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...

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).

* 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.  

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."

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

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

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:

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.

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.  

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,

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...

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.

* Four-time scoring champion Connor McDavid had two points across more than 27 minutes of ice time in Game 7 to match the highest opening-round point total in 29 years (14 points) and lift Edmonton into the Second Round for the first time since 2017. * Carolina’s Max Domi and Tampa Bay’s Nicholas Paul played the role of “unlikely hero” in Game 7 by each scoring their first two career playoff goals in winning efforts – both factoring on all of their team’s goals. * The three Game 7s were tied or within one goal for 81% of playing time during a tripleheader Saturday, including all of the Lightning-Maple Leafs matchup. * If you thought Saturday was fun, get ready for two more Game 7s on Sunday with the Penguins-Rangers and Stars-Flames contesting winner-take-all showdowns to conclude the 2022 First Round.  

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,

Tampa beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 to win the series 4-3. As I have said, you have to knock out the champ.  Toronto played well but...their last series win was 2004. Here are the game highlights and the handshakes are below.  

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post, No, of course Lou Lamoriello did not seek his players’ permission to dismiss Barry Trotz, are you kidding me? But you also couldn’t be more naive if you believe that feedback elicited during the players’ exit meetings did not influence the Islanders’ supreme hockey leader’s decision to cut ties with the coach who had brought the franchise its greatest run of success since the Dynasty. Those meetings, according to sources with knowledge of the events, did not include the threat of mutiny. But we are told that enough players — and ones who mattered — expressed frustration over the team’s single-dimensional, safety-first, safety-last, grinding approach to the 82-game marathon in this era in which high-end skilled athletes dominate the regular season. Chances are that these conversations ratified Lamoriello’s independent, eye-test analysis rather than opening his eyes to fissures that might have developed during this longest season. When it comes to Lamoriello and coaches, it is never about what has been accomplished in the past. It is always about whether Lamoriello believes he has a coach who can take his team to the next level. The next level always means the Stanley Cup. Even though Trotz has already won one Cup, with Washington in 2018, that mattered about as much as it did to Lamoriello when he fired Larry Robinson in New Jersey a year and a half after winning the 2000 Cup. continued

The Hurricanes defeated the Boston Bruins 3-2 to win their series 4-3. Carolina was the better team today and all games in the series were won by the home team. Highlights first, handshakes below.  

(2/2) While there was significant head contact on this play, Zadorov took a proper angle of approach, did not extend outward or upward, and hit through Glendening’s core. Therefore, under Rule 48.1 (i), the head contact was determined to be unavoidable. — NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 14, 2022 Watch the hit here if you missd it.

3 game 7's today.  That's all you need to know. Enjoy! Below find some Game 7 tidbits

from Matt Porter of the Boston Globe, - Tony Amonte scored 416 goals as a speedy winger, but the Hingham product might have been going a little too hard on the forecheck during an NBC Sports Boston segment after Bruins-Hurricanes Game 6. Noting that Bergeron’s former agent, Kent Hughes, is now Montreal’s GM and that Bergeron “grew up watching the Canadiens,” Amonte claimed Bergeron will finish his career with the Habs. “I’ve heard a little bit,” Amonte said, sounding less than confident in his take. “Rumblings have been going on. People have been talking a little bit.” There’s a better chance Tom Brady finishes his career with the Expos. - Could see Winnipeg leaning into the hard-to-play-against style of Barry Trotz (who, yes, hails from Dauphin, Manitoba). No team with a vacancy could use Trotz more than the Flyers, who have lost their way. - A first-round exit was a stinger for Minnesota, which got seven goals in six games from budding superstar Kirill Kaprizov but couldn’t get past the Blues. Roster-wise, the Wild are in decent shape, with a fair amount of good contracts around Kaprizov (47 goals, 108 points in the regular season). No better example than center Ryan Hartman, who delivered 34 goals and 65 points at a $1.7 million price tag. But GM Bill Guerin might be hamstrung by last offseason’s buyouts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, whose combined cap hit jumps to more than $12 million next season (and $14 million in 2024 and ‘25). more notes and other hockey topics too...

from the CP at TSN, The players dream of it. The fans look forward to it. Game 7. And on Saturday, there will be three of them. The NHL is wrapping up the first round of the playoffs with a rare treat: back-to-back-to-back seventh games that will go a long way toward shaping the conference semifinals. The Carolina Hurricanes will host Boston in a matinee, followed by the two-time defending champion Lightning at Toronto and the Kings in Edmonton. It’s the first Game 7 tripleheader since 2014. “It’s going to be juicy,” Oilers forward  said after scoring twice in a 4-2 win that forced Game 7 against the Kings. There could be more Game 7s on Sunday, with three other series at 3-2 heading into Friday night. The most Game 7s ever in a single round was six in 1992. “It's what’s at stake, is the biggest thing. Everything’s on the line," Bruins captain  said Friday. “It brings back memories of why you play the game.” continued

