We’ll give him this – the dude is mad durable. The only three games he’s ever missed over his nine-year career were because of a forced quarantine when he contracted COVID in 2021-22.

Down 3-1 early in the second period, things didn’t look great for Edmonton. But this team has shown tremendous resilience in coming from behind throughout the playoffs, and that trend continued as they battled back, forced overtime, and then won it with just 31 seconds left in the first extra frame.

After suffering an LBI in the 4 Nations Cup, he wound up missing a ton of time down the stretch, only returning in time for the first game of the playoffs. Tkachuk promptly put any doubts about his health to rest when he fired a pair of goals and an assist in the opener vs. TB. Over the next four games, he wasn’t quite as dynamic, but still managed a goal and an assist while his PT started to rise closer to his usual level.

We’re in a break between rounds in the NHL playoffs, so this gives us an opportunity to take a look at where the Detroit Red Wings are in their seemingly ill-fated Yzerplan. Last season Detroit continued to progress, raising its point total for the fourth straight season while finishing with a winning record for the first time since 2015-16.

In Game Seven on Sunday against defending champion Florida, Toronto turned in another major stinker, getting thrashed 6-1 in front of their own fans.

The Vegas Golden Knights have never known true suffering. In their eight-year existence, the worst season they’ve endured was in 2021-22 – the team’s only non-playoff season, despite a still robust 94-point total. Oh boo hoo!

This season, while Florida took a step back in the regular season (failing to reach 100 points after posting 110 in 2023-24), as usual they are rocking it in the playoff. In dispatching Tampa Bay in five games in the first round, the Panthers led all teams in shots against, an impressive feat considering the weapons the Lightning has.