistake - Tij is in this spot on his own merit.
Buium solidified himself as a top-10 prospect in the class with a historic freshman campaign at Denver. The 6-foot left-shot defender toyed with NCAA competition this season en route to a national title. He's a worthy pick as the Kraken take a defenseman in the first round for the first time.
As much as Flames fans want Iginla in this slot, Dickinson could be even more impactful. The 6-foot-3 left-shot defender has flirted with the top five all season with a point-per-game campaign on the OHL's best team.
Helenius has already played two seasons in Finland's top league and has high-end hockey IQ. With a strong showing in the playoffs and an impressive under-18s, Helenius can help his draft stock even more at the upcoming Worlds with Finland.
Parekh is getting more and more hype on public lists, but NHL teams remain NHL teams. A 6-foot, 179-pound all-offense defenseman isn't too convincing, especially with numerous other elite prospects at the position in the draft.
The Sabres are prioritizing upside in the draft and do so again by snagging the 33-goal, 96-point right-shot defender.
Catton put together one of the best draft-eligible seasons in recent WHL history, tallying 54 goals and 116 points. With six defenders going in the first 11 picks, the Flyers run to the stage with a forward of Catton's potential still on the board.
A season-ending injury sustained at the world juniors prevented Jiricek from building positive momentum down the stretch. The Wild take the 6-foot-2, right-shot defender, hoping he can break through with exciting two-way potential despite a significant injury and early-season struggles.
Note: Pick acquired by Sharks from Pittsburgh Penguins in the Erik Karlsson trade.
Once viewed as the top challenger to Celebrini, Eiserman still falls to the team that selected first overall.
Concern over Eiserman's game outside of his goal-scoring resulted in him dropping down boards all season. A former teammate of Celebrini's at Shattuck St. Mary's, the Sharks take a chance on the U.S. NTDP's all-time top goal-scorer and reunite the two talents.
Norway has never produced a first-round pick, but that changes after this summer's draft when Brandsegg-Nygard goes inside the top 20. A fierce forechecker, Brandsegg-Nygard played against men all year, and his role increased as the season went along. He'll suit up for Norway at the Worlds this month.
Connelly is a top-10 prospect on talent, but he gave teams reasons to pass on him. Whether it's concern over past off-ice issues or poor decision-making, like the major penalty that cost the U.S. gold at the under-18s, teams will need to do their due diligence before spending a premium pick on Connelly.
Sennecke has taken his game to another level in the OHL playoffs with 22 points in 16 postseason contests entering the league finals with Oshawa. With a 6-foot-2 frame and immense skill, the winger boasts a lot of upside.
The Islanders desperately need to add high-end potential to their system, and they do exactly that with this pick. Hage was surprisingly left off Canada's roster at the under-18s despite tallying 12 goals and 31 points in his final 16 games in the USHL.
Boisvert can play down the middle or on the wing, and he rifled 36 goals in the USHL this year. At 6-foot-2, 176 pounds, he'll look to add to his frame as he heads to the University of North Dakota in the fall.
Note: Pick acquired by Blackhawks from Tampa Bay Lightning in the Brandon Hagel trade.
Greentree was one of the only bright spots on a poor Windsor team this season. He captained the Spitfires and led the team with 36 goals and 90 points. An underwhelming under-18s sees him fall to the end of the top 20.
The Kings end the run of forwards by taking Sahlin Wallenius. He played huge minutes for Sweden at the under-18s after tallying 42 points in 43 games in the Swedish junior league.
Barry Trotz and the Predators offer a slight surprise by pouncing on the tantalizing 6-foot-6 Letourneau. The Boston College commit offers an exciting blend of size, speed, and skill. He's an incredibly raw project having only played two games above prep-level competition.
Elick is 6-foot-3 and a right-shot defender. That alone is enough to put him on NHL radars. Factor in his excellent skating and mean streak, and the Calgary native fits perfectly with Brad Treliving's revamped vision for the Maple Leafs' blue-line.
The NHL announced the schedule for the Western Conference's second round after the Dallas Stars' Game 7 triumph over the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
Dallas moves on to face the Colorado Avalanche, while the Vancouver Canucks clash with the Edmonton Oilers in the other conference semifinal.
Dallas Stars (C1) vs. Colorado Avalanche (C3)
Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images / Denver Post / Getty
Game
Date
Time (ET)
Home Team
1
May 7
9:30 p.m.
Dallas
2
May 9
9:30 p.m.
Dallas
3
May 11
TBD
Colorado
4
May 13
TBD
Colorado
5*
May 15
TBD
Dallas
6*
May 17
TBD
Colorado
7*
May 19
TBD
Dallas
The Avalanche have been idle since eliminating the Winnipeg Jets on April 30. Meanwhile, the Stars come into the series with nearly no downtime after going to seven games against the Golden Knights.