from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, Overtime goals are rarely acts of beauty. They are often shots of desperation, pucks banged at, not aimed, with bodies piled up around the net. That kind of desperate play is why the Tampa Bay Lightning won Game 6 in overtime. It may be the real difference between the Maple Leafs and the Stanley Cup-champion Lightning through six games of a highly competitive back-and-forth first-round playoff series. The Leafs may have dominated overtime up until the point of Brayden Point’s bang-bang winning goal. Just as they dominated overtime in Game 6 a year ago against a lesser team from Montreal, then turned the puck over once and lost the game and, eventually, the series. With all of their goal-scoring skill, what the Leafs can lack at big moments is the kind of desperation the Lightning has shown in this series and in the previous two playoff runs as champions of the National Hockey League. It may sound cliche, but it isn’t. It’s the difference between winning a series and losing it. There is nowhere to mark ‘desperation’ on the game sheet, but you can see it and coach Jon Cooper demands it from his players — pucks to the net, go to the net. continued

from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News, There's little consensus in six national NHL mock drafts when the Detroit Red Wings make the eighth overall pick in the first round of the draft in Montreal on July 7. Six players were selected from Finland, Sweden, Russia, Canada and the United States, including Mount Clemens native Frank Nazar of the National Team Development Program based in Plymouth. The other players are: Winnipeg center Matthew Savoie, Sweden right winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Finland right winger Joakim Kemmel, Russia right winger Dani Yorov and USA Hockey right winger Jimmy Snuggerud. continued ($)

Big hit on Luke Glendening but he did return to the game. Below watch a scrum near the end of the game.  

from Mark Spector of Sportsnet, “You look at any team that’s won, and it starts with a disappointment. We’ll be back.” — Connor McDavid, in 2017 EDMONTON — The irony of that quote is, five years later, the Edmonton Oilers have not yet found their way out of the disappointment business. But at the same time, they ARE back. Back to another Game 7, like that 2-1, Game 7 second-round loss in Anaheim that left a 20-year-old McDavid so bullish on his team’s immediate future, as impossibly rosy as it must have seemed that day. “Come next season,” McDavid promised that night, “we’ll find ourselves in a similar spot. And we’ll be able to look back on this, feel that disappointment, and know ... how much that sucked.” Well, it’s five years later, but here we are. Better late than never, it may be the only time McDavid ever did anything slow on a hockey rink. Sometimes life gives us a special moment right out of the blue. Other times, like a Game 7 at home on a Saturday night in May, you see the moment coming – you’re just not sure what kind of moment it will be. What emotion the lasting memory will evoke, elation or dread? Will it cut like a knife to the heart, or a blood bond between brothers? Either way, it is never to be forgotten. continued

from George Richards of Florida Hockey Now, Before the Florida Panthers beat the Capitals in overtime on Friday night, Jonathan Huberdeau had not experienced any sort of playoff success since his days with Gerard Gallant and the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Sasha Barkov last won in the postseason while in Finland. Aaron Ekblad? Well, his Barrie Colts team was pretty good. But when it came to the Panthers, these three — the core of the Panthers’ youth movement of the 2010s — had never been on a Florida team which got out of the first round. So, when those guys lined up for the postgame handshake moments after Carter Verhaeghe won Game 6 in overtime, you can bet they enjoyed it. For the first time, we might add. “It was, obviously, different being on the other side,” Huberdeau said. “It’s the best way.” continued Game highlights and handshakes are here.

from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now, The Swedish Hockey League title secured, a gold medal dangling from his neck, Albert Johansson was already setting his sights on another objective – cracking the lineup of the Detroit Red Wings. “I feel ready and want to go over this autumn and test my luck over there,” Johansson told Expressen.se after helping Farjestad to a 3-0 victory over Lulea in Game 7 of the SHL championship final. The Red Wings selected Johansson 60th overall in the 2019 NHL entry draft. Signed to an entry-level contract with Detroit, he spent the past two seasons on loan to Farjestad. This season, Johansson, 21, counted career-high 5-20-25 totals in 52 regular-season games. Posting 2-6-8 numbers in 19 playoff games, he was helping Farjestad to a surprise SHL title. continued

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post, Sidney Crosby did not play, the Penguins had their third-string goaltender back in net, Rickard Rakell and Brian Dumoulin remained sidelined and then Brian Boyle left the game for good early in the first period. But do you know what? There will be no asterisk attached to this 5-3 Game 6 victory the Rangers achieved after overcoming a 2-0 first-period deficit. There will be no asterisk attached to Game 7 of this first-round series, which will be contested at the Garden on Sunday. The Blueshirts earned this one just as they earned the Game 5 victory at home on Wednesday, also after climbing out of a 2-0 hole following Crosby’s exit from the match midway through the second period in the wake of Jacob Trouba’s endlessly dissected hit. Of course, the absence of Crosby — who was playing at his highest level in perhaps more than a decade — has had a profound effect on the direction of this series. But it’s not as if the Rangers were handed anything. On the contrary, the Rangers were in the position where they needed to take advantage of this development in the way they had not been able to take advantage of facing Louis Domingue in nets. continued Below are the game highlights.

from the CP at TSN, The Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars will take their playoff series the distance to a seventh and deciding game. Dallas doubled the visiting Flames 4-2 on Friday to even up their conference quarterfinal at three wins apiece. Stars defenceman 's goal late in the second period stood up as the game-winner for the Stars, who will try to bounce the Flames from the post-season Sunday in Calgary. "Oh, it's going to be a war. I can't wait," Stars forward  said. and  also scored for Dallas with  adding an empty-net goal in front of a sellout of 18,532 at American Airlines Center. Stars goalie  and Flames counterpart  both had 36 saves. had a goal and an assist and  scored in the second period to draw Calgary even before Heiskanen's game-winner. "A hell of a game," Flames head coach Darryl Sutter said. "Just couldn't get the equalizer." continued Watch the highlights below.

