2 years agoTampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point (lower body) is "extremely probable" for this year's Stanley Cup Final, according to head coach Jon Cooper. Cooper made the comments after Tampa's 2-1 victory over the Rangers on Saturday, which sent the team to the final for a third consecutive year. The series against Colorado starts on Wednesday and Cooper noted that he's not sure if Point is ready for Game 1, but it appears that the talented forward is now very close to returning to action. Saturday's win was the 10th straight game Point missed. Tampa has done well without him, but his presence will be a massive boost for the series against the very strong Avalanche. Point sits on only four points in seven games this postseason, but he has led the league in playoff goals in each of the last two years.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Elliotte Friedman

2 years agoTampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy produced another outstanding performance in a series-clinching game on Saturday, stopping 20 of 21 shots against the Rangers in a 2-1 win. He was beaten only on the power play in the third period. Vasilevskiy is now 8-0 in his last eight series-clinchers with an amazing 0.25 goals-against average and a .991 save percentage. The 27-year-old star goalie has saved 219 of 221 shots faced in those games. His work during this year's Eastern Conference Final wasn't bad either as Vasilevskiy pushed aside 106 of 111 shots to register a .955 save percentage after opening the series with back-to-back losses. The 2021 Conn Smythe Trophy winner is now 12-5 for this postseason, boasting a 2.27 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

2 years agoTampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos scored both goals as the team secured a third consecutive Stanley Cup Final spot with a 2-1 victory over the Rangers. Tampa's captain scored with half of his shots on goal, netting his first one 10:43 into the second period and his second one 13:28 into the third frame, just seconds after Frank Vatrano had tied the game with a power-play goal. Stamkos came up huge for the Lightning in the Eastern Final, scoring five goals and totaling seven points in six games. He has set his new record with nine goals this postseason and will enter the final sitting on 15 points.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

2 years agoNew York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren was the team's lone scorer in Thursday's 3-1 Game 5 loss against the Lightning. He started the scoring in the game with a lucky shot from the left boards near the face-off circle 10:29 into the second period. Lindgren managed three shots on goal in total and added two blocks and two hits to his line in 26:53 of ice time. The Minneapolis-born rearguard has formed a productive duo with Adam Fox and boasts a plus-nine rating for the playoffs with five points, 37 blocks and 28 hits.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

2 years agoTampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy beat the Rangers 3-1 with a 24-save effort on Thursday, becoming only the second active netminder with at least 60 playoff wins. He joined Marc-Andre Fleury, who sits on 92 wins, and Vasilevskiy is now the 17th goalie all-time to get 60 postseason wins. The Russian star reached the milestone with 97 games, which marks the fifth-fewest appearances in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to reach 60 career wins, He's picked up 11 of his victories in 16 starts this year and will enter Saturday's potential series-clincher with a three-game winning streak.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

2 years agoTampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev collected two points in Thursday's Game 5 victory over the Rangers. He scored the team's first goal 17:34 into the second period and posted an assist 1:50 from the end of regulation as Ondrej Palat netted the game-winning goal. The Russian blue-liner ended a five-game pointless streak with the effort. Having picked up six points this postseason, Sergachev has kept himself in the background offensively, but he has been doing plenty of dirty work, recording 22 blocks and 29 hits in 16 games.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

2 years agoTampa Bay Lightning left wing Ondrej Palat kept up his immense run of form in the Eastern Conference Finals with another goal on Thursday, becoming the first player in NHL history to score multiple game-winning goals inside the final two minutes of action in a single postseason. The Czech winger deflected in a Mikhail Sergachev shot 18:10 into the third period, putting the Lightning 2-1 up before Brandon Hagel iced the game with an empty-netter. Palat has scored in three straight games and in four of the five games in the series. He has managed 14 points in 16 games overall for the 2022 playoffs.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

