The Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins briefly upstaged the riveting conclusion to the Stanley Cup Final with the announcement that Linus Ullmark was changing teams.

The Senators acquired the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner on Monday night in exchange for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, fourth-line center Mark Kastelic, and this year's No. 25 draft pick, which the Bruins originally owned. Ottawa retains 25% of Korpisalo's $4-million cap hit over the next four seasons.

Here's what the trade means for both sides.

Senators

The defensemen in front of them were prone to slipups last season, but Korpisalo and goalie partner Anton Forsberg sapped Ottawa's confidence.

Senators netminders let in the opponent's first or second shot in 22 games. Korpisalo's deflating .890 save percentage condemned the team to a seventh straight missed postseason and 26th-place finish.

The Ullmark trade is doubly satisfying for Steve Staios, Ottawa's rookie GM. He adds a legitimate starter with a .918 career denial rate who ranked fifth in the NHL over the past five seasons in goals saved above expected, per Evolving-Hockey. In the process, Staios undid one of predecessor Pierre Dorion's glaring, expensive mistakes.

A Korpisalo buyout would've cost the Senators $10.7 million through 2032, per CapFriendly. They're paying less dead money over a shorter span, now get to ice an accomplished goalie, and still possess the No. 7 pick in Friday's draft.

The cool and collected Ullmark, who's never made 50 starts in a season, won't necessarily dominate in the Canadian capital. Ottawa's reputation as a goalie graveyard preceded Korpisalo's cursed stint. Staios also hasn't extended Ullmark, who's on track to reach free agency next summer, though contract talks could heat up this week.

Staios didn't need to swap Jakob Chychrun, Erik Brannstrom, or another decent player to land his desired goalie. More moves will follow as he attempts to reshape and upgrade the Ottawa defense corps.

Grade: A- (could be A if Ullmark extends)

Bruins

The No. 25 pick comes late in the first round, Kastelic is a physical but pedestrian depth center, and Korpisalo's lighter cap charge will still sting if he performs like he did in Ottawa.

Despite the meager return, the trade contains silver linings for the Bruins, notably that they'll get to draft in Round 1 for just the second time in five years. Renting Tyler Bertuzzi for one playoff round in 2023 cost Boston this selection before the Detroit Red Wings flipped it to Ottawa for Alex DeBrincat.

Moving Ullmark creates current and future cap space for Boston and signals belief, faint as it may be, that Korpisalo can be better. The strength of the Bruins' defensive structure helped Jeremy Swayman, the new undisputed starter, record a .950 save percentage in the series win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Head coach Jim Montgomery can shelter Korpisalo, a luxury Ottawa didn't enjoy, and deploy him strategically against worse teams.

Market forces weakened Boston's bargaining power. Potential Ullmark suitors disappeared when the New Jersey Devils traded for Jacob Markstrom, a proven workhorse, and the Los Angeles Kings picked up veteran stopgap Darcy Kuemper. Bruins GM Don Sweeney recouped a draft asset but wound up with the shakiest goalie of the bunch.

Grade: C-

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.

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

Ten years have passed since Alec Martinez, a depth defenseman with the clutch gene, scored the last overtime clincher in a Stanley Cup Final.

Martinez struck in double OT against the Rangers to seal the Kings' second Cup triumph of the 2010s. He carried the puck out of the defensive zone, helped move it to Tyler Toffoli, and pumped the brakes at the bottom of the left faceoff circle, where he had space to pot a juicy rebound.

Martinez flung his stick and gloves as the horn blared in Los Angeles. Teammates raced to join the celebratory pile.

In the trophy's lifespan, OT winners have enlivened the end of 17 Cup Finals. These dramatic goals daze or anger the losing side while immortalizing the moment of conquest. In the famous tableaus they've produced, Bobby Orr took flight, Brett Hull's skate breached the blue paint, and Patrick Kane's low wrist shot vanished inside the net.

From the 1930s to the 2010s, at least one final per decade was settled in overtime. Some championship clinchers, like the spate scored in the '50s, touched twine in fast flurries. Others were separated by waits of 10-plus years.

Martinez's feat is bound to be replicated soon. Some glue guy or superstar will fulfill the classic childhood dream of netting the Stanley Cup winner when the stakes are highest.

Two early OT heroes were Hall of Fame forwards who refused to be fazed by a scheduling quirk. The staging of the famed Ringling Brothers circus at Madison Square Garden deprived the Rangers of home games in the 1933 and 1940 finals. Those series ended in Toronto on goals by New York's Bill Cook, who scored on a five-on-three power play, and Bryan Hextall - grandfather of Ron, the pugnacious goaltender, and Leah, the ESPN broadcaster.