* Comebacks were the theme of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Friday, with the Panthers rallying from a deficit to win for the third consecutive game to earn their first playoff series win in 26 years, while the Rangers stormed back from a multi-goal deficit to stave off elimination for the second straight game to force a Game 7 with the Penguins on Sunday. * It has been a rollercoaster of a week for fans across the NHL, with 11 come-from-behind victories over the past five days, including four multi-goal comeback wins through that span. The week of “Mayhem” will conclude with five Game 7s over the weekend, starting with three on Saturday followed by two on Sunday. * The Stars edged the Flames to force the first-ever Game 7 between the two franchises. Among teams to face each other in a Game 7 for the first time, the home team holds an all-time record of 66-50 in those contests (excludes the 2020 postseason).  

Carter Verhaeghe with the game winner in OT.  Panthers win 4-3 and take the series 4-2 over the Washington Capltals.   Carter Verhaeghe scores in overtime, Panthers win their first playoff series since 1996 pic.twitter.com/B8fn0yh979 — Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) May 14, 2022 added 11:21pm, Highlights and handshakes below.

via the YouYube page of awoos40, Lucas Raymond highlights from the 2021-22 regular season. Watch the 42 minute video below.

Three teams face elimination tonight.  If they win they will play game 7 on Sunday. Enjoy and feel free to comment.

Vancouver, B.C. - Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that Bruce Boudreau will return as head coach for the 2022.23 season. "We are pleased to see Bruce's commitment to return to the Canucks next season," said Allvin. "He has done a great job since arriving in Vancouver and we are eager to see the team continue to perform under his leadership as they did during the second half of the season." "My desire has always been to come back to coach this team," said Boudreau. "I love the organization, city, fans, and the players. I'm also grateful for the opportunity provided to me by Jim and Patrik to continue building what we started."

from Michelle Crechiolo at the Pens website, Adversity is nothing new for this Penguins team, who is facing yet another huge test in that regard tonight as Sidney Crosby will not play in Game 6. The captain, who skated on his own this morning with skills coach Ty Hennes, is out with an upper-body injury suffered in the second period of Game 5 on a high hit from defenseman Jacob Trouba. "This isn't anything that our team isn't accustomed to," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "We're a deep team. We're a good hockey team. When we play the game with a collective effort and a team mindset, we believe we have what it takes to win. During morning skate, Evgeni Malkin moved up to center the top line between Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust. They're a combination that has had terrific chemistry in the past, most notably in the 2019-20 season, when Crosby missed a significant amount of time after having surgery to repair a core muscle injury. "I think his track record speaks for itself," Sullivan said of Malkin. "He's a terrific hockey player. I know how much he cares about helping this team win. I know how invested he is in the Pittsburgh Penguins. We expect him to be the player that he's been for us in my whole time here." continued

A bit south of 3 minutes to watch.  

from Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now, After Dekeyser played in the last home game at Little Caesars Arena this season, he admitted to trying to soak in the atmosphere. “Anytime you’re in a situation like this where your contract’s up, you never really know what’s gonna happen,” Dekeyser said. “Definitely you have thoughts that go through your head if it is your last home game or not. That stuff will take care of itself in the summer. There’s not a whole lot to worry about right now.” Dekeyser had to know then that he wasn’t coming back to the Red Wings. His performance level has declined. As much as the organization may appreciate that he’s a Michigan native who gave 10 years of service, the Red Wings are moving in a different direction. In addition to wanting Dekeyser’s $5 million cap space, the Red Wings need roster spots for young defensemen such as Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson. Eemil Viro may also be close to ready. Dekeyser hopes he’s not at the end of his career. “I would love to keep playing if I can,” He said. “I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen. That stuff will play itself out in the summertime.” Dekeyser said his back was feeling good at the end of the season. more

TORONTO (May 13, 2022) - The National Hockey League Players’ Association announced today the three finalists for the 2021-22 Ted Lindsay Award are defenceman Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators, forward Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs and forward Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers. The TLA is presented annually “to the most outstanding player in the NHL,” as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA. Josi is seeking his first TLA as a first-time finalist, while McDavid is looking to receive his second consecutive and fourth TLA in six seasons, and Matthews is vying for his first TLA after finishing as a finalist last season. Each of the three finalists contributed exceptional individual seasons to help their respective teams reach the playoffs  Josi led all defencemen in points, McDavid captured his fourth Art Ross Trophy and Matthews won his second Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy. Earlier this week, Josi was also announced as a finalist for the James Norris Trophy, and Matthews and McDavid were each named finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy. The 2021-22 TLA recipient will be announced later this spring during the Stanley Cup Playoffs (exact date TBD). Formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, the TLA is the namesake of the first president of the original Players’ Association and NHLPA pioneer, Ted Lindsay. This season marks the 51st presentation of the award. The three TLA finalists received the most votes from their fellow players based on their 2021-22 regular-season campaigns, and are listed in alphabetical order as follows:

Usually I receive an email from the NHL Network, but not this year. So here is the IIHF site and below are informative tweets. USA takes on Latvia righ now and the NHL Network is picking up the TSN feed.