2 years agoColorado Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper (upper body) has recovered from the injury that forced him to exit in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oilers. Head coach Jared Bednar did not reveal who the starter will be for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, but it is great news that Kuemper was the backup in Game 4, while goaltender Pavel Francouz took care of business in the four-game series sweep. Kuemper also missed time in the first round with an eye injury, and in total the 32-year-old was able to appear in 10 playoff games with a record of 6-1-1, a 2.65 goals-against average and an .897 save percentage. The Avalanche are four wins away from their first Stanley Cup win since 2001, and the tandem of Kuemper and Francouz will need to carry their form from the previous rounds in order to reach the ultimate goal.--Denis Vondrus - RotoBallerSource: The Denver Post

2 years agoColorado Avalanche centers Nazem Kadri and Andrew Cogliano could make their return during the Stanley Cup Final after undergoing surgeries during the conference final series, according to head coach Jared Bednar. Kadri suffered the injury when he was hit into the boards in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oilers, while Cogliano blocked a shot off of his hand in Game 4. Throughout the 2022 Playoffs, Kadri appeared in 13 games with a total of six goals, eight assists and 14 points, while Cogliano played in 11 of the contests with two goals and three points in total while contributing in other areas. The Avalanche await the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Lightning and Rangers.--Denis Vondrus - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com

2 years agoNew York Rangers forwards Ryan Strome (lower body) and Filip Chytil (upper body) will both be game-time decisions for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night, head coach Gerard Gallant said on Wednesday. Strome sustained the injury and left in Game 3, while Chytil suffered his injury in Game 4. Each game in the series has been won by the home team, and the Rangers would receive additional help with the return of two key players in Strome and Chytil for Game 5 at Madison Square Garden.--Denis Vondrus - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com

2 years agoTampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (lower body) has been recovering from an injury sustained in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and he could be in the lineup for Game 5 against the Rangers on Thursday night, according to Lightning head coach Jon Cooper. Point has missed eight straight games since being injured in Game 7 in the first round against the Maple Leafs, and he has skated six of the past seven days while ramping up the intensity as he gets closer to a return. Point totaled four points through seven games, and his return would come at a great time with the series tied at two in the Eastern Conference Finals.--Denis Vondrus - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com

2 years agoColorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri has undergone thumb surgery and it's likely that he will miss the rest of the playoffs. The Avalanche had already ruled the forward out for the rest of the Western Conference Finals after he was hurt early in Game 3. Colorado had no trouble cruising to a 4-2 win without Kadri, but he will still be a big miss. The 31-year-old has been in superb form throughout the season and notched 14 points in 13 games in the playoffs before getting injured. There's a pretty big hole to fill in the middle now and it looks like Mikko Rantanen might shift to center again as he did at times during the regular season.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Darren Dreger

2 years agoNew York Rangers forward Ryan Strome (lower body) shouldn't miss any games after getting hurt in Sunday's 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay. He managed to soak in just 7:22 of action in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, leaving in the second period after getting hurt when Ondrej Palat shoved him from behind. Things didn't look too good regarding his status, but head coach Gerard Gallant sounds pretty confident of Strome's availability for Tuesday's match. "I expect him to [play]. I haven't been told any different right now," Gallant said Monday. Strome has notched nine points in 17 games this postseason.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com

2 years agoColorado Avalanche winger Andre Burakovsky (lower body) was on the ice at Monday's morning skate and might be an option for Game 4 against Edmonton. He has skipped three games after getting hurt in Game 1 while blocking a shot. The Swedish winger wore a regular jersey at the morning skate, which suggests that he is indeed ready for action again. Colorado will be desperate for some reinforcements after Nazem Kadri (thumb) sustained a series-ending injury in Game 3. Burakovsky has tallied five points in nine games during the team's playoff run.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: George Stoia

2 years agoEdmonton Oilers right wing Kailer Yamamoto (upper body) won't be able to help the team in Monday's Game 4 against Colorado. He picked up an upper-body injury in Game 2 and hasn't been able to practice since then. Yamamoto averaged 0.5 points per game during the regular season and has also been on the same pace through 14 playoff games. The Oilers would've definitely wanted to have him back for Monday's contest as Evander Kane is set to serve a one-game suspension. The absentees up front could give Jesse Puljujarvi a chance to join the top six.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jack Michaels