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.

continued

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.

continued

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.

from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,

As part of his duties as vice president of hockey operations for the Detroit Red Wings, Nicklas Lidstrom is often assigned with the task of checking in on hockey’s future. While he’s doing so, the Red Wings legend readily admits that these kids have no recollection whatsoever of his spectacular past.

And he’s okay with that.

“I have no problem with that,” Lidstrom 54, told Swedish website Expressen.se. “It’s a bit fun in a way. There’s a new generation coming up and I actually think it’s charming.”...

Today’s up and coming hockey stars can Google all of that information about Lidstrom. They can watch his career highlights on YouTube. What they can’t do is recollect witnessing any of those magical events occuring.

“It was the same for me when I was growing up,” Lidstrom admitted. “There were players whose names you knew, but you had never seen them.”

read on

from Mark Lazerus of The Athletic,

...we need to talk about the Carolina Hurricanes.

Not in the same sentence as the Toronto Maple Leafs — that’s too harsh, too melodramatic. But in the same paragraph.

Because it’s not working. It hasn’t worked. And it appears it won’t work.

You know by now what the Hurricanes are all about. Depth over elite finishers. Quantity of shots over quality. Relentlessness over resourcefulness. Goaltending that’s always good enough, never great enough. It works so beautifully, so majestically, from October through April. But it hasn’t worked in May, and they haven’t even made it to June.

Carolina is an organizational marvel, one of the best-run and most forward-thinking front offices in the league. The Hurricanes have built a monster, a team that’s so deep, so fast, so effective, so ferocious on the forecheck. They win battles. They retrieve pucks. They wear down opponents. They won the NHL’s rough-and-tumble Metropolitan Division three years in a row before getting barely edged out by the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers this season by 3 points. They’ve finished among the top three teams in the league in each of the past four seasons. The analytical models adore them, the bettors favor them, and the hockey men and computer kids alike respect them.

Then the playoffs come around, and, well, this happens.

The Hurricanes are on the brink again, trailing their second-round series against the Rangers 3-0 after Artemi Panarin’s acrobatic tip-in 1:43 into overtime Thursday night gave New York a 3-2 victory. It was a gut-wrenching way for Carolina to lose, especially after Andrei Svechnikov scored the equalizer with 1:36 left in regulation, sending the cacophonous PNC Arena into absolute bedlam. It felt like that could be a turning point in the series. Instead, it just became another turn of the knife.

read on ($)

* New York remained undefeated in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with the help of Artemi Panarin, who factored on the game-winning goal for the fourth consecutive contest and became the first Rangers player to do so.

* Roope Hintz factored on four of five Dallas goals as the Stars withstood another Avalanche comeback attempt to tie their series at one game apiece.

* Friday’s two-game slate features the Bruins looking to regain their edge against the Panthers at TD Garden while the Oilers aim to split their series against the Canucks.

via the NHL's YouTube page,

Tonight's live scoreboard and chat for Game 3 between the New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes and Game 2 between the Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars will provide real-time updates and interactive features for fans to stay engaged throughout the game. The scoreboard will display the current score, period, and time remaining, allowing viewers to easily track the game's progress. Additionally, the chat feature will enable fans to discuss the game, share their thoughts, and interact with other viewers in a lively and dynamic environment. Whether you're cheering for the Rangers or Hurricanes, the live scoreboard and chat will enhance your game-watching experience and connect you with fellow fans.

Follow below.

The Hurricanes really need a win tonight or they will be facing elimination on Saturday night.

The Stars do not want to be down 0-2 heading to Colorado for their game on Saturday.

Can Rangers’ special teams continue to push them through to the Stanley Cup

The New York Rangers are on the march with a special teams frenzy that succeeds in covering up the most glaring shortcoming the team may have, their very mediocre Five on Five (5x5) play. No team in eleven years has won the Stanley Cup without 5x5 play substantially better than what the Rangers have played this season.

via the Toronto Maple Leafs,

Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving today announced that Sheldon Keefe has been relieved of his role as head coach. The organization will immediately begin the search for a new head coach, and decisions regarding the remainder of the coaching staff will follow.

“Today’s decision was difficult. Sheldon is an excellent coach and a great man; however, we determined a new voice is needed to help the team push through to reach our ultimate goal. We thank Sheldon for his hard work and dedication to the organization over the last nine years, and wish him and his family all the very best.”

