NHL Player News
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Jakub Dobes G | MON
Canadiens' Jakub Dobes: Comes away with OT win in Game 3
Dobes stopped 15 shots Friday during the Canadiens' 3-2 overtime win over the Lightning in Game 3 of their first-round series.
The Bolts grabbed a 2-1 lead early in the second period, but Dobes shut the door the rest of the way, getting a big assist from a Habs defense that allowed only four shots on net after the second intermission. The 24-year-old netminder sports a 2.45 GAA and .892 save percentage to begin a series that has seen all three games go to OT, and he'll look to give Montreal a commanding 3-1 lead in Game 4 on Sunday.
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Brandon Hagel LW | TB
Lightning's Brandon Hagel: Stays hot in Game 3 loss
Hagel scored his fourth goal of the playoffs Friday during the Lightning's 3-2 overtime loss to the Canadiens in Game 3 of their first-round series.
The 27-year-old winger gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead early in the second period, intercepting a pass in the neutral zone and then snapping a shot past Jakub Dobes through a partial screen. Hagel has found the back of the net in all three games of the series so far, piling up five points in total. He will probably need to stay locked in as the Bolts try to even things up in Game 4 on Sunday.
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Andrei Vasilevskiy G | TB
Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy: Falls to Habs in OT again
Vasilevskiy made 26 saves Friday during the Lightning's 3-2 overtime loss to the Canadiens in Game 3 of their first-round series.
All three games have gone to extra time, and Vasilevskiy has come out on the wrong end twice. Lane Hutson scored the winner a little over two minutes into overtime with a blast from above the faceoff circle. Vasilevskiy has a 2.76 GAA and .880 save percentage to begin Tampa Bay's playoff run, and he'll look for a better result in Game 4 on Sunday.
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Evan Bouchard D | EDM
Oilers' Evan Bouchard: Deals pair of helpers
Bouchard notched two assists, including one on the power play, and added two shots on goal and a minus-3 rating in Friday's 7-4 loss to the Ducks in Game 3.
These were Bouchard's first two points of the playoffs. He's taken a minus-6 rating while adding four shots on net and three blocked shots. The 26-year-old led all NHL defensemen in the regular season with 95 points. He also added 221 shots on net, 101 blocked shots and a plus-25 rating. However, he's struggled defensively in the playoffs. Going into this spring, Bouchard collected 81 playoff points over 75 games across four runs.
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Leon Draisaitl C | EDM
Oilers' Leon Draisaitl: Notches two assists Friday
Draisaitl recorded two assists, including one on the power play, and added two hits in Friday's 7-4 loss to the Ducks in Game 3.
Draisaitl has opened the postseason with three straight multi-point efforts after missing the last 14 games of the regular season due to a lower-body injury. He's added six shots on net, three hits and a minus-1 rating. Draisaitl's doing his part against the Ducks and can continue to carry the team offensively, but the Oilers will need better defensive work across the board to avoid an opening-round upset. The Ducks lead the series 2-1.
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Vasily Podkolzin RW | EDM
Oilers' Vasily Podkolzin: Nets opening goal in loss
Podkolzin scored a goal on three shots, added five PIM, logged four hits and went plus-2 in Friday's 7-4 loss to the Ducks in Game 3.
Podkolzin has gotten on the scoresheet in all three first-round games so far, earning a goal, three assists, eight shots on net, 16 hits, a plus-4 rating and three blocked shots. His PIM Friday came from a fight with Jeffrey Viel late in the third period. Podkolzin continues to look effective on the second line, so he should offer some upside for fantasy managers looking for toughness in their playoff pools.
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Kasperi Kapanen RW | EDM
Oilers' Kasperi Kapanen: Scores in Game 3 loss
Kapanen scored a goal on two shots in Friday's 7-4 loss to the Ducks in Game 3.
Kapanen has three goals, an assist, 11 shots, seven hits and a plus-5 rating over three contests this postseason. He's been effective in a top-six role at even strength, though that hasn't come with any power-play time. Kapanen has seen action in seven prior playoff runs, accumulating 19 points over 50 outings. He was limited to 17 points, 65 shots on net and 75 hits over 41 regular-season contests in 2025-26.
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Ryan Nugent-Hopkins C | EDM
Oilers' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: Deposits goal in Game 3 loss
Nugent-Hopkins scored a goal on three shots and blocked two shots in Friday's 7-4 loss to the Ducks in Game 3.
Nugent-Hopkins put the Oilers ahead with a tally at 5:39 of the second period, though the lead lasted just under seven minutes. The 33-year-old was on the top line Friday after spending some time away from Connor McDavid at even strength to begin this series. Nugent-Hopkins has two points, three shots, three hits and two blocked shots over the first three games of the postseason. In his playoff career prior to this year, he earned 81 points across 96 outings over seven different postseason runs.
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Connor McDavid C | EDM
Oilers' Connor McDavid: Shows up to playoff party
McDavid scored a power-play goal on three shots, dished an assist, added two PIM, logged three hits and went minus-4 in Friday's 7-4 loss to the Ducks in Game 3.
McDavid got skunked on home ice in the first two games of the series. Even though that changed in Anaheim on Friday, the Ducks still got the better of the Oilers for a second straight game. McDavid is coming off a superb regular season of 48 goals, 90 assists, 306 shots on net and a plus-17 rating over 82 appearances. He's no stranger to the postseason, having accumulated 152 points over 99 contests. That includes leading the Stanley Cup Playoffs in points in three of the last four years. If he wants to have a chance at that feat again in 2026, he'll need to pick up the pace to help the Oilers get past the Ducks.
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Connor Ingram G | EDM
Oilers' Connor Ingram: Lit up in Game 3 loss
Ingram stopped 32 of 38 shots in Friday's 7-4 loss to the Ducks in Game 3. The seventh goal was an empty-netter.
The Oilers' defense let Ingram down in this one, and he didn't do enough to bail them out. With 14 goals allowed on 93 shots over three games in this first-round series, Ingram is playing far from his best hockey. It's unclear how much longer head coach Kris Knoblauch will tolerate this poor performance before considering a switch in goal, but Ingram is probably on the hot seat heading into Game 4 on Sunday. If Ingram gets benched, Tristan Jarry will take over the goaltending duties.