Apr 19, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center Nic Dowd (26) celebrates with center Colton Sissons (10) after scoring a goal against the Utah Mammoth during the third period of game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Stephen R. Sylvanie/Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
LAS VEGAS — Nic Dowd redirected Noah Hanifin’s shot from the point to put Vegas ahead at 7:20 of the third period and the Golden Knights beat the Utah Mammoth 4-2 in Game 1 of their first-round series.
“I didn’t do a lot, to be honest,” Dowd said. “It’s probably better if it gets on and off my stick that quick. ... I just found a little bit of space. Everywhere across the league, there’s limited space out there. Guys are playing their best hockey defensively because everything matters that much more. It was a bang-bang play.”
Game 2 is in Las Vegas.
The Golden Knights, who twice trailed before scoring three third-period goals, have not lost in regulation since John Tortorella (8-0-1) took over as coach.
The Mammoth lost in the franchise’s first playoff game since 2020. They are in their second season in Utah after leaving Arizona.
“It was a hard-fought game,” Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny said. “It was physical. It was intense. Every inch was contested.”
Colton Sissons had a goal and assist for the Golden Knights and Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev also scored. Carter Hart stopped 32 shots. Hanifin had two assists.
Logan Cooley and Kevin Stenlund scored for the Mammoth. Karel Vejmelka, playing in his first playoff game after five years in the Utah/Arizona organization, made 27 saves. Captain Clayton Keller, who closed the regular season with 16 assists over a 10-game streak, failed to record one in this game.
The Golden Knights took the fight to the Mammoth from the beginning and finished with 52 hits to 29 for Utah. Vegas’ high in the regular season was 36 against Los Angeles in the Oct. 8 opener.
Both teams breaking into several fights including one after the final buzzer.
“We played physical,” Tortorella said. “We have some things to work on, but it was good to see us bang around a little bit. It’s a long series. You just keep on trying to do the things you think you need to grind away.”
Former Golden Knight Nate Schmidt delivered a tremendous cross-ice pass to Cooley, whose one-timer from the right circle put the Mammoth on the scoreboard first with just 11 seconds left in the first period.
Sissons scored the equalizer at 3:44 of the second period, jamming in the puck after a backhand pass from Cole Smith. Utah retook the lead not even two minutes later when Hart found himself out of position and Vegas defenseman Kaeden Korczak knocked the puck into his own net, though it was officially credited to Stenlund.
“We didn’t really pay attention to it,” Barbashev said. “Our guys did a really good job to get one back on the power play.”
That happened when the Golden Knights again tied the game when Stone put a rebound into the open net for a power-play goal 5:33 of the third period. They then soon had the lead when Utah defenseman MacKenzie Weegar turned over the puck in his zone, and Dowd knocked in Hanifin’s shot.
Barbashev closed the scoring with an empty-netter.
Apr 19, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky (20) and teammates celebrate scoring the game-winning goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during extra time in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images
Morgan Tencza/Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images
TAMPA, Fla. — Juraj Slafkovsky scored his third power-play goal 1:22 into overtime and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in Game 1 of their first-round series.
Slafkovsky fired a snap shot from the left circle that beat Andrei Vasilevskiy to the far side for his first career postseason hat trick.
“It’s pretty nice. I like that feeling,” he said. “Obviously, we don’t want to go to overtime. Hopefully we close out games before that. But now we have to focus on the next game.”
Game 2 is at Benchmark International Arena, where Tampa Bay has lost nine of its last 10 home games in the postseason. The Lightning are 1-11 in their last 12 overtime games in the playoffs.
“We took four offensive zone penalties,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “That wasn’t over-aggression. That was stupidity. This is the Stanley Cup playoffs. This isn’t game 62. That’s extremely disappointing.”
Josh Anderson also had a goal for Montreal, and rookie goalie Jakub Dobes made 20 saves.
“His style of play and energy and speed and physicality is perfect for playoff hockey,” Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki said of Anderson. “He had a big night for us.”
Brandon Hagel scored two goals and Darren Raddysh also scored for Tampa Bay.
The Lightning have been knocked out of the playoffs in the first round three straight seasons after falling two wins shy of a three-peat in 2022.
