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Stanley Cup playoffs takeaways: Hurricanes advance, panic time for Maple Leafs
The 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs continued on Tuesday night and included the first team to advance and more pressure mounting on a Stanley Cup contender. There was also a big suspension that could impact the Tampa Bay-Florida series.
Here are some takeaways from Tuesday's action:
Carolina rallies to move on
The Carolina Hurricanes did not mess up their opportunity to advance on Tuesday, eliminating the New Jersey Devils with a 5-4 win in double overtime to get through to the second round.
They did not make it easy on themselves.
After falling behind 3-0 in the first period, Carolina rallied all the way back for the win that was capped off by a Sebastian Aho goal in double overtime.
SERIES WINNER IN DOUBLE OT ️
— NHL (@NHL) April 30, 2025
Sebastian Aho scores in @Energizer double overtime to send the @Canes to the Second Round! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/ouRWZaO8Gq
Dawson Mercer's double-minor for high-sticking ended up setting up that goal.
Carolina will now play the winner of the Washington Capitals-Montreal Canadiens series.
Maple Leafs lose another potential closeout game
There is no way the Toronto Maple Leafs can do this again, right?
There is no way they snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and humiliate themselves in another first-round series, is there?
With their 4-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night, they missed another opportunity to clinch a series and fell to 1-12 in potential closeout games since the start of the 2018 playoffs.
That is astonishing. It almost defies all reason and logic. That is also how they have managed to win just a single series in that time. With Tuesday's loss they will get another chance in Game 6 on Thursday night in Ottawa, and the pressure is only going to keep building on them.
Because every game they lose, and every game they fail to clinch this series, the outside noise is going to keep getting louder and louder.
By the end of Tuesday's game you could sense the panic from the fans in Toronto. The arena was silent. Fans were not even reacting to fights or skirmishes that were breaking out as time expired. There was just a sense of doom in the air and absolutely zero energy. It was almost as if the Maple Leafs had already lost the series instead of still being up 3-2 with two more chances to close it out.
Aaron Ekblad gets suspended
The NHL got it wrong by not suspending Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk for his late hit on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel.
It had no choice but to suspend defenseman Aaron Ekblad.
After missing the boat with Tkachuk, the NHL corrected its mistake on Tuesday by suspending Ekblad for two games for delivering a forearm directly to the face of Lightning forward Brandon Hagel on Monday night. There was no penalty called on the play, but there was no way the NHL could ignore this.
From @NHLPlayerSafety, slow-mo view of Ekblad’s forearm to Hagel’s head.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) April 29, 2025
This is a reverse angle that we hadn’t seen - and shows the carnage. Very clear 2 game suspension. pic.twitter.com/8DoWbNcxKj
Ekblad is one of the Panthers' top players and defenseman, and his absence could open the door for the Lightning to get back in the series. Florida has a chance to win the series in Game 5 on Wednesday.
More must-reads:
- Hurricanes escape three-goal hole, eliminate Devils in 2OT
- Senators' Linus Ullmark posts shutout, staves off elimination vs. Maple Leafs
- The '2023 NFL AP second-team All-Pro' quiz
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4 Maple Leafs Wild Card Players Heading Into 2025-26
Assuming they don’t fall off the rails, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be a strong team again in 2025-26. This is nothing new, as they’ve been one of the best teams in the NHL for several seasons and should be for years to come. While the Maple Leafs will continue to be competitive thanks to players like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and even John Tavares, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any questions about the lineup. It’s uncertain what we can expect from several players on the roster, in terms of production and effectiveness, but especially these four Maple Leafs. Max Domi Max Domi’s tenure with the team has been up and down. He had a relatively productive 2023-24 season with 47 points, but only nine were goals. This past season, his production dipped to eight goals and 33 points, which is underwhelming for a player who has proven in the past that he can provide more offence. What makes Domi so important this season is that the Maple Leafs will need others to step up now that Mitch Marner is with the Vegas Golden Knights. It has also created new and better opportunities for players like Domi, who could be in for a big season if he is given more responsibility. Matias Maccelli Perhaps the most exciting Maple Leaf heading into the season is Matias Maccelli. The 24-year-old could be one of the best pickups of the offseason, after he was he was acquired from the Utah Mammoth in June for a draft pick and has a ton of offensive upside. The Finnish winger is just one season removed from a career-high 57 points (scored with the Arizona Coyotes). The Maple Leafs acquired Maccelli just days before moving on from Marner, a sign that he was added to help make up for the lost offence. Assuming he gets a legitimate top-six role and time on the power play, he could be better than expected this season. Dakota Joshua There aren’t many players with more to prove than Dakota Joshua. The 29-year-old fell out of favour with the Vancouver Canucks after signing a four-year extension months before the 2024-25 campaign began. He was limited to just 57 games last season, with a disappointing seven goals and 14 points. Joshua is capable of better numbers, as indicated by his 18-goal, 32-point campaign through 63 games in 2023-24. More importantly, however, is the physical edge and intimidating presence he adds to the Maple Leafs’ lineup. That said, Toronto will need him to rediscover his form to be effective this season. Easton Cowan Easton Cowan has a great shot at cracking the Maple Leafs’ lineup this season. The 2023 first-round pick is preparing to make the jump to the professional ranks after dominating in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the London Knights for the last three seasons. Assuming Cowan does crack the roster, he will likely be used in a top-six role given his offensive upside. His numbers in junior rankings prove his talent, and he could be a difference-maker as soon as this season. That said, his small stature could result in a bit of a learning curve for the 20-year-old winger. Exciting Times Ahead for the Maple Leafs Despite all the recent frustration, it’s easy to be excited for the Maple Leafs’ future. They have finally made some big and necessary changes after years of failure, and were able to bring in several pieces that could prove to be the solution. At the very least, they will be an exciting team to watch in 2025-26.
