NHL rumors: Latest buzz, news from around the league
By Tom Downey, Chat Sports
The NHL playoffs continued Thursday night with two shutouts and plenty of additional excitement. The Washington Capitals defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2–0 and the Dallas Stars topped the Minnesota Wild 4–0. In the other two games, the New York Islanders bested the Florida Panthers 5–4, while the San Jose Sharks beat the Los Angeles Kings 4–3.
Check out the latest NHL news and rumors below.
• Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier left his team’s loss on Thursday with a shoulder injury and may not return in the series. CSN Philly reports that the hit from Alexander Ovechkin will sideline Couturier for the remainder of the series with an AC sprain in his left shoulder.
• Evgeni Malkin returned to practice for the Pittsburgh Penguins, according to the team’s website. The Penguins are hopeful that Malkin will return at some point during their first-round series against the New York Rangers.
• The Penguins might be without goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 2 against the Rangers. Fleury said he was hopeful he would return, but was not certain he’d be fully recovered from the concussion he sustained at the end of March.
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• The New York Rangers have recalled goalie Magnus Hellberg from the AHL. The move comes in the wake of goalie Henrik Lundqvist taking a stick to the face in the Rangers’ game on Wednesday. Lundqvist is questionable for Saturday’s contest.
• Former Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Brian Lawton told TSN 1050 that he could see Steven Stamkos “wanting very badly to play for Toronto.”
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• Former Ottawa Senators head coach Dave Cameron spoke publicly for the first time since he was fired on Tuesday. Cameron told TSN that he was hurt by owner Eugene Melnyk’s critical comments about Cameron’s coaching decisions.
• Quinnipiac forward Sam Anas has signed a two-year, entry level contract with the Minnesota Wild, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Anas had 24 goals and 26 assists this year.