NHL Player News

Suzuki picked up two power-play assists Sunday in a 4-3 overtime victory over Tampa Bay in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round.

Suzuki struggled to find space and time 5-on-5 under the oppressive weight of Anthony Cirelli's shutdown checking, even if the former dominated him at the dot (15-for-21; 71.4 percent). But Suzuki found a way to deliver on the power play. He's considered the frontrunner for the 2026 Selke Trophy, so he'll be matched against the Bolts' top line -- like Cirelli was attached to him -- when the Habs get the last change at home in Games 3 and 4.

McBain (lower body) is suiting up for Game 1 in Vegas on Sunday, per the NHL media site.

McBain missed the last seven games of the regular season due to his injury. It was reported Tuesday that he was still week-to-week, so he either made tremendous progress in his recovery, or head coach Andre Tourigny was playing the gamesmanship card. Liam O'Brien will be a healthy scratch as a result of McBain's return.

Caufield delivered two power-play assists in Sunday's 4-3 overtime win over Tampa Bay in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round.

Caufield had two shots, two hits and one block, and he spent most of the 5-on-5 play under the wet blanket of Anthony Cirelli's line. Expect the Bolts to continue to try to smother Caufield and his linemates, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky, but the NHL's second-best regular-season sniper (51 goals) will likely find a way to tickle the twine soon enough.

Durzi (upper body) is in the lineup for Game 1 versus the Golden Knights on Sunday, according to the NHL media site.

Durzi missed Utah's regular-season finale Thursday against the Blues after sustaining his upper-body injury Tuesday versus the Jets. Whether the right-shot blueliner is 100 percent healthy remains to be seen, but he will replace Nick DeSimone in the lineup and skate on the third pairing next to Ian Cole to start Utah's first postseason run.

Anderson had one goal, four hits and four PIM in Sunday's 4-3 overtime win over the Lightning in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round.

Anderson also appeared to have a second goal at the mid-point of the second period, but it was overturned after video review determined he hit the puck above the crossbar. He had just 23 points (14 goals) in 72 regular-season games this season, including only two goals and an assist in his last 21 games, but Anderson is built for playoff hockey. He will have a bullseye on his back for a massive hit on Charle-Edouard D'Astous (undisclosed), who was helped off the ice and didn't return.

Dobes made 20 saves in a 4-3 overtime win over the Lightning in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round on Saturday.

Dobes was confident and aggressive all night, and he definitely outplayed superstar opponent, Andrei Vasilevskiy. It was Dobes' second career NHL playoff win, and two of the three goals against him came on Lightning power plays. He had to be sharp Saturday, especially with Montreal struggling 5-on-5. This is Dobes' net, and he will need to be sharp Tuesday when the Bolts try to avenge their Game 1 loss.

Slafkovsky scored three power-play goals, including the overtime winner, in a 4-3 win over the Lightning in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round.

Slafkovsky is the third player in Canadiens postseason history to score a hat trick that included the overtime winner. The others? Eric Desjardins in 1993 and Gerry Plamondon all the way back in 1949. The Habs have been in existence for 117 seasons, including 109 in the NHL. Slafkovsky was utterly dominant -- he had seven of the Habs' 20 shots on the night and was composed no matter what was happening on the ice. He has taken his game to a whole new level this season. Slafkovsky delivered his first 30-goal regular season, set a career mark in points (73) and finished fourth overall in scoring at the 2026 Winter Olympics for Team Slovakia. This could be the ascendence of another superstar.

Luukkonen will be between the home pipes in Game 1 against the Bruins on Sunday, per Heather Engel of NHL.com.

Luukkonen finished the regular season on a high note, winning three straight games and seven of his final nine. Across that nine-game stretch, the Finnish netminder surrendered more than three goals on just one occasion. The lone rough patch happened to come against the Bruins, though, a matchup in which Luukkonen allowed four goals on 31 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss March 25. Boston struggled away from TD Garden in 2025-26, posting a 16-16-9 record on the road, while the Sabres finished the regular season with a 26-10-5 record at KeyBank Center.

Robidas scored a goal and added two assists in AHL Chicago's 5-1 win over Milwaukee on Sunday.

Robidas ended the regular season on a five-game point streak (one goal, seven assists). He had gone 11 contests without a goal before scoring Sunday. Robidas totaled 23 goals, 60 points, 191 shots and a plus-20 rating over 58 regular-season appearances. He will continue with the Wolves during their playoff run.

Nadeau scored a goal and added two assists in AHL Chicago's 5-1 win over Milwaukee.

Nadeau wrapped up the AHL regular season at 27 goals and 56 points across 52 appearances. The forward also had three goals over 12 NHL outings. Nadeau will stay with the Wolves as long as they're in the playoffs, but he could be called up among the Black Aces if the Hurricanes' playoff run outlasts the Wolves' effort.