Brewin Flames

Boston Bruins rally, defeat Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 play BOSTON -- David Pastrnak scored on a feed from Hampus Lindholm 1:54 into overtime and the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 in Game 7 on Saturday night to clinch their NHL first-round series and advance in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Jeremy Swayman finished with 30 saves and Lindholm had the tying goal in regulation to help the Bruins avoid losing their second straight first-round series after holding a 3-1 lead. They have now defeated the rival Maple Leafs in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs three times in the past seven years. After a loss in Game 6, Boston coach Jim Montgomery told reporters the club needed more from Pastrnak, and the right wing delivered. He ended up with four shots on net across 30 shifts and 21:21 of ice time. "I thought he was dynamic tonight," Montgomery said. "I thought he had his most possession time, he was creating shots, he was taking what was available." Boston will meet the Florida Panthers, who upset the Bruins in seven games in the first round last year and spoiled a season in which they posted records for the most wins and points in a season in NHL history. Game 1 is set for Monday night in Florida. The Panthers have been resting since Tuesday, when they eliminated Tampa Bay in five games. William Nylander scored and Auston Matthews had an assist in his return from a two-game absence for the Maple Leafs, who are now 0-6 in Game 7s since the 2013 conference quarterfinals. They are 0-4 on the road in those games -- all in Boston. Matthews missed Games 5 and 6 with an undisclosed ailment. Matthews opened the game on Toronto's third line before rejoining the first line in time for the Maple Leafs' lone goal. He finished with 24 shifts and 17:35 time on the ice. Ilya Samsonov started in goal for the Leafs for the first time since Game 4 and finished with 29 saves. "Obviously, not moving on, not getting the result we want is extremely difficult," Toronto captain John Tavares said. "With the type of team that we have, and the type of character that's in here, and just the belief in this locker room, I'm very proud. We stuck with it and gave ourselves a chance." Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe concurred. "Loved how our team fought to put us in the position to compete and play in this game, have a chance to be one shot away," he said. "Obviously, you reflect on the series, we don't love the hole we dug ourselves, and it's a big reason why we're here. Love the fight of our team." Pastrnak ended with three goals in the series, and he will now face a second-round opponent against whom he scored five times last postseason. "Huge moment, obviously," Pastrnak said of Saturday's winner. "You could say a little relief, as well."

We really can't say much when we have the rat on our team.... I still think the bruins will win tonight, if not, there will be a new HC in Boston. And perhaps a complete rebuild.

Meh....anyone seen Pasta ?

Good God, tell me it's not going to happen again.... Pasta is on a milk carton once again.