In the Original Six era, a couple of Red Wings grinders stepped up in Game 7. A backhand flipped through traffic by Pete Babando, scorer of six regular-season goals, proved decisive in the 1950 playoff finale. The '54 Red Wings almost blew a 3-1 series lead, but Tony Leswick's shot from long distance fooled Gerry McNeil, the only goalie to lose multiple Cup Finals after regulation.

McNeil also allowed Bill Barilko's last goal. The 24-year-old Maple Leafs defensive stalwart pinched from the point and dove into a scramble to shovel in the backhand that won the 1951 final, which produced five straight OT classics. Barilko died that summer in a floatplane crash in the Northern Ontario bush, where his body lay until the wreckage was found in 1962.

Parallels connect certain OT clinchers, like those netted by defensemen to seal sweeps.

Orr - winner of the Hart, Norris, Art Ross, and Conn Smythe trophies in 1970 - finished a give-and-go to beat the Blues in the instant before he was tripped while raising his arms in glee. In 1996, Uwe Krupp's slapper in the sixth period of a scoreless dogfight with the Panthers capped the Avalanche's storybook first year in Colorado. Krupp tore up his knee in the season opener but rehabbed intensively to be part of the playoff run.

Other goals of this kind cemented dynasties. The Canadiens won the second of four straight Cups in the 1970s when Jacques Lemaire, the target of a netfront pass following a battle along the wall, snapped it past the outstretched leg of Bruins goalie Gerry Cheevers. In 1980, Bob Nystrom dashed behind a Flyers defender to redirect John Tonelli's feed inside the left post, completing the Islanders' first trip to the mountaintop.

Two infamous OT clinchers stoked controversy. Canadiens icon Henri Richard ended the Red Wings in the 1966 final by deflecting a pass over the goal line while being upended. Debate about the play's legality pitted Richard, who claimed the puck glanced off his knee, against Detroit goalie Roger Crozier, who failed to convince the referee that it was swept in by hand.

If video review existed, the grainy footage would have been inconclusive.

Hull, the former Stars sniper, enraged the Sabres in 1999 when he scored the latest Cup winner in any game. His goal at the 114-minute mark, which eluded a sprawling Dominik Hasek, was facilitated by the unmistakeable presence of Hull's left foot in the crease. The NHL's explanation - Hull entered it legally because he maintained possession of the puck - didn't satisfy Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff, who screamed at Gary Bettman at ice level.

Since 2000, the Cup's been up for grabs in nine games that required overtime. The trailing team in the matchup scored to prolong the final on six occasions.

Patrik Elias' masterful no-look feed teed up Jason Arnott's winner for the 2000 Devils. Arnott pinned a Stars forward's head to the ice earlier in overtime, but New Jersey killed the cross-checking minor to avoid being pushed to Game 7.

In 2010, Chicago's Brian Campbell denied a Flyers clearance attempt and got the puck to Kane, who snuck it under Michael Leighton's legs. Three Blackhawks in the vicinity - Kane, Patrick Sharp, and Nick Boynton - instantly rejoiced, prompting their teammates to blindly follow suit. One deceptive shot ended a 49-year Cup drought, stunned the Philadelphia crowd, and exhilarated everyone else who saw it.

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.

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

For one fabled night in the 1976 postseason, the Bruins couldn't stop Reggie Leach.

The Flyers sharpshooter wheeled down both wings to snap five pucks past Boston's Gilles Gilbert, exploiting the stand-up goaltending method that ruled the era. The flurry of backhands and wristers rifled by Leach off the rush sent the Broad Street Bullies to a third straight Stanley Cup Final. He only needed three rounds - Philadelphia earned an earlier bye as one of the NHL's top teams - to net 19 goals in 16 games, an enduring playoff record.

One explosive series helped Jari Kurri match Leach. The Oilers' Finnish sensation got to 19 goals in 18 outings by humbling the Black Hawks, written as two words at the time, in the 1985 conference finals. Kurri's three hat tricks and 12 tallies over six feverish games - the goal count in the round favored Edmonton 44-25 - caused suffering for Murray Bannerman, Chicago's occasional All-Star netminder.

Leach and Kurri set career highs in goals (61 and 71, respectively) in the years of their playoff outbursts. Swept in the Cup Final by the Canadiens' budding dynasty, Leach was the first and only skater to collect the Conn Smythe Trophy in a losing effort. Kurri's Oilers won their Cup series in five games.

Their durable record, held jointly for almost 40 years, is being pressured this spring. Zach Hyman, the pure finisher on Connor McDavid's wing, scored his 11th playoff goal in Edmonton's winner-take-all defeat of the Canucks. Hyman slipped behind fatigued defenders to tip Evan Bouchard's wrist shot and widen the lead that sealed an Oilers-Stars conference final.

Different Oilers flirt with the goals record annually. In 2022 and 2023, a sniper's blazing start fueled series triumphs but fizzled against a powerhouse opponent, making the mark unattainable. If Dallas shackles Hyman, he'll join Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane as Edmonton forwards who've followed this trajectory.

The road to 20 playoff goals is a sprint and a marathon. To threaten Leach and Kurri, a scorer's spree has to persist through to the Cup Final. Stumbling blocks crowd the route.

Two snipers exited this postseason for surprising reasons right before their clubs lost in the Western semis. Colorado's Valeri Nichushkin (nine goals) reportedly failed a drug test and was suspended for six months under the terms of the players' assistance program. Vancouver's Brock Boeser (seven goals) developed a blood clot.

Out east, the Rangers were teetering against the Hurricanes until Chris Kreider's natural hat trick in a nine-minute span set up New York's date with the Panthers in Round 3. He whacked in a rebound, redirected a point shot to the top corner, and freed up his stick to tap in a cross-crease feed.

Kreider and Hyman both dominate near the net. All seven of Kreider's goals and eight of Hyman's 11 have been scored from the low slot or inside the blue paint, per NHL EDGE. Firing in high volume, Hyman leads the postseason in shots on target (50 or 4.2 per game). He buries them at five-on-five and on the power play by keeping his blade on the ice, ready to one-time, graze, or push the puck over the line when the defense fixates on McDavid or Draisaitl.

Combined with some external twists of fate, Leach's relentlessness in 1976 - he scored in 10 straight games, with the ninth being the barrage against the Bruins - strengthened his hold on the record.

A dangerous challenger, Joe Sakic, entered the 1996 Cup Final with 17 goals but added only one more as the Avalanche swept the Panthers. In 1919, the influenza outbreak that killed a teammate and cut short the championship series limited Canadiens legend Newsy Lalonde to 17 goals in 10 appearances.

Four fantastic starts to recent postseasons proved unsustainable.

Draisaitl in 2023: Banked 13 goals through eight games, many with his lightning release from sharp angles. Draisaitl looked capable of surpassing Leach within a couple of rounds, only for the Golden Knights to blank him four straight times to hasten Edmonton's downfall.

Kane in 2022: Tallied five multi-goal games, including two hat tricks, for 12 goals through two series before the Oilers were steamrolled by the Avalanche. Kane was suspended for the elimination game for boarding Nazem Kadri.

Mark Scheifele in 2018: Bagged five multi-score games and 14 total goals before the expansion Golden Knights bounced the Jets in Round 3, which stopped him from equaling the high for goals in the salary-cap era (15) set by Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin during Cup runs.

Johan Franzen in 2008: Netted nine goals in a four-game demolition of Colorado but was knocked out of the next round with concussion-like symptoms. He ultimately returned in time to finish with 13 as the Red Wings clinched the title.

Another playoff scoring record - Wayne Gretzky's 47 points in 1985, when he dished 14 primary assists to Kurri - has been invincible for decades. Spurred by Gretzky's unstoppability, the Oilers averaged 5.44 goals in that postseason, and he became the last player to complete the Hart Trophy-Conn Smythe Trophy double.

A target to track in the coming weeks is 36 points - the high for this era that Evgeni Malkin achieved in 2009. Almost half of his output came in a six-game span as the young, ascendant Penguins rallied to stun the Capitals and sweep the Hurricanes en route to a Cup breakthrough.

Malkin's mark narrowly survived challenges from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nikita Kucherov when their teams lifted the chalice.

Averaging 1.5 points over 24 games, as Malkin did in '09, makes his milestone matchable. Several stars - McDavid, Draisaitl, Crosby, Jake Guentzel, Nathan MacKinnon, and David Pastrnak - bested that pace in recent years for a couple of rounds before their teams bowed out of the bracket prematurely.

Three Oilers top the current points leaderboard. Draisaitl (24 through 12 games), McDavid (21), and Bouchard (20) produced at ridiculous rates against the Kings and Canucks. If Edmonton beats Dallas to reach the final, they'll be in position to upstage Malkin's banner year.

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.

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

The Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers are deadlocked at two wins apiece. The goal count in the dramatic series is 14-14. The Round 2 matchup's now a best-of-three, and the squad that ticks these boxes in Game 5 and beyond will have the greater chance to advance.

Score by committee

The Oilers' reliance on six skaters has gotten extreme. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard, and Mattias Ekholm are all playing more than 23 minutes a night. This quintet partnered with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to score the bulk of Edmonton's goals (13) and points (35 of 40) in the series.

The Oilers' fifth through 12th forwards have three assists. Six passengers - Ryan McLeod, Warren Foegele, Dylan Holloway, Mattias Janmark, Corey Perry, and Connor Brown - went pointless through Game 4 while firing fewer shots on net together (14) than Hyman, Bouchard, and Draisaitl did individually. The nonexistence of help for Edmonton's stars has the potential to ruin the playoff run.

