First off, how did you do with the second round picks?

So who do you pick for the Conference Finals and in how many games?

New York Rangers vs. Florida Panthers

Dallas Stars vs. Edmonton Oilers

Picks should be in by 7pm on Wednesday.

from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,

Fans on social media had a field day about Andrew Copp's drop in offensive production this past season. Copp, in his first two seasons with the Red Wings, in fact, hasn't come close to duplicating his final season before entering free agency.

But this season, in particular, there might have been a reason for the slimmer offensive numbers.

More than ever, with coach Derek Lalonde able to deploy pure offensive players, Copp was used in a defensive role, charged with shutting down opponents' scoring lines.

Copp and his linemates largely did the job well. But Copp's offensive production took a hit. Copp had 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists), down from 42 points (nine goals, 33 assists) in his first Wings season.

"There were good stretches and stretches where maybe I didn't love my game as much," Copp said of his overall season, during his season-ending media conference. "Role-wise, it kind of changed from last year being a little bit more offensive to this year, playing against the other team's top line, especially down the stretch here in a checking capacity. Not a lot of power play. Every guy always wants to produce more. I think obviously I can.

"My focus, with the way that the lines and all the roles shook out, that was what they needed from me. There's more to my game offensively, but that wasn't really asked of me this year. Your focus is checking, and it's really hard to produce five-on-five in this league, and then power play is a huge part of producing.

"It is what it is. Whatever is best for the team to help them win."

continued ($)

from Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet,

n time, the Vancouver Canucks will probably look back proudly at all they accomplished this season.

They’ll be happy with the 50-win, 109-point, division-winning regular season that no one saw coming. They’ll be grateful for the culture they’ve built under coach Rick Tocchet, the standards they’ve established among themselves, the relationship they mended with a fan base that had been conditioned for and poisoned by disappointment over many years....

Skating six-against-five, Miller drilled a heavy one-timer from the high slot that hit teammate Nikita Zadorov with 13 seconds to go.

“I mean, there's no quit in this team,” Tocchet said. “The third period, parts of the second, there was no quit. Really proud of the guys. Unreal. Millsy, if that shot gets through Z, that's in the net. Made a huge push there. I'm really proud of them.”

Asked what he has learned about his group, Tocchet’s voice appeared to catch briefly with emotion.

“I've been here a year and a half, (and) just the buy-in and the way they want to play,” he said. “Listen, they put respect back into this city and this jersey. The fans have got something to be proud about. And it's all because of the players.”

more

Below find Mark Spector also of Sportsnet on the Oilers plus watch the game highlights.

* The Oilers are off to the Western Conference Final for the second time in three years after becoming the first team in NHL history with three 20-point players through two rounds, with Evan Bouchard joining that club in Edmonton’s Game 7 victory at Vancouver. It was the record-setting 16th win by a road team in the 2024 Second Round.

* The Conference Finals matchups are set and for the first time in NHL history, each final-four team is looking to claim its first championship in 20-plus years. The Stars (1999), Rangers (1994) and Oilers (1990) all won their last Cup in the 1990s, while the Panthers (30th season) seek their first Cup.

* The Eastern Conference Final will begin Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS, CBC), followed by the Western Conference Final on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET (TNT, truTV, MAX, SN, TVAS, CBC).

By beating the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 tonight, the Oilers advanced to the Western Conference Final.

Game 1 of the WCF will be on Thursday night.

Handshakes and highlights are below.

NEW YORK (May 20, 2024) – The National Hockey League today confirmed the matchups, dates, starting times and broadcast information for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Finals. The Eastern Conference Final will feature the Florida Panthers versus the New York Rangers, and will begin Wednesday, in New York. The Western Conference Final will feature the Edmonton Oilers versus the Dallas Stars, and will begin Thursday, in Dallas. All times are ET and subject to change.

The puck has dropped on game 2 of the Griffins/Admirals game. I'll try to update as the game plays out and you can do the same.

The winner between the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers will head to Dallas for game 1 on Thursday for the Western Conference Final.

