The Buffalo Sabres now have a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Boston Bruins in their first-round series. With this, the Sabres only need one more win to advance to the second round. 

The Sabres have won each of their last two games to get into this position, and a massive reason behind it has been the play of goaltender Alex Lyon.

Since taking over the Sabres' crease from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen this series, Lyon has been nothing short of fantastic. In three appearances this playoffs, he has a 2-0 record, a 0.89 goals-against average, and a .964 save percentage. 

In Game 3 against the Bruins, Lyon stopped an impressive 24 out of 25 shots. Then, in Game 4, Lyon stopped 23 out of 24 shots. With this, there is no question that Lyon has been helping carry the Sabres and should continue to have the net for the time being because of it.

Lyon's strong start to the postseason comes after he had a 20-10-4 record, a 2.77 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage, and three shutouts. With this, the Sabres' decision to sign Lyon to a two-year, $3 million contract during this past offseason has been simply outstanding. 

Pregame

The Penguins use the same players, lines and goalie from Game 4 for Game 5.

How we're lining up for Game 5 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/um0bocTicF

— x – Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 27, 2026

The Flyers make a few changes, Alex Bump is in and Matvei Michkov is out up front. On the blueline Emil Andrae is in and Noah Juulsen takes a seat.

#Flyers lines in warmups vs. PIT 🐧

Alex Bump and Emil Andrae in.
Matvei Michkov is a healthy scratch

Barkey-Zegras-Tippett
Konecny-Dvorak-Martone
Bump-Cates-Foerster
Glendening-Couturier-Hathaway

Sanheim-Ristolainen
York-Drysdale
Seeler-Andrae

Vladař

— Jackie Spiegel (@jackiespiegel93) April 27, 2026

First period

The Flyers get a few chances early and some close calls when Arturs Silovs makes the first stop and leaves a couple of rebounds just in front of him. It’s the Penguins who strike first, almost out of no where on their first shot of the game. Elmer Soderblom dumps the puck, looks routine until Anthony Mantha barges in on the forecheck and wins the puck from Rasmus Ristolainen. Mantha centers the puck and it ends up on the stick of Soderblom who hammers it by Dan Vladar. Pittsburgh up 1-0 just 2:45 into the game.

ELMER SODERBLOM SCORES ON THE FIRST SHOT OF THE GAME!!! #StanleyCup

📺: @espn, @Sportsnet, & @TVASportspic.twitter.com/5OPSLHB8br

— NHL (@NHL) April 27, 2026

Sam Girard takes the first penalty of the game with a tripping call early, the Pens’ PK kills it off.

Soderblom gets tripped to draw a penalty then shenanigans ensue after the whistle. Travis Konecny goads Evgeni Malkin into punching him, Mantha gets tied up with someone. Both the Pens go off, Konecny joins them, Pittsburgh ends up with a 5v4 power play out of it, nothing comes of it.

The Flyers get a push at the end, Trevor Zegras has a puck roll off his stick when he tries to lift a backhand shot, then tries to shoot after pulling the puck between his legs but misses wide.

Time runs out in a hectic first. Philadelphia has an 11-9 edge in shots, Pittsburgh has a 1-0 lead where it counts.

Second period

The Pens’ third line stacks another tremendous shift with zone time to trap the Flyers in. They start getting a change and Connor Dewar gets a pass from Sidney Crosby that he blows a wrist shot over the shoulder of Vladar. It’s in and out so quickly the refs on the ice didn’t see it was a good goal. A quick review confirms it was. 2-0 Pens.

We would once again, like to remind you…

YOU CAN'T OUTDO THE DEWAR. pic.twitter.com/Lh60gSqLU3

— x – Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 28, 2026

Before the crowd stops cheering, Alex Bump zooms by Parker Wotherspoon and flips a shot that leaks through Silovs. 2-1 just 12 seconds after the last goal.

BUMP IT UP. #PHIvsPIT | #IgniteTheOrangepic.twitter.com/0UdtSrThBC

— x – Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 28, 2026

Erik Karlsson has to trip a player to prevent a rush and he’s the next to the penalty box, his teammates kill it off without giving up as much as a shot.

Chaotic ending, Crosby is felled by a Ryan Shea shot to his knee. He’d leave the game and return momentarily.

Momentum shifts to the Flyers, they catch the Pittsburgh fourth line for a long d-zone shift where they just can’t clear the puck. Eventually that comes back to haunt them, Travis Sanheim shoots the puck, it clicks off the stick of Karlsson and in. 2-2 game.

The blueliners keep doing damage. 👊#PHIvsPIT | #IgniteTheOrangepic.twitter.com/039nikdfBZ

— x – Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 28, 2026

Then it’s the Pens turn for a good bounce, Kris Letang shoots from deep, the puck bounces off the end wall and Vladar’s skate and into trickle into the net with the Flyer goalie unable to find where it went. 3-2, Pens back in front.

SANNY BLAST. #PHIvsPIT | #IgniteTheOrangepic.twitter.com/BXvTGKdAT1

— x – Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 28, 2026

The second period amped up quickly. Both teams scored two goals, a couple of zany bounces along the way and this game heads into the third period at 3-2 Penguins.

Third period

Bryan Rust dekes around a defender and tries to go forehand but Vladar gets the big leg outstretched to it in the first minute. The Pens stay on their front foot with zone time and Andrae trips Malkin to send the Pens to their second power play of the game. They mainly just pass it around, getting only a long and predictable shot that’s easy to stop/

The rest of the period moves quickly, both teams battle along the walls and middle of the ice but few shots are found for either side. The clock runs for about 7 minutes straight in the second half of the period and that becomes a big ally for Pittsburgh.