Vancouver Canucks (P1) vs. Edmonton Oilers (P2)
Derek Cain / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Game
Date
Time (ET)
Home Team
1
May 8
10 p.m.
Vancouver
2
May 10
10 p.m.
Vancouver
3
May 12
TBD
Edmonton
4
May 14
TBD
Edmonton
5*
May 16
TBD
Vancouver
6*
May 18
TBD
Edmonton
7*
May 20
TBD
Vancouver
The Oilers took care of business against the Los Angeles Kings in five games and will have a week's rest between series. The Canucks knocked off the Nashville Predators in a low-event battle that ended with Vancouver winning 1-0 in Friday's Game 6.
The tight-checking affair was scoreless until the halfway mark of the third period when Noah Hanifin tallied his second goal of the playoffs. Mark Stone added an empty-netter.
Adin Hill stopped all 23 shots he faced in his second start of the series. It's the first shutout for a Golden Knights goaltender while facing elimination.
Jake Oettinger made 28 saves. He's allowed two or fewer goals in each contest since Game 2.
Stars head coach Peter DeBoer is 7-0 in Game 7s over his career. Two of those do-or-die victories came when he was Vegas' bench boss in 2020 and 2021.
The tight-checking affair was scoreless until the halfway mark of the third period when Noah Hanifin tallied his second goal of the playoffs. Mark Stone added an empty-netter.
"Ever since I got traded here, I was super excited about the opportunity coming to a team with guys that have won," Hanifin told The Associated Press. "It's a great culture here and I'm fortunate to be a part of it. I feel good about my game and I'm trying to contribute whichever way I can."
Adin Hill stopped all 23 shots he faced in his second start of the series. It's the first shutout for a Golden Knights goaltender while facing elimination.
"You need to make big saves at big times in big games," Hill said. "That's how you win playoff games. I think our team learned that last year, and any team that's won, their goalies had to catch fire at times."
Jake Oettinger made 28 saves. He's allowed two or fewer goals in each contest since Game 2.
Stars head coach Peter DeBoer is 7-0 in Game 7s over his career. Two of those do-or-die victories came when he was Vegas' bench boss in 2020 and 2021.
"There's nothing better than Game 7s," DeBoer said. "That's what you grew up dreaming about playing and the second-best thing is coaching in them."
The Dallas Stars won 3-2 in Wednesday's Game 5 to put the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights on the verge of elimination.
The Stars have won three straight contests after going down 0-2 to start the series. Dallas is the first to win on home ice in the series.
Jake Oettinger denied Chandler Stephenson on a breakaway late in the third period to preserve the Stars' lead. He finished the game with 25 saves. Adin Hill made 22 stops in his first start of the series.
The Golden Knights have made the conference finals in four of five playoff appearances. Vegas lost in the 2019 first round against the San Jose Sharks in seven games.
Game 6 is set for Friday at Vegas' T-Mobile Arena.
The Dallas Stars won 3-2 in Wednesday's Game 5 to put the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights on the verge of elimination.
The Stars have won three straight contests after going down 0-2 to start the series. Dallas is the first to win on home ice in the series.
Jake Oettinger denied Chandler Stephenson on a breakaway late in the third period to preserve the Stars' lead. He finished the game with 25 saves. Adin Hill made 22 stops in his first start of the series.
The Golden Knights have made the conference finals in four of five playoff appearances. Vegas lost in the 2019 first round against the San Jose Sharks in seven games.
Game 6 is set for Friday at Vegas' T-Mobile Arena.
Mikko Rantanen scored twice in the third period as the Colorado Avalanche won 6-3 in Tuesday's Game 5 to eliminate the Winnipeg Jets.
The Avalanche will play either the Dallas Stars or Vegas Golden Knights in the second round. Colorado is the first lower seed to advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year.
"We came in really humble this year," star forward Nathan MacKinnon told Sportsnet's Scott Oake. "We were really bad down the stretch. We got beat by these guys 7-0 at home, and for whatever reason, it just kind of woke us up that we really needed to fix some things. Right now, we've got every guy playing really hard and playing the right way."
The Jets dropped four straight games after winning the series opener 7-6. Winnipeg became the first team in NHL history to allow five or more goals in five consecutive contests to commence a postseason, according to Sportsnet Stats.
Vezina Trophy favorite Connor Hellebuyck ends the series with an .864 save percentage and a 5.23 goals-against average.
Colorado lost to the Seattle Kraken in Round 1 last season after winning the Stanley Cup in 2022. It's the second straight first-round exit in five games for the Jets, who lost to the eventual champion Vegas Golden Knights last year.