Stars edge Golden Knights in Game 5, push defending champs to brink Win 3rd in row; Hill makes 22 saves for Vegas DALLAS -- Jason Robertson scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period, and the Dallas Stars defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round at American Airlines Center on Wednesday. The Stars’ third straight win gave them a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series. They can close it out in Game 6 at Vegas on Friday (10 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, MAX, TNT, BSSW, SN360, SN, TVAS). “Knowing how we’ve been over the years as far as losing streaks, as far as the character in this room, we didn’t feel like we were going to lose three in a row. We just wanted to start with one and go from there,” Dallas forward Tyler Seguin said. “Our intent is to try to [win] the next one.” It was the first victory by a home team in the series. Wyatt Johnston had two assists, and Jake Oettinger made 25 saves for the Stars, who are the No. 1 seed from the Central Division. “I think the resilience, obviously being down 2-0 is not the spot you want to be in going into Vegas (for Game 3),” Johnston said. “Still got a lot of work to do. Getting the job done will be the toughest, but I think it’s been great how we’ve been able to battle back.” Mark Stone and William Carrier scored, and Adin Hill made 22 saves in his first start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Golden Knights. The defending Stanley Cup champions are the second wild card from the West. “I still think these last two games we were right there in the second period late again,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Got away from us for puck management and discipline and allowed them to get going. We’re the defending Stanley Cup champions. There’s lots of resolve in that room, lots of winners in that room, lot of pride in that room. We have to go home and win one game at home in the playoffs. That’s something we’re certainly capable of. Will it happen? Dallas will have a lot of say in that. It’s not this obstacle that we can’t do.” Robertson gave Dallas a 3-2 lead on the power play at 16:32, scoring on his own rebound in the left face-off circle after his shot from the top of the slot was blocked. “That’s the playoffs. You have to win the special teams battle, you have to win the goaltending battle,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. “This isn’t something we’ve turned on. We’ve got top-10 penalty kill and power play all year, just like our defensive game. This isn’t something we’ve dialed up for the playoffs. We’re playing a very good opponent, but it’s been good all year. It has to be. You don’t just crank that stuff up in the playoffs.” Oettinger made 11 saves in the third period, including one on a breakaway by Chandler Stephenson with 2:42 left in the third period when he stretched out his right pad at the right post. “I was on the ice watching the breakaway and said a prayer, but I really should have just trusted in Jake,” Seguin said. “He makes those big saves and timely saves, and you need a guy like that this time of year. We have so much confidence in him.” Stone gave Vegas a 1-0 lead on the power play at 4:00 of the first period when he deflected a point shot from Noah Hanifin. Evgenii Dadonov tied it 1-1 on a 2-on-1 at 5:02. Logan Stankoven maneuvered around sprawling Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb in the left circle and passed across to Dadonov at the back door. “We said before the game there’s going to be momentum shifts throughout games and throughout series,” Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez said. “You’ve got to handle that with composure. I think we let our emotions get the best of us in the second there. Obviously [some] penalty trouble, but we got away from our game. Had a little too much panic in our game, too much of a fire drill. We’ve got to handle the emotional side of it.” Matt Duchene put the Stars ahead 2-1 with a power-play goal at 8:04 when he backhanded a rebound through the five-hole from the top of the crease. “I’ve had some looks so far after Game 2, a few in Game 3 there last game,” Duchene said. “I think our power play has been doing a good job. [Seguin] made a great play into [Johnston] there, had a good tip, and it’s just one of those ones you just fire to the net and it finds its way in. Going to the right places, going to the net, and every now and then you get one of those.” Carrier tied it 2-2 at 12:31 on a wraparound at the right post after eluding Stars defenseman Esa Lindell behind the net. “I think it’s been a real tight series, back and forth a lot,” Hanifin said. “Every game’s a battle and close, so our focus has to shift on getting the win at home. We can’t lose three in a row at home. We have to push it to a Game 7. That’s where our mindset is.” NOTES: Jack Eichel had an assist on Stone’s goal and has seven points (three goals, four assists) during a five-game point streak to start the postseason. … Oettinger got his 16th playoff victory, passing Don Beaupre for fifth in franchise history. … The Stars have won 13 of 15 series when winning Game 5 in a best-of-7 series tied 2-2.

Boo...that is all No Mathews and a cold netminder....could have put them away, didn't.

In this series tampa was the jelly, florida was the jam.... Not sure if i can handle seeing the Panthers again.

I guess the players in said locker room felt different, at least that's what the street rumor is.... Many players stated during exit interviews that they were not willing to continue to play for this organization as long as he was still head coach.

Esp seeing as how Francis gave him an extention that hadn't even kicked in yet...

Kraken fire coach Dave Hakstol after missing playoffs Associated Press Apr 29, 2024, 02:41 PM ET SEATTLE -- The Seattle Kraken fired coach Dave Hakstol on Monday after the third-year franchise took a significant step back following a playoff appearance in their second season. Hakstol was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year last season as Seattle finished with 100 points and reached the Western Conference semifinals in its second year. But the Kraken failed to match expectations this season and spent most of the year trying to climb back into playoff contention after a terrible start, and failed to build on the success of that playoff run. Seattle finished tied for fifth in the Pacific Division after going 34-35-13 with 81 points, and was officially eliminated from playoff contention with two weeks left in the regular season. Hakstol went 107-112-27 in his three seasons in charge of the Kraken.

Kraken fire coach Dave Hakstol after missing playoffs Associated Press Apr 29, 2024, 02:41 PM ET SEATTLE -- The Seattle Kraken fired coach Dave Hakstol on Monday after the third-year franchise took a significant step back following a playoff appearance in their second season. Hakstol was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year last season as Seattle finished with 100 points and reached the Western Conference semifinals in its second year. But the Kraken failed to match expectations this season and spent most of the year trying to climb back into playoff contention after a terrible start, and failed to build on the success of that playoff run. Seattle finished tied for fifth in the Pacific Division after going 34-35-13 with 81 points, and was officially eliminated from playoff contention with two weeks left in the regular season. Hakstol went 107-112-27 in his three seasons in charge of the Kraken.

Maple Leafs continue to sputter, show discontent in Game 4 loss Matthews leaves game with illness for Toronto, which faces elimination TuesdayByMike Zeisberger @Zeisberger NHL.com Staff Writer 1:23 AM TORONTO -- They were booed off the ice after the second period by their home crowd at Scotiabank Arena. Their star center, Auston Matthews, was felled by illness and did not play in the third period. Forward William Nylander, making his first appearance in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing three games with an undisclosed ailment, showed signs of rust and took a costly holding penalty midway through the third period with his team trailing by two goals. And at one point in the Toronto Maple Leafs' 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round on Saturday, the frustration boiled over to the point where forward Mitch Marner was seen sitting on the bench furiously chucking his gloves in disgust. Add it all up and it was the worst-case scenario for the Maple Leafs, who now trail the best-of-7 series 3-1. Judging by the jeers, Toronto’s rabid fan base appears to sense another Maple Leafs Stanley Cup bid unraveling, especially after watching some of the players sniping at each other on the bench. Keeping that in mind, captain John Tavares was asked how the team can stick together while facing the reality of winning the next three games or going home. Again. “You know, a lot of guys have been here for a while and are just continuously pushing each other for more,” Tavares said. “Obviously this is an important time here. So, there’s a lot of belief in each other. “The bonds here are really strong, to fight through adversity and to challenge each other and be able to be better.” They’ll have to be if they want their season to continue. It’s difficult enough to face the task of going into the raucous TD Garden for Game 5 on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, NESN, SNP, SNO, SNE, TVAS, CBC) knowing you have to win three consecutive games against a well-disciplined, structured Bruins team or go home. But how do you do that with a sputtering power play that has gone 1-for-14 in the series and often spends more time in its defensive zone than in the offensive one? Moreover, how do you do that when a team that is known for its scoring, can’t? Consider this: The Maple Leafs have devoted almost half of their NHL salary cap to four players: Matthews, Marner, Nylander and Tavares. They are being paid handsomely, for the most part, to put pucks in the net. It’s what the team is known for. At least in the regular season, anyway. Come the postseason however, that penchant evaporates. The proof is in the numbers. Toronto has now gone 10 of its past 11 playoff games scoring two goals or fewer. The exception was their victory in Game 2. They scored three in a 3-2 win. That’s hardly an offensive explosion. In the meantime, while the Maple Leafs marquee players continue to sputter, Boston’s best players keep performing as such. Forwards Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak scored Saturday and have now combined for five goals in the series. That’s just two fewer than the entire Toronto team has accrued in four games. In fact, the entire Maple Leafs team has scored just seven times in the series. Compare that to Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman, formerly of the Maple Leafs. He alone already has six goals in three games in the Western Conference First Round against the Los Angeles Kings. Marner said any perceived discontent within the team is nothing more than a passionate outlet to find solutions to the present struggles. Interestingly, he was involved in an exchange on the bench in which TV cameras caught Nylander telling him to stop “crying.” “We’re grown men. We’re talking about plays out there that we want to make sure we’re all 100 percent on,” said Marner, who scored Toronto’s lone goal. “Know what we’re doing. We’re just a little off page there. We’re not yelling at each other because we hate each other. We just want to all be on the same page to help each other out to try to get the best offensive chance.” The Maple Leafs have been anything but on the same page. And they are quickly running out of time to alleviate that situation.

This warms the cockles of my heart....

Matthews (illness) held out of third period of Game 4 loss Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporterApr 28, 2024, 12:05 AM ET TORONTO -- Star center Auston Matthews did not finish Saturday night's Game 4 because of an illness, as the Toronto Maple Leafs fell 3-1 to the Boston Bruins. Toronto now finds itself on the brink of elimination in its first-round playoff series, with a must-win Game 5 on Tuesday in Boston. Coach Sheldon Keefe previously confirmed Matthews played through an illness in Game 3, and Matthews had been absent from multiple team sessions while recovering. It was more of the same in Game 4 when Matthews logged 14:16 in ice time before not returning after the second intermission. "It is all related to the illness he's dealing with," Keefe said, responding to a reporter's question on why Matthews didn't return for the third period. "The doctors pulled him." Matthews was Toronto's hero in Game 2, scoring the game-winning goal and notching two assists to lift the Maple Leafs to a 3-2 victory. It was the Bruins again taking it to Toronto early Saturday. Boston jumped out to a 1-0 lead off James van Riemsdyk's opening goal to enter the second period ahead 1-0, and it quickly added to its lead with a power-play goal from Brad Marchand. David Pastrnak collected another with 41 seconds left in the middle frame to afford Boston a 3-0 advantage going into the third. Toronto has now lost six straight playoff games at home, a streak dating to the 1970s, and has been outscored 21-11 in that stretch of home contests. The Leafs have also scored three or fewer goals in 11 consecutive postseason tilts to date. Emotions were visibly boiling over for Toronto on the bench in Saturday's loss, with cameras capturing Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander -- back in the lineup after missing the series' first three games with an undisclosed injury -- exchanging verbal barbs. "We're grown men," Marner said of their exchange. "We're just talking about plays out there that we all want to make sure we're 100% on. Just a little off page there. We're not yelling at each other because we hate each other. We just all want to be on the same page and help each other out." Marner was the lone goal scorer for Toronto when he broke through with his first of the playoffs to cut Boston's lead to 3-1 in the third period. That was all Toronto could muster, though, offensively. The Leafs' power play continued to misfire and finished 0-for-3 in Game 4, to put them 1-for-14 on the man advantage in the series to date. Meanwhile, Boston has capitalized on its special teams' opportunities with another power-play goal on Saturday (6-for-13 in the playoffs). The gravity of Toronto's situation now isn't lost on anyone. "We're down 3-1," Nylander said. "It's not a great spot to be in." Keefe opted to make a goaltender change for the final frame by inserting Joseph Woll for Ilya Samsonov, who had allowed three goals on 16 shots (.813 save percentage). The Leafs' coach declined to name a starter for Game 5. "The reason for [the swap] is we're just trying to change things," Keefe said. "You get to get Joe involved. That's really it. You're trying to change the momentum. We've got some time here to talk it through [before Game 5]." Boston went back to Jeremy Swayman in its net to break the goalie rotation it had cultivated between him and Linus Ullmark. Swayman had led Boston to victory in Game 1 and Game 3; Ullmark started the Bruins' lone losing effort in Game 2. Coach Jim Montgomery explained on Saturday the plan had been to give each of Swayman and Ullmark a postseason start and then decide on a regular goaltender from there. Given Swayman's success, it was an easy choice for Montgomery to keep him in the crease. Montgomery had previously questioned if Swayman was "in [the Maple Leafs'] heads," given his success against them all season. Swayman is now 6-0-0 against Toronto and holds a .956 save percentage through three postseason games. Keefe felt it wasn't for lack of trying that Toronto hadn't been able to crack Swayman. "I don't sense any frustration," he said. "Guys are pushing one another, guys are competitive, guys want to win. It's all part of it." Toronto can only turn the page now to Game 5 on Tuesday, where the Leafs will extend -- or end -- their season. "There was nothing wrong with our effort level here tonight," Keefe said. "Guys are competing. It's physical hockey. Guys are trying. That's a good team over there. It's limiting us. You can question a lot of things, can't question the effort."

And game # 4 is heading to OT. If the canes score, NYI is are done.

Actually, i was agreeing with you...

As a bruins fan, i don't care for him all that much. Great energy and passion, and outstanding hockey knowledge but his blatant homerism made him suck to listen to sometimes.

Hey Toronto, thanks for Rask, and thanks for passing on Sway.... Either way, i just puked a lil.

Heh...you were saying.

He was pretty solid when he was in boston.... Bet you liked him then.

I'll take a 0-0 score after one....

Burns, Karlson, Meier, all sent packing during his tenure. sh#t netminding, and lack of scoring depth. He sucks as a coach imo, but he worked with what he had.

Sharks fire coach David Quinn after historic last-place season Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterApr 24, 2024, 03:17 PM ET The San Jose Sharks have fired David Quinn after a season that saw San Jose finish with the second-fewest points in the salary cap era. Quinn's firing after two seasons Wednesday came less than a week after the Sharks (19-54-9) lost three straight games and five of their last six and ended the regular season with the worst record in the NHL. "After going through our end of the season process of internal meetings and evaluating where our team is at and where we want our group to go, we have made the difficult decision to make a change at the head coach position," Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. "David is a good coach and an even better person. I would personally like to thank him for his hard work over these past two seasons. He and his staff did an admirable job under some difficult circumstances, and I sincerely appreciate how they handled the situation." Quinn oversaw the New York Rangers for three seasons but was fired after the 2020-21 season, having missed the playoffs after the team had reached the postseason in his second campaign. The Sharks hired Quinn before the 2022-23 season to oversee a team in transition. The Sharks had missed the playoffs only twice between the 2003-04 and 2018-19 seasons but had missed the postseason in three straight years before Quinn's arrival. Two weeks before Quinn was hired, the Sharks traded venerable defenseman Brent Burns to the Carolina Hurricanes. During Quinn's first season, the team also traded away star forward Timo Meier at that year's deadline and would ultimately trade away star defenseman Erik Karlsson, who won the Norris Trophy, to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the offseason. The Sharks finished the 2022-23 season at 22-44-16, the fourth-fewest points in the NHL, and received the No. 4 pick in the NHL draft, which saw them select United States national team development forward Will Smith, now at Boston College, as part of their rebuild. Quinn's second season was expected to be even more challenging. The Sharks opened 0-10-1 and were 3-15-2 through their first 20 games. From Dec. 15 through Jan. 9, they lost 15 straight games. In late February, they had a nine-game losing streak that was broken with a March 9 win over the Ottawa Senators before another streak of nine consecutive defeats. San Jose had the fewest goals scored per 60, the most goals allowed per 60, the most scoring chances allowed per 60 and the second-lowest team save percentage, all contributing factors in the Sharks finishing with the NHL's worst record. Those numbers also played a role in the Sharks finishing with a minus-150 goal differential, which is also the lowest differential in the salary cap era. Finding a new coach will come in an offseason that could also see the Sharks take a major step in their rebuild by winning the draft lottery for the first time in franchise history. Winning this year's lottery would allow the Sharks a chance to take the consensus No. 1 pick in Boston University freshman center Macklin Celebrini, who won the Hobey Baker Award as the top men's collegiate player in the nation. Celebrini was born in North Vancouver, and his family moved to the Bay Area after his father, Rick, accepted a job with the Golden State Warriors. Celebrini played a year with the San Jose Jr. Sharks years before he went to BU, where he scored 32 goals and 64 points during his freshman year.

Sharks fire coach David Quinn after historic last-place season Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterApr 24, 2024, 03:17 PM ET The San Jose Sharks have fired David Quinn after a season that saw San Jose finish with the second-fewest points in the salary cap era. Quinn's firing after two seasons Wednesday came less than a week after the Sharks (19-54-9) lost three straight games and five of their last six and ended the regular season with the worst record in the NHL. "After going through our end of the season process of internal meetings and evaluating where our team is at and where we want our group to go, we have made the difficult decision to make a change at the head coach position," Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. "David is a good coach and an even better person. I would personally like to thank him for his hard work over these past two seasons. He and his staff did an admirable job under some difficult circumstances, and I sincerely appreciate how they handled the situation." 1dESPN staff Quinn oversaw the New York Rangers for three seasons but was fired after the 2020-21 season, having missed the playoffs after the team had reached the postseason in his second campaign. The Sharks hired Quinn before the 2022-23 season to oversee a team in transition. The Sharks had missed the playoffs only twice between the 2003-04 and 2018-19 seasons but had missed the postseason in three straight years before Quinn's arrival. Two weeks before Quinn was hired, the Sharks traded venerable defenseman Brent Burns to the Carolina Hurricanes. During Quinn's first season, the team also traded away star forward Timo Meier at that year's deadline and would ultimately trade away star defenseman Erik Karlsson, who won the Norris Trophy, to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the offseason. The Sharks finished the 2022-23 season at 22-44-16, the fourth-fewest points in the NHL, and received the No. 4 pick in the NHL draft, which saw them select United States national team development forward Will Smith, now at Boston College, as part of their rebuild. Quinn's second season was expected to be even more challenging. The Sharks opened 0-10-1 and were 3-15-2 through their first 20 games. From Dec. 15 through Jan. 9, they lost 15 straight games. In late February, they had a nine-game losing streak that was broken with a March 9 win over the Ottawa Senators before another streak of nine consecutive defeats. San Jose had the fewest goals scored per 60, the most goals allowed per 60, the most scoring chances allowed per 60 and the second-lowest team save percentage, all contributing factors in the Sharks finishing with the NHL's worst record. Those numbers also played a role in the Sharks finishing with a minus-150 goal differential, which is also the lowest differential in the salary cap era. Finding a new coach will come in an offseason that could also see the Sharks take a major step in their rebuild by winning the draft lottery for the first time in franchise history. Winning this year's lottery would allow the Sharks a chance to take the consensus No. 1 pick in Boston University freshman center Macklin Celebrini, who won the Hobey Baker Award as the top men's collegiate player in the nation. Celebrini was born in North Vancouver, and his family moved to the Bay Area after his father, Rick, accepted a job with the Golden State Warriors. Celebrini played a year with the San Jose Jr. Sharks years before he went to BU, where he scored 32 goals and 64 points during his freshman year.