Whistles come, the Pens hang on with a few icings and Crosby has narrow misses on a few chances at the empty net after the Flyers pull Vladar. The crowd roars as the time grows short and runs out. Pittsburgh forces a Game 6.

Some thoughts

• The Pens have kept the Flyers off the scoreboard in the first period of all five games. First period scoring was a major edge to Pittsburgh in the regular season and that’s held up in this series so far.
• The second periods on the other hand have been tough goes. The Flyers have been very strong in the middle period.
• Great to see Mantha show up and finally make something happen. That line was devoid of offense in the series until that point and they got back to basics. Dump the puck, create some havoc on the forecheck, get to the net. Worked out well.
• It seems like as this series has gone on the Penguins are finding more ways to break through the Flyer trap and neutral zone. The weak side outlet is often there and they’re starting to find it more for some easier releases into space all the way up to entering the offensive zone.
• Kudos to whoever put Crosby out for a change on the fly in the second period instead of Acciari to play with the other fourth liners. It was the perfect moment for it with so much momentum building and paid off when Crosby made a great play to glove done a clearing attempt and then Dewar finished for the second goal.
• Two game winning goals for Kris Letang. This one was a fluky one, but they count just the same. By hook or crook the Pens have found some unusual ways to manufacture goals in the last few games.
• Another multi-point night for Crosby, the formula was kinda the same as Game 4 with the captain finding a way to help create offense.
• On that note, Ilya Solovyov only played 10 shifts and 6:09 total in this game. Exactly like last time, the Pens are going to be leaning on Karlsson and Letang for as far as that will take them.
• Another solid night from Silovs too. The first goal against was one he’ll want back, not much can be done about the deflection on the second. Kudos to him that was all there was to talk about, if he can keep finding ways to keep the goals against to 2 then you gotta like the Pens’ chances. (That said, the Flyers missed the net on 22 shots tonight, including several very good looks. Again, might be classified as by any means necessary but for now you gotta take what you can get).

The Flyers were always going back to Philadelphia after tonight. What they didn’t want is for the Penguins to follow them. Well, that’s happening, courtesy of Pittsburgh’s big win that will start to shift the pressure a bit to the other team that haven’t been able to close things out. Game 6 on Wednesday night.

We’ve hit another significant date in Florida Panthers history.

This time, the moment that occurred on this particular date was one that remained the lasting image of any early success found by the franchise for decade upon decade.

We’re talking, of course, about the diving, series-clinching goal scored by Billy Lindsay during Game 5 of the first playoff series the Panthers ever played, against the Boston Bruins.

The game was played on Saturday, April 27, 1996 at Miami Arena in Downtown Miami. 

With the game tied at three late in the third period, Lindsay picked up the puck in the neutral zone and zoomed up the right-side boards.

With the puck on his stick, Lindsay drove toward the net and past Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque, who tripped Lindsay just as he reached the goal.

Lindsay managed to tip the puck between the legs of Bruins goaltender Bill Ranford as he slid through the crease and out the other side.

Miami Arena exploded in jubilation, and the Panthers went on to knock out the Bruins in five games.

Florida then took out the high-flying Philadelphia Flyers in six games and the powerhouse Pittsburgh Penguins in seven, making the team’s first Stanley Cup Final appearance in just its third season of existence.

Unfortunately, the lack of playoff success in the coming decades would keep the image of Lindsay’s goal as the quintessential moment of ultimate Panthers postseason glory, a reminder of their improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Stay tuned for more reminders of fun Panthers playoff successs in the coming weeks and months. 

In the meantime, let us know in the comments where you were when Lindsay scored his remarkable goal and how you remember seeing it go down!

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Pittsburgh Penguins v. Philadelphia Flyers - Game 5 (PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pa.)  |  Monday, Apr. 27, 2026

Puck Drop: 7:10 p.m. ET

---

Penguins' projected lines and pairings:

Forwards

Rickard Rakell-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust

Egor Chinakhov-Tommy Novak-Evgeni Malkin

Elmer Soderblom-Ben Kindel-Anthony Mantha 

Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari

Defensemen

Parker Wotherspoon - Erik Karlsson

Sam Girard - Kris Letang

Ryan Shea - Ilya Solovyov

Goaltenders

Arturs Silovs (starter) 

Stuart Skinner (backup)

Flyers' projected lines and pairings:

Tyson Foerster-Trevor Zegras-Owen Tippett

Travis Konecny-Christian Dvorak-Porter Martone

Denver Barkey-Noah Cates-Alex Bump

Luke Glendening-Sean Couturier-Garnet Hathaway

Defensemen

Travis Sanheim-Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York-Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seeler-Noah Juulsen

Goaltenders

Dan Vladar (starter) 

Sam Ersson (backup)

---

First period

- Philadelphia with a chance from the jump, and Silovs was ready for it. 

- Early on, Penguins are having a hard time entering the o-zone. Philly not giving them much winning a lot of board battles, and taking it the other way. Don't seem very willing to play dump-and-chase.

- GOAL (PITTSBURGH): Elmer Soderblom (1), from Anthony Mantha and Parker Wotherspoon (2:45). Penguins lead the Flyers, 1-0. 

