ALT: Happy Starfish: Todays The Day!

Sometimes. Life throws us a curveball. Dom.Hockey The Podcast was once on a remarkable upward trajectory — building momentum, audience loyalty, and a real footprint in the Bruins media space. Then life stepped in, and the show had to pause. Now, it’s coming back stronger, backed by the support of McKeen’s Hockey and Benchrates, and ready to pick up exactly where it left off with sharper insight, deeper analysis, and the same honest voice listeners connected with.

By: Chris Nosek The Boston Bruins clearly need some help on the right side of the defense. Based on how they approached the trade deadline, they want someone with multiple years of control or someone they can extend. The Bruins have enough assets to swing a major trade or a few smaller ones. While there are several high-end names who could be available, it's more likely Sweeney will look to make either a few smaller moves or one large move that fills multiple lineup holes. So let's look at some of the lesser-known names that Sweeney could look to bring in.

By: Chris Nosek Minnesota Wild @ Colorado Avalanche (Round 2, Game 5)Colorado wins the series 4-1 For some reason, Jared Bednar stuck with MacKenzie Blackwood in goal, and that almost turned out to be a major mistake. He gave up three goals in the first period and relinquished the net to Wedgewood. This was the push that I expected to see from Minnesota. It's been clear from the beginning of this series that Colorado was the better team by a larger margin than many wanted to admit. Yes, injuries to Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek were factors, but the Avalanche outplayed the Wild all series long, and this game was the culmination of it all.

By: Chris Nosek Buffalo Sabres @ Montreal Canadiens (Round 2, Game 4)Series is tied 2-2 Lindy Ruff turned the net back to Ukko-Pekka Luukonen for this one, and it paid off. While Montreal was still able to create chances, Luukonen was up to the task and only allowed 2 goals on 31 shots. He and the defense limited the Canadiens to only one successful power-play goal despite the Canadiens having seven power-play opportunities. This is now a best-of-three series as it returns to Buffalo, and Buffalo’s best players are back on their game.

By: Chris Nosek Colorado Avalanche @ Minnesota Wild (Round 2, Game 4)Colorado leads series 3-1 Colorado doesn’t have the record to match Carolina, but all season, they’ve proven to be just as good a team. While they've been great at scoring all season, the Avs are currently getting consistent scoring from all over their lineup. When Scott Wedgewood faltered, MacKenzie Blackwood showed he's still capable and is ready to take the net back. Meanwhile, despite the 5-goal total, Wallstedt played another very strong game. Two of those were scored on the empty net.

By: Chris Nosek Buffalo Sabres @ Montreal Canadiens (Round 2, Game 3)Montreal leads series 2-1 Montreal had a great response for their home crowd, and Jakub Dobes had yet another outstanding performance. He stopped 26 of the 28 shots he faced and took several hits from the Sabres. Montreal was also able to find ways to get open shots and make Lyon move side to side with screens in front of him. Lyon has certainly been better than Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was during his 100 minutes against Boston. Buffalo did what they needed to in this one, by scoring less than one minute into the game.

By: Chris Nosek Day 21 Montreal Canadiens @ Buffalo Sabres (Round 2, Game 2)(Series tied 1-1) Montreal bounced back in a big way. Despite a combined 13 penalties, the Canadiens took advantage of the Sabres 5-on-5 and got four past Alex Lyon, who had his worst game since replacing Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen against the Bruins. Zach Benson continued to be a thorn in the side of the Sabres' opponents and got their only goal. With Game Three set for Saturday, I'd fully expect Lindy Ruff to turn back to Lyon for a bounce-back performance in the crease.

By: Chris Nosek Carolina Hurricanes @ Philadelphia Flyers (Round 2, Game 2)Carolina leads series 3-0 This was another fairly dominant performance by the Hurricanes. They limited the Flyers to only 19 shots, and Frederik Andersen continued his great play by only allowing one goal. Andrei Svechnikov, who had been quiet offensively, factored in on two of Carolina's goals, earning a primary assist and a goal for himself. From the blueline, Shayne Gostisbehere also broke out by factoring in on both goals with Svechnikov. The frustration is clearly boiling over for the Flyers, who took 15 penalties in this game, including two for Drysdale and three each for Dvorak and Konecny.

By: Chris Nosek Game two on Tuesday night between the Minnesota Wild and the Colorado Avalanche gave us some insight into what could become a major concern for the Wild. After dropping game one by a score of 9-6, Head Coach John Hynes made the decision to start Filip Gustavsson in game two. While there are many valid reasons to make a goaltending change, Hynes’ own comments are what bring this particular decision into question. Prior to Game Two, when asked about the swap, Hynes mentioned they had considered turning to Gustavsson during their first series against Dallas, but opted not to.

By: Chris Nosek Montreal Canadiens @ Buffalo Sabres (Game One, Round Two)Buffalo leads the series 1-0 The Sabres continued their run to make up for the lack of playoff appearances over the past 15 years. The Canadiens showed that, despite their series against the Lightning, they still have a solid push going forward. There is a slight worry for the Sabres because Dahlin left the game, but Lindy Ruff was quick to put water on that fire. Buffalo is the more banged-up team, but that doesn’t seem to matter. Despite Suzuki still getting his goal, and Dach squeaking a second one past him on an incredible backhanded play, Lyon continued his great play.

By: Chris Nosek The Buffalo Sabres have been waiting for this game since they dispatched the Boston Bruins back on Friday. They've been able to rest and reset as they watched the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning go to seven games. Some have brought up the idea of Buffalo turning the net back over the Ukka-Pekka Luukonen. Lyon is the guy Ruff should and will likely stick with. Both teams are tough, fast, and skilled. This is going to be a fun series to watch. The Canadiens bring more experience to the series and better goaltending. That should be the difference, but Buffalo will be a solid opponent for them. Prediction: Montreal Canadiens advance in 7 games

By: Chris Nosek Minnesota Wild @ Colorado Avalanche (Game 2, Round 2)Colorado leads series 2-0 Colorado continues to look dominant, remaining undefeated in the postseason. Minnesota made a change in goal for this one, turning the crease over to Filip Gustavsson instead of Wallstedt. Colorado stuck with Wedgewood in their crease. Based on the pregame comments about turning to Gustavsson, it's clear that John Hynes is getting outcoached in this series already. Minnesota remains the more banged-up team, and despite their eight goals in two games, they still don't have a win.

By: Chris Nosek Philadelphia Flyers @ Carolina Hurricanes (Round 2, Game 2)CAR leads series 2-0 The Flyers are going to look to come out flying on their home ice. They dropped both games on the road, but game two was much closer and a great reaction to game one. They were able to get a two-goal lead in this one, but couldn’t hold it. Carolina did a great job of taking advantage on their power play to get the first goal back and kill the momentum Philadelphia had been building.

By: Chris Nosek The first round is too soon to start saying who's making a case for the Conn Smyth. It's not too soon, however, to look at which players have helped their teams advance to the second round. So, let's see who is establishing themselves as players to watch as their teams get further during this postseason. Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins Look, there were many great players on both teams in this series. However, it’s clear that the presence of Alex Lyon in this series changed the tone. Lyon turned aside 106 of the 111 shots he saw across his three games for a .950 save percentage.

By: Chris Nosek Montreal Canadiens @ Tampa Bay Lightning (Round 1 - Game 7) Just like every other game in this series, it was crazy, intense, and close. However, the biggest news from this series is that the Tampa Bay Lightning are no longer guaranteed the advantage in net. Jakub Dobes allowed only three high-danger goals over the entire series, giving him a 3.13 goals saved above expected. His goals-against average was only 1.63, and his save percentage was .934 for the series! Vasilevskiy played well, but he allowed a few weak goals over the series and wasn't the difference maker Tampa Bay needed him to be.

