NHL Central

The Colorado Avalanche defeated the St. Louis Blues 5-2 on Saturday in Game 3 of their second-round Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup to take a 2-1 series lead, but not without a little controversy.

Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington exited the game early in the first period after both Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri and Blues defenseman Calle Rosen crashed into him while chasing a rebounded shot.

Ville Huuso replaced Binnington for the remainder of the game. 

Ville Husso is now in between the pipes for the @StLouisBlues after Jordan Binnington left with an injury on the play below. ⤵️#StanleyCup | #stlblues pic.twitter.com/8oaGHdPHH2

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 22, 2022

While some fans were quick to blame Kadri for the collision, comparing him to the likes of Tom Wilson and former NHLer Sean Avery, others viewed him as the hero of Game 3 after scoring a goal in the second period and playing with a competitive edge.

Nazem Kadri is the new Tom Wilson. Convince me otherwise.

— Nathan Yamnitz (@nyamnitz) May 22, 2022

https://twitter.com/BermanZB/status/1528190790568226816

Nazem Kadri is becoming a villain in St. Louis

— ChiefBlue4298 (@STLBluesFan98) May 22, 2022

Look what happens with the Avalanche in the playoffs when Nazem Kadri is playing on that edge but isn't getting suspended.

— Eddie Gregory (@EddieGregory81) May 22, 2022

I definitely love Nazem Kadri.

— Avalanche Forever (@citchmook) May 22, 2022

I really want the Washington Capitals to sign Nazem Kadri and put Tom Wilson on his wing just for the chaos. Ideally Brad Marchand is the other winger in this scenario

— Playoff Hockey Man Murphy O Canada 🇨🇦 (@MurphyOConnor2) May 22, 2022

Nazem Kadri, who has been booed every time he's touched the puck, scores just after the power play to make it 2-1. Cale Makar fired the puck in and Kadri tipped it.

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) May 22, 2022

Kadri has been viewed by a number of NHL fans in the past for being dirty, so it's not necessarily surprising that many laid into him during and after Saturday's game. 

The 31-year-old was suspended eight games in June 2021 for an illegal check to the head on Blues defenseman Justin Faulk in their first-round playoff series. Including that suspension, he has been suspended a total of 16 playoff games and 11 regular-season games. 

As for Binnington, his status moving forward is unclear. The 28-year-old played a significant role in St. Louis' 2019 Stanley Cup championship and will need him healthy to move further in the playoffs. 

Binnington had also been playing well entering Saturday's game, posting a .948 save percentage and a 4-1 record in five playoff games. If he is unavailable, Huuso will likely get the start in Game 4 at Enterprise Center on Monday. 

Dallas Stars head coach Rick Bowness announced Friday that he is stepping down following three seasons behind the bench.

Bowness' contract with the franchise expired after the Stars were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a first-round loss to the Calgary Flames. 

Statement from Rick Bowness: pic.twitter.com/x8N4wwXVIb

— X - Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) May 20, 2022

Stars general manager Jim Nill also released a statement wishing Bowness the best of luck and praised him for stepping in a few years ago:

His dedication and commitment to the game, and the impact that he's made on countless players, coaches and support staff throughout his five decades in the League is unmatched. He has dedicated his life to our game, and we are honored to say that the Dallas Stars are part of his legacy. When he was called upon to lead our team a few seasons ago, he stepped into the role seamlessly and helped guide our team through unprecedented global events that affected our players and staff both on and off the ice. On behalf of the entire organization, I want to wish Rick, Judy and the rest of their family nothing but the best moving forward.

Bowness served as head coach of the Stars from 2019-20 through 2021-22, finishing with an 89-62-25 record. He stepped in during the 2019-20 season as an interim replacement for Jim Montgomery and led the franchise to its first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2000.

The Stars fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the final, but Bowness was rewarded with a two-year contract. 

Since that run, the Stars have played well below expectations. Dallas missed the playoffs in 2020-21, finishing fifth in the Central Division with a 23-19-14 record. 

The Stars improved somewhat in 2021-22, finishing fourth in the division with a 46-30-6 record, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. 

With Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Roope Hintz, Alexander Radulov, Miro Heiskanen and John Klingberg on the roster, the past two seasons have been a massive disappointment for the Stars. 

It's unclear what's next for Bowness, but he is one of the most respected coaches in hockey. The 67-year-old has coached 2,562 games as an assistant or head coach in the NHL, having also served as head coach of the Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders and Arizona Coyotes.

