The Russian spent the past two-plus years with the KHL's Metallurg Magnitogorsk and was named the KHL Rookie of the Year for the 2023-24 season.

Colorado selected him in the second round (38th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, making him the first goaltender picked that year.

The Avs experienced a season of transition at the goaltender position in 2024-25. They traded Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen less than two months into the season and acquired Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood; six players in all made at least one start between the pipes for Colorado.

Financial terms for either pact were not disclosed by the team.

Palmieri, 34, recorded 48 points (24 goals, 24 assists) while playing in all 82 games this past season. He was set to be an unrestricted free agent after playing in the final season of a four-year, $20 million contract.

The Smithtown, N.Y., native has 527 points (270 goals, 257 assists) in 900 career NHL games with the Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils and Islanders. He was selected by the Ducks with the 26th overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft.

Boqvist, 24, totaled 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 35 games this past season split between the Florida Panthers and Islanders.

He was playing on a one-year, $775,000 contract and was set to be a restricted free agent.

Boqvist has 99 points (27 goals, 72 assists) in 244 career games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Panthers and Islanders. He was selected by the Blackhawks with the eighth overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft.

Kekalainen, 58, will serve as the team's senior advisor and report directly to general manager Kevyn Adams.

"As we navigated the process of hiring for this role, it very quickly became apparent that Jarmo was an ideal candidate to augment our front office," Adams said in a release. "From his extensive history in scouting, his long tenure as an NHL general manager and his vast experience at the international and European pro levels, Jarmo has a remarkable resume and a long history of success in this league.

"I spoke with a number of candidates about this role and it's clear to me that Jarmo is a perfect fit for our team. I couldn't be more excited to add another significant piece to our front office as we continue the process of adding to our staff."

Kekalainen was GM in Columbus from 2013-24. The team went 410-362-97 during his tenure and reached the playoffs five times -- 2014, 2017-20 -- but finished no higher than sixth place in its division after that.

"Kevyn and I already had a strong working relationship from my time with the Blue Jackets and when we first started talking about this opportunity, it immediately felt like a natural fit," Kekalainen said. "We are aligned in our philosophies and share the same core beliefs on how to build a winning team. I'm eager to help in any area I can and think I can offer a fresh perspective to supplement the staff already in place as we look to improve our roster this offseason."

Kekalainen has been the GM for multiple teams in his native Finland. He worked for the Ottawa Senators and St. Louis Blues before joining Columbus in February 2013.

The deal was announced on Thursday by the Flyers.

Foerster, 23, will be a restricted free agent again when the contract extension expires in 2027.

He set career highs across the board with 43 points (25 goals, 18 assists) in 81 games last season, his second full campaign with Philadelphia.

"There's a few guys that I think there's a whole other level to their game that hopefully we can unlock. For sure, (Foerster) is one of them. I'm really looking forward to working with him," new Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said.

Foerster has 83 points (48 goals, 35 assists) in 164 career games since being selected by Philadelphia with the 23rd overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut against the Carolina Hurricanes on March 9, 2023.

Connor McDavid collected one goal and one assist as the Oilers dispatched the Stars in five games in the best-of-seven series and set up a rematch of last year's finals against the Panthers, won by Florida in seven games. Game 1 will be Wednesday at Edmonton.

Corey Perry, Mattias Janmark, Jeff Skinner, Evander Kane and Kasperi Kapanen also scored for the Oilers, who have won 12 of their last 14 playoff games and eliminated the Stars in the conference finals for the second consecutive year.

Goaltender Stuart Skinner made 14 saves.

Jason Robertson scored twice and Roope Hintz tallied once for Dallas, which has lost out in the Stanley Cup chase in the third round three straight years.

Starting goalie Jake Oettinger was pulled after surrendering goals on the first two shots he faced. Casey DeSmith made 17 saves in relief.

Sensing their chance to close out the series, the Oilers staked an early 3-0 lead. Perry opened the scoring at 2:31 when he redirected McDavid's centering pass for the power-play marker.

