Sports
Lightning, Red Wings each licking wounds entering clash
Mar 8, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Detroit Red Wings left wing Lucas Raymond (23) looks to pass the puck against the New Jersey Devils during the third period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Salus-Imagn Images The Detroit Red Wings and host Tampa Bay Lightning limp into their third matchup this season coming off bad losses on Tuesday night in Florida.
Holding the top wild-card spot, the Red Wings had another terrible-looking injury to a forward, this time Andrew Copp, in a 4-3 setback against the Florida Panthers.
Coach Todd McLellan’s team, which leads the Boston Bruins by just one point in the wild-card standings and is three points clear of the bubble, appeared to be headed to a significant victory, leading 3-2 with 1:30 left.
Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe, however, leveled the game with 90 seconds left.
Tied 3-3, Detroit could have headed to overtime with at least one point in the bank, but the club took off greedily on a three-on-two rush with 25 seconds to go.
A turnover spun the play back toward the Red Wings’ defensive end, and Florida’s Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk worked the puck over for Verhaeghe’s go-ahead goal at the 15-second mark on a shot that clipped the stick of new Wings defenseman Justin Faulk, acquired from the St. Louis Blues on Friday.
It was a devastating defeat for a club needing every point in the Eastern Conference’s tight playoff race.
“We have a job to do, and the first thing we have to do is recover from this loss,” stated McLellan, whose group is 4-6-2 in the past dozen matches. “Then we have to figure out how to plug some holes. … It’s another (game) where, at the least, we should be leaving with a point. But we’re not. It’s a tough one to swallow.”
Copp’s injury comes on the heels of the one sustained by fellow forward Dylan Larkin last Friday, also against Florida. The captain (28 goals, 55 points) has missed the last two games.
Another listless showing in Tuesday’s 5-2 home loss to Columbus dropped the Lightning to 1-6-0 in the past seven matches. They played without two defensemen in Darren Raddysh (personal) and Erik Cernak, who was injured in a fight with Michael Kesselring in the Buffalo Sabres’ wild 8-7 win Sunday night.
Compounded with Max Crozier’s long-term injury and Emil Lilleberg’s facial fracture, their rear guard has taken a major hit.
Cooper admitted after Tuesday’s loss that his team was “in a rut.”
The Atlantic Division’s second-place team has excelled offensively and defensively this season, but it generated just 18 shots against Columbus and has been outscored 35-22 over the last seven games.
Cooper said his squad is failing to get out on its patented fastbreak.
“Tonight was abnormally bad,” he said. ” … This little rut we’re in has lasted a lot longer than I anticipated. There’s probably a little frustration that sets in. … Our rhythm’s not there, obviously our execution is clearly not there. I think our emotions have been a little bit of a roller coaster.
“When something goes poorly in the game, we kind of compound it. … Our heads are down, a little bit of kicking the can. We’ve just got to make sure there’s no pity party here.”
J.J. Moser scored for the seventh time in the Columbus loss, tying his career high for goals set in 2022-23.
The two teams have not met since November and split a pair of early season contests, each winning on home ice.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Canadiens D Noah Dobson game-time decision for Game 7
Apr 11, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson (53) skates during the warmup before the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson is considered a game-time decision for Game 7 of the team’s Eastern Conference first-round series versus the host Tampa Bay Lightning.
Dobson has been sidelined with an upper-body injury after blocking a shot against the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 11.
“He’s been a big player for us this year,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “I’m confident that if he plays, he’s going to bring something.”
Dobson, 26, recorded 47 points (12 goals, 35 assists) and averaged 22:29 of ice time in 80 games during the regular season.
The Canadiens acquired Dobson in a sign-and-trade agreement with the New York Islanders on June 27, 2025, as he agreed to an eight-year, $76 million contract.
In return, the Islanders received forward Emil Heineman and both of Montreal’s first-round picks (Nos. 16 and 17) in the 2025 NHL Draft. The Islanders used those selections on Swedish right winger Victor Eklund and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson of Barrie (OHL).
Dobson has totaled 277 points (62 goals, 215 assists) in 348 career games since being selected by the Islanders with the 12th overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Predicting Second Round Stanley Cup Playoff Surprises
As the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs readies to kick into full gear, it is time to pull out the old Upset-O-Meter.