In 639 NHL games as a head coach, Bowness went 212-351-76. His best years behind the bench came in Dallas, as he finished with losing records in each of the other cities he coached in, save for his one year in Boston.

The Stars join the Jets, Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers and Vegas Golden Knights in search of a new head coach. Barry Trotz, Peter DeBoer, Claude Julien and Alain Vigneault could be among the hottest names in this offseason's hiring cycle. 

David Perron scored twice, including the game-winning goal, to help lead the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 victory over the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche in Game 2 of their second-round playoff series Thursday night.

Perron now leads the Blues with seven goals in eight appearances so far in the 2022 NHL playoffs. His 11 postseason points are already the second-most in his career, trailing only the 16 he put up during St. Louis' run to the 2019 Stanley Cup title.

David Perron is the most underrated player in the NHL and has been for years. It’s not particularly close, either. #stlblues #StanleyCup

— Daniel Friedman (@DanJFriedman) May 20, 2022

The Blues and Avs are leveled at one win apiece as the series shifts to the Enterprise Center in St. Louis for the next two contests.

"It's playoffs. Big roller coaster," Perron told reporters. "We didn't feel good about ourselves last game. Tonight we had a lot more guys [playing well]."

Here's a look at more reaction to the 33-year-old winger's standout performance:

Can't stop @DP_57 on the power play. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/6D8tFy8Vhy

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) May 20, 2022

DAVID PERRON YOU BEAUTY, YOU! #stlblues pic.twitter.com/SyvvqS21Ve

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) May 20, 2022

David Perron has been unreal.

He’s a machine in these playoffs.

— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) May 20, 2022

David Perron = $$$ in playoffs

— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) May 20, 2022

I feel like David Perron has been around for 45 years and is always good for scoring annoying goals

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 20, 2022

https://twitter.com/JDylanBurke/status/1527503107382333440

David Perron is 33 and seemingly only getting better.

— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) May 20, 2022

I feel like we don’t talk about David Perron enough. 15 seasons in the league. Closing in on 1000 games and 300 goals. 20 or more goals six times. Would have had 20+ in the lockout and pandemic years as well. Consistent and underrated. And I just realized he’s from my hometown!

— Chris Gear (@vangearman) May 20, 2022

Jordan Kyrou and Brandon Saad also found the net for St. Louis. Gabriel Landeskog tallied the only goal for Colorado, which suffered its first loss of the playoffs after it swept the Nashville Predators in the first round.

Goalie Jordan Binnington stopped 30 of the 31 shots he faced to pick up the win for the Blues.

Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.

The Colorado Avalanche and defenseman Josh Manson were the talk of the NHL on Tuesday night after Manson's overtime goal gave the Avs a 3-2 win in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series against the St. Louis Blues.

Colorado, the odds-on favorite to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final, won Tuesday's contest with just under 12 minutes remaining in the first overtime session when Manson's seeing-eye wrister beat Blues goalie Jordan Binnington from the point:

OT WINNER, JOSH MANSON FOR THE @Avalanche! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/15WPigGKlE

— NHL (@NHL) May 18, 2022

That led to no shortage of reaction from across the internet, including a shoutout from the state of Colorado's newest star athlete.

Quarterback Russell Wilson, who is now a member of the Denver Broncos after an offseason trade from the Seattle Seahawks, loved what he saw out of the Avs:

What a Win!!!@Avalanche

— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) May 18, 2022

MLB's Colorado Rockies got in on the excitement as well:

@Avalanche WE SEE YOU! LET’S GOOOO! #GoAvsGo

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 18, 2022

Fans and reporters alike praised the performance of Manson, fellow defenseman Samuel Girard and the Avalanche as a whole in a game that saw the Avs outshoot the Blues 54-25:

First career playoff goal for Josh Manson. What a shot! #GoAvsGo https://t.co/uzYXkXapSr

— Jason (@jamuckley) May 18, 2022

PAY. JOSH. MANSON. ALL. THE. MONEY.

— Jacob Weindling is on Bluesky (@Jakeweindling) May 18, 2022

First career playoff goal for Josh Manson is an OT game-winner?! Epic!