By: Chris Nosek This will be a very underrated series where I can see a lot of folks not giving the Ducks a fighting chance. Those people would be dead wrong. People will point to the offensive power the Golden Knights have, and they're right to do so. However, those who have watched the Ducks all season will know just how potent their offense is. The Ducks also shocked everyone when they added John Carlson to their blue line at the trade deadline. This gave that defensive unit a major boost that will continue to help their playoff run.

By: Chris Nosek The Colorado Avalanche dispatched the Los Angeles Kings a week ago and have been patiently waiting for their next opponent since then. Meanwhile, the Wild were locked in a brutal matchup against the Stars that went six games and ended on Thursday. During the regular season, the two teams faced off four times. Both teams won a game in the shootout and a game in regulation. The Avs ended up scoring more goals in the season series, accumulating 13 goals compared to the 11 Minnesota tallied. Both teams have a top defenseman in the league, a top scorer in the league, and both teams have great depth throughout their lineup.

By: Chris Nosek Game OnePhiladelphia Flyers @ Carolina Hurricanes (Carolina leads series 1-0) Logan Stankoven continued his incredible run as he added two more goals to his tally. He is now up to six goals over five games played and a +7 rating. He has three more goals than Sebastian Aho, who is second on the team. Frederik Andersen pitched his third shutout of the postseason, which is not good for half of these six starts. The Hurricanes are known for their strong defensive structure, and tonight that limited the Flyers to only 19 shots on goal.

By: Chris Nosek The Hurricanes and Flyers faced off four times in the regular season. Three of the games went to a shootout, while the fourth was decided in overtime. The Hurricanes won three of the four games and outscored the Flyers 13 to 11 during the regular season series. Vladar earned two of the starts and played very well, allowing just four goals between regulation and overtime. This should be a fun series to watch as these two teams battle for what should be an extremely close series. The Flyers will want to keep this a series of close, extremely physical games.

By: Chris Nosek Tampa Bay Lightning @ Montreal Canadiens (Series tied 3-3) Another incredible game in this series, and it was the fourth game of the series to go to overtime. Neither side gave an inch. Just when it was believed the Habs had given something up, Phillip Danault was there to preserve the game. Jakub Dobes was incredible and continues to match Andrei Vasilevskiy save for save. If Montreal keeps playing the game the way they have been, they will come out on top. They are going to want to score first, though, because Tampa Bay has a habit of earning bounces in its favor.

By: Chris Nosek Dallas Stars @ Minnesota Wild (Minnesota Wild wins series 4-2) The Wild were the better team for most of this series, and the result matched. Jesper Wallstedt was by far the better goaltender. He was calmer and more composed, while Oettinger was clearly affected by the moment and remained shaky throughout the series. In the end, the Quinn Hughes acquisition was the biggest factor in this series, as Hughes posted two goals and an assist. The best players for Minnesota were their best players. Kaprizov and Boldy each had nine points, while Hughes and Faber played over 30 minutes per night while also scoring eight and six points, respectively.

By: Chris Nosek Montreal Canadiens @ Tampa Bay Lightning (Montreal leads series 3-2) Many people were eyeing the Dallas-Minnesota series as a must-watch, but this one has been just as good, if not better. So far, three of the five games have gone to overtime, and there has only been one lead of two goals. There is more to dive into when it comes to his game, which we will do another time, but at this point, Andrei Vasilevskiy's game does not elevate in the playoffs the way it once did.

By: Chris Nosek Boston Bruins @ Buffalo Sabres (Buffalo leads series 3-2) What a game, holy crap! Jeremy Swayman showed every reason he got the contract he signed heading into last season. He is the biggest reason the Bruins pushed the game to overtime. The Bruins were better in several areas of the game, including hits, blocked shots, takeaways, and faceoff wins. However, it took another great pass from Hampus Lindholm to David Pastrnak to get him on a breakaway to beat Alex Lyon for the game-winner. Several guys stepped up for Boston, and the only goal they allowed was Buffalo's power-play goal, finally breaking through.

