Yesterday’s NHL Scores
Last Night’s News 📰
THESE LEAFS DON’T CHANGE: Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said yesterday that head coach Sheldon Keefe and general manager Kyle Dubas are coming back next season. Shanahan also stated that there are no expectations to make any significant changes to the roster in the offseason.
LOADED SELKE RACE: It was announced on Tuesday that a trio of talented two-way forwards is vying for the Selke Trophy, as Florida’s Aleksander Barkov, Calgary’s Elias Lindholm, and Boston’s Patrice Bergeron were named finalists for the award. Barkov is seeking his second straight Selke Trophy, Bergeon will be pursuing the fifth of his career, and Lindholm received his first nomination.
NO STEADY FREDDIE: Frederik Andersen won’t play for the Carolina Hurricanes in their second-round series against the New York Rangers. Andersen has been out since April 16 with a lower-body injury and has yet to return to practice. Across the rink, the Rangers will be without Barclay Goodrow for the first two games. Goodrow missed New York’s first round after injuring his foot while blocking a shot in Game 1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
LIGHTNING STRIKE BACK: After the Florida Panthers took a 1-0 lead into the first period, it was the Tampa Bay Lightning playing come-back kids. Scoring three goals on six power-play opportunities, the Lightning stormed back with a goal in the second and three in the third. Florida went 0-for-3 on the power play and is now 0-for-21 with the man advantage in the postseason.
MANSON BURIES BLUES: Yesterday was the first day of Round 2, and we already had an overtime thriller. Josh Manson’s seeing-eye shot found the back of the net, giving the Colorado Avalanche a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington made 51 saves in a losing effort, as Ryan O’Reilly scored in the fifth straight game for the Blues.
Who Said It
1) “You can get those days to rest up the bumps and bruises, heal up and get ready for the next series. But spending time with your family, that just really helps you recover mentally a little bit, being around them and spending time together. With it being such a long, grueling season, you don’t get that amount or quality of time to be together. So, any extra days you can get at this time of year is really beneficial.”
A. Gabriel Landeskog
B. Josh Manson
C. Nazem Kadri
2) “I think we all feel the same way. We’ve been fortunate enough to play together for a long time. There’s a lot of belief and trust in one another. We understand that it’s not something that can happen forever, but hopefully a little bit longer.”
A. Nicklas Bäckström
B. Brad Marchand
C. Sidney Crosby
3) “There’s been some great leaders wearing [the “A”] before me. It’s obviously a huge honor. This organization has a lot of history, and it’s a pleasure for me and I’m very humble about being here. They’ve helped me as a person a lot and as a hockey player.”
A. David Pastrňák
B. Marcus Foligno
C. Mattias Ekholm
Answers can be found at the bottom of the email.
What Round 2 Offers
And just like that, the second round of the NHL playoffs is underway. The opening round produced five Game 7s and seven series that extended to six or more games, and the second might be even better. Rivalries will take center stage in the province of Alberta and the state of Florida, the juggernaut Colorado Avalanche encounter a stiff test against the St. Louis Blues, and the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes prepare for a highly competitive showdown.
Let’s take a closer look at what Round 2 offers:
Rivalries!
It’s been 31 years since the Battle of Alberta played out on a postseason stage, but just one since we last saw the Battle of Florida. That said, both promise to be spirited, emotional affairs. The Florida Panthers have been waiting a year for another shot at the Tampa Bay Lightning, while the two-time defending champions just showed the Toronto Maple Leafs they don’t intend to bow out quietly. Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers renew acquaintances in a series built on bad blood.
Revenge Potential!
The Panthers’ playoff failure last postseason at least partially drove their inspired, Presidents’ Trophy-winning regular season. They now get their rematch against the Lightning (although Game 1 didn’t go as planned). Likewise, the Blues haven’t forgotten about being swept by the Avs a year ago. Vengeance could also be on the mind of Hurricanes’ blueliner Tony DeAngelo, who spent three-plus seasons with the Blueshirts before getting a fresh start in Carolina.
Stars!
As if battling for provincial bragging rights wasn’t enough, the Oilers/Flames series will see Connor McDavid taking on Johnny Gaudreau in a star-studded forward battle. In the East, the Rangers/Hurricanes series will rest between the pipes, as Hart Trophy nominee Igor Shesterkin and a red-hot Antti Raanta battle. In the meantime, superstars Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau (Florida) will continue their climb, as will Cale Makar (Colorado). Oh yeah, and some of those Tampa guys aren’t half bad, either!
New Coach on the Block: Lane Lambert
On Monday, the New York Islanders appointed Lane Lambert as their new head coach, one week after they fired Barry Trotz, who went 152-102-34 (28-21 in the playoffs) in four seasons with the Islanders. The 57-year-old Lambert was an assistant under Trotz for the past 11 seasons. Today, we present a background of the newly appointed head coach.
Playing Career
Selected 25th overall (second round) in the 1983 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, scoring 20 goals and 15 assists in 73 games during the 1983-84 season. Following Detroit, Lambert played 18 games for the New York Rangers in 1986-87, then played for the Quebec Nordiques until 1989, his last year in the NHL.
He retired in 2001 following 12 more years of hockey, finishing his career with 124 points (58 goals, 66 assists) in 283 NHL games. His best season came in 1987-88 when he had 41 points (13 goals, 28 assists) in 61 games with the Nordiques.
Coaching Beginnings
Lambert began his coaching career in 2002 as an assistant coach for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He held that position for a season and a half before signing on as head coach with the Prince George Cougars (WHL). After posting a record of 52-66-10-2 in 130 games, Lambert joined the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers as an assistant coach.
He left after a season to take the same role with the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL), getting promoted to head coach after his first year. As the main guy, Lambert amassed a record of 181-103-39 in four seasons in Milwaukee, leading them to the playoffs in every season. That got the attention of Barry Trotz, who hired Lambert as an assistant under him with the Nashville Predators in 2011.
NHL Coaching Career
Lambert spent three seasons as an assistant under Trotz in Nashville, then followed him to the Washington Capitals in 2014. Following a Stanley Cup title with the Capitals in 2018, Trotz left to become head coach of the Islanders, and Lambert once again followed him.
Under Trotz in New York, Lambert held the associate role. That meant taking over head coaching duties for three games in January when Trotz attended his mother’s funeral. Lambert went 2-1-0 in those games, and now he gets his first opportunity as a full-time NHL head coach.
Who Said It Answers
Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket
Stanley Cup Playoffs Leading Scorers
Today’s NHL Schedule
- Today’s newsletter was edited by Kyle Knopp, with contributions by Ben Fisher, Kristy Flannery, and Brooke LoFurno.
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