Daily Nuggets: Dorofeyev Update; Coaching Carousel, Déjà Vu

Good morning, folks. The Vegas Golden Knights are on the road for a potential series-clinching Game 6 against the Minnesota Wild. They don’t have to win, but it would certainly make things easier. They look like a team poised to get it done– after two consecutive overtime victories, they’re positively brimming with confidence.

Elsewhere in the Daily Nuggets, the coaching carousel keeps on spinning. Rick Tocchet’s departure from Vancouver is huge, and not just for the Canucks. There’s no shortage of coaching vacancies; however, they all have varying degrees of attractiveness. 

Also, the Los Angeles Kings are trapped in a nightmare from which they may never wake up. On Thursday, the Edmonton Oilers can eliminate the Kings from the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. If you asked me, I’d say the Kings are toast. When was the last time a failed coach’s challenge in Game 3 lost a team a series? Keep an eye on that one– the winner of Kings-Oilers will face the winner of Golden Knights-Wild in Round 2.

Okay. That’s enough from the peanut gallery. Onto the news!

Golden Knights News

Two teams advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Wednesday, and the Golden Knights will look to follow in their footsteps on Thursday. It’s not a must-win, but closing out the Minnesota Wild in six games probably gives them a better shot at the Stanley Cup. So… I guess that kind of makes Game 6 a must-win, right?

If they can help it, I’m sure the Golden Knights would like Game 6 to be a little less dramatic than Game 5. But between overtime, the disallowed game-winning goal, and a relief appearance from Marc-André Fleury, Game 5 was great theater. Relive it here!

Now for the bad news: Pavel Dorofeyev exited Game 5 early. Head coach Bruce Cassidy is calling him day-to-day. The Golden Knights didn’t skate on Wednesday, so we’ll probably know more on Thursday afternoon.

Oh, and make sure to set your alarms– Game 6 has an early puck drop. The Golden Knights take on the Minnesota Wild at 4:30 p.m. PST.

NHL News, Rumors, & National Hockey Now

The Athletic ($): A surprise episode of The Canucks and the Restless dropped on Tuesday when Jim Rutherford announced Rick Tocchet’s official departure from Vancouver. As the dust settles, what went wrong? And what does this mean for the Canucks going forward?

The Athletic ($): The Los Angeles Kings took a 2-0 series lead against the Edmonton Oilers. It didn’t last. Now, they’ll face elimination for the fourth consecutive season after suffering a monumental collapse.

Sportsnet: Wednesday wasn’t Connor Hellebuyck’s finest hour. But at this time of year, only one thing matters– winning. The Winnipeg Jets did just that, beating the St. Louis Blues and taking a 3-2 lead in the series.

Florida Hockey Now: Advanced analytic models overlooked them. TV analysts wrote them off. In the end, none of that mattered. The Panthers pulled off a gentleman’s sweep against the Tampa Bay Lightning, sending their Floridian rivals to an early summer for the second consecutive year.

Ottawa Hockey Now: A reverse sweep is one of the hardest things to accomplish in all of sports. But this scrappy Senators team just might have the chutzpah to pull it off– and this Toronto Maple Leafs just might be mentally weak enough to let them.

Philly Hockey Now: Let’s say the Flyers strike gold and win the Draft Lottery. Who should they take? William James says James Hagens, and I have to agree with him. All that and more in Philly Hockey Now’s Mailbag!

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The Mike Sullivan era in Pittsburgh is over, and the rebuilding Penguins are on the prowl for a shiny new head coach. Dan Kingerski compiled a list of five possibilities, including a few seeking redemption.

NHL History: On May 1st, 1965, Jean Béliveau became the first recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy.