After a Game 4 win over the Colorado Avalanche in which Wyatt Johnston was the primary difference-maker, Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer couldn't stop gushing about his impact on the team.
"He was all over the rink," DeBoer said, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "Just fantastic. A fantastic, young hockey player that is going to be a cornerstone, and I have no doubt (he) will wear a letter probably sooner than later for this franchise. Just an incredible kid."
Johnston, who turned 21 Tuesday, is tied for second in the playoff goals race with seven and ranks second on Dallas with 11 points in 11 games. He logged two goals and an assist Monday to help the Stars grab a 3-1 series lead over the Avs.
Johnston is getting it done in all situations, too. He's the third-youngest player in NHL history to score a shorthanded and power-play goal in the same playoff game, behind Glen Wesley and Wayne Gretzky, according to Statscentre.
Additionally, Johnston is the eighth player ever to reach 10 or more playoff goals before turning 21, and he's only the third skater to have four postseason game-winners prior to turning the same age, per NHL public relations. Jaromir Jagr (five) is the only player to have more.
Johnston was drafted 23rd overall by the Stars in 2021. He's the draft class' leading scorer with 106 points in 164 regular-season games.
"It's been a pretty cool a couple of years," Johnston said, "And I'm just really thankful and just so happy to have met some amazing people on the way and just have a chance to be with the Stars and just kind of being around some amazing people."
Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday in Dallas with the Stars on the verge of advancing to the Western Conference Final.
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney is calling for more transparency from the NHL and its officials after Sam Bennett's controversial goal became the primary storyline from Boston's Game 4 loss to the Florida Panthers.
"Those questions should be directed either at the director or supervisor of officials, supervisor series, and/or the officials," Sweeney said Monday, according to WEEI. "You want full access and transparency? Then put the officials in front of the microphone."
He added: "We're not in a position to be criticizing the officials. That's standard protocol. We'll get fined as a result of that, so there's no intention on my point to be critical."
Bennett pushed Bruins forward Charlie Coyle into goaltender Jeremy Swayman before potting the equalizer in the second period of Sunday's game. The Panthers went on to win the contest and take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
After review, Sam Bennett's equalizer will stand and the Panthers tie it up! đ pic.twitter.com/1TqlbHRbwj
The Bruins challenged the play to no avail, and the league's official review supported the call on the ice after it was upheld.
"A player, a coach, you ask them about critical plays, good or bad. The people making decisions should explain them," Sweeney said, according to Ty Anderson of 985 Sports. "It's as simple as that."
Bennett's goal was his second hotly debated incident of the series after he escaped discipline for a hit that injured Brad Marchand in Game 3.
Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday in Florida, with the Panthers one victory from advancing to their second consecutive Eastern Conference Final.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have met with Craig Berube and Todd McLellan as part of their search for a new head coach, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.
Berube was fired by the St. Louis Blues in December, while McLellan was let go by the Los Angeles Kings in February. The Leafs relieved Sheldon Keefe of his duties last week after his fourth first-round exit in five years on the job.
After firing Keefe, Toronto general manager Brad Treliving said the club's coaching search will begin immediately. At a press conference Friday, Treliving noted he's seeking a bench boss that can help Leafs players with the intangibles it takes to win in the playoffs.
Berube was with the Blues for parts of six seasons, amassing a 206-132-44 record. He helped guide St. Louis to the Stanley Cup in 2019 despite the club sitting at the bottom of the league standings when he took over.
The 58-year-old also had a two-year stint with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2013-15.
McLellan has led the San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, and Kings dating back to the start of his head coaching career in 2008. He's 598-412-134 across 16 years and has earned nine playoff berths. The 56-year-old is a two-time Jack Adams Award finalist.
Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl opted not to credit Arturs Silovs' performance after Sunday's Game 3 despite the Vancouver Canucks goaltender shining in a 42-save victory.
"Post is not good goaltending," Draisaitl said after the Oilers' 4-3 loss to fall 2-1 in their second-round series. "We can certainly do a better job of bearing down and capitalizing on our looks."
Edmonton controlled 65.25% of the shot attempts, 63.41% of the scoring chances, and 62.73% of the expected goals in Game 3 while carrying a significant advantage during five-on-five play. But the Oilers struggled to make the most of their opportunities by ringing it off the post several times.
Draisaitl produced a goal, an assist, and five shots in nearly 30 minutes of ice time in the loss.
"I thought we were the better team, for the most part," Draisaitl said. "In my eyes, it should have resulted in a win, but you know that's not the way hockey works sometimes. We'll just regroup and get ready for Game 4."
The Canucks converted four goals on 18 shots, prompting the Oilers to pull Stuart Skinner for Calvin Pickard to start the third period. Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch said postgame that he believes Skinner will bounce back.
"We need more saves," Knoblauch said, per NHL.com's Gerry Moddejonge. "Tonight's one that he would like to have back, and we'll see what he's got in the future, whether that's Game 4 or Game 5 or whatever it is. But we'll be seeing Stu again, and I have no doubt that he'll respond and play well."