- THAT is what the Penguins need to see more of from Mantha. He won the puck battle down low and fed it to Soderblom, who was breaking in the slot. The Penguins are going to need to be willing to play dump-and-chase and win a whole lot more of those battles if they expect to come back in this series. 

- Sam Girard for tripping (4:17). Philadelphia to the power play. 

- Penguins' fans are booing Trevor Zegras every time he touches the puck. 

- The PK gets it done, and the Penguins are feeding off that momentum. They have a lot of jump now, and it would be in their best interest to take advantage of that. 

- What a route by Rakell to get to a puck and get the cycle going after a Crosby dump. About 12 and a half to go in the first period. 

- Silovs has come up with some stops early. The Penguins are, generally, getting the better of the play here in the first, but they are being outshot 7-3 at the midway point of the period. 

- Penguins getting a ton of chances now. First line is cooking. And they draw a tripping penalty on Garnet Hathaway, but some punches are thrown after, and Malkin goes, too. Penguins still head to the power play (14:27).

- Novak takes Malkin's spot on PP1. Actually liked the look of that. Decisive with the puck and a good distributor. Set up a few chances there. 

- Flyers kill off the Penguins' PP, get shorthanded chance that Silovs stops (when second unit was on). 

- Vladar almost Vladar'd again (from Rakell in Game 4), this time from Blake Lizotte.

- Some chances exchanged in the closing minute of the period. Both goaltenders stood tall. 

- END OF FIRST PERIOD - 

Score: 1-0 Pittsburgh over Philadelphia  |  Goals from: Elmer Soderblom (PIT)  |  Shots on goal: Pittsburgh 11, Phildelphia 9

---

Second period

- Something I like about the Penguins' offensive zone attack today is that they're getting more bodies to the net. More traffic in front of Vladar. More chaos. 

They're going to need that in order to beat him. He's been that good. 

- GOAL (Pittsburgh): Connor Dewar (2), from Sidney Crosby and Blake Lizotte (3:17). Pittsburgh leads Philadelphia, 2-0

- What a snipe. That was in and out so fast that no one knew it went in the net at first. After a brief conversation amongst the officials, it was called a goal. 

- GOAL (Philadelphia): Alex Bump (1), from Rasmus Ristolainen and Noah Cates (3:29). Pittsburgh leads Philadelphia, 2-1. 

- Not a good goal from Silovs there. Leaked right through his five-hole. He's been outstanding in this series, but he'd want that one back. Time for his teammates to pick him up, just as he's done the same many times over in these two games. 

- Dewar just missed another one. Second-chance opportunity, backhand missed the top-left corner of the net. 

- Dan Vladar is really playing with fire. He almost gave up another one on a misplay, as Ben Kindel beat him to the puck and fired the puck to the left circle, where he was hoping a Penguin would be there. Luckily for Vladar, it was a teammate. 

- Lots of neutral zone play in this period, but Karlsson takes a tripping penalty after turning the puck over to Konecny. Would have been a breakaway otherwise. Flyers to the power play (9:23). 

- Really solid PK by the Penguins. Clogged shooting lanes and didn't give the Flyers too many looks. Forced them to the perimeter. (No shots on their PP).

- Chinakhov cannot hit the net for the life of him. He's overthinking it. Gotta just rip it. 

- That Shea blast hit Sid. Couldn't put any weight on his leg. Hobbles to the bench. 

- Crosby is back on the Penguins' bench. But the Flyers score in the meantime. Sanheim shoots one through traffic and off Karlsson's stick.

- GOAL (Philadelphia): Travis Sanheim (2), from Rasmus Ristolainen and Travis Konecny (15:06). Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are tied, 2-2. 

- GOAL (Pittsburgh): Kris Letang (2), from Sidney Crosby and Ryan Shea (17:06). Pittsburgh leads Philadelphia, 3-2. 

- And THAT, folks, is why you shoot the puck! Letang just floated that in the direction of Vladar, and it somehow finds its way behind him as he caved into the net. Throwing pucks at the net is never a bad thing. Case in point. 

Huge goal for the Penguins. They needed a response after that unfortunate bounce on the tying goal. This is something this team has done all season long, and they need to continue pressuring and putting their foot on the gas.

- Kris Letang is having himself a second consecutive nice game. I really liked what I've seen from him in this one. Managing the puck a whole lot better than he was in the first three.

- END OF SECOND PERIOD - 

Score: 3-2 Pittsburgh over Philadelphia  |  Goals from: Connor Dewar (PIT), Alex Bump (PHI), Travis Sanheim (PHI), Kris Letang (PIT)  |  Shots on goal: Pittsburgh 17, Philadelphia 14

---

Third period

- Bryan Rust almost scored one of the more impressive playoff goals by a Penguin in recent memory. Crosby feeds it to him off a turnover, Rust dekes around a Flyer, and he goes cross-crease and tries to stuff it in. Vladar pad save. 

- Ryan Shea is out there with Karlsson to start the third. Interesting. 

- Malkin draws an early tripping penalty on Emil Andrae. Penguins to the power play (1:37). 

- Penguins possessing the puck well on the power play. Not shooting nearly enough. And not nearly enough movement. 

- Chinakhov really needs to get going here. He's just playing way too nervous and gripping the stick a bit too tight. The floodgates will open if he just puts one in. 

- The Crosby line has been a problem for the Flyers all game long. They're giving them fits. They're dominating in the offensive zone. Winning every battle and forechecking the heck out of this thing. Excellent stuff from them tonight. 

- The Penguins have iced the puck three times in a row here midway through the third. Not ideal. 

