4:29 AM EDT, Fri March 29, 2024
Sportsnet.ca

Vancouver Canucks hit snag in playoff preparations as special teams fail to execute

Though battling evenly at five-on-five, taking five penalties in an intense, tight-checking way will not keep the Canucks in the playoffs long if they are equally undisciplined next month.

Stanley Cup of Chowder

The 2024 Boston Bruins have cliched a playoff spot

Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Who thought this could and would happen this early before the season? By virtue of the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 loss to the Habs and the Carolina Hurricanes 4-0 win over the Wings (though we only needed one of those results), your Boston Bruins have punched their ticket to the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Obviously, there’s a lot of perspective. Preseason odds were not optimistic about the Black and Gold, losing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci and not truly filling their spots. As the season progressed, it showed more and...

The Hockey Writers

Sharks Still Suffering From Same Early-Season Problems

In terms of the playoffs or even meaningful late-season games, 2023-24 was always going to be a lost season for the San Jose Sharks. But they still had hope for…

Sportsnet.ca

Scout’s Analysis: Ranking the top 50 prospects for the 2024 NHL Draft

With playoffs and late-season tournaments coming up, it’s an exciting time on the scouting calendar as final viewings fit in before the NHL Draft. So our scout Jason Bukala gives you his latest top 50 player rankings.

Sportsnet.ca

Zadorov on importance of home-ice in playoffs as Canucks eye top seed

Canucks defenceman Nikita Zadorov says Canucks are gunning for top seed in the West, as he’s been part of two teams that lost Game 7’s on the road, and there knows the importance of home-ice advantage in the playoffs,

The Hockey Writers

3 Lessons the Rangers Can Learn From Recent Playoff Failures

After their 6-5 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers, the New York Rangers are the first team to clinch their berth in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They have been…

Sportsnet.ca

Why it’s crucial the Maple Leafs sort out their special teams units

Jason Bukala joins Kyper and Bourne to discuss the Toronto Maple Leafs’ lack of success with their special teams units and why they need to tidy up their power play and penalty kill units before the playoffs.

Sportsnet.ca

Very anxious to see Pettersson perform in playoffs after his payday

Halford and Brough discuss what Elias Pettersson’s play might be in the playoffs, compared to how he looked during the Canucks’ impressive bubble run in 2021.

Sportsnet.ca

How Bowness plans to have Jets find their rhythm before the playoffs

Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness discusses the team’s final stretch of games heading into the playoffs and why he won’t allow the team to be complacent and urges them to keep their foot on the gas to close out the regular season.

Sportsnet.ca

Carbery deserves Jack Adams love if Capitals somehow make playoffs

NHL analyst Tarik El-Bashir joins the Jeff Marek Show to discuss why Spencer Carbery would be his Jack Adams Award winner if he somehow gets this Capitals squad into the postseason in his first year behind the bench in Washington.

All About The Jersey

2023-24 Gamethread #73: New Jersey Devils at Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Leaft the Playoffs after this sign was held. | Steve Russell/Toronto Star via For the first time this season - yes, it took 73 games to get this matchup - the New Jersey Devils will take on Canadian / Hockey media darlings, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Will the Devils be able to spoil the Leafs a bit? Talk about it here. At long last, the 31st opponent of Our Favorite Team this season. Yes, the NHL schedule makers decided to cram in 3 games against this opponent within 2 weeks at the end of the season’s schedule. Thanks? The Time: 7:30 PM ET The Broadcast:...

The Hockey Writers

Ranking the Winnipeg Jets’ Potential First Round Opponents

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are right around the corner in Winnipeg, as the Jets are set to make the playoffs for the sixth time in the past seven seasons. This…

PensBurgh

Don’t expect much of a youth movement in the final weeks of Penguins’ season

Photo by Sam Hodde/ The competitive portion of the Pens season is over, but league rules and the salary cap will prevent opportunity for younger players The Penguins find themselves in the awkward spot of having a significant number of games left this season (12, if you’re keeping track), but no true hope or purpose in them. The team isn’t going to the playoffs with a 3-9-2 stumble down the stretch confirming what was already known over the first 50 or so games. With nothing to play for, the attention at this point naturally turns to the next page. What about the...

The Hockey Writers

Projecting the Flyers’ Future Top 2 Forward Lines

The Philadelphia Flyers are on track to make the playoffs for the first time since 2019-20 in a season deemed a rebuilding one for general manager (GM) Daniel Briere in…

Sportsnet.ca

Should the Maple Leafs be concerned about Samsonov’s durability?

Nick Kypreos and the Hockey Central panel discuss Ilya Samsonov’s durability after leaving the Maple Leafs game with an injury against the Oilers and debate whether it should be a concern heading into the playoffs.

