NHL Player News

Evans scored a goal Tuesday in a 4-2 loss to the Flyers.

Evans scored on a rebound with 11 seconds left in the second to make the score 3-2, but the Habs were unable to carry that momentum forward and into the third period. The goal was Evans' first in 12 games (two assists). Montreal will travel to Tampa Bay to start their first-round matchup Saturday. Evans is a bottom-six forward who may see time in the press box given the strength of the lineup.

Cootes scored twice in WHL Prince Albert's 4-0 win over Saskatoon in Game 3 on Tuesday.

Cootes hadn't scored since the Raiders' first postseason game. He's now at four goals and six assists across eight playoff outings. He's helped get the Raiders on the verge of the WHL's Eastern Conference Finals -- they're up 3-0 over the Blades in this second-round series.

Geekie scored a goal Tuesday in a 4-0 win over New Jersey.

Geekie's goal, which came in the first minute of the game after the Bruins pinned the Devils in their own zone, stood as the winner. He finished the regular season with new career marks in goals (39), assists (29), PPG (12), PPP (24), game-winning goals (six) and shots (181). Geekie's previous career mark came last season when he potted 33 goals and had 57 points total.

Kastelic scored twice Tuesday in a 4-0 win over the Devils.

Kastelic heads into the playoffs on a two-game, four-point scoring streak that includes three goals. This run was preceded by a 16-game point drought; his last goal came 23 games before this outburst. Kastelic is a fourth-line stalwart who managed to set career marks in goals (12), assists (22), PIM (140), PPP (one), SHP (one), game-winning goals (four), blocks (64) and shots (100).

Mittelstadt (undisclosed) is expected to be ready for Game 1 versus the Sabres, Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub reports Tuesday.

Mittelstadt was absent for the regular-season finale, but that looks to be the extent of his absence. He should be back in a top-six role as the Bruins battle the Atlantic Division's top team in the first round.

Zacha (personal) will be ready for the Bruins' playoff opener against the Sabres after leaving Tuesday's game versus the Devils early, Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub reports.

Zacha left Tuesday's game after one period, but postgame updates from the Bruins' coaching staff indicated that his exit was for a positive reason. The 29-year-old will have at least three days to attend to his personal matter. He should be good to go in a second-line role.

Turcotte (undisclosed) won't play Tuesday versus the Canucks, Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period reports.

The Kings are using the same lineup as they did Monday when they won 5-3 over the Kraken to clinch a playoff spot. Turcotte will miss a seventh straight game, but he's reportedly close to being available, which suggests he could be an option at some point in the first round of the playoffs.

Nelson (undisclosed) is reportedly out for maintenance reasons Tuesday versus the Flames, Conor McGahey of Altitude TV reports.

Nelson's absence will thin out the Avalanche's center depth even more, but it doesn't appear to be a significant concern for the postseason. The 34-year-old's absence will push Parker Kelly to center. Nelson's status for Thursday at home versus the Flames has yet to be revealed.

Zacha exited Tuesday's game versus the Devils to attend to a personal matter.

Zacha will be away from the team for a bit to attend to this matter. The 29-year-old's availability for the start of the playoffs will be revealed at a later time once he rejoins his teammates.

Eriksson Ek (rest) won't play Tuesday versus the Ducks, Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News reports.

Eriksson Ek will be out of the lineup for the third straight game to end the regular season. The 29-year-old center was limited by injuries at times, posting 51 points over 70 regular-season contests. He's likely to be ready for Game 1 versus Dallas to open the playoffs.