- Flyers had a hard time pulling Vladar at first because of Pens' pressure. Then, once they did, Pens had several opportunities to put the puck in the empty net and didn't. 

- This is such a tight, tight contest. Pens are going to have to come up big here in the final 40 seconds. 

- Sid dives for a puck and hits the post on the empty net. Icing with 9.9 seconds left. 

- END OF GAME - 

FINAL SCORE: Penguins 3, Flyers 2  |  Flyers lead series, 3-2

---

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When a team goes down 3-0 in a Stanley Cup Playoff series, there typically isn't a whole lot going right. And it typically takes something close to divine intervention to come all the way back, as it's only happened four times in the history of the NHL.

So, when that fourth game ends up in the "W" column, it makes sense not to change anything and roll with whatever was working game-by-game.

And the Pittsburgh Penguins are doing exactly that.

After finding themselves in that 3-0 opening-round series hole against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Penguins managed to stave off elimination with a 4-2 win in Game 4 to force a fifth game on Monday in Pittsburgh. And, understandably, they're going with the same exact lineup they went with on Saturday, which includes rookie Arturs Silovs getting the nod between the pipes for the second consecutive game. 

3 Takeaways: Penguins Earn Desperation Win Against Flyers To Force Game 5The Pittsburgh Penguins - led by goaltender Arturs Silovs and captain Sidney Crosby - played well enough to force a Game 5 against the Philadelphia Flyers in their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series.

"I think both [Silovs and Stuart Skinner] have done a really great job," head coach Dan Muse said. "I think it's good that both guys were always engaged, they're always ready to go. There's never that long lull with anybody not playing for a really long time, and so there's a rhythm that guys were able to keep throughout the course of the year. And they were able to build off the rhythm with the games they were playing."

And, while that tandem worked in the regular season, the Penguins simply have to ride whoever has the momentum from game to game in the playoffs. Silovs was brilliant Saturday, stopping 28 of 30 Flyers' shots on goal and making some key saves on odd-man breaks that could have buried the Penguins, much like Skinner was doing in the first three games of the series.

But the Penguins won the hockey game with Silovs in net, and they won the hockey game with a slightly adjusted lineup, too. Elmer Soderblom was back in for Justin Brazeau, the top line of Rickard Rakell, Sidney Crosby, and Bryan Rust was reunited - as was the second line of Egor Chinakhov, Tommy Novak, and Evgeni Malkin - and Ilya Solovyov took the place of Connor Clifton on the third defensive pairing. 

Philadelphia Flyers At Pittsburgh Penguins Game 5 Preview: Penguins Keep Same Lineup Ahead Of Another Elimination GameThe Pittsburgh Penguins will try to extend their season again on Monday.

Going back to what worked in Game 4 - even if there is still more to build on - was absolutely the right call, as the Penguins were finally able to get to the game that was working for them all season long and break through Philadelphia's neutral zone trap. 

Crosby's line had a 100 percent chances for share - meaning they gave up no scoring chances against - and the second line had their fair share of looks as well. The power play is still something that the Penguins will need to work on, though, as is making sure they don't give up too many high-danger looks.

"I still think that there's another level that we can get to. I believe strongly in that," Muse said. "I think it just [starts] with the play with the puck, the puck support, I thought that was better. When you have that, I think it leads you to be in better positions as you navigate through the neutral zone.

Flyers Stick with Vladar, Make Lineup Shift Ahead of Potential Closer Against PenguinsThe lineup decisions that define a playoff series are going to be scrutinized.

"Overall, some of the decisions being made to try to set up the o-zone overall - it was better, but there's still room for even more there. I think we have to continue to take steps, continue to tighten things up defensively. We gave up too many odd-man rushes. Some of the chances we gave up last game, I think we can definitely clean up as well. But, it was more in line with the way we want to play."

If the Penguins are to keep their season alive, they absolutely need to improve upon those fundamentals from last game, and they are going to have to see yet another "W" in the result column. Going back to what worked in Game 4 - without a doubt - gives them the best chance to repeat victory and extend the series.

'You Don't Really Have Anything To Lose': With 3-0 Odds Stacked Against Them, Penguins Still Believe Comeback Is PossibleIt's no secret that the Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves in a precarious spot down 3-0 in their first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers. But they're not ready to give up or give in.

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Talk about the game with Pens fans here!

Flyers again can't close out Penguins, come home for massive Game 6 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

PITTSBURGH — So much for the Flyers’ commanding lead.

They have themselves a series.

The Flyers suffered a 3-2 loss Monday night to the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in Game 5 of this best-of-seven first-round playoff matchup.

Rick Tocchet’s club now heads home with its series advantage whittled down to 3-2. The Flyers knew eliminating a team like Pittsburgh was going to be a challenge.

“There’s no way that group’s going to go away,” Tocchet said before the game. “No chance.”

The Flyers showed some resolve, but they couldn’t overcome multiple deficits. They erased a 2-0 hole in the second period on goals from Alex Bump and Travis Sanheim.

Kris Letang, though, responded to regain the Penguins their lead before intermission. Pittsburgh closed the door in the third period.

The Penguins are trying to become just the fifth team in NHL history to win a series when down 3-0.

“They’re an experienced group that has been in this situation before,” Cam York said before the game. “They’re not just going to go away easy. I think we wanted them to go away a little bit easy last game and that obviously wasn’t the case. … We’ve got to bring our A-plus game to take these guys out.”

The Flyers dropped consecutive games for just the second time since Feb. 26.

