Max Pacioretty snapped a tie with 5:39 remaining in regulation for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who knocked out the Ottawa Senators with a 4-2 win in Game 6 at Canadian Tire Centre. William Nylander notched his second goal of game into an empty net to ice it and Auston Matthew also scored for the Maple Leafs, who advance to face the Florida Panthers. Nylander assisted on Matthews’ game=opening power-play marker. Former Panther Anthony Stolarz made 21 saves for the Buds. Brady Tkachuk and David Perron scored for Senators, who rallied after falling behind 2-0.
This will be the second postseason meeting between the Cats and Buds. Florida eliminated Toronto in five games in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Connor Brown had a goal and two assists, and Darnell Nurse, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, and Trent Frederic each had a goal and an assist for the Edmonton Oilers, who eliminated the Los Angeles Kings for the fourth consecutive season with a 6-4 victory in Game 6 at Crypto.com Arena.
The Vegas Golden Knights wrapped up their first-round series against the Minnesota Wild with a 3-2 win in Game 6 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Pau. Vegas got its goals from Shea Theodore, Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, and goaltender Adin Hill finished with 29 saves.
Valeri Nichushkin scored a pair of goals and Nathan MacKinnon finished the night with a goal and two assists as the Colorado Avalanche came from behind to beat the Dallas Stars 7-4 to force a winner-take-all Game 7 Saturday night at American Airlines Center.
The Charlotte Checkers will visit the Providence Bruins tonight to open the five-game Division Semifinal series at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Puck drop is at 7:05 p.m. Charlotte finished in second place in the AHL’s Atlantic Division, four points ahead of the third-place Bruins.
Friday in the Stanley Cup Playoffs
- Winnipeg Jets at St. Louis Blues 8 p.m. (TNT) (Jets lead 3-2)