On Perry's goal, McDavid collected his 100th career playoff assist in his 90th game, the second fastest player to hit the century mark for postseason helpers, behind only Wayne Gretzky (70 games).

Janmark doubled the lead at 7:09 by sliding home a breakaway chance and then Jeff Skinner - playing his first game since the playoff opener - made it a 3-0 affair by banging home a rebound tally 58 seconds later for his first career playoff goal.

The Stars pushed back but could not draw even. Robertson scored for the third consecutive game when he gained a loose puck in the slot and rang a shot off the post at 11:40 of the opening frame, and Hintz made it a one-goal game with a one-timer from the slot at 12:27 of the second period.

However, McDavid restored Edmonton's two-goal lead two minutes later with a breakaway tally.

Robertson's second of the game, a five-hole shot off the rush, again brought the Stars within one goal 38 seconds into the third period.

But Kane responded at 3:21 of the period when his pass attempt banked off a defender and into the net to make it 5-3. Kapanen's empty-net goal rounded out the scoring.

Dallas failed to record a shot on goal in the final 16 minutes and 17 seconds of the game.

Most recently the associate coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Lambert heads into his second stint as an NHL boss after leading the New York Islanders in 2022-23 and part of 2023-24.

"When it came time to writing a new chapter, I couldn't think of a better fit," Lambert told the Kraken's team website. "Seattle is an incredible sports town, and I've been impressed by the energy of the fans every time I've been there as a visiting coach. This team has a talented group of young players poised to take the next step and a core group of veterans with great leadership qualities."

The franchise will embark on its fifth NHL season with its third head coach after Bylsma spent a single season behind the bench, which ended with Seattle missing the playoffs. Dave Hakstol coached the Kraken for their first three years in the league and guided them to one postseason trip.

It was the latest step the Kraken took to reshape their front office and coaching staff this offseason. Ron Francis was elevated from general manager to president of hockey operations and Jason Botterill was promoted to GM last month. Botterill led the search for a head coach, according to the team.

In a statement, Botterill cited Lambert's work as an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals when they won the 2018 Stanley Cup.

"We cast a wide net for suitable candidates," Botterill told the team website. "What impressed us throughout the interview process was Lane's strategy and vision for this team. He was an integral part of the Capitals winning the Cup and the Islanders advancing to two straight Eastern Conference finals. We have full confidence in Lane to lead this team behind the bench."

In Seattle, Lambert will work with three players whom he coached in Washington: goaltender Philipp Grubauer and forwards Chandler Stephenson and Andre Burakovsky.

Kraken captain Jordan Eberle also spent time playing for Lambert in New York. Lambert was an assistant under Barry Trotz with the Islanders before being named his successor when Trotz was fired in 2022.

Lambert has a 61-46-20 record as an NHL head coach.

Toews, 37, informed his agent Pat Brisson that he is committed to embark on a comeback attempt. Brisson confirmed the news to multiple media outlets on Thursday.

"Yes, 100 percent. Johnny is feeling great and we're moving forward," Brisson told NHL.com via text.

Toews is considered a free agent and can negotiate with any of the league's 32 teams immediately. The NHL free agency period opens July 1.

Toews led Chicago to three Stanley Cup titles (2009-10, 2012-13, 2014-15) over a six-year span. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the 2009-10 Stanley Cup playoffs.

The native of Winnipeg, Manitoba also competed on Team Canada in gold-medal winning efforts in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics.

But Toews stepped off the ice in February 2023, suffering the effects of Chronic Immune Response Syndrome and long COVID, and has not returned to action.

Chicago made the playoffs in nine consecutive seasons (2009-17) during Toews' 15-year tenure, but has not reached the postseason since the 2019-20 campaign.

Toews has 372 goals and 511 assists in 1,067 games. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2006 draft was selected as one of the NHL's top 100 players from its first 100 seasons.

