Five Minute Major

*Photo from Florida Hockey Now*     The coaching carousel is back in business this offseason. The Nashville Predators have fired John Hynes as head coach and hired Andrew Brunette to replace him, according to a Tuesday announcement by the Predators.    Brunette spent last season as an assistant coach for the New Jersey Devils. He stepped in as interim head coach for the Florida Panthers in the 2021-2022 season, leading them to a President's Trophy, which made him a finalist for the Jack Adams Award.    As a player, Brunette suited up for the Predators, scoring the first goal in team history in 1998-1999. After retiring, he has served as an assistant coach with the Devils, Panthers, and Minnesota Wild before being interim head coach with the Panthers. This will be his first ever permanent head coach position.    Brunette said that "I am super excited to be back in Nashville and a part of the Predators organization. I feel like this is coming f...

*Photo from the Globe and Mail* Vegas wins series 4-2     It got interesting, but the series is over now. William Carrier had a goal and an assist, William Karlsson scored twice, and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Dallas Stars with a 6-0 shutout victory on Monday night in Dallas.    After losing two straight games, the Golden Knights responded with a dominating shutout win on the road to pick up the win and clinch the western conference title. They've secured their second Stanley Cup Finals appearance and first since their inaugural season in 2017-2018.    The next step for the Golden Knights is their first title as a franchise. Leading the way on the scoresheet were Carrier and Karlsson, with Karlsson also recording an assist to go with his two goals. Keegan Kolesar and Michael Amadio had a goal and an assist while Reilly Smith had two assists.    After the game, Carrier said that "They go home and they get that desperation level high. The...

*Photo from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review* Vegas leads series 3-2     Now this series is getting interesting. Thomas Harley had two assists, Ty Dellandrea scored twice, and the Dallas Stars defeated the Vegas Golden Knights with a 4-2 victory on Saturday night in Vegas.    The Stars have now won two straight games with their season on the line, forcing a game 6 in the series after trailing 3-0. Harley and Dellandrea led the way on the scoresheet, with Dellandrea recording his first multi goal game in the NHL after being healthy scratched to start the series.    Dellandrea said of his two goal game that he has "Just been trying to shoot it. I had an opportunity last game that I really thought I should have capitalized on, and I've been getting chances. So, to be able to put in one tonight felt good and contribute in that department."    It was the Golden Knights who started the scoring in this one. Ivan Barbashev gave them a 1-0 lead with his ...

*Photo from Yahoo News* Vegas leads series 3-1     Unlike the east, this series isn't over yet. Jason Robertson scored twice, Joe Pavelski won the game, and the Dallas Stars defeated the Vegas Golden Knights with a 3-2 overtime victory on Thursday night in Dallas.    On the verge of being swept by the Golden Knights, the Stars forced at least one more game in the series, staving off elimination for the moment. In addition to Robertson's two goal game, Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen each produced two assists for the Stars.    Robertson said of the win that "I think we were playing a lot faster, a lot quicker. More predictable, clean on our breakouts, supporting the puck. Holding onto pucks more in the offensive zone, getting some rotations, causing some scrambles, and getting a lot of opportunities."    It was the Golden Knights who started the scoring in game 4. William Karlsson deflected a shot into the net 4:17 into the game, making it 1-0 ...

*Photo from the Columbian* Florida wins series 4-0     No one, and I mean no one, saw this coming a few weeks ago. Anthony Duclair scored, Matthew Tkachuk won the game, and the Florida Panthers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on Wednesday night in Sunrise.    The Panthers win completes an improbable series sweep of the best team left standing in the NHL, giving them their first eastern conference title in 27 years. Tkachuk was at the center of it all once again, scoring two goals, including the game winner late in regulation.    Florida head coach Paul Maurice said of the game that "It was the opposite of the first 3. The game was a bit loose and hectic a little bit at times. There was offense to be had that we hadn't seen before and then there was tension on our end that we hadn't seen before. But at that number on the clock, we're pretty sure it's over. A lot of tension on the call waiting for it to come in, and then pretty good release."  ...

*Photo from The Globe and Mail* Florida leads series 3-0     Once again, the cats reign supreme. Sam Reinhart scored, Sergei Bobrovsky was stellar, and the Florida Panthers shut out the Carolina Hurricanes with a 1-0 victory on Monday night in Sunrise.    The Panthers are now just one win from advancing to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1995, taking a commanding 3-0 series and putting the Hurricanes on the brink of elimination. Reinhart scored the only goal of the game. Between this series and the western conference finals, this game was the first in the conference finals to not reach overtime.    Reinhart said after the game that "The most important thing was, no one felt like they had to change their game and no one did. Everyone tried to execute the same game plan. You know, we really liked that third. It might not have been on the shot clock, we didn't have many, but I really liked our pace. We weren't sitting back. That's the w...

