NHL Player News

Luostarinen scored a goal on three shots, added three assists, logged four hits and went plus-4 in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Lightning in Game 5.

Luostarinen became the fifth player in Panthers history to have at least four points in a playoff game, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. Luostarinen's line with Anton Lundell and Brad Marchand finished the game with a total of two goals and nine points as the Panthers knocked out their in-state rivals. Over five playoff contests, Luostarinen has five points, a plus-6 rating, five shots on net, 20 hits and six blocked shots. He continues to be a valuable depth forward for a championship-caliber team, but scoring explosions like the one he had Wednesday are few and far between.

Geekie was reassigned to AHL Syracuse on Thursday.

The Lightning were knocked out of the playoffs by the Panthers on Wednesday in a 6-3 loss, and Geekie will head to the minors a day later to help Syracuse in the Calder Cup Playoffs, as the Crunch face a 2-0 deficit heading into Thursday's game against Rochester. The 20-year-old Geekie made 52 regular-season appearances for Tampa Bay this year and recorded eight goals, six assists, 97 hits, 25 blocked shots and 16 PIM while averaging 12:20 of ice time.

Strome collected two power-play assists Wednesday in the Capitals' 4-1 win over the Canadiens in Game 5 of their first-round series.

The 28-year-old center helped set up tallies by Alex Ovechkin in the first period and Tom Wilson in the second, helping to give the Capitals a 3-0 lead in the series-clinching victory. Strome got onto the scoresheet in every game during the first round, racking up two goals and nine points in five games, and he'll take significant momentum into a second-round clash with the Hurricanes.

Faksa notched an assist, four hits and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Jets in Game 5.

Faksa has picked up two helpers over the last three games, which is all of his offense through five playoff contests. The defensive center has added 18 hits, four blocked shots and a plus-3 rating in the postseason, but he picked up his first shot on goal in Wednesday's loss. Faksa is firmly in the lineup as a fourth-liner, so don't expect him to be a big factor on offense.

Thomas logged an assist and two hits in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Jets in Game 5.

Thomas has gotten on the scoresheet in four of the first five playoff games. He has two goals, five assists, seven shots on net, nine hits and a minus-1 rating while centering the Blues' top line. Thomas will be counted on for a big performance in Friday's must-win Game 6.

Appleton recorded three assists, two hits and a plus-3 rating in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Blues in Game 5.

Appleton has quietly picked up five assists over five playoff outings after his impressive game Wednesday. He had not logged a multi-point effort since Dec. 7 versus the Blackhawks. Appleton has produced six shots on net, 12 hits, 10 PIM and a plus-4 rating this postseason while playing in his usual third-line role.

Lowry scored an empty-net goal on two shots and added three hits in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Blues in Game 5.

Lowry has two goals over five playoff games so far, and they've both been empty-netters. The 32-year-old center has added nine shots on net, 21 hits, 14 PIM and a minus-2 rating. Lowry could be in line for more ice time if Mark Scheifele (undisclosed) is unable to play in Friday's Game 6.

Namestnikov scored a goal on four shots, added an assist, logged three hits and went plus-3 in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Blues in Game 5.

Namestnikov helped the Jets take control of the game in the latter half of the second period. He helped out on a Dylan DeMelo goal before scoring one of his own, which stood as the game-winner. These were Namestnikov's first two points of the playoffs. The center has added seven shots on net, 11 hits, three blocked shots, a plus-2 rating and 14 PIM over five postseason outings. Namestnikov could be in line for a bigger role after Mark Scheifele (undisclosed) left Wednesday's contest.

Scheifele (undisclosed) won't finish Wednesday's Game 5 versus the Blues, Tracey Myers of NHL.com reports.

Scheifele was injured on a hit in the first period, but he wasn't ruled out for the game until early in the third. The 32-year-old center picked up an assist prior to his exit, giving him six points over five playoff contests. All of those points have come on home ice, but Scheifele's potential absence still looms large for Game 6 in St. Louis on Friday.

Protas (foot) is expected to be in the lineup versus the Canadiens in Wednesday's Game 5, Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post reports.

Protas warmed up on the fourth line, which suggests he'll be eased back in after a 10-game absence. The 24-year-old Protas was superb at even strength in the regular season, earning 30 goals and 36 assists over 76 games. He had just six special-teams points -- five shorthanded and one on the power play.