For a brief moment, it looked like maybe the Hurricanes were going to prolong the agony, but then Florida said "Haha, no." And the Abbotsford Canucks host the Texas Stars in Game One of the AHL Western Conference Finals tonight. Oh yeah, Edmonton and Dallas play as well, I guess.
LAST NIGHT'S ACTION
FLORIDA PANTHERS 5 CAROLINA HURRICANES 3 (Panthers win series 4-1)
Last year, after bowing out to the Panthers in four games, Hurricanes coach Rob Brind'Amour claimed that they didn't actually get swept, because it didn't feel like it. So was he going to assert that they didn't lose this series because they won a game this time? No, but he did pull out another all time WTF'er.
He wasn't sure? You were probably the only one, even if that's true. Like, try and push the underdog narrative before the series starts, maybe? The Hurricanes are hardly some scrappy bunch who, against all odds, managed to get to the third round. Seriously embarrassing stuff. Anyway, Florida punches their ticket to defend their crown, and tonight may not tell us who they'll face, but it will tell us when Game One will be. If the Oilers win tonight, it's in Edmonton on June 4th. If Dallas wins tonight, it will be in the winner of Game Seven on June 7th, which will be on May 31st, meaning a whole week of no games before the series resumes, which seems like it will do little to help sagging American ratings.
TONIGHT'S ACTION
EDMONTON OILERS (3-1) vs DALLAS STARS (1-3)
AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA, DALLAS, TX
5:00 PM PST/ 8:00 PM EST
TV: SPORTSNET, CBC
Can the Edmonton Oilers match the Panthers and secure the rematch for the Cup in just five games? Can Stuart Skinner continue this ridiculous run? Dallas is up against it, and will need to do it in seven if they hope to keep their Cup dreams alive. And the Oilers really don't want to take the chance of this going seven games, given Dallas coach Pete De Boer's record in game sevens.
The Oilers were dealt a blow as they lost Zach Hyman for the rest of the playoffs. Hyman suffered an upper body injury in Game Four, and had surgery to repair it. But because they always seem to get the bounces, they'll get Mattias Ekholm back on defence tonight. Ekholm had been on the injured list since April 11th.
Western Conference Final, Game 5
8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC
Edmonton leads best-of-7 series 3-1
Oilers projected lineup
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Connor McDavid -- Corey Perry
Evander Kane -- Leon Draisaitl -- Kasperi Kapanen
Jeff Skinner -- Adam Henrique -- Trent Frederic
Vasily Podkolzin -- Mattias Janmark -- Viktor Arvidsson
Mattias Ekholm -- Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse -- Brett Kulak
Jake Walman -- John Klingberg
Stuart Skinner
Calvin Pickard
Scratched: Joshua Brown, Cam Dineen, Ty Emberson, Max Jones, Derek Ryan, Troy Stecher
Injured: Connor Brown (undisclosed), Zach Hyman (upper body)
Stars projected lineup
Mikael Granlund -- Roope Hintz -- Mikko Rantanen
Mason Marchment -- Matt Duchene -- Tyler Seguin
Jamie Benn -- Wyatt Johnston -- Jason Robertson
Oskar Back -- Sam Steel -- Colin Blackwell
Esa Lindell -- Miro Heiskanen
Thomas Harley -- Cody Ceci
Lian Bichsel -- Alexander Petrovic
Jake Oettinger
Casey DeSmith
Scratched: Oskar Back, Mavrik Bourque, Mathew Dumba, Ilya Lyubushkin, Brendan Smith
Injured: Nils Lundkvist (shoulder)
ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS vs TEXAS STARS
ABBOTSFORD CENTRE, ABBOTSFORD, BC
7:00 PDT/ 10:00 EDT
RADIO: SPORTSNET 650 TV: FLOHOCKEY.TV
The Canucks are now just four wins away from their first berth in an AHL final in franchise history, and the first appearance for a Canucks farm team since the Utica Comets made the finals against the Manchester Monarchs in 2015. They will take on Dallas' affiliate, who have three of the top scorers so far in the AHL playoffs, one of them a former Canuck. Kole Lind has put up 6-5-11 for the Stars, and the Canucks will need to shut him and the rest of the Stars high powered offense down.
The Canucks have been led by Sammy Blais (3-8-11), Linus Karlsson (7-3-10) and Phil Di Giuseppe (5-3-8), but will need Blais to keep his composure, having been ejected from the last two games against the Colorado Eagles. The Canucks hope they can continue to get more stellar performances from Arturs Silovs, who has four shutouts so far in the playoffs, three of them coming in the series clinching games for the Canucks. The first two games will be in Abbotsford, followed by three in Texas, with the final two, if necessary, back in Abbotsford. If they should emerge victorious, they'll face either the Charlotte Checkers (Carolina) or Laval Rocket (Montreal). Charlotte leads that series 1-0, with Game Two going tonight.
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
A little Twisted Sister for ya today. Here's 'Burn In Hell' featuring the late, great Paul Reubens as Pee Wee Herman from the classic 'Pee Wee's Big Adventure'.
