The Daily: Red Wings’ Hanas Ends Slump; Bergeron May Retire

The Cross Hanas slump is over. The 2020 second round pick netted a hat trick Saturday to help the Portland Winterhawks to a 3-1 series lead against the Seattle Thunderbirds in the Western Hockey League playoffs.

The Oregonlive.com story stated Hanas, a right wing, had “done very little” in the series before his big night. He now shows four goals and three assists for seven points in nine playoff games. Texas native Hanas produced 86 points in 63 games during the regular-season.

The Red Wings signed Hanas (drafted 60th overall) to an entry level contract late in the season. Hanas told Detroit Hockey Now’s Nate Brown it was “a weight off his shoulders” when he received the contract offer.

Meanwhile, Red Wings draft pick Jan Bednar was sharp in goal when Acadie-Bathurst survived a triple-overtime Game 4 and a 2-1 decision in Game 5 to beat the Halifax Moosehead in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff action. Acadie-Bathurst advanced to the second round where it lost 4-1 to the Charlottetown Islanders in Game 1 Sunday. The Czech standout owns a 2.76 goals-against average and .896 save percentage in the playoffs. Bednar was drafted 107th in the 2020 NHL draft.

In Case You Missed It

Bad luck for Detroit goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, as he suffers a lower body injury. Won’t play with Team USA at World Championships.

If you are a subscriber, you can read Nate Brown’s take on lessons the Detroit Red Wings can learn from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff interviewed Paul Coffey and Nick Lidstrom about Moritz Seider’s remarkable season.

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Hockey Now Network

Boston: Hockey now’s Joe Haggerty: Boston Bruins lost to a better team in Carolina.

Calgary:  No surprise: Flames Game 7 hero was Johnny Gaudreau who has had a memorable season.

Florida: Claude Giroux is playing as if winning this Stanley Cup means everything to him.

Montreal:  Don’t expect Bruins star Patrice Bergeron to be heading to the Habs through free agency. Jimmy Murphy’s take is that Bergeron is retiring or staying with the Bruins.

Philadelphia: Hope for a speedy recovery to our Philadelphia colleague Sam Carchidi recovering from COVID-19. Here are his  random thoughts on the state of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Pittsburgh: Helmet rule dooms the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Game 7 loss to the New York Rangers. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said the rule “stinks.”