NHL Player News

Cernak scored a goal on three shots, added five hits and blocked three shots in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Panthers in Game 4.

Cernak ended an 11-game point drought with his second-period tally. The 27-year-old blueliner continues to fill a shutdown role on the second pairing, which has earned him a plus-2 rating, 11 shots on net, 13 hits and four blocked shots over four playoff outings. He had a career year with 21 points and a plus-29 rating over 76 regular-season appearances.

Jones scored a goal in Monday's 4-2 win over the Lightning in Game 4.

Jones' tally came 11 seconds after Aaron Ekblad tied the game, allowing the Panthers to quickly flip this game in their favor. The 30-year-old Jones hasn't been a huge factor on offense yet in the playoffs. He has two points, five shots on net, nine hits, seven blocked shots and a plus-3 rating over four postseason contests. He remains in a top-four role and could see extra usage if Ekblad receives a suspension for elbowing Brandon Hagel in Monday's game, a play that went unpenalized on the ice.

Pesce is contending with an undisclosed injury and will be a game-decision for Game 5 against the Hurricanes on Tuesday, Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News reports.

Pesce logged 22:28 of ice time in Sunday's 5-2 loss in Game 4, so it's unclear when exactly he picked up the injury. Seamus Casey is a strong candidate to suit up Tuesday in the event that Pesce is unable to play. On top of the Devils already being without Luke Hughes (upper body), Johnny Kovacevic (undisclosed) and Brenden Dillon (lower body), Jonas Siegenthaler (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision in addition to Pesce.

Siegenthaler will be a game-time decision due to an undisclosed injury ahead of Game 5 against the Hurricanes on Tuesday, Sam Kasan of the Devils' official site reports.

Siegenthaler is just two games back from a lower-body injury that cost him nearly three months of the season, so it could certainly be related to his recovery from that problem. In those two appearances, the 27-year-old defenseman averaged 23:32 of ice time while generating seven hits, six blocks and one shot. With Brett Pesce (undisclosed) also a game-time call, the Devils could be playing extremely short on the blue line.

Ekblad will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Tuesday for elbowing Tampa Bay's Brandon Hagel (upper body) on Monday.

Ekblad didn't receive a penalty on the play, but he will probably serve a suspension for his actions in Monday's 4-2 win over the Lightning in Game 4. After a 20-game ban for violating the league's Performance Enhancing Substances Program, the 29-year-old defender has one goal, three shots on net, six hits and four blocked shots in two playoff outings. If Ekblad receives a suspension for Game 5 on Wednesday, Uvis Balinskis will probably return to the lineup.

Carrier (undisclosed) is considered day-to-day and won't practice Tuesday.

Carrier struggled to produce for much of April but has picked up three points in his last five outings. In his 51 regular-season appearances for the Habs, he managed 18 points, which, when combined with his seven points with Nashville, gets him to the 20-point threshold for the third time in the last four years.

Schueneman was recalled from AHL Springfield on Monday.

Schueneman appeared in four regular-season games with the Blues in 2024-25, recording four shots on goal, seven blocked shots and one hit. He had four goals and 20 points in 63 AHL outings during the 2024-25 regular season before adding one goal in three playoff games. Schueneman likely won't see playing time in the NHL playoffs, barring multiple injuries.

Ekholm (undisclosed) is reportedly making progress but is unlikely to be available until after the second round, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton reports Monday.

Ekholm will not only need the Oilers to get past the Kings in the first round -- the series is currently tied 2-2 -- but probably make it to the Western Conference Finals. Getting the veteran back would certainly bolster the Oilers' blue line, considering he put up a solid 33 points in 65 regular-season games when healthy this year.

Heiskanen (knee) won't play against Colorado on Monday in Game 5, according to Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News.

Despite participating in Monday's morning skate, Heiskanen will miss his 37th straight game. He has been a regular at practices during the playoffs, but it remains unclear when he will be ready to return to the lineup. Heiskanen generated five goals, 25 points, 108 shots on net and 85 blocked shots across 50 regular-season appearances in 2024-25.

Hughes (upper body) won't play in Game 5 against Carolina on Tuesday, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports.

Hughes will miss his fourth straight game after getting injured in New Jersey's playoff opener. The 21-year-old defender had seven goals, 44 points, 121 shots net and 60 blocked shots across 71 appearances during the 2024-25 regular season. With Hughes, Brenden Dillon (lower body) and Johnny Kovacevic (undisclosed) unavailable for Game 5, Brian Dumoulin, Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce and Jonas Siegenthaler will likely continue to log heavy minutes in a must-win matchup for the Devils. The Hurricanes hold a 3-1 series lead and can advance to Round 2 of the postseason with a victory in Tuesday's contest.