Genuine comeback or dead cat bounce? The Carolina Hurricanes were able to avoid their season coming to an end on Monday night. Can they actually do it again?
A personal note before we start:
Yesterday, our brother Westy lost his beloved wife of 20 years, Paula, to cancer. To say that we are devastated for our friend and his family is an understatement. We chose not to post yesterday, preferring to stay focused on sending our love to him, as he tackles this unimaginable grief. If you have any messages of condolence, please leave them in the comments. We're giving him all the time and space he needs to navigate his family through this loss, and be there for him however we can. We love you, man. Fuck cancer.
LAST NIGHT'S ACTION
EDMONTON OILERS 4 DALLAS STARS 1 (Oilers lead series 3-1)
The Hockey Gods are if anything at all, brutally consistent. When they give you something, they always, ALWAYS, take something away. And for the Oilers, who have ridden the (not a typo) stellar goaltending of Stuart Skinner to within one win of a return trip to the finals, the price they'll pay is a big one.
Hyman will undergo surgery and that's it for him, and that's a huge loss for the Oilers heading into Game 5 in Dallas tomorrow night.
TONIGHT'S ACTION
CAROLINA HURRICANES (1-3) vs FLORIDA PANTHERS (3-1)
LENOVO CENTER, RALEIGH, NC
5:00 PM PST/ 8:00 PM EST
TV: SPORTSNET, CBC
I'm not going to come out here and try and tell you that somehow the Carolina Hurricanes have a serious chance to extend this series. It's very likely this is it tonight, and that should surprise absolutely no one. I will say that if you wanted to create a glimmer of hope, you'd play a game like Monday night. Not Carolina. I'm talking about Florida. Talk about coming out flat and taking their foot off the throat of their prone opponent. I can't imagine Paul Maurice was pleased with that effort, but I have a hard time that there's anything in life that pleases Paul Maurice that doesn't involve abject misery of someone else. Even if the Canes win tonight, I still can't see this getting to a seventh game.
Eastern Conference Final, Game 5
8 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC
Florida leads best-of-7 series 3-1
Panthers projected lineup
Evan Rodrigues -- Aleksander Barkov -- Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe -- Sam Bennett -- Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen -- Anton Lundell -- Brad Marchand
A.J. Greer -- Tomas Nosek -- Jonah Gadjovich
Gustav Forsling -- Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola -- Seth Jones
Nate Schmidt -- Dmitry Kulikov
Sergei Bobrovsky
Vitek Vanecek
Scratched: Jesper Boqvist, Uvis Balinskis, Nico Sturm, Mackie Samoskevich, Jaycob Megna, Evan Cormier
Injured: None
Hurricanes projected lineup
Andrei Svechnikov -- Sebastian Aho -- Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall -- Jesperi Kotkaniemi -- Jackson Blake
Jordan Martinook -- Jordan Staal -- Logan Stankoven
William Carrier -- Mark Jankowski -- Eric Robinson
Jaccob Slavin -- Brent Burns
Alexander Nikishin -- Dmitry Orlov
Shayne Gostisbehere -- Scott Morrow
Frederik Andersen
Pyotr Kochetkov
Scratched: Tyson Jost, Riley Stillman, Juha Jaaska, Jack Roslovic, Ty Smith, Spencer Martin
Injured: Jalen Chatfield (undisclosed), Sean Walker (undisclosed)
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Back in the day, when METALLICA was still a metal band, there wasn't anyone out there that could touch them, even in the beginning. From 1983, here's an amazing performance of 'Phantom Lord' from 'Kill 'Em All'.
The bell tolls for thee, Carolina. Also, why do we have to have the same stupid Cup as last year? And the Abbotsford Canucks take on the Colorado Eagles in the biggest game (to date) in franchise history.
LAST NIGHT'S ACTION
EDMONTON OILERS 6 DALLAS STARS 1 (Oilers lead series 2-1)
Getting goalied by Stuart Skinner is certainly a look, and not a good one. Sure, we could talk about big games from Connor McDavid and Zack Hyman. Boring! Let's talk about the guy with the sub .850 save percentage when he doesn't shut out the opposition, just beat you by a five spot. Maybe it's Dallas who are the frauds after all? Maybe Ol' Crazy Pete De Boer is the Western Conference's (slightly better) answer to Rob Brind'Amour? Maybe Dallas better get their shit together or the Oilers media lobby are going to be out of control soon.
TODAY'S ACTION
CAROLINA HURRICANES (0-3) vs FLORIDA PANTHERS (3-0)
AMARANT BANK ARENA, SUNRISE, FL
5:00 PM PST/ 8:00 PM EST
TV: SPORTSNET, CBC
Time to put this one to bed, one would think. Even with a mounting pile of injuries, most notably to Sam Reinhart, I don't think there's anyone out there confident that this series can head back to Raleigh for a Game Five. Shit, I don't think there's a player in that dressing room confident they can win tonight. And if you needed confirmation of that, they're going back to Frederik Andersen in goal tonight. They're simply getting out classed, and there's not a hope in hell something is going to be different tonight. The Panthers smell blood and are going to end it tonight. Rob Brind'Amour is a dead man walkin'...
