3 years agoSt. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug picked up a lower-body injury in Friday's Game 3 against Minnesota. He was knocked out of the game after only six shifts when he limped to the locker room following a hit on Minnesota winger Matt Boldy. The Blues will evaluate Krug on Saturday to determine his status for Sunday's Game 4. Everybody on the team will have their fingers crossed, as the Blues blue line has already taken a beating in the playoffs, with Robert Bortuzzo (upper body) and Nick Leddy (upper body) sitting out Game 3. Krug opened the postseason with a superb three-assist performance in Game 1, but he hasn't been able to add any further points to his tally since then.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Blues

3 years agoToronto Maple Leafs winger Ilya Mikheyev tallied two goals in Friday's 5-2 victory over Tampa Bay, sealing the deal with a pair of empty-netters. These are his first career playoff goals. The Russian winger had an action-packed night as he recorded six shots and five hits. It's possible Ilya Mikheyev felt like he had a point to prove after William Nylander replaced him on the second line. It's been a fine season all around for the 27-year-old, and he should have even more success in this high-scoring series.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

3 years agoBoston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand notched three points as the team won Game 3 against Carolina 4-2. He scored the team's second goal and picked up a pair of power-play assists. Marchand scored his 46th career postseason goal, tying Phil Esposito for the third-most in franchise history. The Bruins had an awful start to the series, but they clearly felt a lot more comfortable at their own barn and it ignited their offense. Marchand is averaging over a point per game in the playoffs since 2017, and he will have a big part to play in the team's comeback effort in the series.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

3 years agoPittsburgh Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith underwent core muscle surgery on Friday and will miss the rest of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With Tristan Jarry (lower body) on the shelf, DeSmith was the starter in Game 1 against the Rangers, but he also got hurt himself and will now have to wait for the start of the next season to see some action. Louis Domingue was the starter for Game 2 and is expected to be between the pipes again on Saturday. The 30-year-old took a 5-2 loss on Thursday but did a decent job with 35 saves and should feel even more comfortable in front of home fans.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

3 years agoSt. Louis Blues defenseman Nick Leddy (upper body) will miss a second consecutive game on Friday against Minnesota. The veteran blue-liner sustained an injury from an awkward fall into the boards in Game 1 and it resulted in him getting sidelined. Leddy, who had eight points and 19 blocks in 20 games with the Blues during the regular season, was at least a game-time decision for Game 2, so he should have a chance to return to the lineup in the series. The Blues defense is hurting pretty badly at the minute, with Robert Bortuzzo (upper body) also out on Friday and Marco Scandella (lower body) boasting a game-time decision tag.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Alex Ferrario

3 years agoBoston Bruins defenseman Mike Reilly will enter the lineup on Friday against Carolina, replacing Hampus Lindholm (upper body) on the top defensive pairing. This will be his first playoff appearance of the year after he was scratched for the first two games of the series. Reilly featured 70 times during the regular season and managed four goals and 17 points. The 28-year-old is fairly talented offensively and could make a big impact in Game 3 if he gets enough minutes.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Boston Bruins

3 years agoCarolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov will start Friday's Game 3 against Boston. The 22-year-old Russian posted a 3-0-0 record during the regular season and made his postseason debut in Game 2 after Antti Raanta exited with an upper-body injury. The Finnish veteran is actually game-ready as well and will dress Friday night, but Kochetkov is getting the nod as the starter. He stopped 30 of 32 shots in 52 minutes of action in Game 2. Boston has also shaken things up between the pipes and will go with Jeremy Swayman.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Chip Alexander

3 years agoDallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger produced a 29-save shutout in Thursday's 2-0 victory over Calgary. Joe Pavelski and Michael Raffl provided the offense as the Stars tied the first-round series at one. Oettinger also performed very well in Game 1, saving 25 of 26 shots, but he didn't get any goal support. The 23-year-old should now be full of confidence as the series shifts to Texas. Oettinger put together a very nice 21-6-0 home record during the regular season. Calgary's Jacob Markstrom, who had a shutout in Game 1, went 15-7-0 on the road with four shutouts, so we have a fascinating goalie matchup in the series.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

3 years agoNashville Predators goaltender Connor Ingram was spectacular in his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut on Thursday with 49 saves, but he still couldn't save the team from a 2-1 overtime loss against Colorado. The 25-year-old got the start after David Rittich was lit up in Game 1. Things didn't start well for Ingram as the Avalanche scored with their first shot on goal, but the Saskatoon-born netminder didn't let that bother him and went on to have a special performance, which included 21 saves in the second period alone. It was a big night for Ingram and he truly earned himself another start for Game 3, although Juuse Saros (lower body) might be back for that one.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

3 years agoColorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar provided the game-winning goal in Thursday's 2-1 overtime victory against Nashville and set a franchise record for the most shots on goal registered in a playoff game. Makar found the net with his 12th effort 8:31 into overtime. Claude Lemieux was the previous franchise record holder with 11 shots. Makar was busy all night long and ended up registering 23 total shot attempts. He's very gifted offensively and now has 90 points overall for the season. 11 of the points have come in five games against the Predators.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

3 years agoNew York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin finished with one goal and two assists in Thursday's 5-2 win against the Penguins in Game 2 of the first-round series. Panarin collected assists on goals by forwards Andrew Copp and Ryan Strome, while his third-period goal extended the Rangers lead to two goals at the time. Panarin and the Rangers will try to keep the momentum going as the series shifts to Pittsburgh for Games 3 and 4, beginning with Game 3 on Saturday night.--Denis Vondrus - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com

3 years agoPittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby finished with a goal and an assist in Thursday's Game 2 loss against the Rangers. Crosby brought the team back within a goal with his late goal in the second period, trimming the two-goal deficit before the Rangers would score twice in the final frame to even the series at one game. Crosby added an assist earlier in the game on Jake Guentzel's goal in the first period. Through two games, the Penguins captain has totaled four points heading into Game 3 on Saturday night.--Denis Vondrus - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com

3 years agoNashville Predators goaltender Connor Ingram will make his first start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Avalanche in Game 2 on Thursday night. Ingram made a relief appearance and stopped 32 shots in the opening game of the series after goaltender David Rittich got pulled from the game as a result of five goals against on 13 shots. Predators number one goaltender Juuse Saros, who is currently sidelined with a lower-body injury, could return for Game 3 in Nashville on Saturday night.--Denis Vondrus - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com

3 years agoColorado Avalanche left wing Andrew Cogliano (upper body) won't be able to suit up for the team Thursday against Nashville. He left Tuesday's Game 1 victory over the Predators in the third period with an upper-body injury and isn't feeling good enough to play, although the veteran winger took part in the morning skate. The team hasn't yet announced who will take Cogliano's spot in the lineup. The 34-year-old, who managed to tally a short-handed goal before leaving on Tuesday, is considered day-to-day.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Marc Moser

3 years agoWashington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (lower body) won't be able to help his squad in Thursday's Game 2 against Florida. The 28-year-old power forward managed to soak in just 1:31 of action in Game 1 before getting hurt. Wilson was initially considered a game-time decision for Thursday, but he missed the morning skate and was ruled out for the game soon after. T.J. Oshie replaced Wilson on the second line Thursday morning, while Brett Leason skated with the fourth line. The 23-year-old, who notched six points in 36 games during the regular season, is set for his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Samantha Pell