— Romi Bean (@Romi_Bean) May 18, 2022

Josh Manson and Sam Girard were just unreal tonight. What a performance from that pair https://t.co/3pLdO6rDPt

— x- Taylor Rae (@Taylor_Rae_33) May 18, 2022

https://twitter.com/Broncos_Reddit/status/1526784277765136384

Josh Manson. What a story, what a player. Well deserving of an OT winner. Love to see it. #GoAvsGo

— Joshua Owen (@ImJoshuaOwen) May 18, 2022

Kudos to Sam Girard for that bomb from the blue line. But wanna give a tip of hat to Josh Manson for making the simple, smart play of setting G up for shot. Manson has been excellent pick-up by Mr. Sakic.

— Mark Kiszla (@markkiszla) May 18, 2022

Manson, who was acquired by the Avs in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks in March, was voted the first star of the game.

Not only did he score the game-winner, but he also assisted on a goal by Girard in the second period.

Typically, fans have come to expect stars such as Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem Kadri and Cale Makar to score big goals for Colorado, but the fact that the decisive goal came off the stick of an unheralded blueliner in Manson likely played a role in the reaction.

Now, the Avs will look to extend their series lead to 2-0 when they host the Blues again for Game 2 on Thursday.

The best team in the NHL is headed to the playoffs.

The Colorado Avalanche clinched their spot in the postseason with a 6-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. All the Avalanche needed to clinch the playoffs coming into Tuesday's game was a single point, but they earned the full two with the win and improved their league-best record to 50-14-6 for 106 points.

✖️ – @Avalanche

The reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners became the first Western Conference team to clinch a berth in the 2022 #StanleyCup Playoffs!
#NHLStats Pack: Team Clinching Notes ➡️ https://t.co/qYoc82Gvf0 https://t.co/m3AdcrhXmK

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) April 6, 2022

Here is a look at the NHL standings after Colorado became the first team in the Western Conference to clinch a spot in the postseason:

---

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division

• Florida Panthers, 102 points (clinched playoffs)

• Toronto Maple Leafs, 95 points

• Boston Bruins, 93 points

• Tampa Bay Lightning, 93 points

• Buffalo Sabres, 63 points

• Detroit Redwings, 61 points

• Ottawa Senators, 58 points

• Montreal Canadiens, 49 points

Eastern Conference Metropolitan Division

• Carolina Hurricanes, 98 points

• New York Rangers, 96 points

• Pittsburgh Penguins, 92 points

• Washington Capitals, 84 points

• New York Islanders, 73 points

• Columbus Blue Jackets, 72 points

• Philadelphia Flyers, 55 points

• New Jersey Devils, 54 points

Western Conference Central Division

• Colorado Avalanche, 106 points

• Minnesota Wild, 91 points

• St. Louis Blues, 88 points

• Nashville Predators, 82 points

• Dallas Stars, 81 points

• Winnipeg Jets, 76 points

• Chicago Blackhawks, 59 points

• Arizona Coyotes, 49 points

Western Conference Pacific Division

• Calgary Flames, 91 points

• Los Angeles Kings, 86 points

• Edmonton Oilers, 85 points

• Vegas Golden Knights, 82 points

• Vancouver Canucks, 74 points

• Anaheim Ducks, 68 points

• San Jose Sharks, 66 points

• Seattle Kraken, 50 points

---

Clinching this early is welcome news for the Avalanche considering they are still missing key pieces in Gabriel Landeskog, Samuel Girard and Nazem Kadri because of injuries.

Kadri is of particular concern considering he led the Avalanche in scoring with 83 points at the start of Tuesday's slate. Head coach Jared Bednar recently told reporters the center is expected back for the postseason.

It’s just what the Dogg does. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/9fWoXAWpk1

— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 5, 2022

The Avalanche have plenty of time to get healthy with the playoffs scheduled to start May 2, and they are in no danger of losing their status as the top seed in the Western Conference given their significant cushion in the standings.

They also have plenty of remaining star power in Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon to lead the way in the meantime even if the lineup isn't at 100 percent.

Yet that position atop the standings could put Colorado in line for quite the daunting first-round matchup. After all, the Vegas Golden Knights are battling for wild-card positioning and would represent a much more challenging first-round opponent than the top seed often receives.

The MANIMAL#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/zq0nfoRkZy

— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 6, 2022

Vegas knocked the Avalanche out in a thrilling six-game series in the second round last season by winning four straight after Colorado won the first two. Two of those six games went into overtime as the franchises battled it out.

The Avalanche look more poised to make a deep run this season, and the Golden Knights have struggled to replicate last season's success. Still, it wouldn't be a first-round warm-up for a team that has been so dominant throughout the campaign.