Vancouver's first and third lines - J.T. Miller between Brock Boeser and Pius Suter, Elias Lindholm between Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua - combine strong forechecking, playmaking, and sharpshooting. Defensemen notched points on 13 Canucks goals by moving the puck through the neutral zone, funnelling it into scoring areas, or, in Nikita Zadorov's case, joining the rush to bury it themselves.

Both teams are icing replacement netminders - Vancouver due to injury, Edmonton because of performance. Can Elias Pettersson, who's been held to one power-play tally, test Oilers journeyman Calvin Pickard? Will Foegele or Evander Kane, who were both 20-goal scorers, trouble rookie marvel Arturs Silovs?

Exploit secondary D pairs

Edmonton's up 7-2 in goals and has generated 75% of dangerous chances during Bouchard and Ekholm's shared shifts, per Natural Stat Trick. Vancouver's Quinn Hughes-Filip Hronek duo hasn't been scored on in 62 minutes of play.

While the top pairs deliver, others cling to the cliffside. The breakup of Cody Ceci and Darnell Nurse, witnesses to six Canucks goals through three games, strengthened the Oilers' defensive structure, but they were still responsible in Game 4 for a costly slipup (Nurse deflected a shot past Pickard) and regrettable missed tap-in (Ceci's misfire off the rush teed up a two-minute defensive shift for him and Brett Kulak).

Tyler Myers was tentative and backed away from the puck before Hyman scored in the series opener. The Oilers bagged goals in transition when Myers' partner - Carson Soucy in Game 2, Noah Juulsen in Game 4 - pinched to throw a fruitless hit. Edmonton's taken 78.3% of the shot attempts in Soucy-Myers shifts, suggesting that pair could be barraged Thursday when Soucy returns from his cross-checking suspension.

Pull away on special teams

Two factors have stopped the relentless Oilers power play (5-for-10 in the series, 14-for-30 in the postseason) from pushing Vancouver to the edge of elimination.

One is the Canucks' own PP prowess. They scored in Game 2 when Miller fed Pettersson on the weak side and struck twice in Game 3 thanks to Lindholm's dirty work in the bumper role. Sputtering during a double minor in Game 4 - the Canucks gave up seven clearances and a breakaway before they recorded a shot - hampered Vancouver's comeback attempt.

Some combination of disciplined defense and a shortfall of whistles has minimized Vancouver's time in the box. Edmonton's power-play opportunities are down from four per game in the first round to 2.5 in this matchup. For context, every NHL team averaged more than 2.5 man advantages this season.

Decisively win final frame

The trailing team has dictated play in each third period. Both rallied to complete a comeback - Vancouver in the thrilling opener, Edmonton in overtime of Game 2. Silovs' late heroics in Game 3 and leakiness on Bouchard's Game 4 winner proved decisive.

Cowing to the opponent's desperation, neither side has played confidently with the lead. Although Edmonton's shot advantage in third periods (49-21) is monumental, Vancouver's erased multiple two-goal cushions. Silovs' .939 save percentage in the stanza trumps the Oilers' ugly .762 team mark. That explains why Thatcher Demko has barely been missed.

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.

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

The Vancouver Canucks can double the Edmonton Oilers' deficit Friday in Game 2 of their second-round playoff clash. How these key players perform throughout the series will shape the final result.

J.T. Miller: Vancouver's offensive and spiritual leader said, then proved, that he savors the intensity of the postseason. Several Canucks are dynamic talents, but Miller - a 100-point, rough-and-tumble, defensively attentive center - drives the bus. His sweet tip incited Edmonton's Game 1 meltdown. Vancouver has quieted the Predators' and Oilers' top forward lines when Miller has been on the ice to shadow them.

Connor McDavid: The Hart Trophy finalist lacked burst in Game 1 and consistently failed to gain a step on Miller or Vancouver's tall, rangy, physical defensemen. McDavid didn't put a shot on net for just the 19th time in 700 NHL appearances (regular or postseason), per Stathead. For McDavid to dominate without firing the puck, his stickhandling has to mesmerize the defense and open passing lanes.

Arturs Silovs: Thatcher Demko's injury didn't sink the Canucks in the Nashville matchup because Silovs and Casey DeSmith authored a joint .928 save percentage. It still feels precarious to deploy a fledgling rookie against McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. To help Silovs in Game 1, Vancouver battened the hatches, crowded the neutral and defensive zones, and held Edmonton to 18 shots, including none for 23 minutes as the lead changed hands.

Evander Kane: The 15-year vet has shown he can score in bunches and pelt the net with shots. Kane recorded five multi-goal playoff games in 2022, and his 3.33 shots per night rank third on the Oilers this spring. His chips off the boards during zone entries have led to goals in Edmonton's last two games. He's quick, creative, and capable of sparking offense when it's sorely needed.