The Canadiens, coached by Lightning icon and Hockey Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis, are seeking their first Stanley Cup since winning their NHL record 24th in 1993. They haven’t won a playoff series since the Lightning beat them in the Cup Final in 2021.
Hagel’s power-play goal — a tip-in off a precise pass by Jake Guentzel 8:58 into the third — tied it at 3-3 a few minutes after Slafkovsky put Montreal ahead.
Slafkovsky’s shot from the high slot slid under Vasilevskiy’s left pad for a short-lived lead. He one-timed a perfect seam pass from Ivan Demidov into the net from the right circle to make it 2-2 in the final minute of the second.
Raddysh tied it at 1 with a powerful slap shot in the second. The Lightning went ahead 2-1 just 29 seconds later when Hagel picked up a loose puck from the side of the net and backhanded a shot past Dobes.
Montreal’s fourth line gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead in the first when Anderson flipped a top-shelf shot into an open net.
Anderson also had a goal overturned by video review midway through the second period. He deflected Mike Matheson’s slap shot past Vasilevskiy but it was waved off because his stick was above the crossbar.
The Philadelphia Flyers have made some roster moves ahead of their Game 2 matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Flyers have announced that they have recalled top prospects Oliver Bonk and David Jiricek from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
With the Phantoms' season over, it makes sense that Bonk and Jiricek have been called up to Philadelphia's roster. They will now provide the Flyers with more defensive depth during their playoff run.
Bonk made his NHL debut for the Flyers in their regular-season finale against the Montreal Canadiens and had a big game. The right-shot defenseman scored a goal and had an assist in the contest. He also had six goals, 13 assists, and 19 points in 46 games this season with the Phantoms.
As for Jiricek, he had two goals and 13 points in 15 games this season with the Phantoms after being acquired by the Flyers from the Minnesota Wild at the trade deadline. He made his Flyers debut in the club's regular-season finale against the Canadiens as well. In 26 NHL games this season split between the Wild and Flyers, he had zero points and 19 blocks.
Apr 19, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen (62) celebrates his goal scored with teammates during the second period against the Los Angeles Kings in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Ron Chenoy/Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
DENVER — Logan O’Connor scored for the first time in a year, Scott Wedgewood stopped 24 shots in his first Stanley Cup playoffs start and the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 in Game 1.
O’Connor’s third-period tally was his first since Game 4 of a playoff series against Dallas on April 26. He missed most of this season with a hip injury. Artturi Lehkonen had a second-period goal for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche.
“Super happy to get it out of the way,” said O’Connor, who underwent hip surgery in early June. “For us, our game translates well to the playoffs. It’s a lot of simplicity and muck it up and just wear teams down. It was nice to get that one out of the way and finish the job off.”
Wedgewood got the nod in net over Mackenzie Blackwood after leading the league in goals-against average and save percentage. Wedgewood made four career playoff appearances in relief before the start.
At 33 years, 248 days old, Wedgewood became the third-oldest goaltender in league history to pick up a win in his first career playoff start, according to NHL stats.
“Obviously, a long career to get to this point,” Wedgwood cracked.
Game 2 is in Denver.
Artemi Panarin scored a power-play goal with 2:22 left to make it 2-1. Shortly after, forward Joel Armia was called for high-sticking and the Kings were unable to tie it up.
“We were kind of coming there late and couldn’t get enough,” forward Scott Laughton said.
Anton Forsberg stopped 28 shots in his NHL postseason debut.
“We’re comfortable in low-scoring games,” Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson said. “We’ve got to try and keep it tight.”
Nathan MacKinnon had an assist on Lehkonen’s goal to give him 32 career points in Game 1s. He trails only Joe Sakic (42) for the most Game-1 points in franchise history.
The game got chippy in the third period, with Cale Makar taking a shove to the back by Adrian Kempe. Captain Gabriel Landeskog later stood up for Makar and got into it with Kempe. Both drew roughing calls.
There were a combined 84 hits.
“We know teams are going to want to push us out of games,” said O’Connor, whose team was 0 for 4 on the power play. “We feel as though we can push back just as hard. That’s one great thing about our group: the versatility within our locker room. You want to go a 1-0 game? We like to think we can beat you at that. Track meet, if it happens? We’ve got that. Physicality, we have guys who are willing to step up.”
