A huge comeback; Offer leaf wonders; Penguins net future

A somber and happy Memorial Day to all. Over the holiday weekend, we dug into the Pittsburgh Penguins report card and gave some numbers to the goaltenders, as well as the important future implications of those numbers. Elsewhere, the Vegas Golden Knights stunned, shocked and amazed everyone with five unanswered goals and a stunning comeback victory to claim a 3-0 lead over the Colorado Avalanche. The Toronto Marlies will face the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL Eastern Conference finals after Easton Cowan scored a goal with just 12 seconds left. And some speculation about RFA offers is filtering through credibly.

So a Swede won the Indy 500. I really hated how the race stewards put the cars together for a one-lap shootout with a phantom yellow, but one of the best cars won, which was good enough for me. Social media was buzzing throughout the race – it felt like a lot of people were watching with me this year (rather than me just tweeting into the void), but I also wonder if Felix Rosenqvist’s pre-race meal included onions, pasta and ketchup?

And if you turned on the NASCAR race at 6 p.m., I understand if, like me, you had to turn it off for a while. The close-ups of Kyle Busch’s family in emotional distress were a bit too much for me personally, and the extended camera isolations felt a bit exploitative by ESPN at the same time. They weren’t necessary. The poor child is 11 years old. Zoom out, dammit.

So let’s do that hockey thing.

Pittsburgh penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Big personalities, big trades and a big future. Interestingly enough, the goalie we rated highest likely won’t be with the team in the fall. It’s a big report we’ve dished on the goaltenders and the implications for the Penguins’ future.

Only 12 seconds to go. Ouch. The Toronto Marlies and Cleveland Monsters were tied 2-2 late in the third period of their decisive Game 5 until Easton Cowan got a gift up front. A flared shot slid straight to Cowan on the side of the crease for the winner. The unfortunate goal broke Cleveland’s hearts, but means the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. Toronto is in the ECF.

Here’s the ECF schedule and how to buy tickets if you want to make the trip east to Wilkes-Barre, or if you’re heading to Toronto for a day on the lake and a hockey night.

I’m not sure what I’m doing yet. The games themselves aren’t as important as the prospects’ performances. I might be able to check out the first pair online. The series format is 2-3-2.

Maybe a run to Detroit for the free Indy practice on Saturday and Toronto for the game on Monday? That sounds nice. If you need hotel recommendations in Toronto or Wilkes-Barre, let me know.

As for the food, I can help in Toronto. Wilkes-Barre…not so much.

NHL Trade Talk, news and national hockey now

Sportsnet: Colorado led 3-0 in the first period, but their heads hung after allowing five unanswered goals for a 5-3 loss in Game 3, giving Vegas a 3-0 series lead. Yes, it’s pretty much over.

You can also watch Colby Armstrong on Sportsnet Breaking the series ends.

Colorado Hockey Now: It was a gut punch, a sucker punch and then a snap kick to the nether regions. As Aarif Deen writes, they keep finding ways to lose. It’s bleak – very bleak – for the Colorado avalanche.

I saw Colorado trading away one of their goalies in the offseason. They lost the battle for the goalkeeper.

Philly Hockey Now: Will James has begun his draft preparation with some focus on the Philly Flyers. And since the Flyers are favored over the Penguins, this applies to the Penguins as well. Will rolls through his top three centers and those who could be in the Flyers’ range in the 2026 NHL Draft.

New Jersey Hockey Now: It’s tough when a team’s historic jerseys absolutely stink. The Devils’ old green and red aren’t exactly flying off the shelves or appearing in rap videos. However, more information about its arrival is leaking New Jersey Devils Remix Jersey.

So, is that what we do now? A new alternative sweater every year? It seems like it will push the fans away from them, and not towards them. If you’re going to drop a pair of Benjamins, don’t you want to wear them for more than a year?

Boston Hockey Now: Pavel Zacha on the NHL trade block? He could be a budget option in Kyle Dubas’ search for an impact player from the 20s, right? Jack Studley writes that the decision is not necessarily immediate, but it is looming Boston Bruins have to make a choice.

The Athletic ($): I’ve been focusing more on dissecting the Penguins’ trade situations, but the Athletic has delved into some plausible RFA scenarios that could see players on the move. Of course, it seems like every season we’re drafting RFAs and not making a single move, but this time players like Mavrik Bourque can be low hanging fruit to steal.

Detroit Hockey Now: Trade Targets in the Motor City. Oh, Steve Yzerman has a tough job ahead of him, because if he wasn’t a franchise legend, he’d probably be spit-roasted. Bob Duff circles THE biggest business need: centers. And Duffer has a few Red Wings trade targets in mind.

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