Eastern Conference Final, Game 4
8 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC
Florida leads best-of-7 series 3-0
Hurricanes projected lineup
Taylor Hall -- Sebastian Aho -- Seth Jarvis
Andrei Svechnikov -- Jesperi Kotkaniemi -- Jackson Blake
Jordan Martinook -- Jordan Staal -- Logan Stankoven
William Carrier -- Mark Jankowski -- Eric Robinson
Jaccob Slavin -- Brent Burns
Alexander Nikishin -- Dmitry Orlov
Shayne Gostisbehere -- Scott Morrow
Frederik Andersen
Pyotr Kochetkov
Scratched: Tyson Jost, Riley Stillman, Juha Jaaska, Jack Roslovic, Ty Smith, Spencer Martin
Injured: Jalen Chatfield (undisclosed), Sean Walker (undisclosed)
Panthers projected lineup
Evan Rodrigues -- Aleksander Barkov -- Jesper Boqvist
Carter Verhaeghe -- Sam Bennett -- Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen -- Anton Lundell -- Brad Marchand
Nico Sturm -- Tomas Nosek -- Jonah Gadjovich
Gustav Forsling -- Aaron Ekblad
Uvis Balinskis -- Seth Jones
Nate Schmidt -- Dmitry Kulikov
Sergei Bobrovsky
Vitek Vanecek
Scratched: Mackie Samoskevich, Jaycob Megna, Evan Cormier
Injured: Sam Reinhart (lower body), Niko Mikkola (upper body), A.J. Greer (undisclosed)
ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS (2-2) vs COLORADO EAGLES (2-2)
BLUE ARENA, LOVELAND, CO
2:05 PDT/ 5:05 EDT
RADIO: SPORTSNET 650 TV: FLOHOCKEY.TV
Insert all the 'winner take all' euphemisms here. The Abbotsford Canucks need to win, doesn't matter how, as they take on the Colorado Eagles in the fifth and deciding game of the AHL Pacific Division Finals this afternoon. To the victors, a date with the Texas Stars, who defeated the Milwaukee Admirals yesterday by a score of 3-2 to take that series in the fifth and final game. Honestly, that the Canucks have come this far this season is a testament to a squad that had to deal with a metric fuckton of injuries to the parent club, as well as their own, and a number of rookies trying to learn the pro game. Coach Manny Malhotra and his staff have done a fantastic job, and this is one of the things that can at least provide a glimmer of hope for the future, as they prep these kids for future roles in Vancouver.
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
The annual Maryland Death Fest was held in Baltimore this past weekend, and in a different world where it was safe to travel there and I wasn't sick for the last year and a half so I could afford it, I would have loved to be there. One of the killer performances from the best fest in North America was Canada's own RAZOR. Here's them with a sick rendition of their classic 'Cross Me Fool'.
Enjoy the games. Fascists can fuck right off! Go Canucks Go!
The Panthers continue to embarrass the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Oilers try to take their first lead of the series in a matinee game at home.
LAST NIGHT'S ACTION
(Our apologies for the game thread not being available yesterday due to technical difficulties. The technical difficulties were I fell asleep and forgot to finish the post when I awoke)
For a few minutes last night, Carolina fans thought there was a glimmer of hope. As Canucks fans know all too well, it's the hope that kills you. The Panthers struck for 5 goals in just over 9 minutes in the third period en route to a 6-2 win and are now one game away from sweeping the Canes for the second straight year. Carolina could be swept in the ECF for the fourth consecutive time. The last time they won a game in the Eastern Conference Final, the game winner was scored by... Rob Brind'Amour. Craziness. Florida is absolutely bullying them right now, and with a goaltending change providing absolutely no relief, we should expect a sweep on Monday night.
TODAY'S ACTION
EDMONTON OILERS (1-1) vs DALLAS STARS (1-1)
ROGERS PLACE, EDMONTON, AB
12:00 PM PST/ 3:00 PM EST
TV: SPORTSNET, CBC
The big question here today is simple: Which Stuart Skinner shows up? The only games he's won so far, were shutouts. In the others, he got shelled, giving up 4 or more goals. Can he go on a run until Calvin Pickard is healthy again? Probably not, and I would be shocked if we saw Dallas playing as passively as they did in Game Two. It looks like Roope Hintz will be a game time decision for the Stars. Hintz did not finish Game Two after a vicious slash from Darnell Nurse in front of the net.
