NHL Player News

Verhaeghe scored a power-play goal on three shots, added six hits and blocked two shots in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Lightning in Game 5.

Verhaeghe has scored in consecutive contests. The 29-year-old has played in a top-line role this postseason, but he's been limited to three points, 12 shots on net, 16 hits, four blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over five playoff outings. He can be a stronger scorer, but if his pace lacks, he could get shuffled into a smaller role.

Dorofeyev has been ruled out of Thursday's Game 6 in Minnesota with an undisclosed injury, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.

Dorofeyev suffered the injury in Game 5 on Tuesday. The winger led the Golden Knights in goalscoring during the regular season with 35, three better than Tomas Hertl. Dorofeyev has one goal and one assist in five playoff games this season. Consider him day-to-day at this time.

Barkov scored a goal on two shots, added two hits and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Lightning in Game 5.

Barkov was able to avoid missing a game after getting hurt in Game 2. The superstar center was able to put up five points, 10 shots on net, nine hits, five blocked shots and a plus-2 rating over five playoff contests in the first round. He'll get a little bit of rest prior to the second round as the Panthers await their next opponent, either the Maple Leafs or the Senators.

Reinhart scored an empty-net goal on seven shots and added a power-play assist in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Lightning in Game 5.

Reinhart was steady throughout the first round, earning at least one point in four of five games. He's collected two goals, four assists, 16 shots on net, 11 hits and a plus-2 rating in the postseason while playing in an all-situations role. He's on the top line and first power-play unit, so he's poised to be a big factor on offense heading into the second round.

Lundell scored a goal on three shots, added two assists and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Lightning in Game 5.

Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Brad Marchand were the line that led the way in this series-clinching win, combining for nine points. This was Lundell's second multi-point effort in a row. The 23-year-old doesn't always get the chance to make a big contribution from the third line, but he has the talent to get more involved. He's at two goals, five points, 10 shots on net, four hits, four blocked shots and a plus-3 rating over five playoff appearances.

Luostarinen scored a goal on three shots, added three assists, logged four hits and went plus-4 in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Lightning in Game 5.

Luostarinen became the fifth player in Panthers history to have at least four points in a playoff game, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. Luostarinen's line with Anton Lundell and Brad Marchand finished the game with a total of two goals and nine points as the Panthers knocked out their in-state rivals. Over five playoff contests, Luostarinen has five points, a plus-6 rating, five shots on net, 20 hits and six blocked shots. He continues to be a valuable depth forward for a championship-caliber team, but scoring explosions like the one he had Wednesday are few and far between.

Geekie was reassigned to AHL Syracuse on Thursday.

The Lightning were knocked out of the playoffs by the Panthers on Wednesday in a 6-3 loss, and Geekie will head to the minors a day later to help Syracuse in the Calder Cup Playoffs, as the Crunch face a 2-0 deficit heading into Thursday's game against Rochester. The 20-year-old Geekie made 52 regular-season appearances for Tampa Bay this year and recorded eight goals, six assists, 97 hits, 25 blocked shots and 16 PIM while averaging 12:20 of ice time.

Strome collected two power-play assists Wednesday in the Capitals' 4-1 win over the Canadiens in Game 5 of their first-round series.

The 28-year-old center helped set up tallies by Alex Ovechkin in the first period and Tom Wilson in the second, helping to give the Capitals a 3-0 lead in the series-clinching victory. Strome got onto the scoresheet in every game during the first round, racking up two goals and nine points in five games, and he'll take significant momentum into a second-round clash with the Hurricanes.

Faksa notched an assist, four hits and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Jets in Game 5.

Faksa has picked up two helpers over the last three games, which is all of his offense through five playoff contests. The defensive center has added 18 hits, four blocked shots and a plus-3 rating in the postseason, but he picked up his first shot on goal in Wednesday's loss. Faksa is firmly in the lineup as a fourth-liner, so don't expect him to be a big factor on offense.

Thomas logged an assist and two hits in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Jets in Game 5.

Thomas has gotten on the scoresheet in four of the first five playoff games. He has two goals, five assists, seven shots on net, nine hits and a minus-1 rating while centering the Blues' top line. Thomas will be counted on for a big performance in Friday's must-win Game 6.