The Carolina Hurricanes have avoided a major injury concern for defenseman Tony DeAngelo while veteran blueliner Brett Pesce is nearing a return from a lower-body injury suffered in the second game of the playoffs.

Team president and general manager Don Waddell said Wednesday that Pesce has shed a walking boot, is doing work to return and should play at some point in the second-round series against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers.

“If everything goes as expected, he shall play games this round,” Waddell said in a Zoom call with reporters. “Maybe not right off the start, but will play games in this round.”

Pesce came up hobbled in a noncontact situation in Game 2 of the first-round series win against the New York Islanders and didn’t play again. DeAngelo took Pesce’s spot opposite Brady Skjei on Carolina’s deep blue line only to exit late from Tuesday’s Game 5 clincher after taking an uncalled slash to the arm from Pierre Engvall near the boards.

Coach Rod Brind’Amour, who had praised DeAngelo’s play in jumping into the lineup, expressed concern afterward while saying the defenseman was having X-rays. But Waddell said Wednesday those came back clear.

“He’s feeling better today, so that shouldn’t be an issue at all,” Waddell said.

DeAngelo had worked in the top pairing with Jaccob Slavin in his first stint with the team in 2022. This time, he had been a fill-in for Carolina’s strong top six, which typically has Slavin working with Brent Burns, the Pesce-Skjei combination and last summer’s signing, Dmitry Orlov, paired with Jalen Chatfield.

He had played just 11 of 45 regular-season games since the start of 2024 before jumping in for Pesce. DeAngelo has been minus-1 with Carolina through three playoff games while playing 17:17 of ice time, tallying eight shots and taking a 2-minute roughing penalty in Game 5 after Anders Lee crashed the net while knocking Skjei into the goal and bumping netminder Frederik Andersen.

DeAngelo went after Lee, and Andersen even joined DeAngelo in that post-whistle tussle behind the net.

“When I’m in there, I’m looking to be in there to make a difference,” DeAngelo said a day earlier. “Be a part of what’s going on, part of the scrum, part of the chirping — whatever it may be. That’s the way I kind of roll with my game. It makes me play better.”

The injuries have certainly made Orlov’s signing even more valuable after it seemed almost like a luxury addition at the time for a team with established veterans at the position. Orlov scored in Game 3 against the Islanders and is averaging 21:25 of ice time in five playoff games.

“It might have been a luxury when we started the year,” Waddell said. “But we also know it’s a long year and you’re going to run into situations like we’re in now. And to have a guy like that be able to step up and play the minutes he’s playing is a big benefit for us.”

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill will start Wednesday in Game 5 of the team’s Western Conference first-round series against the host Dallas Stars.

Logan Thompson started the first four games, splitting the decisions while recording a 2.35 goals-against average and .921 save percentage. He yielded three goals on 46 shots in Vegas’ 3-2 overtime loss on Saturday and three more on 31 shots in a 4-2 setback on Monday.

The best-of-seven series is tied at two victories apiece, with the road team winning each contest.

“I thought Logan has played well, put us in a good spot. It’s 2-2, done his job,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Adin has been through this, so that’s a little bit that goes into the decision. There’s an experienced guy that’s come into this situation before, so that’s essentially the thought process.”

Hill, 27, famously stepped up in place of the injured Laurent Brossoit in Game 3 of the second-round series versus the Edmonton Oilers last season. He posted an 11-4 record with a 2.17 GAA and .932 save percentage, pacing the Golden Knights to their first Stanley Cup in the franchise’s short history.

Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery had a night to sleep on his team’s 2-1 overtime loss to Toronto in Game 5 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series on Tuesday — and remained in a foul mood about it by Wednesday.

“I’m still pissed off from last night, to be honest,” Montgomery said after the Bruins’ optional practice. “I don’t understand and don’t accept our play last night. I’m going to be pissed off until the puck drops [in Game 6].”

The Bruins entered Tuesday’s game with a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and could have eliminated the Leafs with a victory on home ice. Instead, Boston is headed back to Toronto for Game 6 on Thursday knowing the Leafs have life again.

