7 1/2 minutes to watch.

from Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic,

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand will not play in Game 4 because of an upper-body injury. Coach Jim Montgomery classified Marchand as day to day. Montgomery declined to answer whether Marchand had suffered a concussion.

The Bruins believe Marchand was injured by Sam Bennett during a first-period collision in Game 3. Slow-motion video replay appears to show Bennett punching Marchand in the head with his right hand. Marchand played for two periods but did not return in the third....

“I think it pisses off everyone,” Trent Frederic said of Bennett’s punch and its consequences. “I think this whole team kind of ticks everyone off, to be honest. There’s some individuals, obviously, that make guys more frustrated, more mad. Maybe it’s frustration. You’ve still got to go out and do the job. We’re still down 2-1, trying to make it 2-2.”

Bennett was not penalized for the play and was not subject to supplemental discipline.

“I don’t think I classified it as dirty,” Montgomery said following the Bruins’ optional morning skate on Sunday. “I just thought it was outside the lines. I think it’s someone that plays the game on the edge. And he knew what he was doing. I don’t know if you’ve seen the picture from behind. But there’s clearly… he loaded up.”

read on

If you missed it earlier, watch the incident below.

It's a beautiful day here in Michigan and I wish all the moms out there a beautiful day too.

Sit back, relax and do whatever your heart desires. Let your family cater to you today.

from Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now,

Detroit Red Wings goalie Alex Lyon is out of the World Championships in Czechia after suffering an injury in USA’s 6-1 win against Germany Saturday.

Lyon was scheduled to fly back to the United States today, according to USA Hockey. Details of the injury have not been disclosed. Reports on social media say it’s a hand injury, but that is unconfirmed.

That leaves former Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic and Detroit draft pick Trey Augustine as USA’s goalie. Michigan State player Augustine, 19, replaced Lyon at 3:27 of the second period and played the remainder of the game. Lyon had stopped all 14 shots he faced against Germany before he was hurt. Augustine stopped 11 of the 12 shots he saw. This is Augustine’s first World Championship. However, he owns international experience at the World Junior Championship and the World Under-18 tournaments.

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from Ryan S. Clark of ESPN,

"Take the ball."

Everything about those three words was an invitation. It was a way to let Arturs Silovs know that although he had already done quite a bit, he could still do so much more, because those around him believed he was capable of more.

Several months have passed since Abbotsford Canucks coach Jeremy Colliton delivered that message. In that time, Silovs has gone from a strong AHL goaltender to one who has won three postseason games for the Vancouver Canucks in one of this year's unlikeliest situations.

Think about that. Or rather, think about it like this: Silovs is a 23-year-old goalie from Latvia, a nation whose population is smaller than metro Vancouver. For all the questions facing the Canucks about how they'd survive without injured Vezina Trophy finalist Thatcher Demko, they have found answers with Silovs' ascension.

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from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

- This is a George Constanza opposite year for the NHL. Usually, the first round of the playoffs is sensational, then diminishes each round after that. This year, the first round was unspectacular, but the second round has been terrific to date. And wait ’til next round, when we’re potentially looking at Panthers versus Rangers or Oilers versus either the Stars or Avalanche — that could be even better.

- Thank you NHL and American television. When Evan Bouchard scored in overtime on Friday night, it was actually Saturday morning in my house, 1:16 am. How many Canadians east of Manitoba were watching that late?

- It was clear a few months ago that likely Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck would wind up as the goalie for Team USA at the next Winter Olympics. But now, Jeremy Swayman has entered the conversation, along with Thatcher Demko and Jake Oettinger. All four would start for Team Canada if available.

more hockey note, most sre Toronto related...

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

It will take one more game, at least one more game, for the Rangers to sew up their second-round series and advance to the conference finals following Saturday’s 4-3 Game 4 defeat here to the Canes.

If you want to spin the end of the Blueshirts’ 7-0 joyride to start the playoffs somehow as positive, there is of course the continuing and eerie parallel to 1994, a fairly famous year around here.

Those Rangers also won their first seven postseason games, lost a potential second-round Game 4 clincher in Washington before taking out the Caps in Game 5 at the Garden before moving onto the Devils, “We’ll Win Tonight,” “Save by Richter!” and all that jazz.

This group would sign up for something similar when the Candy Canes come to Manhattan for Game 5 on Monday.