Out since April 11 with an undisclosed injury, Ekholm missed the first two rounds of the playoffs for the Oilers, who beat the Los Angeles Kings in six games and the Vegas Golden Knights in five before grabbing a 3-1 lead over the Stars.

Ekholm was with the top defensive unit during Thursday's morning skate.

"Here's a guy that's been playing big minutes for us since he's pretty much came to Edmonton," Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters Thursday. "Playing a shut-down role, playing a penalty-kill role, power play, whatever. For him to come back and feeling great, it's a great addition to our team."

Of his injury, Ekholm said that "it feels really good," but that he is still "making sure I'm in a good spot where I can not just play but withstand some blows." He attempted to return twice over the past few weeks only to aggravate his injury.

Ekholm scored a career-high 11 goals last season and helped Edmonton rally from a 3-0 series deficit in the Stanley Cup Final, which the Oilers ultimately lost to the Florida Panthers. His 2024-25 campaign was cut short with nine goals, while his 22:11 of average ice time per game ranked third on the team.

"OCTOBER -- the start of Capitals hockey and Alex Ovechkin's FINAL NHL SEASON," read the email sent on Thursday, according to The Hockey Writers.

Not so fast, said the team. The Capitals released a statement Thursday afternoon saying that "no decision has been made" on Ovechkin's future beyond next season, blaming one of its employees for the misunderstanding.

"An email was sent from an individual with the corporate sales department that mistakenly alluded to next year being Alex Ovechkin's final year," the team posted on X.

Ovechkin, who turns 40 in September, said after the Capitals were eliminated from the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs earlier this month that he would be back for his 21st NHL season.

The Russian winger has one season remaining on a five-year, $47.5 million contract.

"I'm going to use those couple months (in the offseason) to rest, enjoy my life, then back to work," Ovechkin said on May 17.

In 65 regular-season games this past season, Ovechkin scored 44 goals, with the most significant of those coming on April 6 against the New York Islanders. The 895th goal of his career passed the great Wayne Gretzky for most in NHL history.

"I'm looking forward for next year," Ovechkin said. "I'm going to try to do my best to play, and my team is going to help me too. ... I just want to come back next year and see the team who's capable of winning the Stanley Cup."

A 13-time All-Star and three-time Hart Trophy winner, Ovechkin enters the 2025-26 season ranked 11th all-time in points (1,623). He needs 19 points to pass Joe Sakic, who is 10th on the points list.

Roy, 59, owns a 55-47-17 record since replacing Lane Lambert as the Islanders' coach on Jan. 20, 2024. The Hall of Famer posted a 35-35-12 mark this past season but failed to guide the club to the playoffs.

Assistant coaches John MacLean and Tommy Albelin will not return to the bench, Darche said.

Darche wasn't done there, however.

When asked about whether he was interested in entertaining offers for the top overall pick of the 2025 NHL Draft, Darche was quick with a response.

"Someone would have to really knock my socks off to trade that pick," he said.

New York landed the top overall pick of the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft earlier this month, despite having the 10th-best chance of winning the lottery at 3.5 percent.

Darche, 48, has served as the director of hockey operations for the Tampa Bay Lightning over the past six seasons. The Lightning qualified for the playoffs in each year of that stretch, including capturing consecutive Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021 and appearing in the Finals in 2022.

Tabbed general manager and executive vice president, Darche will replace Lou Lamoriello, who left the Islanders last month after seven seasons.

Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, who won the series 4-1 to earn their third straight appearance in the finals. Sergei Bobrovsky made 20 saves.

Sebastian Aho scored twice and Frederik Andersen made 17 saves for the Hurricanes.

Verhaeghe put Florida in front 4-3 at 12:21 of the third period. He took a pass through the crease from Aleksander Barkov and roofed it over Andersen.

Bennett scored an empty-net goal with 54 seconds remaining to provide the final score.

Seth Jarvis tied it at 3 at 8:30 of the third when he collected the puck in front of the net and lifted it over Bobrovsky's blocker.

Down by two after one, the Panthers scored three unanswered goals to go ahead 3-2 in the second period.

