Line Change
Beau Bennett will likely play over Tyler Kennedy.The only negative for Bennett is lack of experience.
The 21-year-old Bennett posted 14 points in 26 games this season.
NHL Hockey Player News
It doesn't look like Dougie Hamilton will play for the #bruins tonight. He's not on the ice for the morning skate.
Claude Julien usually does not like to use rookies in the playoffs so this is no surprise. Tyler Seguin only appeared in 13 of the Bruins 25 games in their 2010-11 Stanley Cup run.
Crosby officially out tonight.
Crosby who has been out since March 30th, is not quite ready to make his return from a broken jaw. This is a tough break for the Penguins but they have more than enough talent to win without Sid. Evgeni Malkin will be leaned on heavily to get the Pens off on the right foot in game 1.
Goalie Start
Lundqvist took a maintenance day yesterday to rest for tomorrow's start vs. the Caps.
Lundqvist did not receive very much help from his teammates in the early part of the season but in April he upped his play and the Rangers found some offense. He went 10-3-1 with a 1.76 GAA and .934 SV% down the stretch. He will take on a Capitals team who he had some success against this year. He was 1-0-1 with a 1.44 GAA and .942 SV% vs. the Capitals in 2013.
Goalie Start
Rask will start for the Bruins.
Rask was 11-1-2 in his first 14 starts but went 8-9-3 after that. Rask is probably happy about taking on the Maple Leafs in the first round. He was 2-0-0 with a 0.85 GAA and .958 SV% vs. Toronto this year.
No official word but Crosby looks out tonight. #Penguins
Crosby practiced on the Pens fifth line in practice so it doesn't look like he will play tonight. We'll wait for an official word from the Penguins this afternoon.
Goalie Start
Harding will start for the Wild.
Niklas Backstrom was hurt in warmups and Harding will get the start for Wild. Backstrom missed close to two months with MS. It will be a tough series for whoever is in the WIld goal.
Jason Pominville has been ruled out of tonight’s opening game of the Wild’s Western Conference quarterfinal series against the Chicago Blackhawks by coach Mike Yeo.
The Wild left Minnesota yesterday completely confident Pominville would play after practicing yesterday. But Pominville, who missed the regular season’s final two games after being elbowed in the head by Dustin Brown, woke up not feeling well today, I hear. Zenon Konopka will enter the lineup in Pominville's spot.
Lines: Kunitz - Malkin - Neal, Dupuis - Jokinen - Iginla, Morrow - Sutter - Cooke, Glass - Adams - Kennedy/Bennett.
Crosby did not practice on a regular line this morning. He was on the 'fifth' line which would suggest that he won't play tomorrow. However he is Sidney Crosby and he wants to play hockey. Monitor his status tomorrow.
Marco Scandella, a 2008 second-round pick that has played 89 NHL games, is here and skated with Jared Spurgeon, meaning Scandella will immediately be thrust into the lineup and make his playoff debut.
Scandella posted 17 points in 45 games in the AHL this season. He recorded just one assist in six games with Wild.
57-21-74
It looks like Oshie will return to the Blues lineup tonight. He missed the last 15 games of the regular season with a foot injury. He had 20 points in 30 games this season. The Blues will need him to get on the scoresheet if they want to beat LA.
57-21-74 going together again this morning. Tarasenko looks like the odd man out. 79-32-75 are together. #stlblues
With TJ Oshie likely returning tonight for game 1 after missing the last 15 games, Tarasenko appears to be a healthy scratch. Tarasenko had just three assists in his last 15 games.
General
BB wouldn't give up his Game 1 starter in goal. Only said, "They know". Wouldn't say when he told them.
FYI. We might not know the starter until pre-game warmups. Fasth has never started a playoff game before so I would be shocked if it is not HIller tonight.
Injury
Jaromir Jagr back. On third line.
Jagr missed the last two games of the regular season with flu-like symptoms. He was brought to Boston for his past playoff play. He will be leaned on heavily for offense in their series with the Maple Leafs.
Line Change
Rich Peverley is spare forward with Pandolfo and Soderberg. Daugavins on third line with Kelly and Jagr.
It looks like Peverley will be a healthy scratch for tomorrow's tilt with the Maple Leafs. He had just one goal, one assist and a minus-1 in his last nine regular season games.
Horton on ice in white jersey. Looks like he'll rejoin Krejci and Lucic
Horton missed the last five games of the regular season with an upper-body injury. He will very likely be back in the Bruins lineup tomorrow vs. the Maple Leafs.
Tyler Bozak (upper body injury) looks much stronger handling/shooting the puck than he did yesterday.