The defeat, though, does have an additional consequence in that it prevents Adam Fox getting perhaps a full week’s rest before the next round starts. Fox, who took a leg-on-leg from Nick Jensen in Game 4 of the Washington series on April 28, has not seemed entirely up to par throughout this series and appeared to labor at times in the match.

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from Eric Francis of Sportsnet,

The Dallas Stars may not have been the better team Saturday night, but there’s no question they deserve to lead their series over the Colorado Avalanche.

A pair of empty-net goals in a 4-1 win over the Avs in Denver put the Stars up 2-1 despite being on their heels a good chunk of the night.

The stellar defence and depth the Stars are known for were the difference, as Tyler Seguin and Logan Stankoven had two goals apiece in a win that came despite being outhit and outshot in a game in which the Avs had 71 shot attempts to the Stars’ 45.

Unlike Games 1 and 2 when the Stars gave up seven goals after establishing early leads, the Stars looked very comfortable defending a one-goal lead in the final 20 minutes before finding the empty net.

“I think our group took it personally when everyone questioned whether we could hold a lead in the third,” laughed Dallas coach Peter DeBoer.

“It was warranted with how the first two games went, but we knew we were better than that.

“We’ve been really good in those situations all year and really good on the road. I thought the details of our game tonight were outstanding.”

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* The Hurricanes triumphed in a must-win Game 4 with the help of Brady Skjei, who scored the second-latest go-ahead goal in a potential elimination game in Hurricanes franchise history.

* Logan Stankoven scored his first career postseason goal and then added another to help secure the Stars’ second straight win as they took a 2-1 series lead over the Avalanche in the Second Round.

* The Bruins will look to knot their series at two apiece when they face the Panthers on Sunday, while the Oilers and Canucks aim to break their series stalemate in Edmonton.

* The NHL celebrates Mother’s Day with special features on Wendy Martinook, mother of Jordan (CAR), and Mercedes Robertson, mother of Jason (DAL) and Nick (TOR).

from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,

Fans in every city see the game through goggles tinted to the colour of the home team. They’re supposed to be irate when a high-stick on Quinn Hughes get missed, and oblivious to the six Canucks skaters on the ice seconds before a Vancouver goal.

Fans have every right to cite Connor McDavid’s alleged embellishment, but gloss over the giant oak tree that is Nikita Zadorov, toppled by a love-tap from Warren Foegele. Or the knee taken by Quinn Hughes.

Canucks fans? God bless ‘em....

How does the “Kelly Sutherland hates us” theme that fans lap up — but accredited media should laugh off — get legitimate traction here?

Must we go all the way back to the great Vancouver hockey columnist Tony Gallagher — Dear Leader of the Tinfoil Hats Brigade — an old friend and able wordsmith who taught this market that Gary Bettman would rather they lose, and the referees were microchipped to slant games in the direction of whichever team was in town that night?

How is it that, of the 32 press boxes I’ve spent the past 35 years in, this is the one where the intermission topic of conversation is officiating. Night after night, after whiney, complaining night?

So, here’s the deal: As an Edmonton-based writer, you can write me off as a homer. Go ahead.

more

The New York Rangers can go 8-0 in the playoffs and sweep the Carolina Hurricanes while Dallas/Colorado is now a best of 5 series.

Updates on both games will be in the comment section, including goals and key plays.

Rod Brind’Amour's contract expires at the end of this season.

from Johnathan Bailey of PhillyHockeyNow,

Some Flyers fans have this fantasy of Brind’Amour returning to Philadelphia and replacing John Tortorella as the Flyers’ head coach, particularly due to his success as a coach in the regular season. Brind’Amour has won no fewer than 52 games in each of his last three seasons behind Carolina’s bench.

If the expectation is that Brind’Amour elevates the Flyers to a level that makes them a perennial playoff team that can win the Stanley Cup, those hopes are misplaced. The Hurricanes are currently down 3-0 to the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup playoffs, putting them one game away from getting swept in the second round.

If the Rangers sweep Brind’Amour and the Hurricanes, Carolina will have gotten swept two years in a row. Here’s how the postseason has treated the Hurricanes under Brind’Amour: swept in the conference finals in 2019, lost in five games in the first round of 2020, lost in five games in the second round of 2021, lost in seven games in the second round of 2022, swept in the conference finals of 2023, and on track to get swept in the second round of 2024.

