The Ray & Dregs Hockey Podcast

The Sabres and Utah Mammoth kicked off pre-draft activity with a notable trade sending JJ Peterka to Utah for Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan, with Peterka then signing a 5-year extension. Buffalo’s next move may involve Bowan Byram, with several teams circling. Jamie Benn stays with Dallas on a 1-year deal, and their coaching search narrows to two candidates. Evander Kane heads to Vancouver for cap relief, likely filling a ...

The Oilers fell to the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year, with Florida delivering near-perfect performances in Games 5 and 6 and showing superior depth, structure, and goaltending throughout the series. Injuries mounted on both sides, but Florida’s culture and cohesion carried them through, while Edmonton struggled without Zach Hyman and leaned too heavily on McDavid and Draisaitl, who couldn&rsqu...

The Oilers dropped Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final after a flat start and near-flawless performance from the Panthers, whose depth continues to shine, as each of their top 9 forwards now have 15 or more playoff points. Florida's relentless structure and experience, led by Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett, overwhelmed Edmonton, who sorely missed injured Zach Hyman. Evander Kane and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins struggled, and Connor McDavid and ...

The Oilers clawed back from a 3-0 first-period deficit to win Game 4 in overtime, marking the first comeback of its kind in Stanley Cup Final history. A strong pushback, a timely goalie switch to Calvin Pickard and a spark from veteran Corey Perry’s locker room speech helped shift momentum. Blue-liner Darnell Nurse bounced back with a standout performance, Leon Draisaitl’s greasy OT winner capped the effort and despite ...

Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final unraveled early for the Oilers after a first-minute breakdown led to a Brad Marchand goal and spiralled into chaos, capped by a mercy pull for Stuart Skinner and a game full of penalties, missed assignments, and frustration. Evander Kane’s undisciplined play and a lack of composure across the roster derailed any chance at establishing a rhythm and the Panthers pounced on a discombobulated Edmon...

Pete DeBoer was fired by the Dallas Stars just days after their playoff exit, despite three straight conference finals and a strong record—his handling of goalie Jake Oettinger and blunt postgame comments may have factored in. Meanwhile, Marco Sturm (Boston) and under-the-radar Dan Muse (Pittsburgh) landed head coaching jobs as the NHL’s hiring cycle continues. On the ice, the Oilers took Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final...

The Stanley Cup Final rematch between the Panthers and Oilers will begin Wednesday after nearly a week-long layoff, giving players rest but leaving everyone itching to play. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl appear calmer and more mature under the bright lights and the pressure of expectations this playoff season. The Oilers appear confident, despite missing Zach Hyman, while Florida enters the Finals healthy and battle-tested. Goa...

The Florida Panthers are headed to their third straight Stanley Cup Final after rallying past Carolina in Game 5, continuing the state of Florida's Eastern Conference dominance. Carter Verhaeghe scored the winner, showcasing the value of patience and great scouting. An awkward handshake moment between coaches Paul Maurice and Rod Brind’Amour sparked debate about who belongs in the post-series tradition. In the West, the Oiler...

The Oilers crushed the Dallas Stars 6-1 in Game 3, with Connor McDavid's late second-period goal shifting momentum after a strong Dallas frame. Coach Pete DeBoer admitted that moment deflated the Stars, who have allowed too many prime chances and seen several key forwards go quiet. Stuart Skinner has outplayed Jake Oettinger so far, especially in Game 3, and looks composed and confident. A missed puck-over-glass call on Brett Kulak...

In Game 1 of the Western Final, the Oilers blew a 3–1 lead, taking three costly penalties that led to three Stars power play goals in a disastrous third period. Edmonton’s PK struggled and despite dominating early and looking faster, the Oilers were undone by Dallas’s depth, with Seguin and Duchene stepping up. In the East, Florida leads 1–0 after a chippy opener that saw Brad Marchand ejected after a shot f...

The Toronto Maple Leafs were humiliated by a score of 6-1 in Game 7 by the Panthers, capping off a meek exit with back-to-back home losses by a combined score of 12-2. Auston Matthews called out the team’s lack of cohesion and effort, while Ray questions the accountability at the top. Florida’s energy and depth overwhelmed Toronto, with the Leafs’ bottom six offering little resistance. Joe Woll wasn’t to bla...

The Stars look like a complete team, with deadline pickups Granlund, Ceci (and Rantanen, of course) making big impacts as they took a 3-1 series lead over Winnipeg, who have now lost 9 straight road playoff games. Edmonton will try to close out Vegas on Wednesday. They have a 3 games to 1 advantage after a dominant shutout win on Monday, with Stu Skinner stepping up and the Oilers continuing their trend of peaking in games 4-7 of p...

Dallas takes a 2-1 series lead over Winnipeg after a controversial and confounding winning goal that has the Jets fuming. Mason Marchment’s tap of an official sparks debate over discipline standards, while Mikko Rantanen continues his playoff dominance. The Leafs and Panthers got nasty in Game 3, with questions swirling around OEL’s hit, Domi’s late-game penalty, and whether Matthews is in his own head. Sergei Bob...

The Oilers earned a 2-0 series lead after winning a wild Game 2 OT thriller over Vegas, with McDavid and Draisaitl quiet until the game-winner, while depth continues to carry Edmonton. In Washington, Logan Thompson shut the door in the third to even the series with Carolina, who now head home to a rink where they’ve dominated all year. Toronto looks to take control of their series in Game 3 vs. Florida, with Nylander continui...

The Oilers continued their playoff surge with a 4-2 comeback win over Vegas in Game 1, led by Corey Perry’s momentum-shifting goal and dominant second-period play. The Leafs also took Game 1 against Florida, though controversy surrounds the unpenalized hit by Sam Bennett that concussed goalie Anthony Stolarz. Huge weekend Game 7s saw Winnipeg stun St. Louis with a buzzer-beater and double OT winner, while Dallas mounted a thi...

The New York Rangers have hired Mike Sullivan as head coach in what’s expected to be one of the richest deals in NHL history. Tampa Bay’s elimination by Florida raises questions about Jon Cooper’s future with the team and speculation about other markets he might consider coaching in if a split were to happen. Edmonton bounced back from a tough start to their series to eliminate the Kings in six, but Ray isn’...

The first round of the NHL playoffs is delivering big storylines on and off the ice. Rick Tocchet has reportedly turned down a 5-year contract offer from the Canucks, with the Flyers and Penguins believed to be circling, while Mike Sullivan looks as though he might land with the Rangers — and could command a massive $30M deal. Meanwhile, Aaron Ekblad was hit with a 2-game suspension for his forearm on Hagel, did the refs have...

The Canadiens showed great resilience in a Game 3 home win, though injuries to both starting goalies could hurt Montreal more than Washington. Tom Wilson and Josh Anderson sparked chaos with a fight on the Caps bench, while the Oilers edged the Kings in a wild game with Cal Pickard in net. Evander Kane’s strong playoff return helped Edmonton capitalize on a costly Kings challenge, could it be series-altering? Meanwhile, Brand...