Colorado nearly scored earlier in the second when O’Connor sent a shot past Forsberg. But as the goal horn sounded, the officials signaled no goal. It was ruled Jack Drury made contact with Forsberg following a collision with Drew Doughty. The Avalanche challenged but the call stood.
“I’d like to see it count,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “They saw it different — not losing any sleep over it.”
Apr 18, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Boldy (12) talks to defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) during a stoppage of play against the Dallas Stars in the first period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Thomas Shea/Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
DALLAS — The Minnesota Wild have an opportunity to do something they never have done in the NHL playoffs after putting the Dallas Stars in a very familiar postseason position.
Minnesota’s 6-1 thumping of its Central Division rival in Game 1 sets up the possibility to go up 2-0 in a playoff series for the first time in 15 postseason appearances over its 25-season history.
“We won a game, we didn’t win a series. So it’s just moving on to Game 2. ... We’re not satisfied with winning one game,” Wild coach John Hynes said.
“We’re living in the now, the past is the past. Different teams, different identities, different experience levels,” forward Matt Boldy said. “We go into this game with the same mindset we went in going into Game 1. ... Doesn’t matter if you’re up 2-0, up 3-0. It doesn’t matter until you get the fourth (win). So that’s our mindset and we’re not looking too far.”
The Wild haven’t gotten the clinching fourth win of a series since beating St. Louis in the first round of the 2015 playoffs. They have lost their last nine postseason series in the Western Conference playoffs, including losses to Dallas in 2016 and 2023.
For the Stars, it was the ninth time in 11 playoff series since 2022 that they lost Game 1 — 1-7 at home in that span, including a 5-1 loss to Colorado to open last year’s playoffs. They came back from those early deficits to win seven of those nine series, and made it to the West final each of the past three seasons.
“I’m not too worried,” Stars forward Mikko Rantanen said. “This team is really good at resetting and coming back the next night.”
Boldy scored two goals and had an assist in the series opener, including the last of three goals Minnesota had in the first 6 1/2 minutes of the second period for a 4-0 lead.
The five-goal victory matched the biggest ever for the Wild in the playoffs, and they had five players with multiple points. Joel Eriksson Ek scored two power-play goals and had an assist, while Kirill Kaprizov added a goal and two assists and Mats Zuccarello had three helpers. Rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt stopped 27 of 28 shots in his postseason debut.
“I liked the performance of everyone that was in the lineup, for sure,” Hynes said.
When asked if Wallstedt would start again over playoff-experienced Filip Gustavsson in Game 2, the coach responded, “I’m just going to go day by day with that.”
Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said he would be sticking with goalie Jake Oettinger, who gave up five goals on 28 shots, two on power plays and another on a deflection.
“I saw more of a team-play thing that we can all be a little bit better from every guy,” Gulutzan said. “Some nights you can, any team in the league can, look at their goalie and go, oh man, that was (on the) goalie. But last night wasn’t one of them.”
This is the 11th playoff series for Minnesota native Oettinger, but the second postseason game in a row when things didn’t go as planned. He was pulled from the deciding Game 6 of the West final last year by then-coach Pete DeBoer after giving up two goals on the only shots he faced in the first 7:09 of what turned into a 6-3 win for Edmonton.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will look to even their Round 1 series against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 2 at PPG Paints Arena on Monday, April 20.
My top Flyers vs. Penguins predictions and NHL picks expect another low-scoring bout in the Battle of Pennsylvania tonight.
UPDATE: Added a prediction for who will win tonight.
Flyers vs Penguins Game 2 prediction
Who will win Flyers vs Penguins Game 2?
Flyers: The Philadelphia Flyers have won 18 of their last 25 games and have received a notable scoring boost from emerging star Porter Martone to provide a more balanced attack. While the Pittsburgh Penguins battled in Game 1, they were both limited and outplayed at 5-on-5, and Philly can replicate the defensive success to take a 2-0 series lead.
Flyers vs Penguins best bet: Under 6 (-120)
The Flyers played elite defense down the stretch with just 2.41 goals against during a 15-5-1 heater, and the attention to detail carried over in Game 1 against the Penguins. Pittsburgh generated just 1.96 expected goals on eight high-danger scoring chances.