Western Conference Final, Game 3
3 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, ESPN+, ABC
Best-of-7 series tied 1-1
Stars projected lineup
Mikael Granlund -- Roope Hintz -- Mikko Rantanen
Mason Marchment -- Matt Duchene -- Tyler Seguin
Jamie Benn -- Wyatt Johnston -- Evgenii Dadonov
Jason Robertson -- Sam Steel -- Colin Blackwell
Esa Lindell -- Miro Heiskanen
Thomas Harley -- Cody Ceci
Lian Bichsel -- Alex Petrovic
Jake Oettinger
Casey DeSmith
Scratched: Oskar Back, Mavrik Bourque, Mathew Dumba, Ilya Lyubushkin, Brendan Smith
Injured: Nils Lundkvist (shoulder)
Oilers projected lineup
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Connor McDavid -- Zach Hyman
Vasily Podkolzin -- Leon Draisaitl -- Kasperi Kapanen
Evander Kane -- Adam Henrique -- Connor Brown
Trent Frederic -- Mattias Janmark -- Corey Perry
Brett Kulak -- Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse -- Troy Stecher
Jake Walman -- John Klingberg
Stuart Skinner
Olivier Rodrigue
Scratched: Viktor Arvidsson, Joshua Brown, Cam Dineen, Ty Emberson, Max Jones, Derek Ryan, Jeff Skinner
Injured: Mattias Ekholm (undisclosed), Calvin Pickard (lower body)
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
This album came out in March, and I had yet to check it out, but to no surprise at all, WARBRINGER are absolutely delivering the goods on this one. One of metal's hardest working bands, the album is called 'Wrath And Ruin' and is available on Napalm Records. Here's 'A Better World' from these Bay Area bashers.
The Carolina Hurricanes are in trouble and there's not anything they can do to fix it, and the latest embarrassment for Team Canada on the international stage as they fizzle out at the hands of noted world hockey superpower... uh, Denmark? What the hell, man?
LAST NIGHT'S ACTION
FLORIDA PANTHERS 5 CAROLINA HURRICANES 0 (Panthers lead series 2-0)
The Carolina Hurricanes are being exposed once again. A fantastic regular season team that simply cannot handle playoff hockey. How bad is this team once they get to the final four? (Apologies for the nazi site link)
That might end up being the craziest stat of the playoffs. 14 straight Conference Finals losses for this team, and it is worth remembering that last year, when they got swept by the Panthers, head coach Rod Brind'Amour famously said they didn't get swept because it didn't feel like it. So we're just going on vibes now? I'd make a joke about the Canucks actually being a playoff team because it didn't feel like they weren't, but we all know that's a lie. This series now shifts to Florida, and unless the Canes completely change their style of play, they're going to be done on Monday.
DENMARK 2 CANADA 1 (Denmark advances to semi finals)
Embarrassing. I did say in yesterday's preview that something would have to go horribly wrong for Canada to lose this game. I mean, full credit to the Danish team who, in front of a raucous home crowd refused to quit against a Canadian team that is simply better. So how does this happen? The Canadians obviously were looking ahead, and never seemed to bend the game to their will. Nathan MacKinnon, he of lore that he is built for such occasions, was so inconspicuous in this game you might think he didn't play. And Jordan Binnington did to Canada what he did to St Louis: when they needed him the most, he failed. The Four Nations Cup is over, Jordan. We're back to realizing you're an overrated bum. I know that it's hard to get too mad about the Worlds, as they have to choose from a limited pool because of what time of year it is. But with MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby among others, and the noted absence of Connor Bedard, this should have been a year that Canada made the finals. Instead, they flop out losing it in the dying moments to a team that had no business even being close on paper, yet they probably played the greatest game their national team has ever put up. To say that this has been a rough year for Canada internationally is an understatement. Just the Under 18s and the Four Nations to this year. Along with legal drama, it's just another sign that a massive house cleaning at Hockey Canada would do a world of good.
TODAY'S ACTION
EDMONTON OILERS (0-1) vs DALLAS STARS (1-0)
AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA, DALLAS, TX
5:00 PM PST/ 8:00 PM EST
TV: SPORTSNET, CBC
Things were looking pretty good for the Oilers in Game One, and then they weren't. A five goal outburst in the third period as the Oilers got into penalty trouble saw it all fall apart, and they're now down a game in this series. I'm sure that they're just going to write it off and not overreact though, right?
And as one of the penalty killers, he's right to... wait, I am being told he actually doesn't kill penalties for the Oilers. Huh. Shocking that the never at all overly emotional Draisaitl would throw teammates under the bus. I am sure some would have suggested McDavid might have been the one to do this, but that would require him to show emotion off the ice.