Elias Lindholm: The disruptive Lindholm line - Dakota Joshua and Conor Garland flank him - netted three goals in both Canucks series openers. Lindholm made that possible by winning faceoffs, forechecking doggedly, and skating to the crease. The January acquisition has bought time for Elias Pettersson, who remains goalless on 11 shots through seven playoff games, to awake from his slumber.

Evan Bouchard: The dismal series debut of the Cody Ceci-Darnell Nurse pairing - which was next to the puck on four Canucks goals - puts pressure on Bouchard to be steady. Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm have allowed half as many dangerous shot attempts in the playoffs as Ceci and Nurse, per Natural Stat Trick. On the power play, Bouchard's forceful slapper could begin to trouble Silovs if the Oilers can draw more than one penalty.

Tyler Myers: The Canucks ask Myers and Carson Soucy to defend intimidating lines, be it Ryan O'Reilly's or McDavid's trio. Despite conceding good looks, they've only been scored on twice in the playoffs, including when Myers let Zach Hyman waltz to the faceoff dot to beat Silovs five-hole. Vancouver's defense hums when Myers douses more fires than he creates and Quinn Hughes and Nikita Zadorov race up ice to produce points.

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.

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

The Vancouver Canucks can double the Edmonton Oilers' deficit Friday in Game 2 of their second-round playoff clash. How these key players perform throughout the series will shape the final result.

J.T. Miller: Vancouver's offensive and spiritual leader said, then proved, that he savors the intensity of the postseason. Several Canucks are dynamic talents, but Miller - a 100-point, rough-and-tumble, defensively attentive center - drives the bus. His sweet tip incited Edmonton's Game 1 meltdown. Vancouver has quieted the Predators' and Oilers' top forward lines when Miller has been on the ice to shadow them.

Connor McDavid: The Hart Trophy finalist lacked burst in Game 1 and consistently failed to gain a step on Miller or Vancouver's tall, rangy, physical defensemen. McDavid didn't put a shot on net for just the 19th time in 700 NHL appearances (regular or postseason), per Stathead. For McDavid to dominate without firing the puck, his stickhandling has to mesmerize the defense and open passing lanes.

Arturs Silovs: Thatcher Demko's injury didn't sink the Canucks in the Nashville matchup because Silovs and Casey DeSmith authored a joint .928 save percentage. It still feels precarious to deploy a fledgling rookie against McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. To help Silovs in Game 1, Vancouver battened the hatches, crowded the neutral and defensive zones, and held Edmonton to 18 shots, including none for 23 minutes as the lead changed hands.

Evander Kane: The 15-year vet has shown he can score in bunches and pelt the net with shots. Kane recorded five multi-goal playoff games in 2022, and his 3.33 shots per night rank third on the Oilers this spring. His chips off the boards during zone entries have led to goals in Edmonton's last two games. He's quick, creative, and capable of sparking offense when it's sorely needed.

Elias Lindholm: The disruptive Lindholm line - Dakota Joshua and Conor Garland flank him - netted three goals in both Canucks series openers. Lindholm made that possible by winning faceoffs, forechecking doggedly, and skating to the crease. The January acquisition has bought time for Elias Pettersson, who remains goalless on 11 shots through seven playoff games, to awake from his slumber.

Evan Bouchard: The dismal series debut of the Cody Ceci-Darnell Nurse pairing - which was next to the puck on four Canucks goals - puts pressure on Bouchard to be steady. Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm have allowed half as many dangerous shot attempts in the playoffs as Ceci and Nurse, per Natural Stat Trick. On the power play, Bouchard's forceful slapper could begin to trouble Silovs if the Oilers can draw more than one penalty.

Tyler Myers: The Canucks ask Myers and Carson Soucy to defend intimidating lines, be it Ryan O'Reilly's or McDavid's trio. Despite conceding good looks, they've only been scored on twice in the playoffs, including when Myers let Zach Hyman waltz to the faceoff dot to beat Silovs five-hole. Vancouver's defense hums when Myers douses more fires than he creates and Quinn Hughes and Nikita Zadorov race up ice to produce points.

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.

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

Elias Lindholm was an NHL All-Star in February, then struggled to live up to the billing. Dealt to Vancouver on the eve of the midseason showcase, Lindholm scored 12 points in 26 games and missed weeks with a wrist injury as the Canucks slipped out of Presidents' Trophy contention.

They still made the playoffs comfortably, giving Lindholm a platform to shine. The Canucks' third-line center sniped their icebreaking goal against the Predators. His faceoff win and hustle on the forecheck created linemate Dakota Joshua's Game 1 winner. In Game 4's overtime, Lindholm's one-timer at the foot of the crease completed a furious comeback, pushed Vancouver to the brink of advancing, and demonstrated why he was a trade target.