Tkachuk got the rally started on the power play at 7:23 when he got his stick on Aaron Ekblad's shot from above the slot and tipped it past Andersen's glove to cut it to 2-1.

Evan Rodrigues tied it 30 seconds later. He drove to the net and redirected a feed from Bennett through the five-hole on Andersen.

Anton Lundell put Florida ahead 3-2 at 11:59 following a Carolina icing. After he won the draw, he went to the net and tipped Brad Marchand's feed through the crease over Andersen's left arm.

Aho capitalized on a turnover by Florida to give Carolina a 1-0 lead at 4:39 of the first period. He intercepted a pass by Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling in the neutral zone and took off on a breakaway, putting a wrist shot under Bobrovsky's glove.

Aho put the Hurricanes up by a pair late at 18:54. He picked up the puck in the neutral zone and took it to the top of the right circle before wiring a snap shot past Bobrovsky blocker side.

Florida will the winner of the Edmonton-Dallas series, in which the Oilers lead 3-1 heading into Thursday night's Game 5. The Panthers won the Cup over Edmonton last season in seven games.

Do-or-die time returns as the Stars prepare to play host to the Oilers on Thursday for Game 5 in the best-of-seven series Edmonton leads 3-1.

"We're not coming in here and getting dominated the whole game, right?" Dallas forward Jason Robertson said. "We're doing good things, and it's not going in for us. We still have life."

History indicates there's not much life left for the Stars.

Teams with a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series win the series 93 percent of the time (323-23) in NHL postseason history. And odds are even worse for the Stars if their offense continues to flounder.

Dallas has been outscored 13-2 since Game 1, and Robertson scored both goals for the Stars.

Mikko Rantanen and Wyatt Johnston have gone seven games without a goal. Matt Duchene has one tally in the team's 17 playoff games, Tyler Seguin has scored in one (a two-goal effort) of the last 14 games and captain Jamie Benn is in a 14-game drought.

The Stars probably deserved a better fate in each of the last two games, but their woes have been lethal. Case in point, Dallas controlled play in the first period of Tuesday's loss, but could not open the scoring and went to the dressing room down one goal in what became a 4-1 affair.

"I try to help and haven't been able to do it as much this series as would be needed to win games," Rantanen said. "So, I will try to reset ... and try to find some keys to get a bounce or two."

The Oilers, who have opened the scoring in every game this series and tied a franchise record by reaching that feat in seven consecutive outings, are one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive year.

The cliche goes that the fourth win is the hardest to claim, but the Oilers have been very good the past few years at sealing the deal. Starting in 2022, Edmonton has a 8-1 record in games when it can clinch a series, with the lone setback their Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final - a series the Oilers trailed 3-0 before sending it the distance.

"They're experienced," Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. "They don't get too high or too low. It's not that they would ever think that we've got this under wraps. That is definitely never the case with this team."

The players reiterated that attitude, knowing full well how the Stars could chance the series quickly.

"We've been in that situation, so get ready for it," Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl said. "We know there are certain areas we can clean up and be better at, but overall, we're playing a pretty good game right now."

Edmonton, which has won 11 of its last 13 games, does have an extra degree of difficulty with forward Zach Hyman missing the rest of the playoffs. Hyman suffered an undisclosed upper-body injury in the first period of Tuesday's clash after being hit by Mason Marchment. Knoblauch said Wednesday that Hyman will have season-ending surgery.

"He's a big part of our team on and off the ice. ...," forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said. "But other guys have already stepped up and tried to fill that gap."

Forward Jeff Skinner is likely to return to the lineup for the Oilers, who are also without injured forward Connor Brown. Skinner has been a healthy scratch since struggling in the playoff opener.

Lowry recorded career-high totals in goals (16), game-winning goals (four) and rating (plus-18) in 73 games this season. The forward also had 18 assists and 34 points.

Lowry added four goals in 13 games during the playoffs, including the double-overtime winner in Winnipeg's 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of the first-round series.