Bozak missed the last two games of the regular season. Leafs expect him back for Game 1. He will jump back on the top-line with Kessel and JVR.
Goalie Start
Hiller said Boudreau told him two days ago that he'd start Game 1.
Hiller and Viktor Fasth both had good seasons, so the first sign of struggle for HIller and Fasth will likely get his shot. Hiller went 15-6-4 with a 2.63 GAA and .913 SV% this season. He was 0-1-0 with a 2.49 GAA and .879 SV% in two appearances vs. the Red Wings.
Goalie Start
There is no doubt that Jimmy Howard will get the start in game 1.
Howard was excellent down the stretch and got the Red Wings into the playoffs. He went 4-0-0 with a 0.75 GAA, .969 SV% and two shutouts in the final four games of the season. He was 2-1-0 with a 2.01 and .942 SV% vs. their first round opponent from Anaheim this season.
The Wild should get a much-needed boost for Game 1 of its first-round playoff series against the Chicago Blackhawks with the return of right winger Jason Pominville.
Pominville, who missed the final two regular-season games after being elbowed in the head by Los Angeles captain Dustin Brown last Tuesday, returned to practice Monday and traveled with the team to Chicago. While coach Mike Yeo wouldn’t definitively say Pominville would return, all signs point to it. Pominville returned to his line with Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Kyle Brodziak, was reinserted on the No. 1 power-play unit and even practiced 5-on-3 situations.
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At Daily Faceoff you can stay in the know regarding all 32 teams and their top players this season. From trades, to injuries, and everything in between, you can find all the latest NHL player news today here. Staying up to date with player news NHL can also give you a competitive edge in your fantasy hockey leagues, as well as your NHL bets.
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Who are the top NHL players to watch this season?
There’s never been more talent scattered across the NHL than there is this season. With living legends like Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin still setting records left-and-right, alongside today’s current superstars such as Connor McDavid and Nathan Mackinnon, the level of talent in the NHL is at an all-time high. Along with these established stars, there’s plenty of budding stars emerging every season such as Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, and Matvei Michkov.
What are the latest updates on NHL player suspensions or disciplinary actions?
Already this season we’ve seen the hammer brought down by the NHL Department of Player Safety. Notable suspensions and fines include Ryan Reaves of the Toronto Maple Leafs who was given a five-game suspension for an illegal check to the head against the Edmonton Oilers, and Los Angeles Kings forward Tanner Jeannot who was dealt a three-game suspension, also for an illegal hit to the head.
In the 2023-24 season, there were a total of 14 suspensions and 17 fines issued throughout the NHL. The longest suspension served was dealt to former-Detroit Red Wing David Perron at six-games after a cross-checking penalty dealt ironically against his current team in the 2024-25 season, the Ottawa Senators. Additionally, Perron was fined $148,437.48 for his actions.
How are NHL player performances impacting fantasy hockey?
NHL player performances make a direct impact on the outcome of any fantasy hockey matchup. Staying up to date with the latest news and performances of your team’s players can be the difference between winning and losing.
Some notable fantasy hockey performers that flew under the radar in most drafts this year include Martin Necas (123 ADP) of the Carolina Hurricanes and Kiefer Sherwood of the Vancouver Canucks. While sleeper picks are always a great get, nothing is worse than a bust taken early on. Some of the most disappointing players of the fantasy hockey season includes Zach Hyman (28 ADP) of the Edmonton Oilers and Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars (33 ADP).
Whether you’re checking out how your current rostered players are performing or scouting for hidden gems on the waiver wire, the latest player news can help you make your next winning move this season.
Which NHL players are having breakout or comeback seasons?
Every season there are several players who have breakout years, establishing themselves as some of the best up-and-coming stars in the league. In the 2024-25 season early breakout candidates have emerged such as Dylan Strome of the Washington Capitals (on-pace for his first 100-point season) and Ivan Barbashev of the Vegas Golden Knights (on-pace for career-high in points).
Additionally, nothing beats a comeback story, and that can be said about surging veterans such as Anze Koipitar of the Los Angeles Kings, and Matt Duchene of the Dallas Stars.
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Our player news is updated regularly throughout the season, bringing you fresh player updates every day throughout the calendar year. Providing our users with a one-stop destination for everything you need to know from across the NHL, our player news is the go-to spot for all the biggest stories in the hockey universe.
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Player news has a massive impact on the latest hockey betting lines. From daily game lines and prop bets, to Stanley Cup futures bets, every trade, roster change, and injury can shake up the odds set by oddsmakers.
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