The loser tonight will be remembered for getting close but not close enough.

via CBC,

At that time, it was celebrated with picnics, parades, sporting tournaments, fireworks and cannon salutes.

When Queen Victoria died in 1901, Canada’s parliament officially named the holiday Victoria Day.

It was decided that the day would be celebrated on the second last Monday in May. In 2024, that's May 20th.

from Carol Schram of The Hockey News,

Some of the moves have helped move teams down the road to a championship, while others look regrettable. And not every trade expires when the Stanley Cup is awarded — some could still pay dividends for years to come....

The Eastern Conference final is set to get underway on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. At the deadline, the division-leading New York Rangers and Florida Panthers both took similar approaches to their deal-making.

Chris Drury and Bill Zito both completed a pair of relatively low-key forward acquisitions. And while they didn’t pay a lot for Alex Wennberg and Jack Roslovic (NYR), or Vladimir Tarasenko and Kyle Okposo (FLA), all four are solid veterans who have played to their strengths while providing valuable depth up front.

Over in the West, the deep Dallas Stars shopped at the Calgary Flames’ defenseman superstore before the deadline, picking up impending UFA Chris Tanev.

To no one’s surprise, Tanev leads the playoffs with 56 blocked shots in 13 games, and has rather inevitably suffered yet another mouth injury.

read on

NEW YORK (May 19, 2024) -- An All-Canadian edition of the spectacle and drama of Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is set for Monday, May 20, when the Vancouver Canucks play host to the Edmonton Oilers with a berth in the Western Conference Final on the line. Monday's game will be broadcast by Sportsnet, CBC and TVAS (Canada) and ESPN (U.S.) at 9 p.m., ET.

from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,

Where would the Detroit Red Wings have found themselves at the end of the NHL regular season had Alex DeBrincat been a more consistent scoring presence?

Probably in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“Same way as a team, a lot of ups and downs,” DeBrincat acknowledged of his first season with the Red Wings. “I would have loved to have been more consistent.”

He knows it. You know it. But only he can rectify the situation.

That’s his main objective over the offseason, to work to be more reliable at lighting red lamps.

“I’m hoping to just get better next year and be more consistent,” DeBrincat said.

continued

* The Oilers and Canucks close out the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs in a rare all-Canadian Game 7 at 9 p.m. ET on Monday, with the winner advancing to face the Stars in the Western Conference Final. The contest is available on ESPN in the U.S. as well as on Sportsnet, TVA Sports and CBC in Canada.

* Star players for both Edmonton and Vancouver will look to shine when the lights are brightest and help their team advance, while multiple veterans with the Oilers and Canucks find themselves already among (or about to join) rare Game 7 company.

* The Rangers and Panthers compete in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. The contest starts at 8 p.m. ET and is available on ESPN and ESPN+ in the U.S. as well as on Sportsnet, TVA Sports and CBC in Canada.

from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser is expected to miss Game 7 against Edmonton with a blood clotting issue.

The exact timeline for his return is unknown, but several sources stressed this, thankfully, is not considered a life-threatening situation.

It’s a big loss for the Canucks, as Boeser is having an excellent season — leading Vancouver with seven goals and 12 assists in 12 playoff games.

from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,

The Wings have six potential unrestricted free agents this summer, and they will not bring everyone back. Be it because of the need to incorporate young players into the lineup, or because of salary-cap issues, some useful veteran players will not return.

The need to re-sign talented restricted free agents Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, both of whom will command large contracts, and the Wings suddenly creeping toward the salary-cap ceiling are big issues Yzerman must face....

Here is a look at the Wings' potential unrestricted free agents, and their 2023-24 salaries:

▶ Shayne Gostisbehere, 31, $4.125 million: The Wings will need to shed bodies on defense with Simon Edvinsson being inserted into the lineup and Albert Johansson no longer waiver-exempt. Gostisbehere is a pending UFA, but Yzerman expressed an interest, a strong interest actually, in bringing back the elite offensive defenseman. He's not as effective defensively, but the level of offense Gostisbehere brings (56 points, team-leading 29 power-play points) to the lineup can't be overlooked. Gostisbehere will be looking for a multi-year deal, and it wouldn't be surprising if he gets a competitive offer elsewhere. Return: Possible.