A trade off for the strong defensive play is Philadelphia doesn’t generate many quality chances, either, and the Flyers finished with just 2.77 expected goals on nine high-danger scoring chances in Game 1.
The Pens were a surprising high-scoring team during the regular season, and especially at 5-on-5 with the second-most goals per 60 minutes and second-highest team shooting percentage, so the Philly defense is kick-starting a splash of statistical correction to the unsustainable Pittsburgh attack.
Flyers vs Penguins Game 2 same-game parlay
Flyers winger Owen Tippett collected three shots on a game-high seven attempts in the series opener, and he and linemates Trevor Zegras and Tyson Foerster dominated 5-on-5 possession with a 78.6 Corsi For percentage.
Continuing with the final leg of this same-game parlay, Zegras finished the regular season with a career-high 67 points, and he’s marked the scoresheet in 12 of his past 14 games while centering the top line and No. 1 power-play unit.
Flyers vs Penguins SGP
Flyers moneyline
Owen Tippett Over 2.5 shots
Trevor Zegras Over 0.5 points
Flyers vs Penguins Game 2 goal scorer pick
Tyson Foerster (+305)
Sticking with the Philly top line, Foerster was dangerous and recorded three individual high-danger scoring chances in Game 1. As noted, the trio dominated 5-on-5 possession, and Foerster hasn't found the back of the net in five games dating back to the regular season despite recording 10 shots and 1.31 individual expected goals.
The Philadelphia Flyers have won 18 of their last 25 games (+15.20 Units / 56% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Flyers vs. Penguins.
How to watch Flyers vs Penguins Game 2
Location
PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
Date
Monday, April 20, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Flyers vs Penguins latest injuries
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The Buffalo Sabres picked up a big 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of the first round. It was certainly a hard-fought win for the Sabres, as they came back from being down 2-0 by scoring four goals during the second half of the third period.
It was a perfect way for the Sabres to start off their first playoff round since 2011, and they managed to make some NHL history in the process.
According to OptaSTATS, the Sabres became the first team in the history of the NHL playoffs to win a game during regulation after being down by at least two goals to zero with eight minutes or less left in a contest.
This is a great stat, and it shows just how electric the Sabres' comeback win was. It seemed that the Sabres were going to get goalied by Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman, but thankfully for them, they solved him.
Tage Thompson kicked off the Sabres' comeback by scoring two goals in the third to tie it. Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson then scored to give the Sabres the lead before Alex Tuch scored an empty-netter to secure Buffalo's win.
Now, the Sabres will be looking to build on their momentum by winning Game 2 from here.
The Chicago Blackhawks will be a team to keep an eye on this summer. After another season near the bottom of the NHL standings, they should be looking to make some upgrades to their group.
While the Blackhawks have plenty of exciting prospects in their system, they should also be looking to upgrade their roster with talent that will help them immediately. However, the biggest roster need that the Blackhawks must address this offseason is adding at least one top-six winger.
It is no secret that Blackhawks star center Connor Bedard could use more help around him on his wings. Due to this, if the opportunity presents itself for the Blackhawks to land a star winger in their top six, they must jump on it.
The ideal top-six winger target for the Blackhawks would be a proven player who is on the right side of 30. This is because they would have the potential to be a nice long-term part of the Blackhawks' core as they continue their rebuild.
Ultimately, the Blackhawks simply need to upgrade their top six this summer. It will be interesting to see what kind of moves the Blackhawks make this summer from here.
Apr 18, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) handles the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
It would be an understatement to say that things did not go well for the Pittsburgh Penguins in their Game 1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night. Despite the close 3-2 final score, as well as the fact they had a prime scoring chance to potentially tie the game in the closing seconds, this game never really felt like it was there for the Penguins to take. They were shut down, struggled to generate chances and just looked like a sloppy team playing a random mid-December game instead of its first playoff game in three years.
The popular argument I have seeen in the aftermath is that it was rust, and an argument for why the Penguins should not have rested people in the final three games of the regular season. I am not going in that direction, nor do I have any interest in it. This is a largely veteran team with multiple players that have either played in the Stanley Cup Final or won Stanley Cups. They know what the playoffs are about. They should not need a dress rehearsal for that, and they should not have been the timid ones in that game. It is also not like everybody sat out those games. Every player on the roster played in at least one of those three games, and some of them played in multiple games.