The scene at PPG Paints Arena ahead of Flyers-Penguins Game 5. pic.twitter.com/xki4g7W7Cd

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) April 27, 2026

• Dan Vladar converted 18 saves on 21 shots.

On Letang’s goal, the Flyers’ netminder tried to glove a high shot. The puck ended up ricocheting off the boards and then Vladar’s skate as Pittsburgh took its lead back.

The Penguins struck just 2:45 minutes into the game. Elmer Soderblom scored from the slot after Anthony Mantha had a textbook forecheck on Rasmus Ristolainen.

Vladar gave his team a really solid third period, but the Flyers couldn’t rally.

Arturs Silovs, making his second straight start for Pittsburgh, stopped 18 of the Flyers’ 20 shots.

He denied Porter Martone with under a minute to go.

The Flyers’ league-worst power play went 0 for 2 and is just 2 for 15 in the series.

• As expected, Matvei Michkov was a healthy scratch. Bump entered the lineup for his first career NHL playoff game.

The 22-year-old said he was “stoked” to play and he looked it. His second-period goal came just 12 seconds after Connor Dewar had the building abuzz. The Penguins’ fourth-line winger took advantage of the Flyers failing to clear the zone and cushioned his team’s lead to 2-0.

But Bump quickly quieted the crowd with an excellent move to the net.

The rookie winger was noticeable from the onset. On his first shift, he fired a shot and had a hit.

Bump did exactly what the Flyers were hoping for in his postseason debut. He’ll definitely always remember PPG Paints Arena. His first goal in both the regular season and playoffs came here.

• Sidney Crosby exited briefly in the second period when a shot from his teammate nailed his left leg.

The future Hall of Fame center returned and assisted Letang’s go-ahead goal.

Crosby has put up back-to-back multi-point efforts after recording just an assist through the first three games.

• The series shifts back to Philadelphia for Game 6 on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

The Vegas Golden Knights are looking to bounce back after falling behind 2-1 in their series against the Utah Mammoth. They’ll get their chance in Game 4 on Monday at the Delta Center.

Game 3 was last on Friday at the Delta Center. The Golden Knights started strong, outshooting the Mammoth 12-2 through the first 12 minutes. However, the Mammoth made the most of their limited scoring chances and jumped out to a crushing 4-0 lead in the second period. The Golden Knights pushed, but couldn’t mount a comeback and lost 4-2.

Puck drop for Game 4 is scheduled for 6:50 p.m. PST.

Carter Hart will start in goal for the Golden Knights. Hart has a 1-2 record and a .892 average save percentage in three games this postseason.

Karel Vejmelka will start in goal for the Mammoth. Vejmelka has a 2-1 record and a .916 average save percentage in three games this postseason.

Golden Knights Lines

Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev

Reilly Smith — Mitch Marner — Mark Stone

Brett Howden — Tomáš Hertl — Keegan Kolesar

Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Colton Sissons

Defense

Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore

Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson

Jeremy Lauzon — Kaedan Korczak

Goaltenders: Carter Hart / Adin Hill

Mammoth Lines

Clayton Keller — Nick Schmaltz — Lawson Crouse

Kailer Yamamoto — Logan Cooley — Dylan Guenther

JJ Peterka — Alex Kerfoot — Michael Carcone

Liam O’Brien — Kevin Stenlund — Brandon Tanev

Defense

Mikhail Sergachev — MacKenzie Weegar

Nate Schmidt — John Marino

Ian Cole — Sean Durzi

Goaltenders: Karel Vejmelka / Vitek Vaněček

Special Teams

VGK power play: 22.2%, 5th

VGK penalty kill: 83.3%, 8th

Mammoth power play: 16.7%, 9th

Mammoth penalty kill: 77.8%, 12th

Game Notes

Tonight’s game could very well decide the fate of the Golden Knights’ season. Historically, teams that go up 3-1 go on to win the series 91.0% of the time.

The Golden Knights are 10-8in Game 4s in franchise history.

With an assist in Game 3, Mark Stone recorded his 75th playoff point (38-37-75) with the Golden Knights. He’s tied with Jonathan Marchessault for the most in franchise history.

After going 0-fer their last five power play opportunities, the Golden Knights are changing up their units.

Despite a shaky performance from Carter Hart in Game 3, Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella remains fully confident in his starting goaltender.

How to Watch

TV: Vegas 34, ESPN

Streaming: KnightTime+

Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 94.7/1340, Deportes Vegas 1460

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

While the Stanley Cup Playoffs are in full swing, the Detroit Red Wings are once again watching from home after they extended their absence to a 10th straight season.

Not only are the Red Wings in the midst of the longest playoff drought in franchise history, now spanning 100 years, but they also hold the NHL’s longest active postseason drought.

That distinction comes after the Buffalo Sabres ended their 14-year drought earlier this spring and are now one win away from advancing to the second round.

Last week, Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman held his season-ending media availability session and made it clear that not only is he disappointed with how things played out, but that he recognized warning signs even amidst what was an advantageous position in the standings for Detroit in January and February. 

He also made it clear that the club simply needs more talent on the roster. 

“We need better players,” Yzerman said. “We need to improve specifically in certain areas. We can talk about goal scoring; we need to improve in that area, particularly five-on-five.

“Collectively, if you’re watching the playoffs, and I’m assuming and I’m hoping our players are, to play with the intensity and determination needed to be successful to make the playoffs and get there," he continued. "But ultimately it’s incumbent upon me and my staff to improve the team.”

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Yzerman's press conference was addressed by noted NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman during a recent airing of his "32 Thoughts" podcast. In Friedman's mind, the door is open for a "big" move for the Red Wings during the offseason, especially given Yzerman's blunt assessment of needing better players. 

Moritz Seider Joined Elite Company With 1st Red Wings Defensive Scoring Benchmark Since Nicklas LidstromDetroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider set new career-highs in goals and assists, and equaled a pair of scoring benchmarks not seen by a Red Wings defenseman since Nicklas Lidstrom.

“I think when you take a look at how hard Todd McLellan was on the Red Wings players after that last game, the 8-1 loss to Florida, and I think everyone understood why he felt that way, Yzerman and McLellan up there together and Yzerman giving him a 100 percent vote of confidence, that was a message,” Friedman said.

“And the message was, the team I put together, it's not good enough. And we already knew that from the fact that they didn't get in. But you know how sometimes managers will defend it, saying they weren't ready or had injuries, nope. He didn't sugarcoat anything."

Friedman concluded: 

“Big summer for him," he said. "He's put everyone on notice. It's tough to predict. I think it's one of those things that if they don't make a big trade this summer of some kind, or a big move this summer of some kind, people are going to be shocked. And he's walked himself into a position where he almost has to do it.”

It appears as though the door is open this offseason for a major upgrade to the Red Wings roster. 

They were linked to multiple names in the weeks and days leading up to the March NHL Trade Deadline, including Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks and Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues, though both players ultimately remained with their current clubs.

The Red Wings were also reported heavy frontrunners to land defenseman Quinn Hughes before he was ultimately traded from the Canucks to the Minnesota Wild in December. 

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The season is on the line for the Boston Bruins when they face the Buffalo Sabres in Game 5 at the KeyBank Center on Tuesday, April 28.

My top Bruins vs. Sabres predictions and NHL picks are calling for Buffalo to come through on home ice and send Boston packing.

Bruins vs Sabres Game 5 prediction

Bruins vs Sabres best bet: Sabres moneyline (-155)

The gap in five-on-five play between the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins at TD Garden the past two games has been astronomical, so I love the Sabres finishing the series off in Game 5.

Buffalo drove possession with a 61.9 Corsi For percentage and generated an eye-poping 68.4% of the expected goals when adjusted for score and venue at 5-on-5, and most importantly, the Sabres solved Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman with six goals in Game 4.

Hats off to Boston for rallying to their Game 2 win after gifting away the series opener, but this has turned ugly for the Bruins with the Sabres outscoring them 9-2 over the past two games to take a commanding 3-1 lead back home to the KeyBank Center.

Bruins vs Sabres Game 5 same-game parlay

While the Buffalo moneyline is my preference as a standalone best bet, the puck line provides a nice odds boost for this same-game parlay.

Boston hasn’t had an answer for the Tage Thompson-Alex Tuch duo, and they’ve clicked with winger Peyton Krebs for a 55.8 CF% and 63.3 xGF% at 5-on-5 while combining for 10 points during the series.

Tuch has been particularly dangerous with 2.52 expected goals and five high-danger scoring chances, with Thompson just as effective with 1.94 ixG and five HDSC, and the Bruins have also allowed the second-most goals and expected goals per 60 minutes this postseason.

Bruins vs Sabres SGP

• Sabres -1.5
• Tage Thompson Over 0.5 points
• Alex Tuch Over 0.5 points

Bruins vs Sabres odds for Game 5

• Moneyline: Bruins +140 | Sabres -170
• Puck Line: Bruins +1.5 (-180) | Sabres -1.5 (+145)
• Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-125) | Under 5.5 (+105)

Bruins vs Sabres trend

The Buffalo Sabres have covered the puck line in seven of their last nine games (+7.00 Units / 48% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Bruins vs. Sabres.

How to watch Bruins vs Sabres Game 5

Bruins vs Sabres latest injuries

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Sunday night’s Game 4 between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning sparked outrage from fans and the ire of both coaches at times because of the inconsistency in the referees’ calls. The same can be said about the Canadiens’ players, who were rather frustrated just after the game, which is hardly surprising given what’s at stake.

As always, the matter was discussed at length on social media with plenty of slow-motion versions of the Oliver Kapanen high-stick call. But the truth of the matter is, Game 4 is over, and there’s no going back. The Canadiens have to turn over a new leaf and focus on what’s ahead rather than what’s behind. After all, the series is still tied 2-2, and there’s plenty left to play for.

Canadiens’ Guhle Had Big Game
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On Monday morning, former NHLer and Stanley Cup Champion in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks, Chris Pronger took to X with an important piece of advice:

There are always going to be calls you don’t like, especially this time of the year. You can’t control the whistle. You can control your response. Stay disciplined. Stay locked in. Play your game. That’s how you win when it matters the most.

There are always going to be calls you don’t like especially this time of year.

You can’t control the whistle.
You can control your response.

Stay disciplined. Stay locked in. Play your game.

That’s how you win when it matters most. pic.twitter.com/N68MefqaHh

— Chris Pronger (@chrispronger) April 27, 2026

In a nutshell, that’s exactly what the Canadiens must do on Wednesday night: they have to move on and focus on not giving the referees an opportunity to make calls. Martin St-Louis said it; he believes the Bolts are very good at making the Habs take penalties, that’s a trap he has to make his men avoid.

