NHL Daily – The East is Set

NHL News and Notes from Thursday, May 1st, 2025

News

The NHL announced the finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy.
- The finalists are Leon Draisaitl (EDM), Connor Hellebuyck (WIN), and Nikita Kucherov (TB).

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In Ottawa for Game 6, the Senators look to force a Game 7 as they host the Toronto Maple Leafs, and in the first period, Auston Matthews scored while on the powerplay to give the Leafs the 1-0 lead. In the second period William Nylander scored his second of the playoffs to grow the Leafs lead to two, but Brady Tkachuk would score to get the Senators back within one. Then in the third period David Perron scored to tie the game at one for the Senators, but less than two minutes later Max Pacioretty scored his first playoff goal since June 22nd, 2021 to give the Leafs lead, and then with 19 seconds remaining, Nylander would get the empty netter for his second goal of the game to give the Maple Leafs the 4-2 victory over the Senators to take the series 4-2 and advance to the second round.

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In Minnesota for Game 6, the Vegas Golden Knights come to town looking to finish off the Wild, and in the first period Shea Theodore kicked off the scoring 3:30 into the game for the Knights to take the 1-0 lead, but with 4 seconds left in the period Ryan Hartman scored his first of the playoffs to tie the game at one for the Wild. In the second period Jack Eichel scored his first of the playoffs to give the Knights the 2-1 lead. Then in the third period, Mark Stone scored to give the Knights the two goal lead, but while Hartman would score his second of the game for the Wild, the Golden Knights held the Wild at bay to win Game 6 3-2 and take the series 4-2 to advance to the second round.

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In Colorado for Game 6, the Dallas Stars look to close out the Avalanche, and in the first period Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen both scored to give the Avalanche the 2-0 lead. In the second period Roope Hintz scored while on the powerplay to get the Stars on the board and back within one, and Mikael Granlund would score his first of the playoffs to tie the game at one for the Stars. However, the Avalanche would retake the lead as Martin Necas would score his first of the playoffs for the 3-2 lead, but Hintz’s second of the game would tie the game back up at three for the Stars, and then Mikko Rantanen would score to give the Stars the 4-3 lead with 85 seconds left in the second period. Then in the third period Nichushkin would score his second of the game to tie the game at four, and Nathan MacKinnon’s sixth of the playoffs would give the Avalanche the 5-4 lead. To secure the victory, both Josh Manson and Cale Makar would score on the empty net to give the Avalanche the 7-4 victory over the Stars to force a Game 7 on Saturday.

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For Game 6 in Edmonton, the Oilers look to finish off the Los Angeles Kings, and in the first period both teams would trade goals in the first six minutes of the game as Quinten Byfield and Brandt Clarke scored for the Kings while Adam Henrique and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (PPG) scored for the Oilers for the 2-2 tie. Later in the first period, Zach Hyman scored to give the Oilers their first lead of the game at 3-2. In the second period Darnell Nurse and Trent Frederic both scored their first goals of the playoffs to give the Oilers the 5-2 lead, but Jordan Spence’s first career playoff goal would bring the Kings back within two. Then in the third period, with the goalie pulled, Anze Kopitar scored to pull the Kings back within one, but Connor Brown would score on the empty net to give the Oilers the 6-4 victory to eliminate the Kings for the fourth year in a row 4-2.

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