Celtics' ownership move should concern Lakers governor Jeanie Buss
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss is supposed to remain in charge of the team for years even after the sale. Given what just happened with the Boston Celtics, it might only be months. When the Grousbeck family sold the Celtics for $6.1B in March, ESPN reported that Wyc Grousbeck would stay on as the Celtics CEO and governor through the 2027-28 season. Now, new owner Bill Chisholm will take over once the sale is final. That should concern current Lakers team governor Jeanie Buss, whose family sold a majority interest in the Los Angeles Lakers to investor Mark Walter. Buss is supposed to stay on as team governor for "at least a number of years," according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, but new NBA owners haven't been keen on waiting to take control of teams recently. Mark Cuban thought he would continue running the Dallas Mavericks when he sold a controlling interest to the Adelson family in November 2023. Before the end of that season, when Dallas advanced to the NBA Finals, new team governor Patrick Dumont, the son-in-law of Miriam Adelson, was firmly in charge. General manager Nico Harrison reported directly to Dumont, which is how Luka Doncic ended up traded to the Lakers despite Cuban's objections. It might be different with the Lakers. Walter has owned a minority share in the Lakers since 2021, so he's had a working relationship with Buss. Her role as team governor may be a condition of the sale itself. With the team preparing for a long-term future with Doncic, Walter and his fellow owners might opt for continuity in the team governor role. But in general, people do not spend billions of dollars on a professional sports team so that someone else can be in charge. Buss is in charge of the Lakers now. Recent history says she won't be for long.
Vikings WR gets brutal injury news for second straight season
A Minnesota Vikings wide receiver's season is already over. The Minnesota Vikings announced on Tuesday that wide receiver Rondale Moore is being placed on season-ending injured reserve due to a leg injury that he suffered in the team's first preseason game against the Houston Texans this past weekend. It is a devastating blow for Moore, who is now being sidelined for an entire season, before it even begins, for the second year in a row. Moore signed a one-year, $2 million contract in free agency with the Vikings this offseason in the hopes he could return from a different injury that cost him the entirety of the 2024 season. Moore was a member of the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 after being acquired in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for backup quarterback Desmond Ridder. This is now two different teams that Moore has been a part of, but will never play a game for them due to injuries. Moore was injured while returning a punt. He began his career with the Arizona Cardinals, catching 135 passes for 1,201 yards over three seasons before being traded. He was never going to be counted on to be a key contributor for the Vikings offense this season, especially given the superstars they already have at wide receiver in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but he still had a chance to be an interesting depth player. Now it is fair to wonder what the rest of his career might even look like. Missing two full seasons due to two different leg injuries is going to be a brutal thing to try to come back from. Missing two seasons for any reason is difficult, but when you add the leg injuries to the equation, it makes the obstacle even steeper.
How former Jets WR knew Aaron Glenn would release Aaron Rodgers
In January, former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson guaranteed that his ex-teammate, first-year New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, would not "start off his career with Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback in September." Johnson was right, as a new-look Jets regime led by Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey decided in February that Rodgers would be leaving the club after two underwhelming seasons. For a piece published on Wednesday, Johnson spoke with The Athletic's Ian O'Connor about his accurate prediction. "I’m the first person to ever say Aaron Rodgers was not going to be on this year’s team," Johnson explained. "I didn’t get it from anybody; I just knew from looking at all the coaches Aaron Glenn has learned from: Bill Parcells. Bill Belichick. Sean Payton. Dan Campbell. I knew how they would deal with Aaron Rodgers, so I knew how AG would deal with him. AG is his own man, and he doesn’t stand for any nonsense." Before Johnson made his initial guarantee, Parcells and New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees mentioned that Glenn "doesn’t [mess] around" and will be "a leader of men." It remains somewhat unclear if the "nonsense" referenced by Johnson has anything to do with Rodgers' weekly in-season appearances on "The Pat McAfee Show." In June 2024, Rodgers skipped the Jets' two-day mandatory minicamp because of a pre-planned trip to Egypt. He subsequently won just five of 17 starts coming off the season-ending torn Achilles tendon he suffered in September 2023. Johnson's comments indicate the Jets wouldn't have tolerated Rodgers remaining an unsigned free agent through early June as he dealt with undisclosed personal matters. Rodgers ultimately signed a team-friendly contract to join the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of their three-day mandatory minicamp, and he seems to be quite popular among his new teammates. Meanwhile, Jets players have embraced Glenn holding more "physical" practices during training camp after former head coach Robert Saleh went 20-36 as Gang Green head coach before he was fired last fall. "Aaron Glenn is going to get in people’s ear and tell them what time it is, and that’s who he was as a player," Johnson added. "There are so many bulls----ers in this business, and he isn’t one of them. I haven’t been to a Jets game since they traded me (in 2000), and the only reason I’m going to the Jets-Giants preseason game is Aaron Glenn." The Giants will represent the home team on Saturday against the Jets at MetLife Stadium. In March, the Jets took a flier on 26-year-old quarterback Justin Fields when they signed him to a two-year, $40M contract that included $30M guaranteed. They can escape that deal as soon as next offseason, but it sounds like Glenn would rather start from scratch in 2026 than put up with Rodgers for a single campaign.
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