Western Conference Final, Game 2
8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC
Dallas leads best-of-7 series 1-0
Oilers projected lineup
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Connor McDavid -- Zach Hyman
Vasily Podkolzin -- Leon Draisaitl -- Kasperi Kapanen
Evander Kane -- Adam Henrique -- Connor Brown
Trent Frederic -- Mattias Janmark -- Corey Perry
Brett Kulak -- Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse -- Troy Stecher
Jake Walman -- John Klingberg
Stuart Skinner
Olivier Rodrigue
Scratched: Viktor Arvidsson, Joshua Brown, Cam Dineen, Ty Emberson, Max Jones, Derek Ryan, Jeff Skinner
Injured: Mattias Ekholm (undisclosed), Calvin Pickard (lower body)
Stars projected lineup
Mikael Granlund -- Roope Hintz -- Mikko Rantanen
Jason Robertson -- Matt Duchene -- Wyatt Johnston
Mason Marchment -- Sam Steel -- Tyler Seguin
Jamie Benn -- Oskar Back -- Evgenii Dadonov
Thomas Harley -- Miro Heiskanen
Esa Lindell -- Cody Ceci
Lian Bichsel -- Alexander Petrovic
Jake Oettinger
Casey DeSmith
Scratched: Mavrik Bourque, Colin Blackwell, Mathew Dumba, Ilya Lyubushkin, Brendan Smith
Injured: Nils Lundkvist (shoulder)
Looks like no changes for either team. I'm not one to feel anything but derision for the Oilers, but I do feel bad for Jeff Skinner. All those years waiting to finally be in the playoffs, and he's in the press box again. That's gotta be demoralizing.
ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS (2-1) vs COLORADO EAGLES (1-2)
BLUE ARENA, LOVELAND, CO
6:05 PDT/ 9:05 EDT
RADIO: SPORTSNET 650 TV: FLOHOCKEY.TV
The Abbotsford Canucks can punch their ticket to a first ever appearance in the Western Conference Finals of the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs with a win tonight in Colorado. The Canucks took a 2-1 series lead on Wednesday night when Linus Karlsson's OT winner gave them a 3-2 win in Loveland over the Eagles. If a fifth and deciding game is needed, it will be played at 2:05 pm PDT on Monday, and the game will be available on Flo Hockey and Sportsnet 650.
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Another new track from FUGITIVE today, and these guys are slowly becoming an absolute force in the thrash scene. Check out 'Spheres Of Virulence', and crank it up!
The Oilers became the latest victim of a Dallas Stars third period comeback as they Skinnered their way to a Game One loss in Dallas last night, The Abby Canucks go up 2-1 with a come from behind OT win vs Colorado, and Canada takes on Denmark in the IIHF Worlds in Stockholm.
LAST NIGHT'S ACTION
DALLAS STARS 6 EDMONTON OILERS 3 (Stars lead series 1-0)
The Edmonton Oilers had what they probably felt was a comfortable 3-1 lead heading into the third period of Game One of the Western Conference Finals last night in Dallas. It wasn't. Dallas would use their power play to destroy the Oilers, scoring three straight times with the man advantage and adding two more for a 6-3 win. Tyler Seguin scored twice for the Stars, as their power play continues to terrorize opponents. Looks like the Oilers can't wait to get Calvin Pickard back from injury as Skinner gets lit up yet again.
ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS 3 COLORADO EAGLES 2 (OT) (Canucks lead series 2-1)
Linus Karlsson jammed a puck past Colorado G Trent Miner at 18:47 of OT to give the Canucks a 3-2 win and moving them one victory away from their first Pacific Division title. After trading first period goals, where the Canucks got a timely marker from Victor Mancini, the Eagles took the lead late in the second period. Halfway through the third though, Max Sasson would tie it up to send it to OT. Another strong night from Arturs Silovs, as he stopped 35 of 37 Colorado shots. Game Four goes Friday, a Canucks win will send them to the Western Conference Finals where they would meet either the Milwaukee Admirals, or the Texas Stars.
TONIGHT'S ACTION
CAROLINA HURRICANES (0-1) vs FLORIDA PANTHERS (1-0)
LENOVO CENTER, RALEIGH, NC
5:00 PM PST/ 8:00 PM EST
TV: SPORTSNET, CBC
There's that old saying "Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth." And it sure as hell looked like Carolina had no answer for the Panthers in Game One. Given that there was some nastiness, and the fear of getting swept by the same team for the second straight season, you can guarantee there will be some kind of pushback tonight. The question is, will it even work? And if Fredrik Andersen doesn't shut the door tonight, it probably won't.
Eastern Conference Final, Game 2
8 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC
Panthers projected lineup
Evan Rodrigues -- Aleksander Barkov -- Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe -- Sam Bennett -- Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen -- Anton Lundell -- Brad Marchand
A.J. Greer -- Tomas Nosek -- Jonah Gadjovich
Gustav Forsling -- Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola -- Seth Jones
Nate Schmidt -- Dmitry Kulikov
Sergei Bobrovsky
Vitek Vanecek
Scratched: Jesper Boqvist, Jaycob Megna, Uvis Balinskis, Mackie Samoskevich, Nico Sturm
Injured: None
Hurricanes projected lineup
Andrei Svechnikov -- Sebastian Aho -- Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall -- Jack Roslovic -- Logan Stankoven
Jordan Martinook -- Jordan Staal -- William Carrier
Eric Robinson -- Mark Jankowski -- Jackson Blake
Jaccob Slavin -- Brent Burns
Dmitry Orlov -- Sean Walker
Shayne Gostisbehere -- Scott Morrow
Frederik Andersen
Pyotr Kochetkov
Scratched: Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Tyson Jost, Riley Stillman, Juha Jaaska, Alexander Nikishin, Ty Smith, Spencer Martin
Injured: Jalen Chatfield (undisclosed)
CANADA vs DENMARK
AVICII ARENA, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
11:00 AM PDT/2:00 PM EDT
TV: TSN
After getting through the round robin at the top of the table in Group A, Canada's quest for gold starts with what should be a fairly easy task in Denmark. Look, not at all trying to be disrespectful, but something absolutely nuts would have to happen for this game to go sideways on them. After a frustrating shootout loss to the Finns last week, Canada responded with an outstanding effort against the host Swedes. It's not likely Bo Horvat returns to the lineup after being injured earlier in the week.