Lowry, 32, totaled 273 points (121 goals, 152 assists) in 775 career games since being selected by Winnipeg in the third round of the 2011 NHL Draft.

Simashev, 20, was selected by the Arizona Coyotes (now Mammoth) with the sixth overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft.

"We are thrilled to sign Dmitri to an NHL contract," general manager Bill Armstrong said in a statement. "Dmitri has established himself as one of the top defenseman prospects in the NHL and we look forward to watching him play for the Mammoth for many years to come."

The 6-foot-5 Simashev recorded six points (one goal, five assists), four penalty minutes and 54 blocked shots in 56 regular-season games for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League in 2024-25.

Hyman, 32, departed after just 3:11 of ice time in Tuesday's 4-1 win against the Dallas Stars in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.

He left the ice following a first-period hit to his right shoulder from Stars forward Mason Marchment. Knoblauch would only confirm it was an upper-body injury.

"Zach's season is mostly likely done," Knoblauch said Wednesday morning. "He's getting surgery today and it'll be a while, so we're not expecting him back for the playoffs."

The Oilers lead 3-1 in the best-of-seven series with Game 5 on Thursday night in Dallas.

Hyman tallied two goals and an assist in Edmonton's 6-1 win in Game 3 on Sunday, his only points in this series. He has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 15 games this postseason.

Hyman recorded 44 points (27 goals, 17 assists) in 73 games in the regular season, his fourth with the Oilers after playing his first six seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Kasperi Kapanen and Adam Henrique also scored for the Oilers, who own a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference final.

The Oilers will try to close out the series when they meet for Game 5 in Dallas on Thursday.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins collected a pair of assists in his fourth consecutive multi-point game for Edmonton, while goalie Stuart Skinner made 28 saves in yet another sparkling performance.

Jason Robertson replied for the Stars, and goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 30 shots.

With the score tied 1-1, Perry gave Edmonton the lead for good at 9:20 of the second frame with the game's third power-play goal by redirecting the point shot for his sixth tally of the post-season.

Kapanen's empty-net goal with 2:27 remaining in regulation time all but iced the clash. Henrique added another with 49.7 seconds on the clock to round of the scoring.

Dallas had a litany of chances in the first two periods, but failed to ever take a lead.

Draisaitl opened the scoring at 11:23 of the first period with the game's first power-play goal, finishing a give-and-go with Nugent-Hopkins with a one-timer from the right face-off circle for his team-leading seventh goal of the playoffs.

It marks the seventh consecutive game the Oilers have opened the scoring.

Robertson's man-advantage marker at 6:57 of the second period tied the clash. Robertson gained the puck in the high slot and ripped a top-shelf offering for his second tally in as many games.

Dallas forward forward Roope Hintz returned to the lineup after missing the previous game due to a foot injury.

Oilers forward Zach Hyman left the game in the second period after being on the receiving end of a hit from Stars forward Mason Marchment. Edmonton was also without forward Connor Brown.

The Hurricanes hadn't won a game in the conference final since June 1, 2006, having been swept in each of their past three appearances (by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, Boston Bruins in 2019 and Panthers in 2023).

They'd been outscored 16-4 in the first three games of this year's series as Florida staked out a 3-0 lead. On Monday, they got back to their game in a 3-0 win to keep their season alive.

"There's a lot of pride in our game from the season that we've had and the work ethic we put in all year," defenseman Jaccob Slavin said. "To put three games out there like we did (didn't feel good). Then to come work (Monday) extremely hard, obviously, we all take pride in that. We just have to keep doing it together."

Earlier in the series, Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour called out his most experienced talent by saying that it couldn't just be the rookies in the lineup who were the team's best players. He was looking for more out of the likes of Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov.

Aho delivered the insurance goal in Monday's win, but it was again rookie Logan Stankoven who continued to shine. The 22-year-old, acquired from the Dallas Stars in the Mikko Rantanen trade, opened the scoring.

