Kyle Cushman

The New York Rangers beat the Washington Capitals 3-1 on Friday to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.The Rangers are the third team to go up three games to none in the first round, joining the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes.More to come.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon rushed off the ice at the end of Friday's loss against the Colorado Avalanche after being cut in a melee of players.Dillon was bleeding from his hand as he hurried toward the locker room. Jets - Avs ends in a line brawl with Dillon getting cut on the hand by a skate pic.twitter/8XzdU8ZlVM— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) April 27, 2024 Jets head coach Rick Bowness said Dillon was still being examined at the time of his postgame availability and had no update on the defenseman's status, per The Athletic's Murat Ates.Defenseman Josh Morrissey called it a "scary situation," according to Winnipeg Free Press' Mike McIntyre. Morrissey added that the team is "really concerned for him and hoping he's okay."Dillon, 33, scored eight goals and 20 points in 77 games during the regular season. He has three assists through three games against the Avalanche.

Sergachev makes surprise return for must-win Game 4

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon is considered day-to-day after being cut at the end of Friday's loss against the Colorado Avalanche.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev returned to the lineup for Saturday's pivotal Game 4 win against the Florida Panthers.

The Boston Bruins stifled the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 in Saturday's Game 4 to move one win away from the second round.Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews didn't return after the second period for undisclosed reasons.More to come.

The Florida Panthers pulled away in the third period to win 6-1 in Monday's Game 5 and eliminate the Tampa Bay Lightning.It's the Panthers' first playoff series victory over their in-state rivals. Florida will play either the Boston Bruins or Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round.The Panthers scored twice to make it 4-1 in the final frame before adding two empty-netters. Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe each notched two goals.Tampa Bay saw two goals called back due to goaltender interference.Lightning captain Steven Stamkos is a pending unrestricted free agent. General manager Julien BriseBois said earlier in the season that Tampa wouldn't discuss a contract with the star until after the campaign.

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper made his opinion on pending unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos clear after his team's elimination from the postseason Monday."He belongs here," Cooper said, according to team reporter Chris Krenn. "We know it. He knows it."Cooper added: "He's also, I suppose, in control of his own destiny. I don't know what's going to happen. He feels like a Bolt for life, but only he and (general manager Julien BriseBois) can answer that one."Stamkos tallied 40 goals and 81 points in 79 games this season. He backed it up by netting five goals and six points in five postseason contests.The 34-year-old said he wasn't thinking about the uncertainty around his future as the game winded down."No, no, that never crossed my mind," Stamkos said, per Bally Sports Sun. "I'm out there battling to try to help our team win, regardless. At the end of the game, we're trying to score, and there's some pride on the line for our group." Steven Stamkos looks on after what could be his final game as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning ⚡️ pic.twitter/rab1Ls7lqE— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 30, 2024 Stamkos has played his entire 1,082-game career with Tampa Bay. He's racked up 555 goals and 1,137 points to go with two Stanley Cups and two Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophies.BriseBois said in October that he'd wait until the season ended before making any decisions about Stamkos' future. He added at the time that he hoped the forward would finish his career with Tampa Bay.

Mikko Rantanen scored twice in the third period as the Colorado Avalanche won 6-3 in Tuesday's Game 5 to eliminate the Winnipeg Jets.More to come.

The Dallas Stars won 3-2 in Wednesday's Game 5 to put the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights on the verge of elimination.The Stars have won three straight contests after going down 0-2 to commence the series.More to come.