To keep pace in an arms race, most Western Conference playoff teams swapped future first-round draft picks for instant help. Lindholm and four fellow pending unrestricted free agents - Avalanche defenseman Sean Walker, Jets center Sean Monahan, and the Oilers' Adam Henrique-Sam Carrick forward duo - commanded that price ahead of the deadline. The Golden Knights surrendered firsts for Noah Hanifin and Tomas Hertl, and both are signed into the 2030s.

A lot rides on these moves. Rentals can swing a tight matchup or sag under the pressure to contribute, doing little to justify the steep acquisition cost. Teams that trade their upcoming first-rounder risk losing a decent selection if they bomb out of the playoffs. Reaching the conference final or Stanley Cup Final, which lowers the draft pick to the end of the round, makes the gambit worthwhile, though winning it all is the obvious goal.

Henrique pitched in to help the Oilers oust the Kings with a rip under the crossbar in the series opener. Edmonton's nine power-play goals, plus a couple scored right after penalties expired, relieved Henrique of the need to do much else. The versatile 34-year-old has the shot and instincts to own some future clutch moment, either while riding shotgun on Connor McDavid's line or at center in a reconfigured bottom six.

The Golden Knights trail the Stars 3-2 in a Round 1 slugfest. In Wednesday's close Dallas win, Hanifin floated a point shot for his third power-play assist of the series and made an assertive stick check to foil a two-on-one, showcasing his two-way value. Hertl threatened to light the lamp on Jack Eichel's wing but is running out of time to bury pucks. Vegas has been heavily outchanced and outscored 4-0 in Hertl's five-on-five shifts, per Natural Stat Trick.

Colorado's elimination of Winnipeg showed the ups and downs of renting. Walker's ability to skate and spark breakouts on the third defense pair offset the potential downside of trading Bowen Byram for Casey Mittelstadt, who's become a key playmaker up front in the relentless Avalanche attack. Monahan managed one power-play helper in the Jets' defeat, disappointing in his brief stint as second-line center.

Over the past 10 years, 62 players were acquired in-season for packages involving their new team's first-round pick, according to CapFriendly's historical trade tracker. These big bets, executed with urgency before the deadline, were varyingly effective.

Parting with draft assets helped recent champions triumph. Although Vegas missed the playoffs in the season of the Eichel blockbuster, he was the postseason points leader during last year's trip to the mountaintop. The star-laden Lightning brought in complementary pieces over several years, reaching a final with Brandon Hagel after Braydon Coburn, Barclay Goodrow, Ryan McDonagh, and David Savard stuck around to win Cups.

The Blackhawks' deadline addition of third-line center Antoine Vermette, a pure rental, looked genius when he netted multiple game-winners in the 2015 Cup Final. Other champs wheeled and dealed in the offseason. The Avalanche got Darcy Kuemper, the Blues bagged Ryan O'Reilly, and the Penguins procured Phil Kessel for first-round picks in the summers before Cup victories.

First-rounders were swapped like candy in 2023, producing mixed results.

Mattias Ekholm, the steady hand of the Oilers' stellar top pair, continues to tilt the ice with defense partner Evan Bouchard. Retaining Vladislav Gavrikov didn't spur a Kings playoff run. Most Maple Leafs and Bruins reinforcements promptly departed, though Boston's addition and eight-year extension of Hampus Lindholm in 2022 constituted a masterstroke.

Along those lines, Timo Meier has seven more seasons under contract to help the Devils rediscover their oomph. The five picks the Lightning offloaded for depth winger Tanner Jeannot are dearly missed. It could be worse: The Senators haven't been a playoff squad since 2017 despite splurging high picks to land Matt Duchene, Alex DeBrincat, and Jakob Chychrun.

Recipients of first-rounders have ammo to make another move. The Lightning fetched Blake Coleman, a glue guy in both Cup lineups, for a Canucks pick that was part of their J.T. Miller swap. Trading Bo Horvat in 2023 let Vancouver acquire Filip Hronek, who empowered partner Quinn Hughes to chase this season's Norris Trophy. Icing the right mix of players is worth a steep price, especially when another team helps foot the bill.

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.

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

At Oilers home playoff games, anthem singer Robert Clark holds his microphone aloft as the Edmonton crowd belts "O Canada" in unison. When the music ends and the arena brightens for puck drop, the floodgates open.

Paced by Connor McDavid's transcendent production, the Oilers outscored the Kings 18-10 to take a 3-1 first-round series chokehold. Anything can happen offensively when McDavid or Leon Draisaitl has the puck. For years, the team's defense has been about as volatile.

The Oilers routinely play delirious, uniquely high-scoring playoff games, home and away. To watch Edmonton in this era is to see both goalies barraged. Since the Oilers' current playoff streak began in 2020, their average game has produced the most total goals. The Kings, their recurring opponent in Round 1, trail closely behind.