By: Chris Nosek Philadelphia Flyers @ Pittsburgh Penguins (Philadelphia leads 3-2) The Flyers aren't making adjustments to try to put this series away, whereas the Penguins have made several on a game-by-game basis. The move to Arturs Silovs in goal was absolutely the right move. He continues to be big for his team in significant games. He was a major reason - if not THE reason - Abbotsford won the Calder Cup last season. He was also the best goaltender for Team Latvia in the Olympics. The net is his going forward, and he will certainly get a contract extension this offseason.

By: Chris Nosek Carolina Hurricanes @ Ottawa Senators (CAR advances) The Ottawa Senators never had their head on their own game from the moment the series started. This was evident when Brady Tkachuk dropped the gloves with Jordan Staal three seconds into the first game. The Senators did everything in their power to make it into the playoffs. Once the playoffs started, they completely changed how they played. Linus Ullmark was never the problem with this team; in fact, he's the reason they had a chance to win any game in this series.

By: Chris Nosek Tampa Bay Lightning @ Montreal Canadiens (Montreal leads series 2-1) Martin St. Louis has this Canadiens team prepared for the Lightning every single game so far. The Bell Centre was rocking for this one, and the Canadiens were fed by that. The entire team has bought into doing whatever it takes to win the series, and none of them are showing any panic. They definitely learned from last season's early playoff exit, and their youth is an advantage against Tampa Bay. The Lightning are definitely missing Victor Hedman on the backend, but who knows when he makes his return.

By: Chris Nosek Buffalo Sabres @ Boston Bruins (Buffalo leads series 2-1) This was certainly a game the Bruins need and want to move on from. Without a doubt, the Boston Bruins need to be better, especially at home. After getting Alex Lyon in the game to end game 2, Lindy Ruff turned to him for this game. Lyon stepped up; there are no qualms about that.

By: Chris Nosek Pittsburgh Penguins @ Philadelphia Flyers (PHI leads 3-`0) Of all the series, this is the one that seems to have fans complaining the most. It is all coming from the Pittsburgh side of the aisle. The Penguins aren't playing well. They're too focused on being more physical than the Flyers, and their defense isn't playing well. It doesn't help that their best players - Crosby, Letang, Karlsson, and Malkin - account for 34 of the team's 84 penalty minutes, and 10 of the 22 they got in game three.

By: Chris Nosek Montreal Canadiens @ Tampa Bay Lightning (Series tied at 1) The physicality shown in this one showed we're in for a long series, but both teams might not be able to walk when it's over. Despite participating in the ruckus, the Canadiens are keeping their composure. I would have been more shocked if Tampa Bay hadn't responded in this type of fashion - especially for a game that was in their own building.

By: Chris Nosek Philadelphia Flyers @ Pittsburgh Penguins (Flyers lead series 2-0) From the beginning of the series, the Flyers showed they were not intimidated by their opponent. They've remained relaxed and continue to let the game come to them despite the series being tied for 81% of the time played. This game, the Flyers really took control of the series.

By: Chris Nosek No one could have been happier for a few day break heading into the playoffs than the Anaheim Ducks goaltenders. Both Ville Husso and Lukas Dostal had a rough stretch as the Ducks limped into the playoffs. Aneheim has a great mix of veterans with their youth. Radko Gudas, Chris Kreider, and John Carlson have significant playoff experience.

By: Chris Nosek Los Angeles Kings @ Colorado Avalanche An incorrect call for goaltender interference didn't knock the Avalanche off their game. They were able to pull out the 2-1 win; it was 2-0 until Panarin notched a goal at the 17:38 mark of the 3rd period on a 6-on-4. While it was the right move, and one I agreed with, I was surprised when the Kings started Anton Forsberg for this game.