▶ Patrick Kane, age 35, $2.75 million (prorated): It was basically a no-lose gamble by the Wings when they signed Kane in November, and the Wings won big. Kane was superb, with 20 goals and 47 points in 50 games, and injecting the Wings with some valuable swagger and confidence. But at age 35, how far do you go with Kane on this upcoming contract? Kane showed he remains an impact player and will be looking for a much larger contract. Can the Wings commit to an expensive multi-year contract for an older player? Kane's comments at the end of the season didn't sound optimistic. Return: Possible.

more ($) players, Fisher and Perron (likely), Reimer and Sprong (unlikely)

from the CP at TSN,

Here’s the list of Aleksander Barkov’s top highlights from the Florida-Boston series: the go-ahead goal that sparked a Game 2 victory, scoring a spectacular game-winning goal to cap a comeback in Game 4, then blocking a shot late in Game 6 to keep things tied about 90 seconds before the Panthers won the game and clinched the series.

He did it all. And Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk heaped praise his way afterward.

“I don’t really even have words for what he’s doing for our team right now,” Tkachuk said. “He’s playing the best hockey in the world right now. He’s the best player in the world right now on both ends of the ice. He’s been unbelievable.”

The Panthers have plenty of standouts — among them, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been stellar, Tkachuk is always dangerous, Sam Reinhart has scored more than 60 goals combined in the regular season and playoffs and Gustav Forsling is clearly one of the NHL’s best defensemen. But the unquestioned leader in the room is Barkov, who hoisted the Prince of Wales Trophy last season after Florida won the Eastern Conference for a berth in the Stanley Cup Final.

continued

from Amalie Benjamin of the NHL's website,

Ullmark is signed for another season, the final one of a four-year, $20 million contract he signed July 28, 2021. Asked about his future, he said, "My future here? I've got one more year. I'm very excited about what's to come. … I'm very motivated. Mixed in with some revenge, obviously, some inspiration as well, but most of all excitement of what's to come."

The Bruins will have a significant amount of space under the NHL salary cap next season that they will likely use to sign Swayman and try to upgrade at the center position. But it remains possible that they could opt to go with Swayman and trade Ullmark, something they reportedly explored before the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline on March 8.

"I have my (no-trade) list and my list is there. We've worked very hard for it," Ullmark said. "There is a reason for why it is there. That's something that the players before me worked really hard to get to the point that we have that luxury. There's a reason why it's there and there's a reason why certain teams are on there and there might be personal things, but that's up to each and every player to have."

The trade rumors this season were challenging for Ullmark, especially given how much he likes the situation he has in Boston.

"That's also one of the things that was new for me this year," he said. "I've never been a part of any trade talks before, so that was a new experience. Was it hard? Yeah, it was hard, because you're very comfortable where you are. You don't want to move when you feel like you're playing well and you have the team, you have the bonds in the teammates.

"For me, it's above my pay grade, really. I don't have the luxury to choose that. If I could, I'm probably going to say the same thing as everybody else. I want to stay and I'm going to stay, but we live in a world where in professional sport, you've got to deal with the hand you've been dealt with.

more

from Luke DeCock of the News & Observer at Yahoo,

The gambling ads are everywhere. On the boards. On the ice. During the commercials. In the middle of the broadcasts. When the Carolina Hurricanes played at PNC Arena during the playoffs, there were advertisements for three different online sportsbooks on the playing surface.

The ads have become overwhelming. They are ubiquitous, and for Aaron Ward, they’re a constant reminder of how he lost everything. He gambled away a life and career he has been trying to rebuild ever since.

Gambling wasn’t the only cause of Ward’s downfall, but it was his primary vice, his addiction, his escape from reality, until reality came crashing down on the former Hurricanes defenseman.

He lost his marriage, his prominent job on Canadian television and his place in the hockey media. He had to build entirely new relationships with his three children, whose childhood he scarred. His 2015 arrest after getting in an argument with his then-wife at their Cary home was the proximate cause — the charges were later dropped and expunged, which didn’t come with the same international headlines — but it was also the rock-bottom moment that led him to accept an offer of help.

“My agent, over and over, made attempts,” Ward said. “I’ve gone back to those people and reconciled: In retrospect, years later, I appreciate you. I just wasn’t in a place where I could recognize and understand what you meant by it. I just felt like I had everything under control. I was just completely hiding that I was out of control.”

continued

from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

- Freddy being Freddy. Where have you seen this before? Freddy Andersen did to the Carolina Hurricanes what he did to the Leafs way too often. He let it in a terrible goal with Carolina leading 3-1 in the third period of Game 6. The series with New York should have gone to a seventh game. The crappy goal — see Leafs vs. Capitals, Leafs vs. Bruins playoff time — is almost impossible to recover from.

- I give up. I don’t know what goalie interference is anymore, if I ever knew. And I don’t know cross checking is anymore, if I ever knew.

- For those counting, this is 11 seasons for Nathan MacKinnon — five of them with Cale Makar and just one Stanley Cup. It tells you, teams win championships in hockey, individuals do not.

- NHL goaltenders have never been better equipped or better prepared to play. But while they’re consumed with technique, too many still don’t know how to read the game or the play. It makes for more great stops and more dubious goals against than ever before … Ed Belfour was the most economical goalie I’ve ever seen up close. He was always square to the puck. He rarely made a great save because he didn’t have to.

more notes, including Berube/Leafs...

from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,

This is going to be Derek Lalonde’s third season on the job as head coach of the team when the Red Wings go to training camp in the fall. He’s also entering the last year of the three-year deal he signed with Detroit, so viewing it from the outside, it’s easy to see this as a make it or break it season concerningas his future with the team.

That being the case, it’s interesting to get a sense of the sentiments that the Red Wings players have of the job their bench boss is doing.

“Newsy, one thing I really respect about him and like about him as a coach is he’s always pretty even keeled,” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said. “He’s demanding but he knows how to get the best out of each guy I believe.

“Whether it’s different, or the same, I think he’s just really always the same, even keel. You know what you’re gonna get and I respect that.”

f you pay attention during Lalonde’s sessions with the media, his answers often take on a point-counterpoint aura. Reporters covering the team are often referring to this as Lalonde’s ‘yeah but’ instinct.

He’ll frequently follow a compliment about a player by highlighting a moment of an instance where they could’ve done something better, especially if it’s an example of how they hampered the team’s chances at success.

“I can’t say I’ve watched too much of what he’s like in the press room but he is a pretty calm guy, but he’s still passionate,” Red Wings forward J.T. Compher said. “There’s times where he’s fired up.”

read on

* The regular suspects rose to the occasion for the Oilers as either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl factored on each of Edmonton’s five goals to help the club avoid elimination and force the 197th all-time Game 7 and third of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

* Connor McDavid’s 13th outing with three or more assists in 2023-24 (regular season & playoffs combined) helped the Oilers score at least five goals in a game to fend off elimination for the first time since Game 6 of the 2017 Second Round versus Anaheim.

* Leon Draisaitl extended his postseason-opening point streak to 11 games and joined elite company in Stanley Cup Playoffs history by recording his 100th career point in just 60 contests.

NEW YORK (May 18, 2024) – The National Hockey League today announced the dates, starting times and national broadcast information for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Finals. The Eastern Conference Final will feature the Florida Panthers versus the New York Rangers. The Western Conference Final will feature the Dallas Stars versus the winner of Monday’s Second Round series Game 7 between the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. All times are ET and subject to change.

A win tonight in Edmonton will propel the Canucks to the Western Conference Final to play the Dallas Stars.

A loss would force a game 7 in Vancouver on Monday, with a winner take all scenario.

The game starts just after 8pm ET and can be watched on ESPN, CBC, Sportsnet and TVAS.