All About The Jersey

Game Preview #71: New Jersey Devils vs. Ottawa Senators

Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports As the season draws to a close just in time for the Devils to gasp a last breath of life, they host one of this season’s all-time nemeses: a team in the bottom ten of the league. The Matchup: New Jersey Devils (34-32-4) vs. Ottawa Senators (28-36-4) The Time: 7:00 PM EDT The Broadcast: MSGSN Key Takeaways The playoffs are firmly out of the Ottawa Senators’ hands, but the Devils have very slim hopes that their season might continue. To do so, they need to win pretty much every game from now until the end of the season (or close enough...

All About The Jersey

2023-24 Gamethread #71: New Jersey Devils vs. Ottawa Senators

Hischier! Korpisalo maybe? Tonight! | Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via A homestand ends as a weekend back-to-back begins. The New Jersey Devils host the playoff-less Ottawa Senators on a rainy night in Newark. Fans can discuss the game as it happens here. Our Favorite Team will end a home stand by starting a weekend back-to-back set against a Canadian opponent definitely not making the playoffs. The Time: 7:00 PM ET The Broadcast: TV - MSGSN; Radio - Devils Hockey Network (on Audacy) The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils vs. the Ottawa Senators The Song...

Sportsnet.ca

Which team has a dark horse Stanley Cup Playoffs run in them?

The Hockey Central takes to the hot seat to discuss which team can go on a March Madness-style miracle run, who should be the frontrunner for the Hart Trophy, and much more.

Sportsnet.ca

As Buffalo Sabres’ long rebuild drags on, young players trying to trust the process

The reality that Buffalo will miss the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season has set in. Despite this, the young players believe what they’re building now will set them up for success in the future.

Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Jack Hughes scores 2, brother Luke has 3 assists as Devils stuns Jets 4-1

For one game, the New Jersey Devils finally played like the team that set a franchise record for points last season and opened eyes in the postseason. Unless they keep doing it over the final 12 games of the regular season, they are not getting back to the playoffs.

Sportsnet.ca

Could Matt Murray actually be a playoff option for Maple Leafs?

Kyper and Bourne discussion on the news that Matt Murray was on the ice taking shots from Maple Leafs players, with the thought that he will absolutely be an option for them in the playoffs.

NESN.com

Jeremy Swayman Or Linus Ullmark? Bruins Have Tough Playoff Decision

The Bruins are up against the clock, as they’ll soon need to decide whether Jeremy Swayman or Linus Ullmark will start Game 1 of their upcoming first-round series in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It’s a decision some teams would kill for, but a tough one nonetheless. Boston’s enjoyed having the best goaltending duo in hockey […]

The Hockey Writers

Golden Knights’ Scenarios to Get Into the 2024 Playoffs

There are just 14 games remaining in the 2023-24 NHL regular season for the Vegas Golden Knights, but no shortage of possible outcomes for how things will play out between…

Sportsnet.ca

Future Considerations: How Leafs prospect Easton Cowan has stepped up

Easton Cowan, a first round pick for the Toronto Maple Leafs, has taken a step up this year and recently set a London Knights franchise record points streak. With playoffs on the horizon, our scout Jason Bukala caught up with Cowan, and updated his scouting report on the player.

PensBurgh

How much longer will Penguins buck conventional wisdom with Mike Sullivan?

Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Sullivan seems entrenched in his position, but for how much longer? The most unique aspect about this Pittsburgh Penguins season isn’t what they have done, it’s about what they chose not to do. After picking up Erik Karlsson and making some additional and significant personnel changes (an additional new top-four defenseman even after Karlsson! a scoring winger fresh off Stanley Cup glory! a new veteran bottom-six!) most expected Pittsburgh would improve from 2022-23 — when they finished only one point out of the playoffs, missing...

Sportsnet.ca

Can the Capitals pull off a surprise run to the playoffs?

The Hockey Central panel discusses the impressive run of the Washington Capitals and whether the team can hold on in the Stanley Cup Playoff picture despite being pegged as a rebuilding team at start of season.

Winnipeg Jets' Hellebuyck talks playoffs and his pregame rituals | Off the Ice with KT | NHL on NBC

In the latest episode of Off the Ice with Kathryn Tappen, Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck goes for a stroll with his dog, Tinsley, and talks ice fishing, pregame rituals and playoff environment in Winnipeg. #NBCSports #NHL #WinnipegJets »

The Los Angeles Kings' impossible comeback against Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers deserves a deep rewind

The Edmonton Oilers were by the far the favorite against the Los Angeles Kings in the 1982 Stanley Cup playoffs. They were breaking records, had Gretzky in his prime (who was also breaking his own records), and their new division rival Kings were...not. B

Tim and Sid: No quick fix for Canadiens, could take months to find solutions

Nick Kypreos joins Sid and Faizal to talk about the rough situation the Montreal Canadiens are in and how it could be months and many deals before any real progress is made and how the Oilers could surprise many if they did not make the playoffs.