It’s also not like they sat around for 10 days doing nothing.
Aside from most of the players still playing in games, they were also still practicing and on the ice. They came back from a month-long Olympic break and played one of their best games of the season. They have had full bye weeks in the past. They also had just played a month-and-a-half of wildly intense games against a lot of the best teams in the league, with a very compressed schedule, and probably needed the rest anyway.
The rust angle works for the 5-10 minutes of the game. After that, it’s time to get into the game.
They were simply outplayed, and maybe outcoached.
If you want to take an optimistic view on all of this, the Flyers played a nearly flawless game and the Penguins played a severely flawed game, and it still came down to one shot at the end of the game. Can the Flyers repeat that for potentially six more games? Will the Penguins be that sloppy for any number of games?
There is also the fact Stuart Skinner, for the most part, played well and kept them in the game while they were bleeding chances against throughout the first two periods. If he can get on a roll and play relatively close to that, the Penguins have a really good chance, both in this series and potentially beyond.
But the Penguins still have to play better — much better — in front of him. And that brings us to the question of whether or not the Penguins should shake some things up.
I liked Elmer Soderblom getting a spot on Saturday over Justin Brazeau. Brazeau has been great this season, but Soderblom has been playing better down the stretch. Do you go back to Brazeau in Game 2 and put him back with Ben Kindel and Anthony Mantha?
Egor Chinakhov remained on the top line with Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust.
Rickard Rakell remained on the second line with Tommy Novak and Evgeni Malkin.
Kris Letang and Sam Girard remained together on the second defense pairing after really rounding out their games over the final month of the regular season.
These combinations have worked, and they have worked extremely well.
That all went sideways in Game 1. None of the forward lines generated much. The Letang-Girard pairing reverted back to the form we saw when they first started playing together.
It was all ugly.
While it might seem like an overreaction to start screaming about changing things one game into a best-of-seven series, you have to keep in mind this is the playoffs and there is very little margin for error. Especially when you are already down in the series and have, for the time being, lost home-ice advantage.
Based on the line combinations and defense pairings in practice on Sunday, the Penguins are sticking with the exact same combinations that produced the dud in Game 1. Assuming they go into Monday night and stick with them, they would seem to be banking on the idea that Game 1 was a fluke and that they could — and perhaps should — play better. Or that a strategic shift, or simply better execution, is the key.
Given how well everybody has played for so long, I can get behind that.
But if they go through the first period and look the exact same way they did on Saturday, or simply keep struggling to generate offense, you might have to throw some combinations into the blender. Put Rakell back with Crosby and Rust. Put Chinakhov and Malkin back together given the chemistry they have had this season.
Maybe it works.
Maybe it doesn’t.
But based on the way Philadelphia played on Saturday their defensive game came as advertised, and it took away a lot of what the Penguins have been able to do offensively. You do not have much margin for error here, and when you are already down in the series you do not have time to be patient to struggle through a second game.
Four games are on the Stanley Cup Playoffs schedule tonight, and there’s no shortage of stars in action. My NHL player props include Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, and Trevor Zegras.
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Our best NHL player props for Monday, April 20
Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.
Prop #1: Connor McDavid Over 1.5 points
-130 at BET99
Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers begin their playoff journey tonight against the Anaheim Ducks, as they look to hopefully conquer their Stanley Cup demons in the next couple of months.
The three-time Hart Trophy winner comes into Game 1 hot, cashing the Over in points in three of his last five appearances.
McDavid led the NHL in points this season at 138. He always turns it up a notch come playoff time, and the superstar has dominated the Ducks this season. He’s grabbed seven points in this three games.
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Sportsnet, CBC
Prop #2: Kirill Kaprizov anytime goalscorer
+135 at BET99
Kirill Kaprizov is one of the league's best goal scorers, and he showed it once again this season. The Russian netted 45 goals, ranking fourth in the NHL. Kaprizov was everywhere in the Game 1 win over the Dallas Stars, scoring and tallying a pair of assists.
He’s now scored six times across his previous five outings, and Kaprizov has definitely turned it up against Dallas. In three regular-season meetings, he’s also found the back of the net three times.