It was Stankoven's fifth goal of the playoffs and second game-winning goal, making him the first rookie in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers franchise history with multiple game-winning tallies in a postseason.

"(He was the best player) the other night, too. Clearly," Brind'Amour said. "He's been great. There's another kid that's just getting going in his career. There's another level that he's going to get to. We're real fortunate to have these young kids in the organization."

Carolina also returned to veteran Frederik Andersen in net after starting Pyotr Kochetkov in Game 3, and Andersen turned in a 20-save shutout.

The Panthers know they need to be better in their second attempt to clinch a third straight appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.

"I think anytime you're trying to close out or end a team's season, they're going to play desperate and we're going to get their best," Florida forward Carter Verhaeghe said. "I think for us it's just kind of getting mentally prepared for their best and sometimes we haven't done a great job of that. ... We've got better and got to stick to what we do."

Injured forwards Sam Reinhart and A.J. Greer and injured defenseman Niko Mikkola each skated at an optional practice on Tuesday. They're all expected to be on the ice for the morning skate on Wednesday, with their status for Game 5 to be determined after.

Reinhart has been sidelined since sustaining a lower-body injury in Game 2. Mikkola and Greer were each injured in Game 3, both undisclosed ailments. Each is day to day.

"You never want to see anyone go down with an injury or miss a game," forward Evan Rodrigues said. "It's nice to have them back on the ice and know they're close."

Hintz sat out the optional morning session, just as he had missed the Stars' 6-1 loss in Game 3 to the Oilers on Sunday because of a lower-body injury. Edmonton leads 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

"Of course you want to go every night, but sometimes you just can't," Hintz, 28, said on Monday. "So, yeah, I don't know how close I (was to playing). But I have played many years (and I) know when it's good and when it's not. I should be good to know that (when) it comes to that decision."

Hintz was a game-time decision for Sunday but didn't play after participating in warmups.

"Heal and get better, and we'll cross our fingers," DeBoer said of playing Hintz on Tuesday. "He'll try it again in warmup and we'll see."

Hintz was injured at 3:46 of the third period of Game 2 on Friday when he was slashed in the left leg by Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse. Hintz was in front of the Oilers' net and shoved Nurse, who retaliated by swinging his stick at Hintz's leg. Hintz was on the ice for several minutes before he was helped off and did not return to the game.

Nurse, who was assessed a two-minute penalty for slashing, talked about the incident for the first time on Tuesday.

"I was just backing up," Nurse said. "I got a shot at the back, and I think it's just a natural reaction. It's probably a play that everyone in this room, whether you're a net-front guy or (defenseman), probably happens a dozen to two dozen times in a year, and unfortunately (it) must have got him in a bad spot.

"You don't want to go out there and hurt anyone, but it was just one of those plays that happens every so often."

Hintz has 11 points (five goals, six assists) and a plus-1 rating in 15 playoff games.

He collected 67 points (28 goals, 39 assists) and a plus-18 rating in 76 regular-season games. Hintz has spent his entire NHL career with the Stars, who drafted the native of Finland in the second round in 2015, and has totaled 377 points (175 goals, 202 assists) and a plus-95 rating in 468 regular-season games over seven seasons.

Hintz has recorded 68 points (26 goals, 42 assists) with a plus-4 rating in 93 postseason games.

The Hurricanes host Game 5 on Wednesday in Raleigh, N.C.

Andersen, who registered his fifth career postseason shutout, did not play in Carolina's 6-2 loss in Game 3 after surrendering nine goals on 36 shots in the first two games of the series. He had held opponents to two goals or fewer in eight of his nine appearances in the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Logan Stankoven, Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal scored for Carolina, which ended a 15-game losing streak in the conference finals.

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 of 26 shots for the Panthers, who were trying to sweep the Hurricanes in the conference finals for the second time in three years.

The Hurricanes took their first lead of the series when Stankoven scored at 10:45 of the second period.

Florida defenseman Seth Jones tried to chip the puck through the neutral zone, but it went to Carolina rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin at the Panthers blue line and he made a backhanded touch pass to Stankoven coming through the neutral zone on his left.

Stankoven had room to bring the puck to the top of the left circle before blasting a wrist shot into the top of the net on the short side.

Nikishin, playing in his third NHL game, all in the current postseason, earned his first NHL point with the assist.

Florida defenseman Nate Schmidt hit the left post 58 seconds after Stankoven's goal, but the Panthers were mostly quiet on the offensive end through the first two periods.

Florida did not have a shot on goal for a 14:40 stretch that bridged the first and second periods.

The Hurricanes briefly appeared to stretch their lead to 2-0 on a goal by Mark Jankowski with 13:29 left in regulation, but Florida successfully challenged for offsides.

Aho scored into an empty net with 2:11 remaining for an insurance goal 2-0, then Staal did the same with 1:45 to go to make it 3-0.

The Panthers were without forward Sam Reinhart for the second straight game. Reinhart led Florida in goals (38) and points (79) during the regular season.

However, as the Stars prepare for Tuesday's key Game 4 contest in Edmonton, they trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven series and are in desperate need for their game-breakers to make a difference.

Dallas deserved a better fate in Sunday's 6-1 loss, but that does not change the fact that too many key players didn't contribute.

Jason Robertson scored, but that was just his first goal of the playoffs while he battles back from injury.

Mikko Rantanen has gone six games without a goal, as has Wyatt Johnston.

Meanwhile, Matt Duchene has one tally in the playoffs, Tyler Seguin has scored in one of the last 13 games and captain Jamie Benn is on a 13-game swoon.

To top it off, goaltender Jake Oettinger has been outdueled by his Edmonton counterpart Stuart Skinner while Dallas has been outscored 9-1 in the past two games.

"It's frustrating, and it's sometimes hard to not let the frustration come, but we've got to do our best to not let it come to our minds," Rantanen said. "We've just got to stick with it."

Whether the potential return of Roope Hintz, who missed last game due to injury and is listed as day-to-day, makes a difference remains to be seen. Hintz is hopeful to play.

But the Stars are well aware they must turn the tide or be knocked out by the Oilers in the conference finals for the second consecutive year.

"We still have an opportunity to try and get one on the road," Robertson said. "I don't think it's any frustration with what we have to do. There are a lot of veterans in this room and they're going to be up to the challenge."

The Oilers, meanwhile, are rolling, having won 10 of their last 12 games as they look to take a stranglehold on the series.

As much as Skinner was the difference-maker in Sunday's loss by making 33 saves, including 20 in the second period, the Oilers are finding a way to win in a variety of ways.

The Game 3 clash was a textbook example of what Edmonton can do with minimal scoring chances. Perhaps no better example was Connor McDavid's clutch goal in the final seconds of the second period. While the Stars were pressing for the equalizer, McDavid received one opportunity off a turnover and buried his second goal of the game.

It also marked a breakout for the superstar who had scored only three goals in the playoffs prior to Sunday.

"I think people forget he's a 60-goal scorer," Zach Hyman said. "I mean, he's probably an underrated goal-scorer. He makes the right play, whether it's a pass or a goal, right? ... And when he has an opportunity to shoot it, and he shoots it, there's a good chance it goes in."

Unlike years past, though, the Oilers are more than just the McDavid and Leon Draisaitl show. Eighteen skaters have scored at least one goal, and seven have at least five.

Hyman tallied twice in a three-point game, defenseman Evan Bouchard leads all defensemen with six goals and 17 points, and the leading point producer in the series is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has notched a pair of goals and five assists in the three outings.

"For his whole career, he's been able to be a two-way player. He's just that type of guy," Skinner said of Nugent-Hopkins. "That's why he's such a huge part of our team and a huge part of the organization."

Defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who hasn't played in the postseason due to an injury, may return, and forward Connor Brown, who exited the last game after receiving a hard and high hit from Alex Petrovic, is out.