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Felt like a little more old school today, so let's go back to 'Burning Inside' from MINISTRY's 'The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste'. As MINISTRY starts the process of winding down into retirement, this is a classic example of how hard Al Jourgensen and crew could go.
The Hurricanes are getting hammered by the Panthers and some serious deja vu, while the Oilers and Stars renew hostilities tonight in Dallas.
LAST NIGHT'S ACTION
FLORIDA PANTHERS 5 CAROLINA HURRICANES 2 (Panthers lead series 1-0)
The Panthers sent a pretty solid message last night that they're a serious threat to repeat as champs, hammering the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 5-2. Sergei Bobrovsky was the difference maker here, stopping 31 Carolina shots for the victory. A.J. Greer's second period marker would stand up as the winner. They also got PPG's from Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett. Sebastian Aho and Jackson Blake on the power play scored for the Canes. The game was physical, including an incident involving Brad Marchand (gasp!) that saw him ejected from the game (again, gasp!) after fighting Shayne Gostisbehere, but after watching the video multiple times, I think I agree with Marchand (plot twist gasp!) when he yells out "What the fuck?!?!?"
TONIGHT'S ACTION
EDMONTON OILERS vs DALLAS STARS
AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA, DALLAS, TX
5:00 PM PST/ 8:00 PM EST
TV: SPORTSNET, CBC
In a rematch of last year's Western Conference Finals, both of these teams made some lineup tweaks during the season in preparation for a Cup run. The Stars addressed a need for more scoring, and came up big when they acquired Mikko Rantanen from Carolina. Edmonton tried to fix their defence by adding former Dallas D John Klingberg. Okay. Is this the series where their goaltending luck finally runs out? Anyone with a rudimentary hockey knowledge would take Jake Oettinger over Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. So watch for the Oilers take a page from Florida's playbook in the last round and go out of their way to make contact with Oettinger. With guys like Corey Perry and Evander Kane in the lineup, you simply can't say it won't happen.
Western Conference Final, Game 1
8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC
Oilers projected lineup
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Connor McDavid -- Zach Hyman
Vasily Podkolzin -- Leon Draisaitl -- Kasperi Kapanen
Evander Kane -- Adam Henrique -- Connor Brown
Trent Frederic -- Mattias Janmark -- Corey Perry
Brett Kulak -- Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse -- Troy Stecher
Jake Walman -- John Klingberg
Stuart Skinner
Olivier Rodrigue
Scratched: Viktor Arvidsson, Joshua Brown, Cam Dineen, Ty Emberson, Max Jones, Derek Ryan, Jeff Skinner
Injured: Mattias Ekholm (undisclosed), Calvin Pickard (lower body)
Stars projected lineup
Mikael Granlund -- Roope Hintz -- Mikko Rantanen
Jason Robertson -- Matt Duchene -- Wyatt Johnston
Mason Marchment -- Sam Steel -- Tyler Seguin
Jamie Benn -- Oskar Back -- Evgenii Dadonov
Thomas Harley -- Miro Heiskanen
Esa Lindell -- Cody Ceci
Lian Bichsel -- Alexander Petrovic
Jake Oettinger
Casey DeSmith
Scratched: Mavrik Bourque, Colin Blackwell, Mathew Dumba, Ilya Lyubushkin, Brendan Smith
Injured: Nils Lundkvist (shoulder)
ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS (1-1) vs COLORADO EAGLES (1-1)
BLUE ARENA, LOVELAND, CO
6:05 PDT/ 9:05 EDT
RADIO: SPORTSNET 650 TV: FLOHOCKEY.TV
Game Three of the Pacific Division Finals goes tonight, as the Canucks are in Loveland, CO to take on the Eagles. Abbotsford is looking to bounce back from a 5-3 loss on Saturday night, one that saw Sammy Blais get 18 minutes in penalties and a game misconduct in the second period. The remaining games of this series will be in Colorado, so the Canucks will likely need to do what they have yet been able to accomplish in the postseason so far, and that's score a road power play goal. The PP has looked very good at home so far, and breaking through here against the Eagles could help them regain the series lead tonight.