He also has 16 SOG across his last five. He’ll help exploit Dallas’s defensive struggles from Game 1 again.
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
Where to watch: FDSN-North, Victory+
Prop #3: Trevor Zegras Over 0.5 assists
+105 at BET99
Trevor Zegras had a wonderful first season for the Philadelphia Flyers, scoring 26 goals and notching 41 assists. His playoff debut on Saturday was an impressive one as well, setting up one of Philly’s three goals in a Game 1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The 25-year-old has now cashed the Over in helpers in four of his last six appearances, and three of those contests were on the road. The Flyers visit the Pens again tonight for Game 2. During the regular season, all three of his points against Pittsburgh were assists.
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCS-Philadelphia, SportsNet-Pittsburgh
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
PITTSBURGH — The Flyers on Monday night will try to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round playoff series against the Penguins.
Rick Tocchet’s club has had a businesslike approach in Pittsburgh. The Flyers took Game 1 with a 3-2 decision Saturday night. They know they have plenty of more work to do against a Penguins team with all kinds of pedigree.
“Hall of Famers over there, right?” Trevor Zegras said Sunday. “We didn’t do much so far. We played a good game and won. Obviously we love winning and that’s what we’re trying to do, but far from over and far from what the main goal is here, for sure.”
Puck drop at PPG Paints Arena is scheduled for around 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with Flyers Pregame Live.
Here are some updates and visuals from the last few days.
Rick Tocchet said Flyers got back to their hotel, ate, got therapy and had a mindset of get ready for Game 2. Seems like he really likes the all business kind of approach. pic.twitter.com/Yp1sxgjRDv
Rick Tocchet really liked Porter Martone’s maturity. Once again the 19-year-old got better as the game went on, stuck with it. pic.twitter.com/HLJPKCBDhB
Former player P. K. Subban skates during the 2023 NHL All-Star Skills Competition at FLA Live Arena on February 3, 2023 in Sunrise, Florida.
P.K. Subban’s pants stole the spotlight during ESPN’s coverage of Round 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday.
The former 13-year defenseman, who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators and New Jersey Devils, donned a pair of oversized wide leg pants and the internet had a field a day.
“You could park a Chevy Suburban in each one of PK Subban’s pant legs right now,” wrote Rob Gucci, a social media personality and podcast host, in a now-viral X post. “This is insane.”
You could park a Chevy Suburban in each one of PK Subban’s pant legs right now. This is insane. pic.twitter.com/pnORgPvqQ8
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy added, “Totally normal pants on @PKSubban1. Find a new slant.”
In a reply tweet to Portnoy, Subban wrote: “F–king rights Dave! Wooo! u can borrow ’em anytime.”
Subban, known for his eccentric fashion style, paired the pants with a long sleeve black fitted shirt.
P.K. Subban’s pants stole the spotlight during ESPN’s coverage of Round 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday. X
While his pants were a hot topic online, Subban was posting Instagram videos of his live reaction during Sunday’s games.
The NHL analyst was a part of an ESPN doubleheader, with the Boston Bruins taking on the Buffalo Sabres and the Utah Mammoth facing the Vegas Golden Knights.
P.K. Subban arrives for the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium on February 17, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Getty ImagesFormer player P. K. Subban skates during the 2023 NHL All-Star Skills Competition at FLA Live Arena on February 3, 2023 in Sunrise, Florida. Getty Images
The Sabres defeated the Bruins in a 4-3 thriller, while the Knights beat the Mammoth 4-2 in the best-of-7 first-round series.
There are plenty of storylines across this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Buffalo is in the postseason for the first time since 2011.
Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz (8) and Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (5) battle for the puck during the third period in Game 1 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Las Vegas. AP
Utah is making their first-ever postseason appearance after joining the NHL in 2024.
Boston are making their 16th postseason appearance in 20 years, while Vegas are making their eighth postseason appearance in the past nine seasons.
DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 19: Scott Wedgewood #41 of the Colorado Avalanche skates in the spotlight ahead of for Game One of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings at Ball Arena on April 19, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Ashley Potts/NHLI)
Colorado Avalanche News
Leaders around the NHL reflect on Gabriel Landeskog’s return to the Avalanche lineup. [NHL]
The Anaheim Ducks are about to embark on a journey into waters uncharted for the better part of a decade for their franchise: the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For their first series in eight years, they didn’t do themselves any favors, backing into third place in the Pacific Division, after holding a five-point lead with ten games to go.