* There is nothing like a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and we are guaranteed three of them Saturday, with the potential to add three more after Friday’s action. The NHL released start times for all three Game 7s on Saturday starting with the Bruins and Hurricanes at 4:30 p.m. ET.  * St. Louis became the second team to advance to the 2022 Second Round and will face the only other team who has moved on so far – Colorado. * Brayden Point showcased his playoff specialty of big goals yet again in overtime, scoring the winner with 1:56 remaining in extra time to keep the Lightning’s attempt at a three-peat alive. * Evander Kane scored twice to help the Oilers stave off elimination – his First Round goal total now trails only Jari Kurri and Mark Messier for the most in a series in franchise history, while Brad Marchand scored his 10th goal when facing elimination, the most by a Bruins player.  

from Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Confident, cohesive and a little crazy, the Blues stepped off the bus that freezing Winter Classic afternoon in beach wear. Undaunted by Minnesota (both the hockey team and the elements), the “Beach Boys” won the outdoor game. And so, after every Blues home win since, Beach Boys music blared. Sure enough, it happened Thursday at Enterprise Center, as Minnesota’s players, suddenly on summer vacation, became “Beach Boys” themselves. The swagger-fueled Blues swatted away the Wild for the fourth time in six games, winning 5-1 on Thursday to advance to the second round. And along the way, the Blues overcame seemingly all the adversity — be it injured defensemen and a struggling goalie — and all their adversaries — be it Kirill Kaprizov or Marcus Foligno, who said Thursday morning: “We went into Vegas last year in that hostile arena, crazy fans, much louder than this rink, and we stole a game. That's what we have to do tonight.” They didn’t do it. And while I’ve never been to the Vegas rink, I can’t imagine it being that much louder than Enterprise Center was Thursday night. And we knew the Blues needed to demoralize the Wild early — but really, it was a two-period process. And an impressive one. Nick Leddy (Nick Leddy?) scored the first and only first-period goal, but after two, the Blues led 4-0. How did they do it? With confidence and cohesion. They killed penalties diabolically. They won puck battles on the boards. And they got contributions from seemingly everyone. And really, that’s the spirit of the playoffs — and the spirit of this team. The Blues are, indeed, a team. And it takes a team. continued Below find the game highlights and handshakes.

from Julian Benbow of the Boston Globe, Even as the Bruins fell behind two games to none, even as the odds and the history tilted against them, they braced themselves for the long game. Carolina was clearly formidable. Three regular-season losses made that clear to the Bruins. But the Hurricanes were an upstart. The Bruins were a team with postseason war stories. Add this one to the list. The Bruins forced Game 7 with a 5-2 win Thursday at TD Garden. “I love it,” said Bruin coach Bruce Cassidy. “This is what you play for. Guys should be excited. Game 7, Stanley Cup playoffs. Home or road. We’d rather be at home, not going to lie to you, but we’d play them on Mars if we had to. That’s what it’s all about. I’m sure they’d say the same thing.” Sort of. Faced with a winner-takes-all scenario, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour understood the unpredictability of a Game 7. continued Below find the game highlights.

from Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun, With their season on the brink, their top defenceman suspended and their second best forward on the limp, the Edmonton Oilers had no choice but to draw their line in the California sand. Down 3-2 in their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings and facing elimination on the road, it was either gut it out and find a way to force Game 7 in Edmonton or spend another summer wishing they had given just a little bit more. See you in Edmonton. With the Kings poised to plunge a knife handle-deep into Edmonton’s dream of a long post-season run, Tyson Barrie’s winning goal with 5:10 left in regulation staved off disaster and set the stage for one final night of dramatic and unpredictable theatre. continued Highlights are below.

from Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun, Don’t go exorcising those playoff ghosts just yet. The Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning will decide their best-of-seven first-round series in Game 7 in Toronto on Saturday night. The Leafs’ elimination-game frustration continued on Thursday night at Amalie Arena, as Toronto failed to put away the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion and lost 4-3 in overtime. Brayden Point scored the winning goal at 18:04 of the extra period, sliding a rebound past Leafs goalie Jack Campbell.  Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made nine saves in overtime, including tough stops on Alex Kerfoot and Ilya Mikheyev. Since 2018, the Leafs are 0-8 in elimination games. A ninth consecutive loss on Saturday would make a short memory of the best regular season in Leafs history, when the team set franchise records with 54 wins and 115 points. continued The game highlight package is below.

Four teams face eliminaton tonight. Feel free to discuss the games as they play out.  