Game 4 in Los Angeles on Sunday, an unusually subdued 1-0 Edmonton win, was the Oilers' 40th postseason contest since 2020. In that time, different exploits strengthened and sabotaged their Stanley Cup potential.

Over the 40-game span, the Oilers:

◾️ Scored at least four goals in 24 games - a healthy majority of their playoff outings - but managed to lose eight of those matchups, including by 9-6, 8-6, and 6-5 scores.

◾️ Lost twice despite scoring three power-play goals, and lost another despite scoring twice on the power play and once shorthanded.

◾️ Bagged a league-best 1.15 power-play goals per game.

◾️ Thrashed the Kings 8-2, 7-4, 6-1, and 6-0.

◾️ Witnessed McDavid and Draisaitl raise their playoff scoring averages to 1.60 points - 0.01 behind the great Mario Lemieux on the career leaderboard.

◾️ Won McDavid's five-assist dissection of the Kings in last week's series opener but lost his four-point game against the 2022 Flames, squandered Draisaitl's four-assist effort against the 2022 Avalanche, and wasted Draisaitl's four-goal outburst against the 2023 Golden Knights.

◾️ Pushed the 2022 Flames to the brink of elimination despite letting in a shorthanded goal slapped from Calgary's defensive zone.

◾️ Blew enough leads to suffer an NHL-high 10 defeats when scoring first.

◾️ Dropped eight of 10 overtime contests - five times by letting in the winner within the first 4:06 of the extra period.

◾️ Recorded and inflicted some cringeworthy save percentages.

The combination of relentless offense and leaky defense grips viewers. Fans can't look away. If there's time on the clock, Edmonton's deficits and leads seem surmountable.

Early in this year's series, the Kings scored on a slo-mo ricochet off Darnell Nurse's foot, a tic-tac passing sequence after Cody Ceci's stick snapped, and defenseman Drew Doughty's chaotic breakaway. Edmonton's heartier defensive stand in Games 3 and 4 - Stuart Skinner saved 60 of 61 shots - was meaningful. Sunday's road win showed these Oilers can grind, count on Skinner to be in position, and bide time to find and exploit a defensive hole.

Edmonton's eight power-play goals on 15 tries have mostly been tap-ins or one-timers set up by McDavid or Draisaitl. Zach Hyman, an eager recipient of their cross-ice feeds, has netted one fewer goal (six) than his lifeless former team, the Maple Leafs, has collectively. Skinner's first playoff shutout was unexpected, but if he foils chances for rounds to come, the Oilers might finally maximize the return on all this scoring.

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.

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

Most NHL scoring records and rare feats inevitably trace back to Wayne Gretzky. He was the last MVP of a regular season to earn the parallel playoff honor. The Oilers icon took home the Hart and Conn Smythe Trophies in 1985, plus the Stanley Cup, by collecting 255 points (seriously) across both phases of the schedule.

We're a long way from knowing the next winner of either award, partly because the Hart race was a bloodbath. No identifiable favorite, much less a shoo-in, headlines the stacked field. The outlandish stats of four superstar forwards - Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, and Auston Matthews - created an epic competition.

Around the league, average goal-scoring slipped to a three-year low, but the top of the player leaderboard recalled Gretzky's freewheeling era.

This was the first year since 1996 to feature a 70-goal chase. Two playmakers dished 100 assists for the first time since Gretzky and Mario Lemieux did in 1989. MacKinnon was the second player this century, mirroring McDavid last year, to achieve the 50-goal, 80-helper combo.

Prizing that balance, theScore's mock panel cast first-place votes for MacKinnon on five of six MVP ballots. Everyone in the quartet placed second on a ballot, reflecting the difficulty of the choice. The snub of a compelling candidate will irk fans when the three actual Hart finalists are announced May 7.

In the meantime, the postseason is a blank canvas. Point counts reset, and the expectation to dominate intensifies. The fortunes of the Hart protagonists diverged in the past week. Huge Game 3 wins Friday lifted McDavid's Oilers and MacKinnon's Avalanche to 2-1 series leads, while Matthews' Maple Leafs (down 2-1 to Bruins) and Kucherov's Lightning (winless in three against Panthers) face deficits.

On a mission to crush the Kings, McDavid and Leon Draisaitl both raised their career playoff scoring averages to 1.62 points, vaulting Lemieux for second all time. McDavid's turbocharged dangles and assertive cuts to the net open lanes for filthy passes to Zach Hyman, who's already bagged six goals. The puck movement of the Oilers' power play makes heads swivel. That unit's absurd 7-for-14 conversion rate has offset Edmonton's defensive lapses.