Brind’Amour’s teams tend to run out of gas fairly quickly in the postseason, and while he is absolved of the responsibility of building the team, the Hurricanes’ results always come back to him.

more

Again, the concussion spotters never pulled him from the game.

He did not play in the third period last night, Bruins say upper body injury.

from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,

The center chosen ninth overall by the Red Wings in the 2023 NHL entry draft is leading Portland in playoff scoring. Danielson is good for five goals and 16 assists through 14 games. During the Western Conference final against the Prince George Cougars, Danielson led all scorers with 2-9-11 numbers, along with a plus-7 rating....

A 6-foot-2 and 188 pounds, Danielson has the ideal frame to be a dominant NHL center, although he’ll still need to bulk up and add strength. He’s already known for his 200-foot game, and defensive play is generally the aspect that is holding young players back from making the NHL grade.

“He did not (look out of place),” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said of Danielson’s first NHL training camp last fall. ” I love the fast that even as young as he is, he came in with a ‘I want to make the team’ mentality, which is exciting for me.

“My message was want to get back here as quick as you can.”

Could that be next season for Danielson? The tradition with this franchise is to slow cook prospects. At the same time, in certain cases – Larkin, Raymond, Moritz Seider – when a player shows that he’s ready, they’re ready to give him the chance to show what he can do in the show.

more

from Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald,

Bruins fans showed up at the Garden on Friday looking for their team to exact some old school vengeance on the Florida Panthers after some cheap shots were thrown in the Panthers’ lopsided win in Game 2.

The B’s, however, were not ready for the moment. And when they finally woke up, it was too late.

The Panthers, far quicker to the puck than the B’s in the first two periods and playing their forechecking game to perfection, raced out to a 4-0 lead and withstood a Bruin rally in the third period for a 6-2 victory in Game 3.

To make matters worse, the B’s lost Brad Marchand, who was wobbled in the first period on a hit from Sam Bennett, playing his first game of the series. Marchand was looked at on the bench and stayed in the game but did not come out for the third period. There was no immediate update on him.

The Bruins had three shots on net after the first period and just eight after 40 minutes in a start that was reminiscent of their anemic starts in Games 5 and 6 against Toronto. Coach Jim Montgomery took the heat for his players.

“We’ve had a couple of games where we started slow and didn’t generate much offense,” said Montgomery. “We’ve got to get better. I have to give the players a better plan, you know? Florida was significantly better than us and I’ve got to come up with a better game plan.”

continued

Below, watch the game highlights.

from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,

Connor McDavid coming off a sub-par game, and Leon Draisaitl playing hurt.

You might be able to overcome one of those. But both?

The poor Vancouver Canucks, they never had a chance.

“McDavid and Draisaitl, they were unreal,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet marveled after the game. “They were all over the ice tonight.”

In a Game 2 described by Mattias Ekholm as “not a must-win, but close to it,” the Edmonton Oilers pulled away from Vancouver as the game went on Friday, overcoming a one-goal deficit three separate times in a 4-3 overtime win that evens the series at 1-1.

Evan Bouchard’s long wrist shot rattled in off of Canucks defenceman Ian Cole for the OT winner, but it was identical one-goal, four-point nights by the Oilers' two superstars that stoked the playoff legend of Draisaitl and McDavid.

“They're hungry. They know what's at stake, and the best players bring out the best of themselves in these kinds of situations,” Ekholm said. “They're the top two players in the world, in my mind. When they put on a show like they did tonight, when they bring their ‘A’ game, it's hard to stop.”

continued

Game highlights are below.

* Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each factored on all four Oilers goals Friday, including the assists on Evan Bouchard’s overtime winner, to help Edmonton head back home for Game 3 with deadlocked 1-1 series with the Canucks.

* The Panthers joined rare company in NHL history with a fourth consecutive playoff win in Boston and did so thanks to their second six-goal performance in as many games as well as a three-assist outing from Matthew Tkachuk.

* Saturday features a Hurricanes attempt to stave off elimination in the Second Round and hand the President’s Trophy-winning Rangers their first loss of the postseason, while the Stars and Avalanche continue their tightly-contested series at Ball Arena for Game 3.

We should have two great games tonight. Comments are always welcome.

Throughout the night, I add videos of the goals and key plays so follow along.

from Sean P. Roarke of the NHL's website,

"Everyone knows what is going on; what situation we are in," Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis said Friday. "It's not going to help anyone being negative or being down. So everyone's being positive. We had a good practice. Everyone was upbeat, energetic, so it was nice to see."

