Morning Chirps: No Worlds for Connor Bedard, An Eventful Night of Playoff Hockey

Thursday was an exciting night across the world of hockey. In the NHL, three teams’ dreams of winning the Stanley Cup ended, while we know we’re getting at least one Game 7. In the AHL, the Rockford IceHogs used some late-game magic to take Game 1 of the Central Division Semifinals. Let’s start your Friday off with a fresh batch of Chirps!

Blackhawks Chirps

• Be sure to check out our Blackhawks Head Coaching Tracker, as it includes the latest reports on Mike Sullivan, Jay Woodcroft, and David Carle.
• According to The Athletic’s Scott Powers, Connor Bedard will not play for Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championships. Canada announced the first 15 players on their roster, including many familiar names.
• On this date in 1971, the Blackhawks advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1965 by beating the Rangers 4-2 in Game 7. Bobby Hull had two assists before scoring the game-winning goal.
• On May 2, 1996, Jeremy Roenick scored a power-play goal in overtime to beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals. This was the first of four overtime goals during the memorable six-game series.

IceHogs Chirps

• The IceHogs grabbed a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five Central Division Semifinals by stunning the Milwaukee Admirals with a third-period comeback. Paul Ludwinski and Gerry Mayhew tied the game late in regulation, before Colton Dach won it just 12 seconds into overtime. Check out my full recap from Milwaukee with quotes from Dach and head coach Mark Eaton.

NHL Chirps

• The NHL announced the three finalists for the Hart Trophy. They are Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov. Interestingly, Kucherov is the only player to be a finalist for the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award. The writers vote on the Hart Trophy, while the players vote for the Ted Lindsay Award.
• According to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, the Philadelphia Flyers have interviewed Western Michigan head coach Pat Ferschweiler for their head coaching position.
• The Toronto Maple Leafs nearly made a monumental mistake by listing Alex Nylander on their active roster for last night’s game instead of William.

• Fortunately for the Maple Leafs, William Nylander was in the lineup and scored in their 4-2 win to wrap up their series against the Ottawa Senators in six games. The Senators erased a 2-0 deficit but could not force a seventh and final game. Toronto will play the Florida Panthers in the second round.

• The Vegas Golden Knights are on to the second round after beating the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in Game 6. Former Blackhawk Ryan Hartman had both Minnesota goals, but it was not enough to take down the Pacific Division champs.

• The Colorado Avalanche forced a Game 7 by beating the Dallas Stars 7-4. The game-winning goal was an own goal credited to Nathan MacKinnon that bounced in off former Blackhawk Colin Blackwell. If there was ever a series that deserved seven games, it’s this one. Game 7 will be in Dallas on Saturday night.

• The Edmonton Oilers knocked out the Los Angeles Kings for the fourth straight year after beating them 6-4 in Game 6. The depth scoring did the damage for Edmonton, as Connor McDavid and Draisaitl were limited to one assist between them. This series changed when Kings head coach Jim Hiller challenged the Evander Kane goal in Game 3. It will be a long summer for him after a series full of questionable decisions. The Oilers and Golden Knights will meet in a 2023 Second Round series rematch.

• The only game on tap for tonight will be the St. Louis Blues hosting the Winnipeg Jets in Game 6 of their series. If the Jets are to close out the series, they will have to do it without Mark Scheifele, who head coach Scott Arneil ruled out. The game will air on TNT starting at 7 p.m.