*Photo from theday.com* Vegas leads series 2-0     Through 4 conference finals games, they've all gone to overtime. Jonathan Marchessault had a goal and an assist, Chandler Stephenson won the game, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 in overtime on Sunday afternoon in Vegas.    After an overtime win in game one, the Golden Knights did the same in game two, winning both games at home to start the series. Stephenson, Marchessault, and Mark Stone each had a goal and an assist for Vegas, with 3 other Vegas skaters picking up an assist.    Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy said that "We tried to build in a culture that we're going to use everybody and rely on everybody. We're going to expect our best players to be the best players and followers to follow along and do what they do best. We're going to give them an opportunity to do that, as well. We're going to play them so they feel like they have value on the team."    Starting th...

*Photo from the San Diego Union Tribune* Florida leads series 2-0     No, this game did not go to 4 overtimes like game one did. Aleksander Barkov scored, Matthew Tkachuk added the winner, and the Florida Panthers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 in OT on Saturday in Raleigh.    After a 4 overtime epic in game one, this one only took the first two minutes of one overtime to decide. In the end, it was the Panthers on top once again as they took a 2-0 series lead with two straight wins on the road against the Metropolitan Division winning Hurricanes.    Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said after the game that "Neither team cheats the game because it's tight. The two teams are pretty disciplined in their game, it stays tight. They're both comfortable in that game. It is that tight. We've been doing this for a couple months."    The only goal of the first period came from Jalen Chatfield. He scored his first career playoff goal, giving the H...

*Photo from the Press Democrat* Vegas leads series 1-0     Thankfully, this did not turn into a 4 overtime game. Zach Whitecloud had two assists, Brett Howden scored the winner, and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Dallas Stars 4-3 in overtime on Friday night in Vegas.    In a back and forth duel, it was the Golden Knights who came out on top, winning their 3rd straight game. Karlsson scored twice in addition to Whitecloud's two assist game, with Vegas prevailing in just one overtime in game one rather than 4.    Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy said that "I said, 'Let’s get this over with early so everyone can go home tonight.' I watched the Florida-Carolina game from start to finish. I found out the beauty of being out West now. When the game ended, it was 11 o'clock at night. We were able to capitalize on the first look. Sometimes that happens, sometimes it's four overtimes."    The only goal of the first period came courtesy of Ja...

*Photo from Bleacher Report* Florida leads series 1-0     This game was a long one. So long they played over two games. Anthony Duclair had two assists, Matthew Tkachuk added the winner, and the Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on Thursday night in Raleigh.    The series opener didn't just go into overtime. It didn't just go into double overtime. Not even triple overtime. That's right, 4 overtimes were needed to complete this game, with the equivalent of two whole games plus almost an entire extra period being played. This was just the series opener.    It took until the dying seconds of that 4th overtime to decide the winner too. Duclair had two assists for the Panthers, while both Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist as the Panthers won their second straight game.    Florida head coach Paul Maurice said after the game that "At the end of the day, both teams spent what they had; that's a huge cost for b...

*Photo from Sportsnet*     The offseason has just started, but we already have a declaration. New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald confirmed that Lindy Ruff will return as head coach of the team for the 2023-2024 season.    Fitzgerald said that "Four years ago, I was looking for the right coach for this organization. So, here we are today. He's still the right coach for this group. He's earned that right. He deserves that and we deserve him. He's a great partner for me and those kids love him. There's no such thing as a perfect coach, but he's got the utmost respect from our players, from us and from ownership. He's still the right guy for this job."    Ruff's 3 year contract expires on June 30, with both sides currently working towards a new contract to keep him around. He led the Devils to the second round after their best regular season in team history with a 52-22-8 record. Ruff is also a finalist for the Jack Adams award.    Over 3 season...

*Photo from Yahoo Sports*     Things are looking pretty bleak in the desert right now. The residents of Tempe, Arizona voted to reject the construction of a over $2 billion entertainment district in the city that would include a new arena for the Arizona Coyotes.    Coyotes president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez said in a statement that "We are very disappointed Tempe voters did not approve Propositions 301, 302, and 303. As Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said, it was the best sports deal in Arizona history. The Coyotes wish to thank everyone who supported our efforts and voted yes. So many community leaders stepped up and became our advocates and for that we are truly grateful. We also wish to thank the countless volunteers who worked so hard to try and make the Tempe Entertainment District a reality and the Tempe City Council for their support as well. While we wanted a different outcome, we remain grateful to all those who volunteered their time and talent. What is...

*Photo from the San Diego Union Tribune* Dallas wins series 4-3     Another round of playoff hockey has reached its end. Roope Hintz scored, Wyatt Johnston had the winning goal, and the Dallas Stars defeated the Seattle Kraken with a 2-1 victory on Monday night in Dallas.    With the win, the Stars have knocked out the Kraken and advanced to the western conference finals. 4 different skaters recorded a point for the Stars in the win, which was a goaltenders duel throughout. Johnston, at age 20, also became the youngest player in league history to score a series clinching goal in a game 7.    Stars goalie Jake Oettinger said that "When you asked me if you think you can win, I feel like not every year you can honestly say yes. I think this year I feel like we can win it. We have everything. When we play the way we want to play and we do the little things right, I think we can beat anyone."    After a scoreless first period, it was the Stars who...