In the history of best-of-7 series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, 209 teams have lost the first three games; four have found a way to come all the way back and advance.

The Hurricanes have not done so in six attempts since relocating from Hartford for the 1997-98 season.

Yet, they believe.

They have no choice. It's who they are. They are hockey players. It's in their DNA to believe -- to try -- until they are told to take off the skates for the final time in a season.

"We show up to the rink every day, we go out there and work," Carolina forward Stefan Noesen said. "It doesn't matter if it's Game 82, Game 1, preseason, down 3-0, up 4-0. We just show up and work.

"That's the identity we've built here and the culture that we bult. That's why we are here today. We're just trying to get better."

read on

from TSN,

Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan took responsibility Friday for the team's continued failures in the postseason.

"Our results in the playoffs have not been good enough. That's on me," Shanahan said.

Shanahan, alongside general manager Brad Treliving and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment CEO Keith Pelley, met with reporters one day after the team fired head coach Sheldon Keefe following his fourth opening-round exit in five years.

Shanahan said he appreciated Keefe taking the blame for the playoff letdowns in Toronto, but said the "unacceptable" results are on him. He added that all options will be on the table this off-season as the Maple Leafs look to take a step forward.

“We will look at everything this summer and will consider everything with the intention of making the Maple Leafs better and to win,” Shanahan said, declining to speak on the future of any specific players.

Shanahan has continuously backed the team's "Core 4" throughout his time in Toronto, but struck a different tone on Friday, noting the time for patience may be at an end. Captain John Tavares and winger Mitch Marner are both entering the final seasons of their contracts after Treliving extended both Auston Matthews and William Nylander this season.

"It has certainly become evident that we have to assess all of those things and assess if we have to do some very difficult things to make the team better," Shanahan said.

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Once a bully knows they can get away with murder in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there’s only way to stop a killing spree.

Someone’s gotta pick up the Captain’s spine. Someone’s gotta let Benn know that this won’t stand. And neither will he.

-Sean Keeler of the Denver Post where you can read more on the Jamie Benn hit.

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

This is my take and not Peter Laviolette’s, but I am thinking the reason the Rangers head coach inserted Filip Chytil into the lineup for Thursday’s third game of the conference semis after a 188-day absence is that he believes that the club will need No. 72 in order to go the long haul, and what better time to bring him back than with a 2-0 series lead?

And now, with an ebullient and healthy Chytil back in place, the Blueshirts are just nine victories away from a parade up the Canyon of Heroes, nine victories away from lifting the Stanley Cup after recording their seventh straight victory of the tournament, this one 3-2 in overtime on Artemi Panarin’s exquisite deflection at 1:43 for No. 10’s fourth game-winner of the tournament.

Chytil came through his 12:02 of ice time without a care in the world. He kept up. He dangled twice in the third period. No one would have known that the 24-year-old hadn’t played since Nov. 2 in the regular season’s 10th game, when he sustained what is believed the fourth concussion of his career. It was as if Chytil jumped onto a speeding Acela in full flight.

And, man, does Laviolette deserve a lot of credit for this. The coach switched the lineup after six straight victories. He scratched Matt Rempe after the Rangers had won their last 15 games with him in the lineup.

Laviolette spit into the wind, and the Rangers soared.

The coach has their back, and the players have his.

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via the Dallas Morning News,

“Benner’s been outstanding in this playoff,” DeBoer said after the game. “I thought against Vegas, he did it, and he did it smart. He did it at the right time. He did it clean. His presence physically is having an impact for us in this playoffs in a real positive way.”

Still, the no-call was controversial, and Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar expressed confusion at the rules but ultimately noted that in the playoffs, “you have to play through it.”

“It’s a physical game, and it’s a physical player. I don’t know what to say. Does he catch a piece of his shoulder? Yes, I guess you could argue that, but the target is high and it’s at his head, and he makes contact with his head,” Bednar said after the game. “I have seen many times guys get called for the headshot penalties with a lot less than that, but I guess [the referees] didn’t think so. ... It just makes me wonder, again, what the rules [are]. We will never probably figure [it] out, but it is what it is.”

“You have to play through it, and I am glad he is OK. It’s a physical game this time of year, but I can’t understand how it’s not a penalty even if it isn’t a five [minute major],” he said.

Watch the hit below.