NHL playoffs live updates: Jacob Trouba won’t face fine or suspension for Sidney Crosby hit

I can confirm the report that Jacob Trouba will not be fined or suspended for his hit on Sidney Crosby in Game 5, according to a source.

It was not deemed an illegal hit, so there is no consideration of injury. Trouba played the puck and followed through and wasn’t targeting the head or ignoring the puck.

Everything was going so nicely for the Penguins on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. Almost too nicely. They were in complete control and the Rangers looked dead in the water. The series, it seemed, was about to conclude with a handshake on New York ice.

Then, Jacob Trouba took Sidney Crosby out of the game with a hit to his head. Just like that, everything changed.

(Photo: Rich Graessle / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Jeremy Swayman will start Game 6, Bruce Cassidy said Wednesday. The Bruins coach anticipates that Hampus Lindholm, unavailable for the last three games, will play in Thursday’s potential elimination showdown.

“We need to win a home game,” said Cassidy. “That’s all that’s in front of us right now. It’s not easy to win in the playoffs. But it’s not a monumental task. We need to win a home game.”

Neither team has lost on home ice so far. For that pattern to continue, the Bruins require instant solutions to their Game 5 issues.

At the end of the regular season, I likened the Stars’ season to the Titan, a premiere roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. After a slow and long buildup, the playoffs were going to be the big 85 mph drop.

“It may bring out your most excited screams or it may make you vomit.”

After a 3-1 loss in Game 5, the Stars fell behind 3-2 to the Flames in their first-round series. The season isn’t over, as the teams shift back to the Lone Star State on Friday for a pivotal Game 6. Before we get to that though, let’s talk about that line.

“It may bring out your most excited screams or it may make you vomit.”

Though it was written about the big-picture view of the Stars’ season, it might as well have been written about Game 5.

(Photo: Gerry Thomas / NHLI via Getty Images)

What kind of teammate is Jack Campbell? Trevor Lewis went for ice cream once with Campbell when the two were playing for the L.A. Kings. A spot in Hermosa Beach. Lewis happily gobbled down a flavour of the week creation.

Campbell took note.

“Every time they had that flavour, I’d have a new DoorDash ice cream on my doorstep,” Lewis says. “I didn’t need that much ice cream, but he would always make sure I had it.”

Read more here.

(Photo: Dan Hamilton / USA Today)

Thursday’s Stanley Cup Playoffs games bring us four elimination games. Auston Matthews has the Maple Leafs on the verge of winning their first playoff series since 2004. It’ll only take a win against a Tampa Bay team on Thursday that is the back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions.

Connor McDavid’s Oilers will need to respond after dropping Game 5 at home on Tuesday night. Not many experts (ours included) gave the Kings much of a chance in this series and here the Oilers are again struggling in the postseason.

The home team has won every game in the Hurricanes–Bruins series and the Wild–Blues series just seems destined to go seven games.

Here’s are Thursday’s schedule, betting odds and picks.

What was the key to the Flames’ win?

The Flames’ efforts in the third period was the key to this game. At five-on-five, Calgary generated 20 shot attempts and limited their opponent to just eight. Only five of those Stars’ attempts made it to Jacob Markstrom in net (and he turned all of them aside). Also important was the quality of those chances, finishing the period with 11 scoring chances to the Dallas’ five according to Natural Stat Trick. What was key here was that the Flames didn’t let off the gas after tying the game or pulling ahead; they kept the pressure on their opponent to close the game out.

Read more from Wednesday night’s action.

(Photo: Derek Leung / Getty Images)

After the Penguins’ 5-3 loss, coach Mike Sullivan said Sidney Crosby is still being evaluated.

When asked about Jacob Trouba’s hit on Crosby, Sullivan said, “Did you see the hit? You probably have the same opinion I do.”

Jeremy Swayman will start Game 6, Bruce Cassidy said Wednesday. The Bruins coach anticipates that Hampus Lindholm, unavailable for the last three games, will play in Thursday’s potential elimination showdown.

“We need to win a home game,” said Cassidy. “That’s all that’s in front of us right now. It’s not easy to win in the playoffs. But it’s not a monumental task. We need to win a home game.”

Neither team has lost on home ice so far. For that pattern to continue, the Bruins require instant solutions to their Game 5 issues.

Sweeps are inherently lopsided, but that might not be a strong enough way to describe the Colorado-Nashville first-round series. Some of the numbers were simply jarring:

• Cale Makar had points on more goals (10) than the Predators scored all series (nine).

• Colorado outscored Nashville 21-9, and it could have been worse had Connor Ingram not played an exceptional Game 2 in net for the Predators.

• The Avalanche had 59.66 percent of the five-on-five expected goal share, per Natural Stat Trick.

• Colorado had a 43.8 percent power-play conversion rate.

• Only three of 19 Avalanche skaters to play in the series did not log a point, and each of those three (Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Logan O’Connor, Darren Helm) had a plus rating. O’Connor also screened Makar’s Game 2 overtime winner.

• The Avalanche were the first team in NHL history to sweep a best-of-seven series with 20-plus goals and 175-plus shots, according to University of South Florida Student Greg Harvey, who specializes in sports statistics and visualizations.

Read more.

(Photo: John Russell / NHLI via Getty Images)

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has been suspended one game for head-butting Kings forward Phillip Danault in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. The Oilers are down 3-2 heading into Thursday’s Game 6 at Los Angeles.

The play occurred 19:50 into the second period after the Kings fired a shot on goal and Oilers goaltender Mike Smith made the save. Nurse was not penalized on the play.

Read more here.

Expect to see Kris Russell dress for the Oilers tomorrow. Another option: They could recall Philip Broberg and play seven defencemen.