The Golden Knights advance to the Stanley Cup Final, the latest on the Hurricanes and Canadiens, the Penguins re-sign Evgeni Malkin, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final, sweeping the series and advancing to the Stanley Cup Final.
Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone (NHL Images).
Mark Stone and Cole Smith scored, and Carter Hart stopped 20 shots for the Golden Knights. Gabriel Landeskog replied for the Avalanche.
The Golden Knights await the winner of the Eastern Conference Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens. The Hurricanes hold a 2-1 lead in that best-of-seven series.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the Golden Knights’ third trip to the Stanley Cup Final in their nine-year history. Their first trip was in their inaugural season (2017-18) and their second came in 2022-23, when they won their first Cup.
Vegas winger Mitch Marner leads all scorers in this postseason with 21 points and is considered among the favorites to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. It’s the first time Marner has reached the Stanley Cup Final.
Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella credited his team’s tight-checking style for their success thus far in this postseason. That system played a crucial role in shutting down the heavily-favored Avalanche, who won the Presidents’ Trophy as the top team during the regular season.
Colorado center Nathan MacKinnon played despite a knee injury suffered in Game 3. The Avs also changed things up between the pipes by replacing Scott Wedgewood with MacKenzie Blackwood, who made 24 saves. However, it couldn’t prevent what felt like an inevitable victory for the Golden Knights.
Martin Necas, Brock Nelson, Cale Makar, and MacKinnon were the notable Avalanche stars who failed to score during this series. Injuries to MacKinnon and Makar hampered their performances, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that the Golden Knights did a masterful job of shutting down the vaunted Avalanche offense.
It will be interesting to see how the Avalanche front office reacts to this disappointing end to a dominant regular season. I’ll have more about that in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes aren’t fazed by the pressure of overtime. They are 5-0 in overtime games in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Winger Andrei Svechnikov credits his club’s mentality. “We love tight games. Every time, we love that,” Svechnikov said. It was his overtime goal in Game 3 that lifted the Hurricanes to a 2-1 series lead over the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference.
MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens have been outshot by a wide margin in this series with the Hurricanes.
The reduction of shot production from stars Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky is expected because of the extra focus they’ve received from their opponents in this postseason. However, that hasn’t led to any significant increase in shots from the rest of the lineup.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: After being dominated in Game 1, the Hurricanes did a terrific job taking away time and space for the Canadiens to create plays and generate shots in Games 2 and 3. If that trend continues, the Hurricanes will face the Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final.
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins re-signed long-time star Evgeni Malkin to a one-year, bonus-laden contract on Tuesday.
Malkin, 39, will be returning for his 21st season with the only NHL team he’s ever played for. The contract is worth $5.5 million against the Penguins’ cap. He receives a base salary of $2.5 million and a $3 million signing bonus on July 1. He will also receive $3.5 million performance bonuses that could take him up to $9 million, though it’s unlikely that he’ll achieve all of them.
The contract also comes with a no-movement clause, but he must present a three-team trade list in January.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It seemed uncertain for months whether the Penguins would re-sign Malkin. However, recent comments by general manager Kyle Dubas and team captain Sidney Crosby suggested that he would be back for one more season.
Malkin had a bounce-back performance this season with 61 points in 56 games and three points in six playoff contests.
Dubas recently indicated that the Penguins had no one in their system who could step up and replace Malkin in the lineup. That’s the main reason why they’ve brought him back. The Penguins’ exceeding expectations to make the playoffs under first-year coach David Muse also likely factored into this decision.
OTTAWA SUN: Claude Giroux wants to return for another season. The 38-year-old Senators forward pondered retirement, but his agent said his client would like to play in 2026-27.
Giroux told reporters following Ottawa’s elimination from the 2026 playoffs that his priority would be to re-sign with the Senators. While there hasn’t yet been any discussion with management, there’s little reason to believe that they don’t want him back.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators GM Steve Staios praised Giroux last month during the club’s end-of-season media availability. It will be surprising if Staios doesn’t bring him back for what will be his 20th NHL campaign.
THE SCORE: cited a report from The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, who claimed the Los Angeles Kings held preliminary talks with former New York Rangers coach Peter Laviolette about their head-coaching position.
CBC PEI: Former NHL forward Forbes Kennedy passed away on Monday at age 90.
Kennedy spent 11 seasons in the NHL from 1956-57 to 1968-69 with the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. In 603 regular-season games, he had 70 goals and 108 assists for 178 points and 888 PIMs. He also has six points in 12 playoff contests with 64 PIMs.
After his playing career, Kennedy went on to a long junior coaching career in the Maritimes, most of which was spent in his native Prince Edward Island. Summerside native and former NHL player and coach Gerard Gallant said Kennedy was a mentor for many Island players who hoped to reach the NHL.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: “Forbie” was a trailblazer for aspiring players from Prince Edward Island. He became the first Islander to play over 500 NHL games, and finished fourth in Calder Memorial Trophy voting in 1956-57. My condolences to his family, friends, former teammates, and the players whom he coached.