Category: Ice Hockey

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trevor Zegras, Rasmus Ristolainen and Nick Seeler scored three goals on four shots in the second period in Philadelphia’s first home playoff game in eight years, pushing the Flyers to the brink of a sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-2 Game 3 win on Wednesday night in their best-of-seven first-round series.

Game 4 is Saturday night in Philadelphia.

The Flyers’ trio of goal scorers gave their raucous fans more reason to celebrate than just a first home playoff game since April 22, 2018, and first home playoff win since April 20, 2016, they can clinch their first playoff series win since the 2020 bubble season — and they can do it against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.

Dan Vladar, shaken up a bit in the third with an apparent right hand or wrist injury, stopped 28 shots and again outplayed embattled Stuart Skinner in net.

Not long after Vladar was hit, Erik Karlsson scored on the power play to cut it to 3-2.

Forget the rally. Noah Cates put the finishing touches on one of the biggest Flyers’ wins in the last 16 years with a power-play goal for a 4-2 lead. Owen Tippett added an empty-netter in the waning minutes.

DUCKS 6, OILERS 4

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Cutter Gauthier broke a tie off a rebound with 4:52 left and Anaheim beat Edmonton in Game 2 to even the first-round series, with Oilers star Connor McDavid slowed by an apparent leg injury.

McDavid appeared to catch an edge early in the second period after getting tangled up with teammate Mattias Ekholm and the Ducks’ Ian Moore. McDavid briefly left the game before returning, playing just over 24 minutes.

Game 3 is Friday night in Anaheim. Edmonton opened the series Monday night with a 4-3 victory.

Gauthier put the Ducks back in front after Josh Samanski — making his playoff debut — tied it at 4 with 6:09 to go. Ryan Poehling put it away with an empty-netter with 1:10 left, his second goal of the game. He scored short-handed in the second.

Gauthier also scored on a first-period power play and set up Alex Killorn’s second-period goal on a man advantage. Killorn added two assists.

Jacob Trouba added a goal, fellow defenseman Jackson LaCombe had three assists and Lukas Dostal stopped 33 shots.

STARS 4, WILD 3, 2OT

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Wyatt Johnston scored on a power-play deflection at 12:10 of the second overtime to give Dallas a victory over Minnesota early Thursday for a 2-1 lead in the first-round series.

Matt Duchene tied it for Dallas on a power play midway through the third period, seconds after his backcheck on Matt Boldy averted a short-handed goal that would’ve put Minnesota up by two.

After the Wild failed to convert two overtime power plays, finishing 1 for 7 with the man advantage, the Stars took advantage of theirs after Danila Yurov’s delay-of-game penalty. Nils Lundkvist’s shot was knocked in by Johnston for his third goal in three games.

The game ended at 12:54 a.m.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Cutter Gauthier broke a tie off a rebound with 4:52 left and the Anaheim Ducks beat Edmonton 6-4 on Wednesday night in Game 2 to even the first-round series, with Oilers star Connor McDavid slowed by an apparent leg injury.

McDavid appeared to catch an edge early in the second period after getting tangled up with teammate Mattias Ekholm and the Ducks’ Ian Moore. McDavid briefly left the game before returning, playing just over 24 minutes.

Game 3 is Friday night in Anaheim. Edmonton opened the series Monday night with a 4-3 victory.

Gauthier put the Ducks back in front after Josh Samanski — making his playoff debut — tied it at 4 with 6:09 to go. Ryan Poehling put it away with an empty-netter with 1:10 left, his second goal of the game. He scored short-handed in the second.

Gauthier also scored on a first-period power play and set up Alex Killorn's second-period goal on a man advantage. Killorn added two assists.

Jacob Trouba added a goal, fellow defenseman Jackson LaCombe had three assists and Lukas Dostal stopped 33 shots.

Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist for Edmonton. He returned for Game 1 from a lower-body injury against Nashville on March 15.

Connor Murphy and Zach Hyman also scored for the Oilers, and Connor Ingram made 22 saves.

___

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

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin being back in the NHL playoffs after a three-year absence is considered a boost for television ratings.

But unless the Pittsburgh Penguins can turn things around on Saturday, April 25, their time in the 2026 postseason will be a short one.

The Philadelphia Flyers are on the verge of sweeping the cross-state rival Penguins after a 5-2 victory on Wednesday, April 22.

The Flyers are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2020. They won both games in Pittsburgh before winning at home on Wednesday for a 3-0 series lead. Only four NHL teams have overcome that big a deficit to win a series.

Here's why the Flyers have a big lead in their first round series:

Flyers entered the series with momentum

Philadelphia was nine points out of a playoff spot on March 10 but went 12-4 down the stretch to finish third in the Metropolitan Division. They have carried that momentum into this series.

Sidney Crosby is being limited

The Flyers have been using defenseman Travis Sanheim against Crosby, his Canadian Olympic teammate. Sanheim and company have been playing a physical game against the Penguins captain. He cross-checked Crosby several times late in Game 2, drawing a retaliatory slash. Crosby picked up his first point on Wednesday. He also picked up his third penalty of the series, an embellishment call after he was high-sticked by Garnet Hathaway.

Flyers getting scoring through the lineup

Porter Martone got the attention as the first NHL teenager to score game-winning goals in his first two playoff games. But the Flyers' fourth line has been dangerous, too. Luke Glendening and Hathaway scored in Game 2. The line also scored twice in Game 3, with captain Sean Couturier picking up two assists. Flyers defensemen have four goals.

The Penguins moved Rickard Rakell back to the Crosby line and reinserted Justin Brazeau in the lineup for Game 3, but it wasn't enough. Only six Pittsburgh players have a point in the series, compared with the Flyers' 15.

Dan Vladar has been strong in net

Vladar, who shined this season after being signed as a free agent, has continued that in the playoffs. He has a 1.33 goals-against average and .947 save percentage, stopping 71 of 75 shots and getting a Game 2 shutout. He even made a save in Game 3 after a shot knocked off his skate blade.

Dan Vladar’s skate blade got KNOCKED OFF CLEAN by Chinakhov’s shot and didn’t realize until he stood up 😳 pic.twitter.com/DjCRHIYYqn

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 23, 2026

Flyers have edge in special teams battle

The Penguins were held without a power-play goal on seven attempts in the first two games, managing only three shots, and the Flyers scored a short-handed goal in Game 2. Pittsburgh finally connected in Game 3 − twice − but the Flyers responded with their first two power-play goals of the series. The Penguins had the seventh-best power play in the regular season while the Flyers were last. So the slight edge is a good sign for Philadelphia.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Philadelphia Flyers are on verge of sweeping Pittsburgh Penguins

The Philadelphia Flyers are just one win away from sending the arch-rival Pittsburgh Penguins packing from the Stanley Cup playoffs, and they were led by a unit nobody expected to carry the load.

Trevor Zegras, Nick Seeler, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Noah Cates all scored their first NHL playoff goals, with Sean Couturier and Noah Juulsen each recording two assists.

It was Couturier's unit, with Garnet Hathaway and Luke Glendening, that spearheaded the Flyers' charge and comeback from a dismal start.

"I'm not sure what it was," Ristolainen said. "But obviously we didn't start as well as we started the first two games on the road."

Evgeni Malkin gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead with a power play goal that stemmed from a Couturier penalty, but the captain led by example from there on out.

The Flyers launched a furious second-period comeback, which was ignited by a scrum that initially began as just Travis Konecny and Bryan Rust scrapping after the whistle.

Flyers' Porter Martone Makes NHL History After Latest Big Playoff GameFlyers top prospect Porter Martone is thriving right now, and he has made some NHL history because of it.

"There's a scrum there, and we get the extra penalty. That changed everything, and then it took a long time to get it all sorted out," Penguins head coach Dan Muse said after the game. 

"Can we do things better to get momentum back? Sure, but I don't think it should have factored in the way it did today."

Muse's frustration was a bit misplaced, given the Penguins had five power plays to the Flyers' three.

Matvei Michkov was whistled three times: once for roughing in the aforementioned scrum, once for embellishing an Evgeni Malkin cross check, and once for roughing after coming to the defense of goalie Dan Vladar after a whistle.

Zegras, Ristolainen, and Seeler tallied within six minutes of each other to put the Flyers up 3-1 in the second period, and while a tentative start to the final frame saw the Penguins pull one back at 3-2, the Flyers settled in from there.

Cates posted up on Stuart Skinner in the blue paint, received a pass from Zegras, opened his hips and pivoted inside to make a nifty move in close and finish inside the far post.

Forward Owen Tippett scored an empty-net goal, his first playoff tuck since May 16, 2021, to seal an intense 5-2 win.