Now that the NHL is (almost) down to its elite eight, the championship chase hits another gear.
We have seen some trends already. All four division champions advanced, with the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche handily dispatching all four wild-card squads.
Curiously, three — and possibly four — of the third-place finishers knocked out the second-place squads. The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, Minnesota Wild eliminated the Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks beat the Edmonton Oilers. Plus, the Montreal Canadiens are taking their best swing at the Tampa Bay Lightning, with Sunday’s Game 7 to decide that extremely tight, and exciting series.
So who will reach the final four?
The underdog with the best chance is the Anaheim Ducks. As well as the Golden Knights finished the regular season and pushed out the Utah Mammoth, do not simply award them the title from the Pillow Fight … sorry … Pacific Division.
Sure, Vegas has looked more like the club we all expected, but there are some cracks for the Ducks to expose, namely, the Vegas goaltending. The Golden Knights are a better defensive team than the Oilers, but Carter Hart’s sub-.900 save percentage will not scare a talented Anaheim team that lit up Edmonton’s netminders, especially when on the power play.
Throw into the mix Anaheim’s speed and size, and the Golden Knights will have their hands full, even with their experience.
On the other side of the spectrum in terms of upset potential, we have the Hurricanes-Flyers series, which opened with a 3-0 Carolina victory on Saturday.
Full credit to the Flyers for beating their state rivals in the opening round, but the Hurricanes showed in the opener why they finished atop the Eastern Conference.
By no means would it be fair to expect Carolina to sweep Philly, but the Hurricanes are poised to have this series done and dusted in five.
Looking at the other Eastern Conference semifinal, we do not know yet who the Sabres will meet, but whether it is the Canadiens or Lightning, it will be a tight series.
The Sabres will deservedly be the favorites, but not by much. No matter the opponents, Buffalo’s goaltending will be considered second best, even with Alex Lyon having a lights-out run upon taking the net in Game 2 of their series against the Boston Bruins. Also of concern is Buffalo’s power play, which scored only one goal on 24 chances against Boston.
In Buffalo’s favor will be the fatigue factor of whatever club advances.
Which brings us to the series that could top them all: Colorado versus Minnesota.
The marquee matchup within the marquee matchup will be the battle of the two best defensemen in the game, Colorado’s Cale Makar and Minnesota’s Quinn Hughes.
And that’s only the beginning of the cavalcade of stars. Colorado was the league’s highest scoring team in the regular season thanks to Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Makar, but showed its ability to defend against the Los Angeles Kings in its first-round sweep.
Granted, it will not be as easy for the Avalanche against a Wild team with far more firepower than the Kings, led by Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and Hughes.
Unfortunately for the Wild, injuries to shutdown center Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin put them on the back foot before the puck even drops.
Minnesota will put up a fight, but expect Colorado to be too much.
Sports
Twins ace Joe Ryan leaves after nine pitches Sunday
Apr 6, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan (41) delivers a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images The Minnesota Twins removed right-hander Joe Ryan after just nine pitches due to right elbow soreness during Sunday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Ryan fanned leadoff man Yohendrick Pinango on three pitches, then walked Kazuma Okamoto. After Ryan’s full-count fastball to Okamoto finished above the zone, he waved for manager Derek Shelton and trainer Nick Paparesta to come out to the mound.
After a brief conversation, Ryan headed to the dugout.
The Twins’ Opening Day starter was making his eighth start of the season. While he carried a 2-3 record and 3.76 ERA into Sunday’s game, he owned a 1.043 WHIP and 39 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings.
Ryan dealt with lower back issues during spring training, which included the need for an MRI exam, but did not miss any turns this season.
Minnesota already has three starting pitchers on the injured list: Pablo Lopez (elbow), David Festa (shoulder) and Mick Abel (elbow). Lopez tore his ACL during spring training and underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery.
Abel posted a 1-2 record and a 3.98 ERA in four appearances (three starts) before being shelved in mid-April, but he’s expected back relatively soon.
Ryan, who made his major league debut in 2021, has fashioned a 48-39 record and a 3.79 ERA in 123 appearances (122 starts).
–Field Level Media
Canadiens D Noah Dobson game-time decision for Game 7
Predicting Second Round Stanley Cup Playoff Surprises
