An NHL team has punched its ticket to the Stanley Cup Final, and it’s the team that entered the playoffs with the lowest point total. They have Matthew Tkachuk and Sergei Bobrovsky to thank for that.
Jamie Benn got punished for his dirty cross check on Mark Stone, but was it enough? I do not think. His memory of his work was…something.
For the Colorado Avalanche, we take a deep dive into the game of top prospect Nikolai Kovalenko.
All that and more in this Thursday edition of Evan’s Daily.
Colorado Hockey Now
Nikolai Kovalenko is one of the best prospects for the Colorado Avalanche. However, outside of a few standout moments here and there, very few have seen him play. In the first part of a three-part deep dive, we focus on Kovalenko’s bravery, which may remind you a bit of Artturi Lehkonen…
A recent study showed that Ball Arena (yes, Ball Arena) is the best arena in the NHL for fans. The criteria they used is important, as they were looking at it more in terms of the experience, rather than the arena itself.
On Thursday, look for a big deep dive into what a potential Devon Toews extension with the Avalanche could look like. It will be a difficult negotiation.
NHL playoffs
Just like we all predicted a month ago, the Florida Panthers are heading to the Stanley Cup Finals. Matthew Tkachuk hit three of the four series game-winners and doesn’t believe in curse words.
For his ridiculous Mark Stone cross-checking, Jamie Benn received a whopping two-game suspension. Light, in my opinion, but what would you expect from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety? Stone got up, and that’s all they really care about. It sure seemed like there was hurtful intent on Benn’s part, and no one is buying his absurd excuse.
Talking to Player Safety, if he will use the “I fell on him” defense:
“We’ll probably go through the whole play starting from our side and I’ll try to tell you how I felt and what was going on in that situation,” said Jamie Benn of @DallasStars
—Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 24, 2023
national hockey now
BHN: Can the Bruins find a way to keep Dmitri Orlov? It seems doubtful, but it was a great choice for them.
SJHN: The Sharks have cap room to give, so what buy-low candidates can they take, hoping to get an asset?
WHN: The Capitals’ local TV network is actually picking up playoff games for their AHL teams.
Calgary: New general manager Craig Conroy has to hire a coach and wants to be on the same page with them.
MHN: Like the Sharks, the Canadiens have plenty of space that they can use to draft some players and gain assets.
LAHN: Could the Kings go after Connor Hellebuyck?
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