It's almost 18 minutes long so watch it below.

from Mark Spector of Sportsnet, • With the series in their grasp — tied 2-2 and at home in Game 5 — Edmonton came up small. They started slow, had a burst early in the second period, but had just 14 shots on goal after 40 minutes. Then, after a third-period flourish that forced overtime, Edmonton coughed up a goal on the first shift of overtime. Even with a second chance to win after an awful regulation, they came up short once again in OT. • Choking can be defined by an uncharacteristic performance at the most crucial moment. When the heat is on, and an athlete does something he wouldn’t normally do, that’s a choke job. Well, the two biggest self-inflicted wounds in this series were authored by 40-year-old goalie Mike Smith, whose Game 1 turnover cost his team the game, and a head butt late in the second period of Game 5 that will see Nurse miss Game 6. Those aren’t kids making five-star mistakes. Those are Edmonton’s leaders. • On the overtime goal in Game 5, Evander Kane — as good a forward as Edmonton has had for weeks — committed the neutral-zone turnover that led to Adrian Kempe’s winner. He couldn’t deliver the puck to L.A.’s zone, the quick turnover left Connor McDavid in a poor spot to defend, and Duncan Keith with an impossible gap. The veteran defenceman was exposed wide by Kempe, but a victim of a play by Kane that left tired Oilers in a bad spot against a fresh Kempe. “Competition brings out the best in you, but sometimes it brings out the worst in you,” Murray said that day. “If you stop competing, you are never going to break through. And you are going to be in one of those teams that were also-rans your whole life. “You're going to choke.” The moment was too big for this Oilers team in Game 5. They choked. But that doesn’t mean the series is lost. more

NEW YORK (May 12, 2022) – Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin are the three finalists for the 2021-22 Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team,” the National Hockey League announced today. Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Hart Trophy at 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 Hart Trophy, in alphabetical order:

from John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times, Hockey fans understand misery. In a twisted sort of way, they embrace it. When you worship the Stanley Cup above all else, the pain and exasperation of falling short can be a trophy unto itself. You measure your devotion by the amount of angst you put in your coffee. So, no, it will not be the end of the world if the Lightning fall short in Game 6 against Toronto tonight. Even great teams sometimes stumble on their way up the mountain to the top. And yet, I can’t help feeling there is something uniquely disturbing about this moment. If things do not change in a hurry tonight, the Lightning will have bookended their two Stanley Cups with underwhelming first-round collapses. Now, it’s unrealistic to expect the winning to continue forever, but it’s not unreasonable to hope a team keeps its foot on the gas until the very end. It’s the difference between disappointment and regret. And right now, the Lightning would be facing a very long summer of regret. continued

from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, This is the time the best players come out and play. The way Kirill Kaprizov has emerged during the season and now in the post-season in Minnesota. The best players flex their muscles. They do what others can’t do. They take over games and, if they can, they take over series. This is the Leafs’ eighth series-clinching game of Matthews’ time in Toronto. The scorecard on this is not a good one: They are 0-and-7 in possible elimination games. In those seven games, Matthews has one goal and two assists. In four of those games, he had no points at all. Now it’s his turn to grab his piece of the Hart and show it off Thursday night. At loud and louder Amalie Arena, a modern-day Chicago Stadium without the grunge. Where he’ll likely be playing against the defensive wizards Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli. Where not everything is set up in his favour. more

With the #NHLDraft order set, our @NatalieKerwin1 calls on @NHLNetwork reporter @jonmorosi to look at potential @DetroitRedWings' picks at No. 8. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/pvxk8YKOGC — Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) May 12, 2022

from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now, If you think Moritz Seider’s season for the Detroit Red Wings means a lot to the team, you’d be right. But it pales in comparison to the reception Seider is receiving as he prepares to lead his country into battle at the IIHF World Championship tournament. In Germany, Seider is kind of a big deal. The national media is citing Seider as the most exciting and even more significantly, the most important player on Germany’s roster. “Mo is a phenomenon for me,” German captain Moritz Müller told German website n-tv.de.... His German teammates rave about Seider’s abilities. He’s the complete package they believe, capable of doing it all from the back end. “Beast Mode!” was the descriptive veteran German goalie Philipp Grubauer of the Seattle Kraken applied to Seider’s skillset. more

* The “Comeback Cats” lived up to their nickname once again, while there was “No Quit in New York” as the Rangers also rallied from a multi-goal deficit Wednesday to force Game 6 in their First Round series. * The 2022 First Round became the fourth opening round in NHL history where seven series will require at least six games, following the 1991 and 1992 Division Semifinals (8) as well as the 2010 Conference Quarterfinals (7). * The Flames scored three times in the third period and are now one victory away from earning their first best-of-seven series win since 2015. * The Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, Blues and Kings can punch their ticket to the Second Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs via a Game 6 victory Thursday.  

from Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Everybody in hockey – OK, with the exception of the Rangers -- is hoping this Crosby injury is relatively minor. He’s too good for the game to miss more time. His performances are must-see entertainment. But the Penguins, still up 3-2 in the series, are going to need more than just Crosby to get that fourth win to finish off the Rangers. They also will need Tristan Jarry. I get the love affair with Louis Domingue. Pittsburgh justifiably has made him a hockey cult hero. He deserves every bit of that after coming off the bench cold in the second overtime of Game 1 with a full belly of spicy pork and broccoli and making 17 saves to give the Penguins a chance to finally win in the third overtime on Evgeni Malkin’s goal. I also get that Domingue, a career journeyman by definition, hasn’t been awful. He made a huge third-period save on an Artemi Panarin shot in Game 3 moments before Danton Heinen scored the winning goal for the Penguins. He also made a tremendous save on 52-goal man Chris Kreider on a four-on-one early in the third period Wednesday night to keep the Rangers’ lead at 4-3. Domingue should never have to buy another dinner or drinks in Pittsburgh again even if his meal is something more substantial than spicy pork and broccoli. But Domingue has allowed 15 goals in his four starts. His save performance in those games is .873. That’s just not good enough. That’s why it was so encouraging to see Jarry, who hasn’t played since April 14 because of a broken foot, on the ice for the Penguins’ optional skate Wednesday morning. more Below watch the game highlights from the Penguins 5-3 loss to the Rangers.

from George Richards of Florida Hockey Now, The Florida Panthers certainly lived up to their ‘Comeback Cats’ moniker in their previous outing, but who could have guessed they would do it again on Wednesday night? With less than four minutes gone in the second period, the Panthers found themselves down three. A rollicking FLA Live Arena had gone silent. Accept for the fellow in the upper deck who shouted: ‘Do something, Panthers!’ Well, Sir, the Panthers heard you. Loud and clear. At least Carter Verhaeghe did. Another Florida comeback started not long after the sarcastic pleading came down from on high, the Panthers scoring three of their own to close the second period. In the third, Florida got a second Verhaeghe goal and pulled out a 5-3 win over the Washington Capitals in Game 5 of their first-round series. continued Below watch the game highlights.

“Did you see the hit? You probably have the same opinion I do,” Mike Sullivan when asked if he felt there was intent on Jacob Trouba’s part to injure Sidney Crosby.pic.twitter.com/gT1UzBGfwr — Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) May 12, 2022

Who's your pick for Calder Trophy winner?@KenDaneykoMSG | @MarkDParrish | #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/T4ZQpCeEIG — NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) May 12, 2022

The Penguins can advance to Round 2 with a road win against the Rangers. The other 2 games tonight are tied 2-2.

Edmonton’s Zack Kassian has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for Cross-checking Los Angeles’ Sean Durzi. — NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 11, 2022 Video below.

Head-Butting  

Jon Cooper on a #Leafs’ core that has failed to close out a playoff series in seven previous attempts: pic.twitter.com/60g2LAiU6q — Joshua Clipperton (@JClipperton_CP) May 11, 2022

Dan Rosen of NHL.com answers some fan mai.  The first question is coaching candidates for the Islanders... You bring up Lambert. He's been an associate under Trotz the past three seasons. His voice wouldn't be new because the players know him well, but Lambert has also been long considered a future NHL coach. Maybe Lamoriello and the Islanders would feel his voice is new enough because it would be coming from Lambert the coach instead of Lambert the associate. The role matters. My speculation is that Lambert is a candidate. I hesitate to call him a favorite at this point because we just don't know. Lamoriello worked with Mike Babcock when they were with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lamoriello was named the Maple Leafs general manager on July 23, 2015, more than two months after Babcock was hired as coach (May 10, 2015). Babcock hasn't coached in the NHL since getting fired by Toronto on Nov. 20, 2019, 18 months after Lamoriello left the Maple Leafs and came to the Islanders. But he raves about Lamoriello and the relationship they had in Toronto and still have. Again, pure speculation, but Babcock is likely a candidate. more and other questions too...

Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse will have a hearing today for Head-butting Los Angeles’ Phillip Danault. — NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 11, 2022 A short video is below.  added 10:55am, zoomed in video below.

NEW YORK (May 11, 2022) – Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Michael Bunting, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider and Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras are the three finalists for the 2021-22 Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition,” the National Hockey League announced today. Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Calder Trophy at 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 Calder Trophy, in alphabetical order:

from Mark Spector of Sportsnet, Hockey’s most staunch cliché decrees that you’ve got to play the whole 60 to win in the playoffs. The Edmonton Oilers tried to win a playoff game on about 15 minutes of hockey that you — that they — would consider adequate for the occasion, and in the end they got exactly what they deserved. And so did the Los Angeles Kings. Adrian Kempe scored at 1:12 of an overtime session to give L.A. a 5-4 victory and a 3-2 series lead over an Edmonton team for whom the moment appeared to simply be too big in Game 5. “We haven't brought our best game yet,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid who carried his mates to a third period comeback with a goal and two primary assists on the night. “They’re a good team… so it'll take a complete game to beat them. And we haven’t brought that yet.” Was McDavid inferring that too many of his teammates were no-shows? We would doubt that’s what he meant, though he’d be spot on if he had. continued Below find the game highlights.

from Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The statistics tell you that when a best-of-7 series is tied two games apiece, the winner of Game 5 goes on to win the series more than 79 percent of the time. With that in mind, advantage St. Louis. Getting a third period hat trick from Vladimir Tarasenko – including two huge goals early in the period - the Blues erased a 2-1 Minnesota lead for a 5-2 victory before a loud and sold out crowd at Xcel Energy Center. As a result, the Blues are now just one victory away from erasing the Wild in this series, with Game 6 on Thursday at Enterprise Center. Just when you thought the Blues had no answer for Kirill “The Thrill” Kaprizov, who scored both Minnesota goals on first period power plays, Tarasenko stepped up and said: I got this. The hat trick was his second in postseason play and seventh overall as an NHL player. “It's not the time to think about any achievements,” Tarasenko said. “The biggest thing is we won the game and let's move onto the next one. At this point with the experience in 2019, we learned that only wins matter and it's good we have a win.” contiued Game highlights are below.

from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now, Last year, Detroit Red Wings prospect Jonatan Berggren was feeling the devastation when he was among the last cuts from Sweden’s roster for the IIHF World Championship tournament. This year, the cut was even unkinder. Sweden is making the decision of dropping Berggren from the country’s roster after his testing positive for COVID-19. “Jonatan Berggren has tested positive for COVID-19 and must be quarantined for five days,” Swedish coach and former Red Wings forward Johan Garpenlov told Aftonbladet.se. “After that, he must show two negative tests to get to the World Cup.” Garpenlov simply felt the downtime Berggren was facing would be too much to overcome in order for him to be able to contribute to the Swedish cause. continued, includes Berggren's reaction...

* The stars were on display Tuesday as Auston Matthews and Vladimir Tarasenko each led their clubs to comeback victories. * Adrian Kempe, who netted the game winner in overtime, matched three-point performances by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to help the Kings head home with a chance to advance to the Second Round. * Sebastian Aho climbed a pair of franchise lists as the Hurricanes captured Game 5 and continued the series trend with the home team winning yet again. * Strong viewership numbers continue through the first week of the opening round as the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs are averaging 668,000 viewers across ESPN, ESPN2, TNT and TBS, up 42% from 2021 and up 29% from 2019 on cable through the same number of games.

frm Julian Benbow of the Boston Globe, There was still 1:34 to drain from the clock in a game that turned lopsided on the Bruins in the third period but was probably over in the first. When the puck went into the bench and stopped play, it gave the PNC Arena DJ a chance to have some fun. The Carolina Hurricanes had a 5-1 win in the bag, and DJ Mista Illz decided the most fitting sounds for a late-game celebration was a Boston favorite: “Sweet Caroline.” The 19,163 fans on hand belted out the “Ohs” as if they were at Fenway Park. Whether it was coincidental or it was a twist of the dagger the Hurricanes had already driven into the Bruins, it served its purpose. The Bruins, facing elimination in their first-round series, had to grin, bear it, and hope they got a chance to hear the tune when they return to TD Garden on Thursday for Game 6. Even with Charlie McAvoy arriving at the last minute after being cleared from NHL COVID protocols, the Bruins were overwhelmed. The Hurricanes are a different monster at home and a different monster with a lead and they pushed the Bruins, who had just climbed out of a 2-0 hole to even the series. “Obviously, do-or-die situation is not the one we want to be in,” said the Bruins’ Brad Marchand. “But all that matters is that we regroup and get prepared for the next one. continued Game highlights are below.

from John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times, In a Stanley Cup playoff series filled with stars and backstories, we have been obsessed with the ramifications of penalties and the influence of pressure on Toronto and Tampa Bay. We wonder about momentum and motivation and mindset. And we forget that sometimes it just comes down to moments. Game 5 was like that Tuesday night. For a long stretch, the Lightning looked dominant and their knack for rising to the occasion seemed an integral part of the plot. And then, once again, foolish penalties became an issue and Toronto came roaring back. Both teams scored during a thrilling third period and, for a while, it looked like they might be heading to overtime for the first time in the series. Until the seemingly mundane chore of taking the puck up the ice cost the Lightning dearly in a 4-3 loss. And, in 48 hours, we’ll know if it cost them a chance for a third consecutive Stanley Cup.... This is new territory for the Lightning. At least this current version of the team. The Lightning have faced elimination only one time in the past two postseasons, and that was a Game 7 at home against the Islanders. The last time they faced the prospect of needing to win both Games 6 and 7 of a series was the 2015 Stanley Cup final against the Blackhawks. They lost Game 6 that year, 2-0. “We’re here to win the series,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “We lost a game (Tuesday). Like I said, we let this one slip away. That’s on us. But we haven’t let the series slip away, we let a game slip away.” more Below are the game highlights.

via Sportsnet's YouTube channel, With the Stanley Cup Playoffs averaging over 4 more penalties per game than the regular season, Hockey Central’s Ron MacLean argues more line brawls and tighter series have caused more penalties, not poor officiating.  

