Alex Nedeljkovic is returning to the crease.

The 25-year-old is starting for the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, his club confirmed.

Nedeljkovic started Games 1 and 2 of the series, losing both contests 2-1 before Petr Mrazek took over for the next two. Carolina won Game 3 in overtime but lost Game 4 by a 6-4 margin as Tampa Bay grabbed a 3-1 series lead. Mrazek allowed six goals on 26 shots in Game 4.

The 29-year-old Mrazek has posted a .873 save percentage while surrendering eight goals on 63 shots during this series. Nedeljkovic stopped 41 of the 45 shots he faced in the first two contests for a save percentage of .911.

Nedeljkovic is a finalist for the Calder Trophy - awarded annually to the NHL's top rookie - this season.

The Hurricanes also have a pair of key forwards returning from injury in Game 5.

Vincent Trocheck is back in the lineup after he collided with teammate Warren Foegele in Game 2. Nino Niederreiter is playing for the first time during the second-round matchup. He was a late scratch for Game 1 due to an upper-body ailment. Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour had said Niederreiter was "very, very doubtful" to play in Round 2.

Meanwhile, Foegele isn't in the lineup for Game 5. He was hurt in Game 3 and didn't return, then he played 14:25 in Game 4.

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Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy has been fined $25,000 for criticizing officials after Game 5 versus the New York Islanders on Monday night, the league announced.

Cassidy implied his second-round opponent gets preferential treatment from the officiating crew.

"I think they sell a narrative over there that it's more like the New York Saints, not the New York Islanders. They play hard, they play the right way, but I feel we're the same way. And the exact calls that are getting called on us do not get called on them, and I don't know why," Cassidy said after the loss.

"Maybe we need to sell them more, flop, but that's not us," he added. "You'd just hope they see them. I mean the same calls go against us. It's not like I'm sitting there going 'well every call against us sucks,' it's not true.

"... They need to be penalized on those plays. They've done a great job selling that narrative that they're clean. ... They commit as many infractions as we do, trust me. It's just a matter of calling them. That's the part that I guess gets frustrating but you play through it."

Boston was penalized four times in the contest, and New York made the most of its opportunities while converting three power-play tallies to take a 3-2 series lead. The Bruins were given two-man advantages in the game.

After taking the hit to his wallet, Cassidy stated he believes what he said was fair.

"We're told before we have to keep our comments civil. I thought it was. They didn't see it that way," the coach said Tuesday, per The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa.

Islanders head coach Barry Trotz was also critical of the officiating after Game 4.

Game 6 is slated for Wednesday in New York.

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Nazem Kadri's eight-game suspension was upheld by a neutral arbitrator, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.

The Colorado Avalanche forward received an eight-game ban after a hit to the head of St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk in Game 2 of the club's first-round series. It marked the sixth suspension of Kadri's career.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman upheld the Department of Player Safety's ruling May 31, prompting the appeal to a neutral arbitrator.

Kadri is eligible to return to Colorado's lineup no sooner than a potential Game 7 versus the Vegas Golden Knights. The series is tied 2-2 with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday night.

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Tyler Toffoli and the Montreal Canadiens are perfectly content ignoring the detractors of their unlikely playoff run as they await their Round 3 opponent.

"It kind of feels like nobody believes in us," Toffoli said Monday after Montreal completed a second-round sweep of the Winnipeg Jets, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "The only people we have are ourselves and our fans, which clearly - with the small amount of fans in the building it sounded a lot more than what it was - are behind us, and our friends and family.

"We're sticking together. We're playing as one, and we're winning games and having fun."

Toffoli, 29, scored the overtime winner in Game 4 to send the Canadiens to a semifinal series against either the Colorado Avalanche or the Vegas Golden Knights. The electrifying tally cemented a seventh consecutive playoff win for a Montreal team that hasn't trailed for 437:34 - an impressive streak that dates back to Game 4 of the Canadiens' first-round versus the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"These guys are playing as well as any team has ever played," said Montreal goaltender Carey Price.

The Canadiens thoroughly dominated the Jets in Round 2, outscoring them 14-6 while controlling 52.69% of shot attempts, 58.37% of scoring chances, and 63.74% of expected goals in all situations, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Montreal will be making its first Round 3 appearance since 2014.

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The Montreal Canadiens appear to be a team of destiny.

Montreal is heading to the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after completing a sweep of the Winnipeg Jets with a 3-2 overtime win in Game 4 of their second-round series.

The Habs, who were the final team to qualify for the postseason, have now won seven straight playoff games. They never trailed in the series and haven't been behind since Game 4 of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a span of 437 minutes and 53 seconds. That's the second-longest streak without trailing in a single postseason in NHL history.

Tyler Toffoli scored the winner 1:39 into OT with a beautiful one-timer set up by rookie Cole Caufield. The goal propels the Canadiens into the Stanley Cup semifinals for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

Erik Gustafsson and Artturi Lehkonen scored the regulation goals for Montreal, while Logan Stanley countered with both of Winnipeg's markers during the second period.

The game likely wouldn't have even gone into overtime without the play of Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner helped keep his team alive as long as possible with 39 saves. Carey Price stopped 14 of the 16 shots fired in his direction.

This matchup marked the sixth meeting since 2001 between a team coming off of a seven-game series and one that had just completed a four-game sweep. In an interesting wrinkle, the team that had the more grueling previous series has now won all six times.

Montreal awaits the winner of the series between the Colorado Avalanche and Las Vegas Golden Knights, with a berth in the Stanley Cup Final on the line.

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Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy didn't mince words following his team's 5-4 loss in Game 5 to the New York Islanders.

Cassidy, unhappy with what he believed were one-sided calls on Monday, claimed the Islanders try to paint a portrait of themselves as "Saints" and that the referees are buying into it.

"I think they sell a narrative over there that it's more like the New York Saints, not the New York Islanders. They play hard, they play the right way, but I feel we're the same way. And the exact calls that are getting called on us do not get called on them and I don't know why," he said after the loss in which the Islanders scored a trio of power-play goals.

Boston was penalized four times on Monday, while New York received two minor penalties. The bench boss added he's not ready to implement shadier tactics to get the officials' attention.

Maybe we need to sell them more, flop, but that's not us. You'd just hope they see them. I mean the same calls go against us. It's not like I'm sitting there going 'well every call against us sucks,' it's not true. They need to be penalized on those plays. They've done a great job selling that narrative that they're clean ... they commit as many infractions as we do, trust me. It's just a matter of calling them. That's the part that I guess gets frustrating but you play through it.

Cassidy also appeared to reference comments from Islanders head coach Barry Trotz, who complained about the officiating following Game 4, and felt like those words had an impact on Monday's referees.

"Call the game what you see, quit listening to these outside influences and get it done right. I don't think they were great tonight, I'm not going to lie to you, but they have been and they are good officials. I don't know, tonight I just thought they were off."

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Trailing 4-2 to start the third period of Game 5 against the New York Islanders, the Boston Bruins made a change in goal with Jeremy Swayman replacing Tuukka Rask between the pipes.

Rask allowed four goals on 16 shots over the first 40 minutes, including a trio of second-period markers. The Islanders were also able to score three power-play goals on the former Vezina Trophy winner.

It marks the NHL playoff debut for the 22-year-old Swayman, who appeared in 10 games as a rookie for the Bruins this season. He was 7-3 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .945 save percentage during the regular season.

Swayman didn't see much action during the third, as he allowed one goal on only three shots faced. Boston managed to close the gap but still fell 5-4, and Swayman was credited with the loss. The Islanders now have a 3-2 series lead and will look to finish the series on home ice Wednesday.

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