MacKinnon and his quick-strike supporting cast deluged the Jets in the third frame of Friday's 6-2 rout. MacKinnon showed off his breathtaking acceleration, had several grade A chances on eight shots, and snapped one through Connor Hellebuyck's legs. The run-and-gun Avalanche are winning the stylistic clash against the league's stoutest defense. Until this matchup, Hellebuyck had never let in 15 goals in a three-game stretch in his NHL career.

Matthews' performance typifies Toronto in the postseason: there are two letdowns for every triumph. His clutch breakaway deke and pair of primary assists buried the Bruins in Game 2, but the Leafs stank in the opener and shriveled down the stretch of a close-fought Game 3. They've been outscored 5-1 on special teams. Jeremy Swayman's save percentage for Boston is .955.

Swayman and rotation partner Linus Ullmark have stoned 15 of Matthews' NHL-high 16 shots. He clanged a post in each Leafs loss - once on an open net, once on a two-on-one. He's engaged physically, throwing one fewer hit (17) than postseason leader Ryan Reaves, but his challenge will be to snipe as pressure escalates in the series. Matthews has two goals and seven points over 11 previous playoff games in which Toronto's been at risk of elimination.

In the lopsided Battle of Florida, the Panthers stripped Kucherov of the puck ahead of a breakaway or odd-man rush in all three Lightning defeats. The TNT broadcast crew repeatedly pointed out his visible dejection and frustration in Game 3 but predicted he'd start to dazzle soon.

If he does, it'll probably be too late. Kucherov's assists on three Steven Stamkos goals in the series failed to jolt a battle-tested former champion that looks unusually tentative and a step slow. In the Florida net, Sergei Bobrovsky keeps robbing Lightning shooters on Kucherov's patented cross-ice setups. The NHL's fifth 3-0 comeback won't be possible unless he responds with several multi-point efforts.

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.

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

On Feb. 16, the Vancouver Canucks led the NHL standings by a healthy margin as the three-quarter mark of the schedule neared. From that day forward, the Nashville Predators' scalding .768 points percentage topped the league. The Preds earned points in 18 straight games right after a sour stretch cost them a trip to U2's Las Vegas concert.

The unlikely turning point proved Nashville is dangerous, but Vancouver was better throughout the year for good reason. The Canucks' performance peaks when they assert advantages all over the ice, specifically in four segments of the lineup: goalie, No. 1 defenseman, one-two center punch, and the lower forward lines.

In net, Thatcher Demko's robbery of Anthony Beauvillier in the playoff opener signaled he was in rhythm following a long injury absence. The good vibes didn't last. Demko sat out the Canucks' 4-1 loss in Game 2 on Tuesday, reportedly with an injury to the same knee that was hurt before. He might not return this round, a potentially crippling blow.

Wobbly in relief, backup Casey DeSmith only faced 15 shots but was beaten on Beauvillier's wicked tip in the second minute, Filip Forsberg's slick roof job, and a rebound that Predators grinder Colton Sissons reached before Elias Pettersson. Juuse Saros' effort - some of his 17 stops were beauties - magnified the goaltending mismatch. The defensive wall in front of Saros blocked another 30 attempts in Nashville's workmanlike, series-knotting win.

Despite dominating possession, Vancouver noticeably wasn't sharp. Lateral passes designed to make Saros flail missed Canucks sticks and left the offensive zone. Cross-ice feeds to Pettersson on the power play fizzled out when he forced an extra pass on one scoring opportunity, then struck the side of the mesh on a one-timer.

Vancouver's 100-point centers - Pettersson cleared the milestone last season, and J.T. Miller did this year - combined for one assist and five shots on net through two home games. Pettersson's errant pass into his own zone handed Nashville possession before Sissons scored the backbreaker. Bluntly, Pettersson has to be smarter, and he needs to bury a chance soon.

Quinn Hughes solved Saros in Game 1. The 92-point dynamo received a low-high pass and instantly reversed the momentum, wiring a shot through bodies that Pius Suter grazed for the 2-2 goal. Hughes walked the line and fired 13 attempts in Game 2, but only three were on target. His head's in the right place.

Vancouver's tenacious third line swung the series opener. The strengths of big Dakota Joshua, feisty Conor Garland, and do-it-all center Elias Lindholm aligned on Joshua's game-winner, which became possible when Lindholm's strong forecheck helped Garland move the puck to the slot. The Canucks outscored teams 32-16 this season in Garland and Joshua's shared shifts, per Natural Stat Trick. They're always capable of tilting the ice.

Vancouver treaded water during Demko's last absence, winning seven of 14 games he missed. His .918 save percentage over 51 starts can't be replaced, but Adin Hill's fabled breakout showed backups can win rounds and championships with the right defensive support. DeSmith probably isn't Hill, but the Canucks have other answers to weather the storm.

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.

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