By: Chris Nosek The Vegas Golden Knights surprised almost everyone when they fired Bruce Cassidy to bring in John Tortorella. Since that change, the Knights have yet to lose in regulation. They ended up coming back and winning the meager Pacific Division. Torts also turned the crease over to Carter Hart full-time, who has looked better (in goal) since returning. Hart will be the guy Tortorella will turn to for their playoff run.

By: Chris Nosek It really is great to see the Buffalo Sabres back in the playoffs. The fans, many of whom are in the organization, and the players all deserve it. It is certain a rough matchup for them that their first playoff series in over a decade is against the Bruins, a team that has dominated them over that timeframe.

By: Chris Nosek I have this as one of the best matchups in the first round. The Canadiens got a taste of the playoffs last season when they lost their series against the Washington Capitals. This year, they took a step forward and have shown growth in many areas. Getting matched up against the Lightning is one of the toughest matchups they could have landed.

By: Chris Nosek Each day, throughout the playoffs, we'll review what each game brought for us and what it might mean for the series going forward. We'll review how the predictions hold up throughout the series and see how much the series' momentum changes. Ottawa Senators @ Carolina Hurricanes This game was a shining example of why Brady Tkachuk should not be wearing the captain’s C for any team.

By: Chris Nosek The Los Angeles Kings clinched their spot in one of the last days of the regular season. Artemi Panarin has really helped this team since being brought in before the trade deadline. Their offense would be significantly better if they hadn't lost Kevin Fiala. They will be getting Andre Kuzmenko back from injury, which will help boost their lineup.

By: Chris Nosek One of the biggest surprises this year has been the Pittsburgh Penguins. Just about everyone had them finishing the season in the lottery conversation. Many were speculating where Crosby would be traded to when the trade deadline came around. Instead, they finished second in the Metropolitan Division and are now hosting the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round.

By: Chris Nosek This matchup is one that many would like to see later in the bracket. However, both teams have questions and could lose in a first-round matchup, depending on their opponents. Dallas will likely be without Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen to start the series. This gives the Wild a chance to get an early lead. However, Quinn Hughes was out with an illness to end the regular season.

By: Chris Nosek There was a lot of turmoil surrounding the Ottawa Senators during the season. A lot of that seems to have been driven by media and social media. The players in the locker room seem to have always been on the same page, with each other and their coaching staff - and that's what matters. Linus Ullmark seems to be back on his game while Carolina still has several goaltending questions.

By: Chris Nosek April is finally here. The regular season starts to wind down. Let’s take another look around the NHL. We will explore the situations for some teams in the midst of a playoff race. Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are being extremely underrated heading into the playoffs. Regardless of who they end up playing, there are several reasons they can win the series.

By: Chris Nosek Bill Guerin aced the trade deadline by acquiring Quinn Hughes on December 12th. This deal was done with significant time left in this season, and while Hughes has another season on his contract. The deal itself was extremely fair as he gave up Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, Zeev Buium, and the teams 1st-round pick in the 2026 draft.

By: Chris Nosek Red Wings fans have been told to be patient for several years now as Yzerman continues to work through his rebuild. After building up the prospect pool over the past seven drafts. Unfortunately, his highest selection has been 4th overall, regardless of how bad the team finished. He has also been adding one 1st-round pick each season, except in 2021, when he took Simon Edvinsson and Sebastian Cossa in the 1st round.

By: Chris Nosek All season, the Kings have struggled to score goals. They've allowed the 8th-fewest goals all season; however, they had also scored the 3rd-fewest heading into the trade deadline. Ken Holland didn't hesitate to address this, and prior to the roster freeze for the Olympic break, he brought in Artemi Panarin. Unfortunately, during the Olympics, Kevin Fiala suffered a season-ending injury.

By: Chris Nosek Earlier this week, we looked at the race in the Eastern Conference, so now let's take a look at the race in the Western Conference. Central Division The Avalanche and Stars have clinched their spot in the playoffs. However, Dallas can still catch the Avs for the first spot in the division, which would land them home ice throughout the playoffs and the President's Trophy.