At the same time, they would do well to keep a close eye on Nikita Kucherov, the star forward, who has shown quite a temper in the past and was getting frustrated at times on Sunday. Montreal’s physical players should do everything in their power to mess with his concentration, because when he gets worked up, he can lash out and put Montreal on the power play.

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The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs mean a major change in the overtime format.

Unlike the Olympics, where 3-on-3 overtime is played even in the gold medal game, the NHL switches things up in the postseason when the games matter more.

There won't be any more 3-on-3 play. It is 5-on-5 instead, just like in regulation play. There won't be any more shootouts after five minutes of scoreless overtime play. There is sudden death, and it could last a very long time.

This postseason, there have been eight overtime games, including two double-overtime games.

Here's what to know about playoff hockey overtime, including the format, longest games and 2026 results.

How does OT work in NHL playoffs?

If the score is tied after three periods, the teams go to the dressing rooms for 15 minutes while the ice is resurfaced. Overtime periods last 20 minutes or until someone scores. It's 5-on-5 play (barring penalties). If no one scores in the first overtime, the process repeats and continues until someone scores. The teams change sides for each overtime period. The first overtime is the long change to get back to the bench.

The NHL Situation Room reviews all goals to make sure they are legally scored, such as the goal that ended Game 4 of the Anaheim-Edmonton series.

2026 NHL playoff overtime games

April 26:Ducks 4, Oilers 3. Ryan Poehling 2:29 into the first overtime to give Anaheim a 3-1 series lead.

RYAN POEHLING IS YOUR @ENERGIZER OVERTIME HERO! 🦸‍♂️

ANAHEIM LEADS 3-1 IN THIS #STANLEYCUP PLAYOFFS SERIES! pic.twitter.com/zYYO1Xt4Cl

— NHL (@NHL) April 27, 2026

April 25:Wild 3, Stars 2. Matt Boldy scored at 19:31 of the first overtime as the Wild tie the series 2-2.

April 24:Canadiens 3, Lightning 2. Lane Hutson scored at 2:09 of the first overtime, giving Montreal a 2-1 series lead.

April 22:Stars 4, Wild 3. Wyatt Johnston scored at 12:10 of the second overtime, giving Dallas a 2-1 series lead.

April 21:Avalanche 2, Kings 1: Nicolas Roy scored the winning goal at the 12:16 mark of the first overtime, giving Colorado a 2-0 series lead.

April 21:Lightning 3, Canadiens 2: J.J. Moser scored at 7:12 in the first overtime to tie up the series at a game apiece. It was Moser's first career NHL playoff goal.

April 20:Hurricanes 3, Senators 2: Jordan Martinook scored at 13:53 of the second overtime. He was stopped on a penalty shot in the first overtime.

April 19:Canadiens 4, Lightning 3: Juraj Slafkovsky scored at 1:22 of the first overtime, completing a hat trick.

What are the longest NHL playoff overtime games?

• 1 - Six overtimes (116 minutes, 30 seconds of overtime) in the 1936 semifinals. March 24, 1935. Detroit 1, Montreal Maroons 0. Mud Bruneteau scored the winner.
• 2 - Six overtimes (104 minutes, 46 seconds of overtime) in the 1933 semifinals. April 3, 1933. Toronto 1, Boston 0. Ken Doraty scored the winner.
• 3 - Five overtimes (92 minutes, 1 second of overtime) in the 2000 conference semifinals. May 4, 2000. Philadelphia 2, Pittsburgh 1. Keith Primeau scored the winner.
• 4 - Five overtimes (90 minutes, 27 seconds of overtime) in the 2020 first round. Aug. 11, 2020. Tampa Bay 3, Columbus 2. Brayden Point scored the winner.
• 5 - Five overtimes (80 minutes, 48 seconds of overtime) in the 2003 conference semifinals. April 24, 2003. Anaheim 4, Dallas 3. Petr Sykora scored the winner.
• 6 - Four overtimes (79 minutes, 47 seconds of overtime) in the 2023 conference finals. May 18, 2023. Florida 3, Carolina 2. Matthew Tkachuk scored the winner.

Longest Stanley Cup Final games

Eight Stanley Cup Final games have gone to the third overtime. The Edmonton Oilers were part of the longest game when Petr Klima scored at 15:13 of the third overtime for a 3-2 win against the Boston Bruins in the 1990 Final.

Which players in 2026 postseason have the most playoff overtime goals?

• 5 - Corey Perry, Lightning
• 4 - Leon Draisaitl, Oilers (all in 2025 playoffs, an NHL record for one postseason)
• 3 - Brayden Point, Lightning; Jordan Staal, Hurricanes; Anze Kopitar, Kings; Artemi Panarin, Kings; Matt Duchene, Stars

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoff bracket overtime rules, 2026 results and longest games

The Colorado Avalanche have swept the Los Angeles Kings, and it was a complete team effort. It wasn’t the prettiest series, with a bunch of goals and high-flying offense on display. It was gritty, scrappy, goals banking off defenders and teammates. While it was a team effort that showed just how promising this team can be, one factor really stood out: the trade-deadline additions.

While Scott Wedgewood was near-perfect, the top players like Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Martin Necas accounted for a large share of the goals. The players brought in at this past trade deadline really stood out and made a significant impact in this series, and show that they will need to be as important as they head towards the Stanley Cup finals.

Nicolas Roy Coming Up Clutch

When acquiring Roy, he is a player who can fill out the bottom-six but can also contribute effectively, as shown by his three goals and eight assists for 11 points in the 22 games of the 2022-23 Vegas Golden Knights post-season. The start of this postseason could be another sign of how important he will be to the Avalanche and the third line with Nazem Kadri and Gabriel Landeskog. 