SECAUCUS, N.J. (May 10, 2022) -- The Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils own the first and second overall drafting positions, respectively, for the First Round of the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft as a result of the 2022 NHL Draft Lottery, conducted this evening at NHL Network's Secaucus, N.J., studio. Participants in the Draft Lottery included all teams that did not qualify for the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs (or the teams that have acquired the first-round drafting positions of those non-playoff teams). Two draws were conducted to determine the order of selection for the first 16 picks in the First Round of the Draft. Among the changes to the Draft Lottery format for this year announced on March 23, 2021, there was a limit on the total number of selections (10) a team participating in the Draft Lottery could “move up” in the event it won one of the Lottery Draws. Thus, only the top 11 seeds were eligible to receive the first overall selection. The order of selection for the first 16 picks of the First Round, only, of the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft is as follows:

Arter the games tonight, four teams will be one win away from advancing to Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

from Mike G. Morreals of NHL.com, The 2022 NHL Draft Lottery will set the order for the first 16 picks of the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft when it is held at NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, on Tuesday (6:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, SN NOW, TVAS). The 2022 draft is scheduled to be held at Bell Centre in Montreal. The first round will be held July 7, with rounds 2-7 on July 8. There will be two lottery drawings, one for the No. 1 pick and one for the No. 2 pick. Once the top two picks have been established, clubs will be slotted in the order of their finish in the regular-season standings. Additionally, teams only can move up 10 selections if it wins one of the lottery draws, a change announced by the NHL on March 23, 2021. Only the top 11 teams in lottery are eligible to receive the No. 1 selection in the 2022 draft. continued Below is a graphic with the draft odds.

NEW YORK (May 10, 2022) – Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for tripping Calgary Flames forward Trevor Lewis during Game 4 of the teams’ First Round series in Dallas on Monday, May 9, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today. The incident occurred at 0:23 of the second period. Benn was assessed a minor penalty for tripping. Watch below. 

from Mike Johnston of Sportsnet, The Montreal Canadiens carry the best odds this year after finishing a league-worst 22-49-11 only one season after a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. The Canadiens have held the No. 1 pick an NHL record five times, however all those instances occurred between 1963 and 1980. The last time a Canadian franchise besides the Edmonton Oilers or Toronto Maple Leafs had the top pick was in 1996 when the Ottawa Senators used it to take Chris Phillips. WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS YEAR’S LOTTERY? The draft lottery underwent a couple tweaks to its format in 2021. Not only was there the addition of a 32nd franchise, the Seattle Kraken, but the NHL downsized to two lotteries instead of three. There had been separate draws held for each of the top three picks from 2016 to 2020. Two new changes go into effect this year and the main alteration is a big one. Teams will now be restricted from moving up more than 10 spots in the pre-draft order. This means that unlike in the preceding years, not all teams participating in the lottery are eligible to win one of the top two picks. The main purpose for this change was to ensure the team that finishes last in the standings in the regular season won’t be slated to pick any worse than third overall. Also going forward, no team can win the top pick in the draft lottery more than twice in a five-year span. Whichever team wins the No. 1 pick on Tuesday will only be eligible to do so one more time between 2023 and 2026. The Oilers, Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils each won the draft lottery multiple times over the past decade. more I'll have a post going up at 5:45pm so you folks can discuss the lottery picks.

from Patrick Marleau at The Players' Tribune, I was three years old when my dad, Denis, took me to skate at the local rink in Aneroid for the first time. He said I got halfway around the rink, turned around and headed back to him, handing him the chair he’d given me for balance. “I don’t want this,” was all I said, and then I turned and went back out on the ice.  I fell in love with being out there at a young age. Hockey has always brought me a happiness I can’t put into words. It’s the smell of the rink, the laughs with my teammates, the competition, the thrill of victory, and yes, even the sorrow of defeat that fuels the fire to go out and try again. I was lucky to find my passion when I did, from that very first lap. Soon, I was skating each and every chance I got. Sometimes, that was on the dugout of our family’s farm. There was a watering hole that the cattle used to drink from, and in the winter it would freeze. So, we would make a hole for the cows to get what they needed, and the rest would be frozen and waiting for my brother and I to play our own version of an NHL game. I idolized Mario Lemieux growing up, so I would pretend to be him winning Stanley Cups for the Penguins. Right there, during those brutal Saskatchewan winters, my dream was born. I’d come home in tears with frozen feet, and my mom would slowly warm me back up. Those core memories, all centered on hockey and family, make up so much of who I am. They are still the most important things in my life today. continued

from Mollie Cahillane of AdWeek, In the first year of the NHL’s new TV rights deal with Turner Sports and Disney, the networks are not only seeing total audience gains over former rights holder NBC Sports, but an increasingly young and diverse audience—one that has considerably more women than last season. As playoffs get under way, Turner Sports is averaging 361,000 viewers across 51 telecasts on TNT, up 26% over now-shuttered NBC Sports Network. But female viewership for NHL on TNT’s regular season live game coverage has increased 56% vs. 2020-21 NHL regular games on cable. At ESPN, across 18 games, the number of women watching is up 73% versus NBC Sports Network, and 11% on ABC versus NBC. “We are so blessed to have our partnership with the networks, especially with TNT who is drawing this younger and more female audience, it’s right in line with our objectives as a brand,” Heidi Browning, CMO of the NHL, told Adweek. “ESPN has phenomenal female talent on air, on ice level and in leadership positions.” read on

10 of them.  

NEW YORK (May 10, 2022) – Jacob Markstrom of the Calgary Flames, Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators and Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers are the three finalists for the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy, awarded “to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position,” the National Hockey League announced today. NHL general managers submitted ballots for the Vezina Trophy at 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 Vezina Trophy, in alphabetical order: