2026 NHL Playoffs

[MU82]

There are lots and lots of lucky goals in hockey, including some that decide playoff games. This wasn't one of them ...



It's been a great Stanley Cup playoffs so far, with one more spot in the final four (between Montreal and Buffalo) to be decided. Carolina is 8-0 and looking great, but Colorado has been an offensive juggernaut.

[Jay Bee]

Sore subject.

[MuggsyB]

Tremendous G7 between Buffalo and Montreal. 

[MuggsyB]

BRUTAL loss for the Sabres. 

[MU82]

Sacre Bleu! Les Habitants advance!

Same player, Alex Newhook, scored the Game 7 winner for Montreal in each series so far.

[MU82]

The Hurricanes are 5-0 in overtime this postseason, with all five wins coming by the final score of 3-2.

Also ...

I guess Vegas firing its coach and hiring the mercurial John Tortorella with 8 games left in the season has worked out pretty well. The Golden Knights are 19-4-1 since making the move, and they're now 4 wins from claiming the Stanley Cup after sweeping the Avs out of the playoffs.

[MuggsyB]

Canadiens fans might want to to leave the arena and snag some 🍺 and poutine.  Wow. 

[MU82]

Hurricanes in 5.

[MuggsyB]

We're got another barnburner in Raleigh. 

[MuggsyB]

I want Carolina but that looked like a goal. 

[MuggsyB]

Wow.

[MU82]

That was a helluvan entertaining third period and OT. Great series so far.

[MuggsyB]

Speaking of entertaining.....WOW!!

[MuggsyB]

Yikes.  Rough way to lose for Carolina. 

[GB Warrior]

Yikes.  Rough way to lose for Carolina. 

Can't have own goals in overtime. That'll lose you a lot of games

[MU82]

As so often happens in hockey, a great game is decided by a total fluke goal.

[MuggsyB]

Can't have own goals in overtime. That'll lose you a lot of games

Or in regulation.  It was an epic comeback but they couldn't cash in. 

[MU82]

Spectacular winning goal by the Hurricanes' Jordan Staal has tied this epic series at 2 games apiece.

[MuggsyB]

What a beautiful goal by Aho.  These guys are so skilled. 

[MU82]

Asked after last night's game if he considered pulling goalie Carter Hart after the second period, Tortorella said: "Christ, that could be the stupidest question I've heard."

First, Hart already was the first goalie ever to allow 4+ goals in each of the first four games of the Stanley Cup Final, and he had given up 3 in the first two periods last night (and would allow a 4th, in the third period), and one of the goals was quite "soft." Hart also has a pathetic .856 save percentage in the series. So it wasn't a stupid question at all.

Second, throughout history, coaches more accomplished than Tortorella have pulled goalies more accomplished than Hart just to try to spark their teams. So, again, it wasn't a stupid question.

Third, even if it was a stupid question (and it wasn't), it almost surely wasn't the stupidest question he's heard. Reporters ask a lot of stupid questions.

[MuggsyB]

Congrats to Carolina. 

[Pakuni]

In 2014, a nanotechnologist named Eric Tulsky was writing articles in his spare time for a Philadelphia Flyers blog called Broad Street Hockey.

Tonight, he lifted the Stanley Cup as GM of the Hurricanes.

Pretty cool career arc.