Keefe coached the Maple Leafs to a 212-97-40 record in 349 regular season games. The club recorded three consecutive 100-point seasons under Keefe, including a team-record 115-point season in 2021-22. Keefe was also at the helm of the Toronto Marlies (AHL) for five seasons, during which the team won the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the AHL’s top regular season team on two occasions and the franchise’s first Calder Cup Championship in 2018.

from Nick Kypreos at the Toronto Star,

On Friday, when newly appointed MLSE CEO Keith Pelley, Leafs president Brendan Shanahan and general manager Brad Treliving speak to the media, it’s fully expected that they’ll be aligned on the team’s short-term plans to get this runaway train back on the rails.

Unlike in years past, it will come with a different tone that no longer supports the idea of the Core Four.

Marner is now expendable because of what it will take to re-sign him, while it’s time for Tavares to go due to his diminishing role. These factors will be the driving force in why the Leafs will be seeking trades for these two as early as this June’s draft.

Both players have full no-movement clauses that they can exercise until they are free agents after next season, but what’s the point of waiting? If the Leafs can find Marner a destination where he’s willing to go and his new team has the means to sign him to a long-term contract with an annual salary he can’t refuse, then why delay the inevitable?

Here is the good news for Marner: there are already multiple NHL teams that have reached out and shown a keen interest in a three-time all-star player who closes in on 100 points every season. And that’s with the knowledge that his next contract could land him as much as $100 million.

more

from Ansar Khan of Mlive,

Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman likely will take the highest player on the team’s draft board with the 15th pick, whether he’s a center, winger or defenseman.

Ideally, he’ll be a winger who can put the puck in the net. That’s the biggest organizational need.

The Red Wings used their past two first-round picks on two-way centers, Marco Kasper is 2022 and Nate Danielson in 2023. They have a decent stable of young defensemen: Moritz Seider is well-established, Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson will be on the roster at the start of next season and Axel Sandin-Pellikka might not be far behind. Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine are their goaltenders of the future.

They need goal-scorers.

The draft is top-heavy with defensemen. As many as six might be selected in the top 10. That could leave more scoring options for the Red Wings in the middle of the first round. Here is a look at some who might be available at No. 15 during the first day of the draft June 28 at the Sphere in Las Vegas:

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, 6-1, 198, RW, Mora (Allsvenskan, Sweden): The top Norwegian prospect of all-time, his game has been progressing nicely in the Swedish leagues. The Sporting News says, “The right winger is incredibly well-rounded with few holes in his game. He does a lot of things well, including scoring from range and handling the puck.”

continued

via the YouTube page of the NHL on ESPN,

Hear from the head coaches of the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers, Jim Montgomery and Paul Maurice, as well as David Pastrnak after Game 2 where Pastrnak fought Matthew Tkachuk in the third period...

from Kevin Woodley at the NHL's website,

Nikita Zadorov and Conor Garland scored 39 seconds apart in the third period, and the Vancouver Canucks came back from three goals down to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Second Round at Rogers Arena on Wednesday.

Zadorov tied it 4-4 at 13:47 with a one-timer from the left point through traffic. Garland then put Vancouver ahead for the first time at 14:26, faking a slap shot off the rush at the right dot before sliding a sharp-angled wrist shot through the legs of Stuart Skinner....

J.T. Miller also scored in the third period, Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and Arturs Silovs made 14 saves for the Canucks, who are the No. 1 seed from the Pacific Division.

“The belief is always there,” Joshua said. “Just to know that you got to keep playing to the end, anything can happen and in the third, once the crowd gets behind us and gives us a little bit more confidence, you could see it spread throughout the team."...

“They’re a good team and they were doing everything they could to come back and we were doing everything we could to hold onto the lead,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who had one assist but no shots and was minus-1 in 24:03 of ice time. “That happens in the playoffs, you try to hold onto a lead and sometimes you’re maybe a little too passive. We were doing a good job of holding onto the lead, but they find a way to get two and find a way to get a third to win.”...

“Up until 10 minutes left in the third, I thought we controlled the action,” Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. “Sometimes that happens, that’s the emotional ups and downs of the playoffs, they get three quick ones and that’s the game right there. We can be encouraged by the way we played for the first 50 minutes. A little bit of a disappointing ending, but at the end of the day, when we’re at our best and to a certain point, I didn’t think we maybe earned it in the third.”

read on

Below are the game highlights.

* The Canucks pulled off a stunning win to take a 1-0 series lead as they joined the Avalanche as the second team in as many days to record a three-goal comeback victory. Two of four Game 1s in the 2024 Second Round have featured the winning club overcoming a three-goal deficit.

* Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour helped the Panthers erupt for six unanswered goals against the Bruins and even their Second Round series at 1-1.

* The 2024 Second Round continues Thursday as the Hurricanes aim to cut their series deficit in half as games shift to Carolina, while the Stars aim to even their series at home.

Hopefully a duplicate of the games played last night. It was a great night for a hockey fan.

via TSN's YouTube page,

Gino Reda and Darren Dreger discuss Sheldon Keefe's status as head coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs and when we may learn more about the direction the team is heading in.