In four games, he finished with two goals and an assist for three points, all coming from even-strength play. His first point in the postseason was the game-winning goal in overtime in Game 2, rebounding a shot from Josh Manson on the blueline and backhanding it in to give the Avalanche a 2-0 lead heading into Los Angeles.

ROY IS THE HERO IN OVERTIME 🚨 pic.twitter.com/24pNrpy2dd

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 22, 2026

He continued his production in Game 3, helping with the scoring by setting up Landeskog, whose shot bounced off the end boards and off Anton Forsberg and in to make it 1-0. His point streak continued into Game 4 as he once again crashed the net for a loose puck rebound goal to make it 3-1 for the Avalanche in the third period.

The Landeskog-Kadri-Roy line through 26 minutes of ice time together has one of the best xGoals Against stats in the playoffs so far, to be exact, the fourth best at 0.7, while having a 53.3% xGoals%, which is higher than the Lehkonen-MacKinnon-Necas line, which sits at 52.8%

Nazem Kadri Could Heat Up In Round 2

Kadri wasn’t really “cold” in his first playoff round back with the Avalanche, but his chances just couldn’t be capitalized on. Though the stats still backed up his offensive and defensive production with Roy and Landeskog, and how important they were to the Avalanche in the first round. In the four games he played, he finished with only two assists, none on the power play (but that's another story for another day).

His first assist came in Game 3 when he set up Manson, whose shot was rebounded by Roy in overtime to secure the win. His second point came in Game 4, where he set up MacKinnon for a one-time blast to open the scoring and secure the team's first power play goal in the series.

Breaking News: Nazem Kadri Coming Home to Avalanche in Trade from FlamesThe trade heard round the world.

Though just like in their run in 2022, Kadri had a decent Round 1, finishing with three points in four games isnt nothing to scoff at but compared to his impact in Round 2, which saw him finish with seven points in six games, including a hat-trick to give the Avalanche a 3-1 lead after Game 4, we could see a similar display which will be needed if they go up against either the Dallas Stars or Minnesota Wild.

Brett Kulak Continues To Be As Reliable As Ever

Kulak's time with the Avalanche so far has been nothing but impressive. He fits a role this team can utilize so well, and he's been doing that ever since he joined the team. He continued it in the playoffs. Despite just one point in the four games, his reliability in making smart defensive plays and doing the right things offensively is what he does best, and it helps the team win.

REPORT: Avalanche Acquire Brett Kulak From Penguins in Exchange for Samuel Girard and Draft PickThe Colorado Avalanche have acquired Brett Kulak from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick

He notched his first point of the playoffs in Game 4, assisting MacKinnon when he scored on the empty net to make it 5-1 late in the third period. He leads the team in blocks with 14, and his advanced numbers really help back up his defensive play. His pairing with Sam Malinski ranks second in xGoals Against at 1.2 and third in xGoals Against Per 60 Minutes at 1.45.

Brett Kulak Delivers The Different Look Bednar WantedLess than 24 hours after arriving, Brett Kulak delivered 19 steady minutes that quietly reshaped the Avalanche blue line and stabilized their structure from the back end out.

The Avalanche will have some time to rest and recover before facing their next opponent in Round 2. Still, if there is anything to take away from Round 1, it is that the acquisitions made by General Manager Chris McFarland and Joe Sakic have already made a strong impact and are likely to continue doing so in later rounds.

Breaking: Avalanche Forced Into First Lineup Change Of Playoffs After Manson InjuryJosh Manson will miss Game 4 with an upper-body injury, forcing the Avalanche into their first lineup change of the postseason as Nick Blankenburg is set to make his playoff debut.

The Pittsburgh Penguins staved off elimination in Game 4 on Saturday and will have to do it again in Game 5 on Monday.

The Penguins played their best game of the series against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, winning 4-2. They had the lead for the entire game and were able to lock things down in the final 10 minutes of the third period to extend their season. 

Sidney Crosby opened the scoring in the first period and also assisted on Kris Letang's game-winning goal in the third period. It was by far Crosby's best game of the series, and the Penguins will need him to play at that level again in Game 5 if they want to send the series back to Philadelphia. 

Outside of Crosby and Letang, Rickard Rakell and Connor Dewar scored for the Penguins in Game 4, and goaltender Arturs Silovs made 28 saves. Silovs got the start in place of Stuart Skinner and will start again on Monday. 

The Penguins are set to go with the same forward lines and defensive pairs for Game 5. 

Here's a look at the projected lineup:

Forwards

Rakell-Crosby-Rust

Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin

Soderblom-Kindel-Mantha

Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari

Defensive pairs

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Girard-Letang

Shea-Solovyov

The Flyers will make one lineup change for this game as Matvei Michkov will come out for Alex Bump. 

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh and ESPN. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Forward Vitali Pinchuk, who was third in the KHL in goals, has signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators for the 2026-27 season.

Predators general manager Barry Trotz announced the signing Monday. Pinchuk, 24, had 31 goals and 66 points for Dinamo Minsk in the KHL.

Pinchuk is from Zhlobin, Belarus, and ranked among the top 10 KHL skaters in points per game in his fourth full season in the league. He was a three-time KHL All-Star.

Pinchuk established career highs with his 31 goals and 35 assists in the 2025-26 season. He helped Minsk reach the second round of the playoffs.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL