from John Lane of NHL.com, The first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs proved historic for ESPN and Turner Sports, with ratings for TNT and TBS the highest since the advent of cable television. Games covered on ESPN, ESPN2, TNT and TBS averaged 768,000 viewers, a 58 percent increase from last season on NBCSN, CNBC and USA Network. Turner Sports broke records for individual game and total rounds. The series-deciding game between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins on TBS on May 15 delivered 2.3 million average viewers, making it the most-watched first-round Stanley Cup Playoff game ever on cable. The number was the most for a non-Stanley Cup Final game on cable since Game 7 of the 2018 Eastern Conference Final, when 2.6 million watched the Washington Capitals defeat the Tampa Lightning 4-0. Game 7 between the Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs on TNT on May 14 averaged 1.7 million viewers, making it the second-most watched first round game on ever on cable. Female viewership for Stanley Cup Playoff games airing on TNT and TBS also enjoyed substantial increases, going up 83 percent on cable from 2021 and 49 percent from 2019. continued

The Tampa Bay Lightning is the only team playing tonight who could use the word tired while playing the Florida Panthers. The other 3 teams are well rested.  

from Sportsnet, The Maple Leafs confirmed the news in a statement Tuesday morning. "We can confirm Mitch Marner was the unfortunate victim of a carjacking in Etobicoke on Monday evening. He was unharmed in the incident and the Club & Mitch are thankful for Toronto Police Services’ support. Anyone with information is asked to reach out to Toronto Police Services," the statement reads. "TPS has asked that neither Mitch or the Club comment any further on the details of the incident as this is an ongoing investigation." Toronto Police tweeted about a man being robbed of his Range Rover on Monday at 7:46 p.m. ET in the southwest portion of the city. more, 2 guns and a knife were involved... Marner was not made available to the media today, but Auston Matthews was.   Auston Matthews on Mitch Marner getting carjacked Monday evening. pic.twitter.com/IjfFTW7aPe — TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 17, 2022

from Steve Ellis of The Hockey News, Is this the REAL top series to watch? The Battle of Alberta is the one that everyone is talking about, and rightfully so. It's going to be a bloodbath and one that fans of any team can get themselves excited about. But look at Florida and Tampa, two of the best teams all season long. Florida is fresh off of a Presidents' Trophy win, while the Lightning have won back-to-back Stanley Cups. From a pure depth and skill perspective, these are two of the deepest teams remaining, and probably the closest on paper in terms of overall talent. This is the time for the Panthers to beat the Lightning twice in a row, something no team has done in the playoffs the past three seasons... Will Colorado's rest hurt them? The Colorado Avalanche had a seven-day layoff from its Game 4 sweep of the Nashville Predators. The St. Louis Blues? They played four days ago. That's not a huge difference, but a week away from competitive hockey can be a challenge for a team to stay mentally and physically ready for a new round. We know the Blues are no tough opponent, and the Avalanche are definitely the favorite here.. more on the two series debuting tonight...

5:19 to watch.  

Malkin: "I love this city and I love these fans so much. If this team wants new blood and young guys and they say to me to move on, we will see... I believe in my agent and I trust him. I want to stay here. I want to play in the NHL... I hope I stay here. I hope I retire here." — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 17, 2022 added 1:08pm,   Evgeni Malkin: "I believe I am still a good player and I believe good players sign good contracts. I hope we sign a good deal. I only can say right now I want to play like 3 or 4 years. Money is not a big deal, but I have family, I have parents, I want a good future for them." — Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) May 17, 2022

from Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, It’s time the team moves on from Malkin and Letang after 16 tremendous seasons, including three Stanley Cups. No other three teammates have been together that long in NHL history. But it’s time to end the streak. I believed that going into these playoffs. The Penguins’ fourth consecutive first-round exit eliminated the last of any lingering doubts I might have had. It seems crazy to bring the same core back for another season. What do they say about those who don’t learn from history? Beyond the postseason failures, Malkin and Letang aren’t getting younger. Malkin will be 36 on July 31. Letang is 35. Each becomes a free agent on July 13. I’m not sure the Penguins can bring Letang back even if they make re-signing him a priority. He should be coveted on the open market. He made $7.25 million this season and should get a big raise. His long-time agent, Kent Hughes, is the new general manager of the Montreal Canadiens. Letang is French-Canadian. Montreal just seems like the perfect fit for him. Malkin’s age and injury history bother me. I’m not really interested in bringing him back even if he takes a pay cut from the $9.5 million he made this season. more

from Damien Cox at the Toronto Star, So, has the disgrace associated with Babcock and Quenneville worn off? Can two men who at one time were considered the best coaches in hockey come in from the cold? If they can — with 24 teams that either missed the playoffs entirely or were beaten in the first round examining their options moving forward — the veterans would join what could be the deepest and most talented coaching free-agent class in league history. Remember, Barry Trotz is also out there. Peter DeBoer was fired by Las Vegas on Monday. Paul Maurice seems almost a certainly to get another head-coaching position after stepping down from that role with the Winnipeg Jets last season. Three or four years ago, that group — Babcock, Quenneville, Trotz, DeBoer and Maurice — would have been considered the cream of the crop. Today? Well, Lou Lamoriello made his thoughts known on the available choices by promoting Lane Lambert to replace Trotz on Long Island next season. more

NEW YORK (May 17, 2022) – Centers Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers, Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins and Elias Lindholm of the Calgary Flames are the three finalists for the 2021-22 Frank J. Selke Trophy, awarded “to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game,” the National Hockey League announced today. Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Selke Trophy after the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winners of the 2022 NHL Awards will be revealed during the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final, with exact dates, format and times to be announced. Following are the finalists for the Selke Trophy, in alphabetical order:

from Joe Warmngton o the Toronto Sun, Grapes on a comeback to Hockey Night in Canada? While “I do miss Coach’s Corner and going down there on Saturday nights,” it’s unlikely because “the truth is people are afraid of me.” He said with today’s TV, “you have to get along with people, and you say the right thing,” and “I don’t.” That’s why so many people watched. What Cherry brought has not been replaced. People in sports bars don’t turn up the volume anymore during the first intermission. Grapes on possibility of he and Ron MacLean patching things up? Cherry said while he doesn’t harbour any animosity, “I don’t think I could ever forget, though. I don’t think we will ever be friends again.” more, including the state of the Leafs...

* The Second Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs starts Tuesday as the Lightning-Panthers and Blues-Avalanche open their second head-to-head series in as many years. * Jonathan Huberdeau and Nikita Kucherov combined for 21 points in the last “Sunshine State” series, while standout performers from the 2022 First Round Carter Verhaeghe and Nicholas Paul will meet again in the playoffs after squaring off at the junior level nearly a decade ago. * Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar look to lead Colorado to its eighth straight postseason win against St. Louis, while former Avalanche forward Ryan O'Reilly can match the Blues franchise record for longest playoff goal streak. * Wednesday will feature the Rangers-Hurricanes opening the first best-of-seven series between the franchises as well as the Oilers-Flames contesting the first “Battle of Alberta” playoff game in over 31 years.  

via the NHL Pr Department, 328 – Number of goals scored in the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Only four opening rounds in NHL history have featured more: 1988 Division Semifinals (370), 1992 Division Semifinals (358), 1991 Division Semifinals (335) and 1995 Conference Quarterfinals (333). 51 – Games in the 2022 First Round, tied with the 1991 Division Semifinals (51) for the second most in a round trailing only the 1992 Division Semifinals (54). 37 – Percentage of games in which the winning team overcame a deficit. There were five multi-goal comeback wins and one three-goal comeback win. Only four opening rounds in the past 26 years witnessed more multi-goal comeback wins: 2014 First Round (10), 2017 First Round (9), 2020 First Round (7) and 2013 Conference Quarterfinals (6).

from Paul Zeise of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Penguins have been the gold standard for the NHL over the past decade and half, but it seems like that run is over now and it is time to retool. There is a new ownership group and it seems eager to put its own front office in place. That probably means the end for Brian Burke as team president and perhaps even the end of Ron Hextall’s run as general manager. Those two things may not happen, but it sure seems like they are on the table. Mike Sullivan appears to be safe for now, but in the volatile world of hockey coaching, who knows? We have seen plenty of Stanley Cup-winning coaches fired in the past, and while Sullivan is one of the best in the business, he hasn’t had his magic touch in the last four playoff series. Malkin, Letang and Bryan Rust are all probably going to be priced out of town, as all three are free agents and will come with a hefty price tag. Maybe one of them takes a hometown discount to stay with the Penguins, but that seems like a long shot. They have all won Stanley Cups, so there is no need for them to go championship hunting and take lesser deals, which is why I expect at least two of them to be gone. The Penguins also have to make decisions about Rickard Rakell, Danton Heinen, Evan Rodrigues, Casey DeSmith, Brian Boyle and Kaspari Kapanen. more

NEW YORK (May 16, 2022) – New York Islanders defenseman Zdeno Chara, Philadelphia Flyers center Kevin Hayes and Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price are the three finalists for the 2021-22 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey,” the National Hockey League announced today. The local chapters of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) submitted nominations for the Masterton Trophy after the conclusion of the regular season and the top three vote-getters were designated as finalists. The winners of the 2022 NHL Awards will be revealed during the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final, with exact dates, format and times to be announced. Following are the finalists for the Masterton Trophy, in alphabetical order:

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today signed right wing Pontus Andreasson to a one-year contract.   Andreasson, 23, recently completed his first season with Lulea HF in the Swedish Hockey League, ranking among the SHL’s rookie leaders with 18 goals (2nd), 20 assists (T1st), 38 points (2nd), five power play goals (2nd), 13 power play points (2nd), 22 penalty minutes (2nd), a plus-19 rating (1st), and 15:30 average time on ice (6th). The 5-foot-10, 183-pound forward also recorded 13 points (8-5-13) in 13 postseason contests, helping Lulea reach the SHL playoff finals.

And so am I.  My mind needs to get away from hockey for a night, my body needs a comfy recliner. See you in the morning unless we have breaking news tonight.

from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, This is eight seasons for Shanahan on the job, with his hand-picked general manager Kyle Dubas and the GM’s hand-picked coach Sheldon Keefe. In sports, that’s a lifetime on the job. In those eight seasons, six of them in the playoffs, one of them bottoming out which brought them, Auston Matthews, they are one of just five teams in the NHL to not have won a playoff series in that time. Toronto. New Jersey, Detroit. Los Angeles. Seattle. This is the company the Leafs now find themselves among. New Jersey won a bunch of Stanley Cups years ago. The Red Wings had an amazing run of championships and near championships. The Kings won two just before Shanahan was hired. As also-ran go, the Leafs are in their own territory.... A team with an owner would be firing somebody this week because that’s what owners tend to do. They act emotionally. They hear fans. They don’t always do the right thing. And sometimes an owner says to his president, you have to fire your general manager, and the president says no. And the owner counters with, okay, then I’m firing you. And maybe the owner is firing the GM. And maybe that means the coach is going too. The difficulty in all this is that Shanahan has positioned the Leafs to succeed, except when it matters most. Dubas has done some fine work, only the teams he has built haven’t won a thing. Keefe has an amazing regular-season record as coach, but a .421 record in the post-season. more

Hearing Peter DeBoer out in Vegas — Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 16, 2022 added 12:05pm, VEGAS (May 16, 2022) - Vegas Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon announced today, May 16, changes to the team's coaching staff: Pete DeBoer has been relieved of his coaching duties. "We would like to thank Pete DeBoer for his commitment to the Vegas Golden Knights over the past three seasons," said Vegas Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon. "Since joining the organization, Pete and his staff have guided us through some of the most unique and challenging circumstances we've witnessed since our franchise entered the NHL. After lengthy discussions over the last two weeks, we believe that a new coach will put us in the best position to succeed next season."

Almost 5 1/2 minutes long.  

#Isles News: The New York Islanders announced today that Lane Lambert has been named Head Coach. — New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) May 16, 2022

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post, ... Igor Shesterkin returned, too. He returned to the form that earned the 26-year-old finalist designations for both the Hart and Vezina trophies, putting those nightmares from Games 3 and 4 to bed for good. Shesterkin returned and so did the Rangers return to the template they rode to a 110-point season, that, by the way, has been fully validated. This is their way. They lean on Shesterkin to the same degree as their forebearers once leaned on Henrik Lundqvist. They rely on their marquee forwards and their power play to make the difference. They do not surrender. They do not give up. They are far greater than the sum of their parts. “That’s our team,” head coach Gerard Gallant said. “We compete, we battle and we find ways to win games that maybe we shouldn’t have.” Shesterkin was not the only Ranger to finish this series stronger than he had begun it. He grew. So did the indomitable Mika Zibanejad, whose right-wing rifle tied the contest 3-3 with 5:45 remaining in regulation. I have said this before, and it is true. There is no one you would rather have with the puck on his stick with the game on the line than No. 93. more from Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,

from Mike Heika at the Stars website, The Stars left everything on the ice Sunday in Calgary. And there's something noble to that. Dallas overcame the losses of Luke Glendening, Roope Hintz and Radek Faksa to injury, and still was able to force overtime in Game 7 against the Calgary Flames before losing 3-2 on a perfect shot by Johnny Gaudreau. It was a heartbreaking way to go out in the first round of the playoffs, but it also was a proud performance by a proud team. "Everyone played their hearts out," Stars coach Rick Bowness said. "As a coach, that's all you can ask. Your players give you everything they've got, and I'm proud of the effort they gave. I'm proud of the way we battled. They were a better team in the regular season, and they played well [on Sunday]. Give them credit."... While the Flames were clearly the better team and finished with a 67-28 advantage in shots on goal (as well as a 134-59 edge in shot attempts), goalie Jake Oettinger was outstanding in keeping the game close. The 23-year-old in his first real playoff action, had a 1.81 goals-against average and .954 save percentage in the series. His save percentage is best in the NHL. His GAA ranks fourth. "He played a hell of a game," Stars captain Jamie Benn said. "Haven't seen too many like that. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have been close to overtime and having a chance to win." read on

How did you do in the first round?  I went 6-2. Most know how to play but if this your first time, just pick the winner of the series and how many games it will take. Picks should be in by Tuesday, May 17th, 6:30pm ET. Matchups are below.

They'll face the Carolina Hurricanes in round 2 after beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in OT. Sam Rosen with the call on the OT winner.   The freakin' New York Rangers pic.twitter.com/BJn1KjpYR3 — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 16, 2022 More videos coming. added 10:47pm, below find handshakes and highlights...

from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now, In a Detroit Hockey Now exclusive, we sought out both of these NHL defensive legends and the only living Red Wings rearguards to win the Norris while playing for the team to gauge their impressions of Seider.... “I’m really impressed with him,” Coffey said. “He can do it all. “He can run a power play, he can kill penalties, he can skate with the puck, he makes plays, he’s strong in his own zone and he’s a big, imposing physical presence. “It’s that last part that’s really something, because usually you get one or the other – the smooth skater and puckhandler, or the physical play. You don’t don’t often get both of them together in one player.” more

* The highest-scoring opening round in 27 years (6.4 G/GP) came to a close Sunday with the Rangers and Flames winning the fourth and fifth Game 7s of the 2022 First Round to advance. * Artemi Panarin and Johnny Gaudreau – two of the top 12 scorers from the regular season – tallied in overtime Sunday. It was the second time in NHL history that multiple Game 7s required overtime on the same day – with the other instance coming 25 years ago. * Four of five Game 7s played over the weekend were decided by a one-goal margin – the most ever in a single round and one shy of the highest total in a single playoff year (1994, 2009 & 2011 all had five Game 7s with a one-goal margin of victory). * The 2022 Second Round will begin Tuesday with Game 1 between the Lightning and Panthers (7 p.m. ET) followed by the opener between the Blues and Avalanche (9:30 p.m. ET) – both on TNT, Sportsnet, TVAS and CBC. Click here for more on the schedule.  

They will face the Edmonton Oilers after defeatng the Dallas Stars in OT 3-2. The series winning...   Johnny Gaudreau with the series-winning goal. Incredible shot. pic.twitter.com/MO1dlxJRy4 — Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) May 16, 2022 More comng.

NEW YORK (May 16, 2022) – The National Hockey League today announced the dates, starting times and national television coverage for the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round, which begins Tuesday. All times listed are ET and subject to change. 

Kevin Weekes reporting via Twitter that Alex Nedeljkovic injured and out of the World Championship. I am blocked by Weekes so any additional information you may have would be appreiated.

Welcome to the conclusion of game 7 weekend. The comment section is awaiting your views on the games.

The year 2022 will always be remembered as the year when Finland won its first Olympic gold in history of ice hockey. A goal from Hannes Bjorninen early in the third period lifted Finland to the final Olympic step they were missing. That goal completed the comeback against the Russian Olympic Committee team, who had gone ahead in the first half with a goal from Mikhail Grigorienko, saved by Villa Pokka in the second period. The victory represents a huge success for the Nordic country, which also won the bronze medal in the women's competition.   Source: Pixabay

For those who missed it last night: here’s Sheldon Keefe’s quote about the “handshake line” following Game 7. I’ve seen plenty of coaches draw positives from bad situations…but this is a new one. pic.twitter.com/ZvjqcTsYbj — Sid Seixeiro (@Sid_Seixeiro) May 15, 2022

NEW YORK (May 15, 2022) – Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brendan Smith has been fined $2,000, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for elbowing Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak during Game 7 of the teams’ First Round series in Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday, May 14, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today. The incident occurred at 1:18 of the third period. watch the elbow below... NEW YORK (May 15, 2022) – Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for tripping Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei during Game 7 of the teams’ First Round series in Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday, May 14, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today. The incident occurred at 6:10 of the third period. Watch the 'trip' below.

Edmonton defeated the LA Kings 2-0 to win their serues 4-3. First off, props to the LA Kings.  I doubt many of us thought they would take the Oilers to seven games. One other thing, this is Conner McDavid's league, everyone else can form a line behind him. Highlights first, handshakes below.  

from Luke Fox of Sportsnet, Better team. Tougher opponent. Same devastating finish. The best version of these Toronto Maple Leafs lost a 2-1 heartbreaker on home ice to the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday and once again saw their post-season end in seven games or less. The difference between this version, this defeat, is that they showed up and gave the two-time champions everything they could muster, never trailing the series until it was all over. “The Leafs have a helluva team,” said Tampa’s Jon Cooper, who coaches a helluva team himself. “And they’ve been knocking at the door for so long. That's why such a big deal has been made about them not advancing in a series — because they are a really good team. “I think they've grown as a group. I think their stars are stars. And they've got a really good team game and coach does a helluva job.” Indeed, heads should be held high. continued from Michel Traikos at the Toronto Sun,