Skinner's save percentage is down to .877 in eight games this postseason. Silovs is operating on a .908 clip since being thrust into goal in the first round after injuries to Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith.
The Toronto Maple Leafs' brain trust faced the media Friday after another early playoff exit, addressing concerns about the state of the franchise.
Recently hired Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) CEO Keith Pelley, president Brendan Shanahan, and general manager Brad Treliving fielded the questions on everyone's minds heading into what projects to be a busy offseason in Toronto.
Here are the key points.
Shanahan's job security
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
Shanahan was widely believed to be on the hot seat this summer but will retain his role.
"Brendan Shanahan is the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He's a champion," Pelley said, referencing Shanahan's playing days.
Shanahan was hired by the Maple Leafs in 2014. He declined to comment on his current contract but vowed it won't become a distraction for the team.
The core
Kevin Sousa / National Hockey League / Getty
After years of unrelenting faith in his club's core, Shanahan struck a different tune when asked if a blockbuster trade might be coming.
"We will look at everything this summer and consider everything this summer," Shanahan said.
He added: "There's a time where you look at the age and the development of players, and you talk about patience. Then there comes a time when you see certain patterns and trends repeat themselves, results repeat themselves. And that's what we have to do this summer."
Shanahan declined to talk about specific players, but Mitch Marner and John Tavares are the most common names involved in trade rumors. Both players have full no-trade clauses but are entering the final season of their respective contracts while Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly are in the midst of long-term deals.
"There comes a time where you have to say that you have new information to you, the information has evolved, and you have to adjust your way of thinking," Shanahan said. "I know the desire is there. I can tell you that every player that has been here the entire time wants to win in Toronto."
He continued: "I don't question their dedication, but I do question our ability as a group to get it done in those difficult times."
Coaching search and stylistic changes
Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images
Unsurprisingly, the Leafs' executives were asked about the club's next head coach after firing Sheldon Keefe on Thursday. Shanahan said whoever they bring in to run the bench will have a say in any major personnel decisions, while Treliving didn't tip his hand on any targets.
"There's some good coaching candidates out there, we intend to explore them," the general manager said. "I'm not going to get into specific individuals. As far as a timeline, we want to be thorough, but we also understand there's other openings."
After managing only 12 goals in their series against the Boston Bruins, Treliving made it clear that the Leafs need to make adjustments to create more offense in the playoffs.
"You score differently in the playoffs than you do in the regular season," he said. "So is it systematic? Is it personnel? I think most of us in this room would understand it's more difficult, you're defended harder, you're played against harder in the playoffs. So we haven't scored enough, our special teams haven't been good enough ... and we seem to be turning the other team's goalie into the first star every night."
He continued: "There's some things in this sport, in our games especially this time of year, that are not related to skill, but they help you win. That's not to say you've got to get rid of skill. You need skill, you need talent. You need that to win, but to me, we need a voice that can bring that out."
Winning culture
Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / Getty
Pelley, who was brought aboard in January, made his desire to help turn the Maple Leafs into a winning organization clear.
"Good is simply not good enough," he said. "We need to win. Nothing else matters. No doubt youâve heard that before. But I am a thousand percent committed to it."
The CEO added: "I cannot comment on what has transpired over the last number of years, but I can tell you that chemistry and unity is the critical components that add with skill in order to be successful. And winning is winning the Stanley Cup."
Playoff injuries
Claus Andersen / Getty Images
Treliving unwrapped some of the mystery surrounding injuries to key Leafs in the playoffs.
Matthews, who missed Games 5 and 6, became ill with a virus after Game 2. In Game 4, he sustained a hit that caused a head injury.
Goaltender Joseph Woll sprained his back in his Game 6 victory, making him unavailable for the series finale.
Bobby McMann sustained an MCL sprain in Toronto's third-last regular season game and was given a recovery timeline of six-to-seven weeks.
Connor Dewar, a restricted free agent this summer, underwent shoulder surgery and is expected to be ready for training camp.
Treliving backed Woll as Toronto's goalie of the future with Ilya Samsonov set to hit unrestricted free agency.
"I've got faith in Joe," the executive said. "The biggest question with Joe is he's gotten injured a lot. We have to dig into that."
The New Jersey Devils have received permission from the Toronto Maple Leafs to speak with Sheldon Keefe about their head coaching vacancy, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
The Maple Leafs fired Keefe on Thursday, while the Devils axed Lindy Ruff during the season, turning to Travis Green on an interim basis. The Ottawa Senators hired Green to be their new head coach earlier this week.
Toronto signed Keefe to a two-year extension in 2023 that hadn't kicked in before he was relieved of his duties.
Keefe replaced Mike Babcock behind Toronto's bench in November 2019, marking his first NHL gig after four years with the AHL's Marlies. He led the Maple Leafs to an impressive 212-97-40 regular-season record but was let go after failing to advance past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth time in five tries.
The Devils regressed from 112 points in 2022-23 to 81 points this past season. New Jersey was done in by injuries to key players and poor goaltending, which general manager Tom Fitzgerald vowed to address this offseason.
The Maple Leafs and Devils make up two of the league's six head coach openings. The Los Angeles Kings, Seattle Kraken, Winnipeg Jets, and San Jose Sharks are also in the market for a new bench boss.
The Carolina Hurricanes will start goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov for Thursday's crucial Game 3 against the New York Rangers, head coach Rod Brind'Amour announced.
Frederik Andersen had started every Carolina playoff game this year before the switch. He went 4-1 with a .912 save percentage against the New York Islanders in Round 1 but has allowed eight goals in two losses to open the series against the Rangers while counterpart Igor Shesterkin has shined.
Kochetkov was Carolina's most-used goaltender this season with 40 starts, but he took a back seat to Andersen after the veteran returned from a blood clotting issue that sidelined him for most of the campaign.
Kochetkov was 23-13-4 with four shutouts and a .911 save percentage in the regular season. He's 1-3 lifetime in the playoffs with an .858 clip.
Puck drop for Game 3 is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET with New York leading the series 2-0.
The Toronto Maple Leafs fired head coach Sheldon Keefe after five seasons with the club, the team announced Thursday.
Decisions on the rest of the coaching staff are still to come.
"Today's decision was difficult," general manager Brad Treliving said in a statement. "Sheldon is an excellent coach and a great man; however, we determined a new voice is needed to help the team push through to reach our ultimate goal. We thank Sheldon for his hard work and dedication to the organization over the last nine years, and wish him and his family all the very best."
Keefe signed a two-year extension last August that hadn't kicked in yet. The 43-year-old took to X to express his gratitude hours after news of his firing broke.
Keefe's dismissal comes after yet another early playoff exit for the Maple Leafs. Toronto lost to the Boston Bruins in overtime of Game 7 last week for its seventh opening-round elimination in eight years, and fourth in five years under Keefe.
The Maple Leafs accrued the fourth-most points of any team across the NHL since Keefe took over in November 2019, going 212-97-40. However, the club only won one playoff round under his guidance, a first-round victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023.
The cumulative stats of Keefe's tenure show Toronto became a far less potent team in the postseason.
Regular season
Stat
Playoffs
212-97-40
Record
16-21
3.55
Goals for per-game
2.62
2.93
Goals against per-game
2.76
24.9%
Power play
15.4%
80.1%
Penalty kill
78.8%
Keefe's gig with Toronto was his first in the NHL.
The Leafs will begin their search for a new coach immediately. Five other coaching vacancies across the NHL also need to be filled: the New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, Seattle Kraken, Winnipeg Jets, and San Jose Sharks.
There have now been 19 head coaching changes across the NHL since the end of the 2022-23 season, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
Stuart Skinner knows the Edmonton Oilers let one slip away in Wednesday's Game 1 collapse against the Vancouver Canucks.
"We definitely gave them this one," the netminder said after the loss, per Sportsnet's Mark Spector.
Edmonton led 4-1 late in the middle frame and then surrendered four unanswered Vancouver goals, including three in the final ten minutes of the third period.
"When you get up, you can't just shut it down and hope that we're going to be able to stifle teams," Skinner said. "You know that Vancouver is going to bring it. There's definitely a lesson learned here for us: no matter what the score is, you've got to know that the other team is not going to just let you win."
Skinner had a strong opening round, going 4-1 with a .910 save percentage and a shutout against the Los Angeles Kings. He allowed five goals on 24 shots in the opener against the Canucks, but head coach Kris Knoblauch expects a bounce-back effort in the next matchup.
"Stu has won us so many games; he's played so spectacular through the year," he said. "There are going to be games that arenât his 'A' game, and he'll be the first to admit today wasnât his 'A' game."
Skinner rebounded from a subpar start to his regular season when Knoblauch took over behind the bench in Edmonton, going 34-11-4 from mid-November onward.
Game 2 is scheduled for Friday night at 10 p.m. ET.
Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas had some choice words for Jacob Trouba after his viral near-collision with the New York Rangers defenseman in Game 2.
Trouba attempted to hit Necas early in the first overtime period but went flying into the boards as the winger ducked away.
"Elbow me in the head, I guess," Necas responded when asked about Trouba's intentions, The Hockey News' Ryan Henkel. "Maybe he was protecting himself from going into the boards, but he knows. He knows. Everyone knows what kind of player he is.
"I mean, good for him. Nothing happened. We're all good, and I'm excited for the next game."
Necas added: "In the moment, I didn't even see what happened. I saw it on a replay after the game. I mean, it's whatever. Good for him, he ran into the boards head first."
Trouba is widely regarded as one of the league's most physical defensemen. He's been involved in several controversial plays during his Rangers tenure.
New York won Game 2 in the second overtime period on a goal from Vincent Trocheck. The Rangers lead the series 2-0 as it shifts to Carolina.