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
FAITH NO MORE changed everything when they released 'The Real Thing' in 1990, and for me this album was bigger than any of the so called grunge scene at the time. And while songs like 'Epic' and 'Falling To Pieces' were the big hits, it was the deep cuts on the album that hit the hardest nowadays. Case in point, the heaviest damn song they ever wrote (and one that can go toe to toe with the best of them), the vicious 'Surprise! You're Dead!'. It's been covered by REVOCATION (who managed to make it stupidly heavier, in a good way), but I had forgotten that the band had made a video for this track until I stumbled across it this morning.
Can the Panthers make a third straight appearance in the Finals? Can the Canes avoid getting swept in the Conference Finals for the fourth straight time?
CAOLINA HURRICANES vs FLORIDA PANTHERS
LENOVO CENTER, RALEIGH, NC
5:00 PM PST/ 8:00 PM EST
TV: SPORTSNET, CBC
The Carolina Hurricanes have been waiting for this moment, the chance to prove that this time, something will be different. In their last three Conference Finals appearances, they were swept by the teams that faced them, including a matchup against their opponent this time around, the Florida Panthers.
As for the Panthers, they're trying to become the first back to back Champions since Tampa Bay did it in 2020 and 2021. Should they win this series, it will be their third straight appearance in the Finals, which hasn't been done since 2022, when the Lightning lost in an attempt at a threepeat. Can the Canes overcome the hurdle that's stopped them in the past? Do the Panthers have what it takes to do it again this year?
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Most of the time, you can look at a band's logo and you know what you're gonna get. Such is the case with LUCILLE, a new thrash act out of Poland. With a nod to NUCLEAR ASSAULT in that logo design, you just know that there's gonna be some old school inspired goodness within. We're talkin' early MEGADETH, CELTIC FROST, DESTRUCTION, SLAYER and KREATOR dna is all over this stuff.
The Jets find out what we've known for decades: The Hockey Gods are absolutely merciless. Will they actually smile on the Leafs tonight? And the Abby Canucks take on Colorado in Game Two of the AHL Pacific Division Final in Abbotsford.
LAST NIGHT'S ACTION
DALLAS STARS 2 WINNIPEG JETS 1 (OT) (Stars win series 4-2)
For a moment, it looked like one of those magical, feel good stories that sports sometimes gives us. Instead, it was a reminder of just how cruel the hockey gods can be. When Mark Scheifele scored the opening goal of the game for the Jets, it felt like this was going to be one of those legendary nights, how he was, grieving over the loss of his father, able to lead his team to victory and force what would be an insanely emotional Game Seven at home. And then, the cruelty. Scheifele would end up in the box in the final minute of the third period. They managed to get it to OT, but with the penalty almost killed, Thomas Harley ripped one past Connor Hellebuyck to end the Jets run.
The shots of Scheifele in the penalty box were absolutely brutal, and my heart goes out to him and his family, as well as all Jets fans. We've been there, and it is gonna hurt for a long time, believe me.
TONIGHT'S ACTION
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (3-3) vs FLORIDA PANTHERS (3-3)
SCOTIABANK ARENA, TORONTO, ON
4:30 PM PST/ 7:30 PM EST
TV: SPORTSNET, CBC
After blowing a 2-0 series lead, the Leafs needed to come up with something special to force a Game Seven and they got that. Now, at home in a winner take all, like they have so many times it seems, with Brad Marchand licking his ratty lips at the thought of inserting another dagger into the hearts of Leafs fans, can they actually pull this off? If they can play like they did on Friday night, absolutely.
Sure, it won't be easy. The Panthers are going to come out and try to plant the seed of doubt early for the Leafs, but if they can withstand the storm of the first ten minutes, the odds of them winning will grow massively. They got a massive goal from Auston Matthews in Game Six, and win or lose, he, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares are going to have to be the best players on the ice tonight. If they don't play their best games in a Leafs uniform, then they have to blow up this core and start over.
Eastern Conference Second Round, Game 7
7:30 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, TNT, truTV, MAX
Best-of-7 series tied 3-3
Panthers projected lineup
Jesper Boqvist -- Aleksander Barkov -- Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe -- Sam Bennett -- Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen -- Anton Lundell -- Brad Marchand
A.J. Greer -- Tomas Nosek -- Jonah Gadjovich
Gustav Forsling -- Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola -- Seth Jones
Nate Schmidt -- Dmitry Kulikov
Sergei Bobrovsky
Vitek Vanecek
Scratched: Jaycob Megna, Uvis Balinskis, Mackie Samoskevich, Nico Sturm
Injured: Evan Rodrigues (undisclosed)
Maple Leafs projected lineup
Matthew Knies -- Auston Matthews -- Mitch Marner
Pontus Holmberg -- John Tavares -- William Nylander
Bobby McMann -- Max Domi -- Max Pacioretty
Steven Lorentz -- Scott Laughton -- Calle Jarnkrok
Morgan Rielly -- Brandon Carlo
Jake McCabe -- Chris Tanev
Simon Benoit -- Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Joseph Woll
Matt Murray
Scratched: Dakota Mermis, Philippe Myers, Nicholas Robertson, David Kampf, Ryan Reaves, Artur Akhtyamov, Dennis Hildeby
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (undisclosed)
ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS vs COLORADO EAGLES (Canucks lead series 1-0)
ABBOTSFORD CENTRE, ABBOTSFORD, BC
6:00 PM PST/ 9:00 PM EST
RADIO: Sportsnet 650 TV: Flohockey.tv
With this series shifting back to Colorado for the remainder of the games in the best of five for the Pacific Division crown, the Canucks definitely want to be heading down there with just one more game to take the series. Continuing to play a solid 200 foot game like we've been seeing out of Manny Malhotra's troops will ensure they head to Colorado with that 2-0 series lead and a chance to head to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.
We cannot understate how good Arturs Silovs has been through the playoffs so far. Even in the two losses, one of them in overtime, Silovs gave the Canucks an opportunity to win.
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
A little industrial for ya today, as we give you 'A Drug Against War' from the mighty KMFDM. I saw them play the pub at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops back in the day and that show was absolutely nuts.
Enjoy the games, folks. Go Canucks Go! Fascists can fuck off!
One night after the Leafs surprised everyone by not screwing up, the Jets try to force a Game Seven, but some pregame news makes those odds even more daunting.
LAST NIGHT'S ACTION
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 2 FLORIDA PANTHERS 0 (Series tied 3-3)
If you were given a list of probable outcomes for last night's Game Six between the Leafs and Panthers, a Leafs shutout to force a Game Seven probably wouldn't be the popular choice. And Auston Matthews being the hero? Even more unlikely, but here we are. So, putting aside the absolute lunacy of Ron MacLean's attempts at trying to make a big win into something far more than it could ever be seen as, this is a massive moment for the Leafs. Win, and they move on for a chance at their first Cup berth since 1967. Lose, and they're gonna blow the whole thing up. It's as captivating a story line as you can get for a second round playoff series, for sure.
ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS 2 COLORADO EAGLES 0 (Canucks lead series 1-0)
Ty Mueller's PPG in the second period would hold up as the winner, as the Canucks continued their march towards a shot at the Calder Cup with a 2-0 win over Colorado in Game One of the Pacific Division Finals series last night in Abbotsford.
Arturs Silovs was once again the story for the Canucks as he earned a shutout for the second straight contest. Silovs has allowed just 13 goals in 8 playoff games, with 3 shutouts so far. D Victor Mancini scored a crucial empty netter in the third to seal the deal as they held off the AHL's top scoring team and a ferocious third period push from the Eagles. Game Two goes tomorrow night at 6pm at the Abbotsford Centre before shifting to Colorado for the remainder of the series.
TONIGHT'S ACTION
WINNIPEG JETS (2-3) vs DALLAS STARS (3-2)
AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA, DALLAS, TX
5:00 PM PST/ 8:00 PM EST
TV: SPORTSNET, CBC
The Winnipeg Jets were impressive as hell facing elimination on Thursday night, rattling off a 4-0 win to send this series back to Dallas for a Game Six and hopefully, a Game Seven Monday night back in Winnipeg. Despite being the NHL's best team this season, the odds are against the Jets tonight, and those odds got a little steeper.
There's not a rational person out there who would blame Scheifele for heading home to be with his family in what has to be an overwhelming moment of grief. After discussions with his family and the team, he's going to stay, and whether or not this ends up with a Game Seven on Monday, the strength it takes to do this in light of the situation is admirable.
Western Conference Second Round, Game 6
8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS, CBC
Dallas leads best-of-7 series 3-2
Jets projected lineup
Kyle Connor -- Mark Scheifele -- Gabriel Vilardi
Nikolaj Ehlers -- Vladislav Namestnikov -- Cole Perfetti
Nino Niederreiter -- Adam Lowry -- Mason Appleton
Brandon Tanev -- Morgan Barron -- Alex Iafallo
Josh Morrissey -- Dylan DeMelo
Dylan Samberg -- Neal Pionk
Haydn Fleury -- Colin Miller
Connor Hellebuyck
Eric Comrie
Scratched: Dominic Toninato, David Gustafsson, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Luke Schenn, Ville Heinola
Injured: Rasmus Kupari (concussion), Logan Stanley (undisclosed)
Stars projected lineup
Mikael Granlund -- Roope Hintz -- Mikko Rantanen
Jamie Benn -- Matt Duchene -- Tyler Seguin
Mason Marchment-- Wyatt Johnston -- Jason Robertson
Sam Steel -- Evgenii Dadonov
Thomas Harley -- Miro Heiskanen
Esa Lindell -- Cody Ceci
Lian Bichsel -- Alexander Petrovic
Ilya Lyubushkin
Jake Oettinger
Casey DeSmith
Scratched: Mavrik Bourque, Colin Blackwell, Mathew Dumba, Brendan Smith
Injured: Nils Lundkvist (shoulder)
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
35 years and this one still holds up. From their 2nd album 'Scumdogs Of The Universe', this is 'Horror Of Yig' by the almighty GWAR.
Enjoy the game, and smash fascists!