They will now be in the crosshairs of a juggernaut club with Stanley Cup aspirations that represented the Western Conference in each of the last two Stanley Cup Finals. They’ll have to defeat Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the Edmonton Oilers four times in the next seven games if they’re to continue playing hockey this spring.
For the Ducks to escape this series with four wins, head coach Joel Quenneville will have to be on the winning side of (at least) three specific matchups:
Jackson LaCombe and Jacob Trouba vs Connor McDavid
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Quenneville typically doesn’t elect to hard-match a forward line against an opposing top line. When called for, he has instead deployed his top pair (LaCombe-Trouba) against an opposing top line or player.
Shutting down Connor McDavid is a fool’s errand, as one can only hope to contain the greatest offensive player to ever lace up a pair of skates. It will be a five-man effort, over the entire 200-foot sheet, to deny him pucks as much as possible and minimize his ability to gain speed.
By the time McDavid has the puck in LaCombe and/or Trouba’s vicinity, it would benefit their focus to be on, to the best of their abilities, keeping him away from the middle of the ice with clever angles and maintaining steady gaps, not committing too much or allowing too much ice between.
Smart and quick sticks to influence, take lanes away, and disrupt shot or pass attempts will be key when LaCombe or Trouba is engaged with McDavid. In plain terms, they have to be perfect.
“You don’t want to play run-and-gun hockey with this team,” Trouba said. “They got a lot of high talented offensive players. Defending is going to be a key part for us in the series.”
Against the San Jose Sharks on home ice, Quenneville deployed center Ryan Poehling against Macklin Celebrini, notching a rare pointless night for the phenomenal Sharks sophomore. That’s a card Quenneville can play should he see fit, when the series returns to Honda Center for game three.
Then, of course, even if the Ducks successfully contain McDavid, Leon Draisaitl will be waiting in the wings to pick up any slack left behind by #97. One shudders to speculate on what McDavid can accomplish given how motivated and determined he will be heading into these playoffs, following back-to-back Stanley Cup finals losses and losing in the 2026 Olympic gold medal game.
“The regular season has become a little bit monotonous for this group,” McDavid said. “I think you see that through the day-to-day. But this is what we get excited for.”
Lukas Dostal vs An Offensive Onslaught
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
If there’s an “x-factor” in this series for the Ducks, it will be goaltender Lukas Dostal. Though numbers would suggest his season was unspectacular and his play faltered toward the end of the regular season, the Ducks simply would not be where they are, in the playoffs for the first time since 2018, had it not been for Dostal’s heroics earlier in the season.
With a new coach, a new defensive system was implemented. That new system, compounded with a lack of overall defensive talent and habits on the Ducks’ roster, gave way to one of the worst environments in the NHL for a goaltender.
On a nightly basis, the Ducks were allowing a variety of high-danger chances to their opponents, whether those chances were born from poor pinches in the offensive zone, poor backchecking effort, poor backchecking technique, d-zone coverage lapses, lost net-front battles, etc.
Dostal made more saves and more difficult saves than should have been required, kept the Ducks in more games than they deserved, allowing them to “outscore their problems,” and get needed wins to achieve their goal of making the playoffs.
“It’s a different experience,” Dostal said. “I’ve had a chance to play in big games before, but this is a little different because you get to play the same team on multiple occasions. You’re going to try to expose them. They’re going to try to expose you. It’s going to be a fun experience.”
He’s traditionally performed his best when the lights are brightest, whether that be the Olympics, World Championships, or World Juniors. This will be a completely different challenge for Dostal, playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs against two of the most potent offensive centers in this generation (McDavid and Draisaitl), a Norris-caliber offensive defenseman (Evan Bouchard), and one of the deepest teams the Oilers’ front office has surrounded them with in their cup-contending era.
Ducks Power Play vs Oilers Penalty Kill
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
The instinct would be to fixate on the Oilers’ power play and how to contain, neutralize, or limit it. However, Edmonton’s power play is such a well-oiled (pun intended) machine that seems to be firing on all cylinders every spring. In their last three playoff runs, the Oilers have converted on 31.6% of the power play opportunities, and in the 2025-26 regular season, they were the NHL’s best, converting at 30.6%.
Edmonton’s power play is going to score, and probably score a lot. Their penalty kill, however, is an area the Ducks will need to exploit in order to put goals back on the board. In the 2025-26 regular season, Edmonton’s penalty kill was successful 77.8% of the time, good enough for 20th in the NHL. Their underlying numbers reflect similarly, as their 9.57 expected goals allowed per 60 minutes ranked 24th in the NHL.
Over their last three postseason appearances, the Oilers PK has killed 79.5% of penalties taken. That number is roughly league-average annually. However, how they got to that total could give pause, as in the 2022-23 playoffs, they killed 34 of 45 (75.5%), in the 2024-25 playoffs, they killed 66 of 70 (94.3%), and last year, they killed just 47 of 70 (67.1%). To call their PK “inconsistent” would be an understatement.
Despite having plentiful talent and a potent 5v5 offense, Anaheim’s power play didn’t convert at an encouraging rate this season, despite a quality process at times and generating roughly league-average underlying numbers.
The Ducks 18.6% conversion rate on the power play was good enough to rank 23rd in the NHL and was their best since the 2021-22 season (21.9%). They generated 8.68 expected goals per 60, ranking 18th of the 32 teams in the NHL.
Anaheim has the talent and has shown flashes of deploying a lethal power play, but have inexplicably been unable to put the pieces together. They’ll have to figure it out quickly, as a few extra power play goals could be the difference in a playoff series like this one.
This series will be the last to begin and will see the first puck drop at 7 PM PST in Edmonton, Alberta.
Kyle Dubas' number-one trade he regrets was while he was general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The current Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and GM joined Spittin' Chiclets last week to chat about the Penguins as they get ready for their playoff run, as well as some interesting tidbits about his time in Toronto.
He also divulged what trade he regrets most in his career as an NHL GM, and it's the move which sent Mason Marchment to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Denis Malgin on Feb. 19, 2020.
"To me, the one that I regret most is — I've said this before openly — Mason Marchment," Dubas told Spittin' Chiclets.
"We traded Mason to Florida. He had come up with us the whole way. We signed him to minor-league deal after his overage season in major junior. He was in Orlando in the ECHL for most of the first year. He didn't play for three months, like, just working with the development team, and that was my responsibility then.
"It was 2016-17 with the Leafs, working for Lou (Lamiorello), and he came so far, helped us win a Calder Cup in 2018, was a huge part of that," Dubas continued. "Made his NHL debut the next year, which was awesome. And then he was 25, I think at the time, or 24, and we moved him to Florida. We needed the skill at that point. We had some guys out of the lineup, and it was a younger, skill guy that came in (Malgin).
"Every time I see Mason play, like no matter where he is, I just kick myself because we really needed that style of player throughout. Just the competitiveness, the ability to score, the ability to get under people's skin, the physicality, the ability to get to the net. I always kick myself about that one."
Marchment truly established his NHL career after being traded away from the Maple Leafs.
After his first season in Florida (where he scored 10 points in 33 games), Marchment began to find his game at the NHL level, finishing the 2021-22 season with 18 goals and 47 points in 54 games.
Following two years with the Panthers, Marchment became an unrestricted free agent and signed a four-year, $18 million contract with the Dallas Stars in July 2022. He played three seasons with the Stars and then was traded to the Seattle Kraken last summer.
Marchment struggled to find his game with Seattle and was eventually moved to the Columbus Blue Jackets in mid-December. After being moved, the 30-year-old found his game again, scoring 15 goals and 32 points in 39 games.
Meanwhile, we all know what occurred once the Maple Leafs acquired Malgin.
He played only eight games with Toronto during the 2019-20 season. Once the year concluded, Malgin returned to his home country of Switzerland and played two seasons in the Swiss League, tallying over a point per game in 93 matches.
In 2022-23, Malgin returned to the Maple Leafs to try and give the NHL another go. He scored two goals and two assists in 23 games with Toronto before the club traded him to the Colorado Avalanche for Dryden Hunt in mid-December 2022.
McDavid Over 1.5 points
Kaprizov anytime goalscorer
Zegras Over 0.5 assists