Dreger believes a coaching change will be made and mentions some candidates

from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,

The essence of Hockeytown is certainly evident in the puckstopping crew that will be performing for USA Hockey at the upcoming IIHF World Championship.

Alex Lyon was the first netminder to gain selection to the American team. He set career highs for games played (44), wins (21) and minutes played (2499) with Detroit this season....

USA Hockey was also naming Trey Augustine to their squad. Detroit’s 41st overall selection in the 2023 NHL entry draft, Augustine just completed his freshman season at Michigan State. He would lead all Big Ten goalies in saves (1216) and was second in wins (23) as the Spartans won both the conference regular season and tournament titles.

Augustine also backstopped the USA to the world junior title....

Lyon and Augustine split netminding chores as the USA was downing Slovakia 6-2 in a pre-tournament game.

Lyon played the first two periods and made 17 saves on 19 shots. Augustine made four saves in the final period. The teams would partake in a shootout following the game and Augustine stopped all five shots he faced.

USA Hockey was filling the final goaltending slot on the roster Tuesday with another familiar name to Red Wings fans. Alex Nedeljkovic will be joining the squad.

more

TORONTO (May 8, 2024) – The National Hockey League Players’ Association announced today the three finalists for the 2023-24 Ted Lindsay Award are forwards Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche and Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The TLA is presented annually to “the most outstanding player in the NHL,” as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA.

This season’s trio of finalists includes two past recipients, Kucherov (2018-19) and Matthews (2021-22), who are each seeking their second TLA, as well as MacKinnon who is looking to receive his first award in his third season as a finalist (also 2017-18, 2019-20). Kucherov and MacKinnon were announced as finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy on Tuesday, while Matthews was recently named a finalist for the Selke Trophy and Lady Byng Trophy for the 2023-24 regular season.

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 53rd presentation of the only NHL award voted on by the players themselves.

The three TLA finalists received the most votes from their peers based on their 2023-24 regular season campaigns, and are listed in alphabetical order as follows:

Over 17 minutes long.

* Vincent Trocheck became the eighth different player in franchise playoff history with the winning goal in a game requiring multiple overtimes as the Rangers improved to 6-0 during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

* Miles Wood scored the winner after Nathan MacKinnon, who was named a finalist for the 2023-24 Hart Memorial Trophy alongside Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov, helped the Avalanche erase a 3-0 deficit in regulation. McDavid and the Oilers open their Second Round series with the Canucks in one of two games tonight.

* The Sharks won the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery and own the first overall drafting position for the First Round of the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft, which will be held at Sphere in Las Vegas.

* NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman presided over the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery, which was conducted at NHL Network's studio in Secaucus, N.J. Click here to watch a video featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the drawing procedure.

from Taylor Baird at the NHL's website,

Miles Wood scored at 11:03 of overtime for the Colorado Avalanche, who rallied from three goals down to defeat the Dallas Stars 4-3 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Second Round at American Airlines Center on Tuesday.

Wood skated down the left wing past Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen, cut across the crease, and tucked a backhand past the left pad of Jake Oettinger.

Cale Makar had a goal and two assists, Valeri Nichushkin and Nathan MacKinnon each had a goal and an assist, and Mikko Rantanen had two assists for the Avalanche, who are the No. 3 seed from the Central Division. Alexandar Georgiev made 19 saves.

Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist for the Stars, who are the No. 1 seed from the Central. Oettinger made 22 saves.

continued

The game highlights are below.

from Wait Ruff of the Hurricanes website,

They Said It...

Jordan Staalfollowing the loss...

"There's not much else there to talk about, really. It's pretty evident. The PK has got to kill and the power play has got to convert on probably one and we'd find a way to win. I thought our five-on-five game was great. It was a hard-fought game, obviously. It's going to sting, but we've got to find a way to get it done at home and then we'll find a way from there."

Jake Guentzelexpressing his frustrations and then discussing what needs to be different on the power play...

"We're right there. It's a small margin of error in the playoffs. We've got to buckle down on the power play and find a way to get one there. We'll go home, play in front of our fans, and move on... I just think we're a bit too on the outside right now and we've got to shoot the puck more. That's when we're at our best."

Rod Brind'Amourlooking at the picture as a whole and also addressing the man advantage woes...

"I thought we played really well. I'm happy with (the five-on-five) for sure. Both games, I thought we were good at that department and I thought we were even better tonight than the other night. We had our opportunities... We've got to be sharper (on the power play). We've got to get inside. We're spending too much time on the outside. That's not how we do it. We've got to get back to the way we know how."

more on the game...

The game highlights are below.