*Photo from The Athletic* Vegas wins series 4-2     It was one player who did them in. Reilly Smith had a goal and an assist, Jonathan Marchessault had a hat trick, and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 on Sunday night in Edmonton.    The Golden Knights clinched the series with the win, securing a spot in the western conference finals. It was Marchessault who led Vegas to the win, recording a natural hat trick. Smith had a goal and an assist to go with a two assist game from Ivan Barbashev.    Marchessault said of the series win that "We're definitely going to enjoy it tonight, but we're just halfway done. Every night everybody out here is just trying to play the right way and sometimes we get rewarded. One night, it's one guy. One night, it's another one. And that's the mentality we have this year, just next man in and keep it going."    Smith started the scoring, making it 1-0 Golden Knights just 24 seconds into the ...

*Photo from Yahoo Sports* Series tied 3-3     This series is going the whole distance. Eeli Tolvanen had a goal and two assists, Jordan Eberle scored twice and had an assist, and the Seattle Kraken beat the Dallas Stars with a 6-3 victory on Saturday night in Seattle.    Needing to win to keep their season alive, the Kraken did just that, forcing the decisive game 7 in the series. Tolvanen and Eberle each had 3 point games, while Yanni Gourde and Matty Beniers each had a goal and an assist.    Gourde said after the game that "It's a Game 7, who knows what's going to happen? But we're giving ourselves a chance and we're excited about the challenge. We've got to think about the first few shifts and don't look too far ahead. So, you've just got to focus on the moment, be present and do the right things over and over, and eventually good things will happen."    It was Gourde who started the scoring, making it 1-0 Kraken with his 4th goal of ...

*Photo from the San Diego Union Tribune* Vegas leads series 3-2     This series has been a lot of fun, and it still is. Jonathan Marchessault had 3 assists, Jack Eichel had a goal and two assists, and the Vegas Golden Knights rallied past the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on Friday in Vegas.    Vegas won the game on the strength of a 3 goal second period after trailing following the first period. They now have the 3-2 series lead and are on the brink of closing the series out. Marchessault and Eichel led Vegas on the scoresheet.    Eichel said that "Adin obviously made some big saves. Our D played great. You start off by killing a penalty against a good power play, I know we gave one up, but it was good that we got out of that while still having a lead. We still pushed forward. We had some shifts in their end where we were able to possess the puck. Things like that add up."    Connor McDavid started the scoring, giving the Oilers a 1-0 lead with his 6t...

*Photo from the Hockey Writers* Florida wins series 4-1     One of the surprise teams in the playoffs is moving on again. Aaron Ekblad had a goal and an assist, Nick Cousins scored the winner, and the Florida Panthers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime on Friday night in Toronto.    The win secures another series win for the Panthers, advancing them to the 3rd round, one step away from the Stanley Cup Final. Ekblad and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist to lead the Panthers on the scoresheet, while Cousins scored the biggest goal of the game.    Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said that "I got to watch a bunch of guys that you care about a lot, and I enjoyed the heck out of it. Just to walk into the room after, it's pure joy in there. It's fun to watch guys who work really hard, compete and battle, and by no means was any of this easy. That's a good team we beat. It's fun to be associated with our players, they...

*Photo from TSN* Dallas leads series 3-2     Back at home, the Stars shined. Roope Hintz had two goals and an assist, Jason Robertson had 3 assists, and the Dallas Stars defeated the Seattle Kraken with a 5-2 victory on Thursday night in Dallas.    After falling behind 2-1 in the series, the Stars have now won two straight games to take a 3-2 series lead and put the Kraken on the brink of elimination. Hintz, Robertson, and Joe Pavelski each had multi point games for the Stars as they limited the Kraken.    Dallas head coach Pete Deboer said of Hintz that "He's been just an absolute monster for us this playoff, and at the most important times. This is obviously a critical game for our group, and he comes out in the first 10 minutes and basically lets everyone in the building know that he's here to play and dragging our group around. He's done that the entire playoff."    The Stars got on the board first to set the tone. It was Wyatt Johnston w...

*Photo from the New York Daily News* Carolina wins series 4-1     This series ended rather fast. Ok, puns aside, Jaccob Slavin scored, Jesper Fast scored the winning goal, and the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-2 in overtime on Thursday night in Raleigh.    With the home win, the Hurricanes knocked off the Devils in 5 games, advancing to the eastern conference finals, one step from the Stanley Cup Finals. 6 different skaters scored for the Hurricanes, who went a perfect 3-0 at home this series.    Carolina head coach Rod Brind'Amour said of the series win that "I'm just really proud of the group. I'm just an old guy sitting behind the bench, just watching this and enjoying how hard everyone is working and playing together. It's a great group."    Dawson Mercer scored the only goal of the first period, making it 1-0 Devils on his 3rd goal of the playoffs. Just 50 seconds into the second period, Slavin found the back ...