Montgomery brought his group in prior to the trip for a meeting where the Bruins went over a lackluster Game 5 performance that included a costly, poor start and a general failure to match the Leafs’ urgency.

Boston allowed Toronto defenseman Jake McCabe to open the scoring in a first period where the Bruins were outshot 11-2. Even though Trent Frederic capitalized on a fortuitous bounce to tie the score at 1-1 through 20 minutes, Boston was on its heels in Game 5 more than they had been throughout the series. Matthew Knies‘ overtime winner just 2:26 into the extra frame was a dagger Montgomery couldn’t shake.

“We wanted to review the game and where we went wrong,” said Montgomery. “We started talking about where we need to get better. Some of that’s physical. Some of it is mental. Some of it is staying in the moment. I don’t think we did a good enough job staying in the moment last night. That’s what we’re looking for [in our] next game.”

Montgomery also took heat for altering his lineup in Game 5. Rather than sticking with what previously worked, Montgomery inserted Matt Grzelcyk for Kevin Shattenkirk on the blue line — and watched Grzelcyk be victimized by John Tavares‘ foot speed setting up Knies’ winner in overtime.

“There are a lot of discussions that go on, but in the end, I end up making decisions that I was really confident were best for the Boston Bruins,” said Montgomery. “And when it doesn’t work out, I understand it’ll be second-guessed and third-guessed and fourth-guessed. I understand that it comes with the territory. Just like when you make changes, and it works out. It’s the same thing. But I’m comfortable with the decisions I made and why I made them, and the criticism that comes with it.”

The Bruins’ missed opportunity to polish off the Leafs puts them in uncomfortably familiar territory. Last spring, Boston was the league’s reigning Presidents Trophy winner and jumped out to a 3-1 series lead over the eighth-seeded Florida Panthers. The Bruins failed to close out the Panthers in three straight tries and unraveled entirely with a stunning first-round playoff exit.

Boston has done well this time around as the road team, taking both Game 3 and 4 in Toronto that put the Leafs on the ropes. Toronto has lost six consecutive postseason games on home ice and was booed by its own crowd after a dismal two-period effort in Game 4 on Saturday. A seventh consecutive defeat in their building on Thursday would spell the end of another disappointing Leafs postseason.

That’s why Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe stressed the importance of his team keeping Thursday’s game in perspective, focusing on what they could build from rather than worrying about the venue.

“Quite honestly, [being home again] means nothing,” he said. “We have to approach the game no differently than we have on the road in terms of our plan and what’s required. We don’t have to impress anyone. We don’t have to do this or that, we have to win a game.”

Toronto made a significant lineup change of its own Tuesday, starting Joseph Woll for the first time in this series over Ilya Samsonov. Woll was excellent in making 28 stops and projects to get the call again in Thursday’s critical matchup. Less clear is whether the Leafs will have forward Auston Matthews back in the lineup.

Matthews missed the third period of Game 4 and all of Game 5 with what the Leafs have deemed a “lingering” illness. He skated Tuesday and again Wednesday, but Keefe provided no update on whether he would be available to play in Game 6. Max Domi took over Matthews’ top-line spot in Tuesday’s win with good success (one assist, 85.7 faceoff win percentage) and would center there again if Matthews can’t go.

Boston had better news on Brandon Carlo, who was absent from their bench in overtime Tuesday. Montgomery confirmed the blueliner will be “good to go” in Game 6.

However the Bruins’ lineup comes together, the Leafs are preparing for another hard-fought bout Thursday to keep their season alive. But now, Toronto has a blueprint in mind for success.

“We’re still in a battle,” said Keefe. “That certainly has not changed. We’ve gotten the opponent’s attention here now. So, tomorrow is going to be an even tougher night, but there’s one way to go about it. And that’s how we’ve played in our last two road game [wins]. That’s playoff hockey. That’s what’s required, and we have to bring that to the ice tomorrow.”