Good Morning!

The playoffs are going well for one possible (meh) future Maple Leaf. Nicolas Mattinen and the Hamilton Bulldogs defeated Eemeli Rasanen and the Kingston Frontenacs in the OHL Eastern Conference Championship last night, taking the series in five games.

The Bulldogs had an easier path than their future opponent because...well the East still isn’t as competitive as the Western Conference. Out west the Soo Greyhounds, who dominated the regular season, needed seven games to win their second round series vs the Owen Sound Attack and are currently tied 2-2 with the Kitchener Rangers.

So it all comes down to Mattinen to be the prospect to bring home a championship. Who saw that coming?

In other news...

Friedman: The league asked Marchand to stop licking people - Stanley Cup of Chowder
Ah, Brad. Brad forever.

Pens-Caps Game 1 Recap: Capitals take early lead, but Penguins score 3 goals in third period, win 3-2 - PensBurgh
The two divisional foes kicked off their latest postseason meeting to decide one of the participants in the Eastern Conference Final.

In Lou We Trust? Threads connect Lamoriello with Islanders, but don’t Lou’s yourself - Lighthouse Hockey
Could Toronto Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello end up with the Islanders? Probably not. But smoke is starting to waft into the air, which may lead to some fire.

Montreal Canadiens Off-Season Worst Case Scenario
I hope they all come true

Golden Knights ride four-goal first period to Game 1 win - Knights On Ice
Vegas scores as many goals tonight as they did in four games against the Kings.

Down Goes Brown: Could the Golden Knights beat an all-star team from every other expansion draft in NHL history?
So today, as the Knights prepare to open their second-round series against the Sharks, let’s see how they stack up against the rest of the NHL’s expansion teams. As in, all of them.

Sharks at Golden Knights Game 1 recap: Vegas hits jackpot in Game 1 rout - Fear The Fin
San Jose folds Game 1 and now looks to get their chips back in Game 2.

Enjoy the day folks!

From The BranchesMaple Leafs Prospects