Flyers' Owen Tippett Has Permanently Silenced NHL Trade RumorsAfter his highlight-reel assist in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Philadelphia Flyers forward Owen Tippett might never be involved in NHL trade rumors again.

"I think at the start of the third there, maybe we were sitting back a little bit," Konecny assessed. "Once we found our legs again and started playing, not to try to win the game by sitting back, but by playing aggressive, I thought we did a good job."

Where and when the Flyers truly turned the tide, though, was halfway through the first period, when Garnet Hathaway and Sean Couturier doled out big hits on Penguins players to bring the Xfinity Mobile Arena faithful back to life.

From there, the Flyers were able to assert themselves more confidently as a group, and they did so after watching their leaders lead by example.

Tippett recorded a whopping 11 hits, accounting for 25% of the team's 44 hits on his own. Porter Martone added six, Hathaway had four, and Couturier and Glendening each had two.

"He just does everything the right way. Never complains. Really underrated move by Danny [Briere]. I don't think people really realize, we pick this guy up off waivers like nothing, and all of a sudden this guy's been a big cog for that fourth line," head coach Rick Tocchet said of Glendening.

"That fourth line has really given us an identity, especially these playoffs, but even before that."

Now, the band of misfits identity that the Flyers proudly boast has guided them to a stunning 3-0 series lead against the Penguins in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

On Saturday, they'll have the opportunity to sweep the Penguins on home ice.

Pregame

The Penguins enter Game 3 with some adjusted forward lines, left wings shuffled all around the first three lines from the start of last game. Otherwise it’s the same, including Stuart Skinner back in net.

Tonight's lines for Game 3 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/824fKeGsUk

— x – Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 22, 2026

The Flyers are sticking with what’s been working to this point by using the same players and combos.

#Flyers Game 3 warmup lines vs. PIT

Foerster – Zegras – Tippett
Konecny – Dvorak – Martone
Barkey – Cates – Michkov
Glendening – Couturier – Hathaway

Sanheim – Ristolainen
York – Drysdale
Seeler – Juulsen

Vladar starts in net, Ersson backs him up.

— Siobhan Nolan (@SGNolan) April 22, 2026

First period

It’s a good start for the Penguins, the road venue doesn’t make any impact. Pittsburgh gets the first few shots and then the first power play when Sean Couturier trips up Sam Girard. Lo and behold, they score a goal on that power play, the first of the series, to take their first lead in a game. Sidney Crosby passes to Bryan Rust, who quickly feeds Evgeni Malkin at the other side of the crease. Malkin knocks it home, 1-0 Pens.

MALKIN MAGIC ON THE POWER PLAY 🪄 pic.twitter.com/h8BPIs5Gkf

— x – Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 22, 2026

Late in the period, before a faceoff Garnet Hathaway flung his stick up behind his back and it went inside the visor of Crosby, who fell to the ice. Crosby stayed down a minute after it. The refs send both players off the ice, feeling Crosby milked it a little too much once the crowd and Hathaway threw a fit over it. Maybe he shouldn’t have been swinging his stick around the eyeball of a Mount Rushmore player?

First period ends with the shots 11-11, which is much more the type and style of game that the Penguins want to play compared to the quagmire that those early games of getting very few shots in the first. Pittsburgh up on the board 1-zippy.

Second period

The ref show continues in the second period, Travis Konecny hits Kris Letang after a whistle, Letang joins Konecny in the penalty box after a halfhearted response. Then on the ensuing 4v4, Erik Karlsson gets rung up on a tripping infraction that didn’t create or deny a scoring chance or change possession of the puck. Philadelphia gets a long 4v3 power play. Skinner stops Porter Martone in front of the net on the best scoring chance they get.

As soon as Konecny gets out of the box he’s right back on his BS giving Rust an elbow to the head. This sends Rust off the deep end as they scrap after the whistle. Somehow out of the scrum all 10 skaters on the ice end up in the penalty box for roughing and Rust picks up an extra minor for…unknown reasons.

HUUUUGGEEE scrum mainly between Konecny and Rust resulted in A LOT of penalties… pic.twitter.com/wn7AEHJR4B

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 23, 2026

The delays to sort it out take so long that Crosby and Malkin leave the bench to stretch their legs and warm up, complete loss of control by the refs.

Finally play resumes with a Philadelphia 5v4 power play, and they get their first PPG when Trevor Zegras hammers a one-timer by Skinner. 1-1 game.

Z TEES IT UP. #PITvsPHI | #IgniteTheOrangepic.twitter.com/Y6Im3R8OMZ

— x – Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 23, 2026

The Flyers can’t stop Flyering, Nick Seelers throws three crosschecks at Crosby away from the puck and the PEns get a power play out of it. With Rust and Karlsson still in the box, it doesn’t get much going.

That builds momentum for the Flyers, they get a long shift in the period and send some shots in that Skinner can’t smother or corral and the defense can’t clear. Philadelphia hits the post and it looks like the Pens are on the ropes. They are, Rasmus Ristolainen sneaks a long-range low shot by Skinner. 2-1 Philadelphia gets their first lead of the night.

It was a long time coming but PLAYOFF RISTO HAS ARRIVED. #IgniteTheOrangepic.twitter.com/GE35LoDJM4

— x – Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 23, 2026

The Penguins have three shots in the period and the Flyers score their third goal of the period. Connor Clifton chips a puck back to the Flyers and they get it back high and go around the horn. Seeler throws a long range shot on, there’s a bit of traffic but Skinner can’t nab it with the glove. 3-1 game.

IT IS ALL PHILADELPHIA RIGHT NOW 😱

Nick Seeler makes it 3-1 for the @NHLFlyers! #StanleyCup

🇺🇸: @NHL_on_TNT
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet & @TVASportspic.twitter.com/mIf5WVGrUX

— NHL (@NHL) April 23, 2026

The Penguins get a golden chance when Ristolainen breaks his stick and is trapped. Rust walks around him but Dan Vladar stops the shot and the follow-up can’t get there in time.

Period ends, what a doozy it was. Shots are 15-7 Philadelphia. Goals were 3-0 in the second. The Penguins have to be wondering what the hell just happened, I know I’m doing the same.

Third period

Egor Chinakhov’s hard wrister knocks the skate blade off Vladar’s skate. The refs give him a whistle, they shouldn’t have.

No stoppage for a lost skate blade (or glove). Should be playing until the whistle there… Flyers get a break there

— Scouting The Refs (@ScoutingTheRefs) April 23, 2026

A few minutes later, the Penguins get a power play, Tyson Foerster is off for tripping Ben Kindel. Rust drives the net and falls on Vladar’s arm to get a whistle and that’s as close as the Penguins get.

Soon after, a gift when Matvei Michkov getting too aggro after a whistle. This time, it strikes. Erik Karlsson booms a slapper by the blocker side of Vladar. 3-2 game with 10:21 to go.

Not done yet 🚨 pic.twitter.com/Ot317R0V7I

— x – Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 23, 2026

Anthony Mantha has one he wants back, flipping the puck over the glass for a penalty. Skinner makes his first stop of the period and it’s a big one on a Noah Cates breakaway. Cates gets his revenge, slipping behind Ryan Shea and bringing the puck forehand down low. 4-2 with 7:30 to go.

Noah's Spark. 💥#PITvsPHI | #IgniteTheOrangepic.twitter.com/AaM4e2Cv7H

— x – Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 23, 2026

The Pens get another power play with 6:32 to go, they take their timeout to gear up, nothing happening this time.

It gets down to desperation time, Skinner pulled for the extra attacker with about 3 minutes to play. Doesn’t work, Owen Tippett sinks the empty net goal with 1:12.

Some thoughts

• For matchup watch: the Pens started the Crosby line at the beginning of the first and third periods (their was a power play at the start of the second). They surely knew what that would bring with the Flyers getting last change and using the Couturier line out there to meet them.
• It always funny (but sometimes not ‘ha-ha’ funny) to watch a power play oscillate between atrocious and glorious for no reason. Everyone’s a critic (which, hey, here too) about changing personnel or changing strategy, do this, do that. The Pens dismiss all that, score on a tic-tac-toe fancy passing play that ends with a backside tap in from the same guys they wanted. They’re always going to do it their way, because it’s what they know and what they’re best at. (But that play was setup by good wall work by Rakell and Rust plus the benefit of a Flyer breaking his stick and skating off the ice for some reason. They still did need to perform better before getting to the fun stuff).
• However, it did look like there were some adjustments made at 5v5, before we get to the part where, you know, it all goes to hell. Pittsburgh put bodies to the net and then got the puck there, battling through as they went. After only recording seven total SOG in the first and second games combined, the Pens put up 10 alone in the first period of this game.
• They also schemed up a way to generate more speed through the neutral zone to bump or drop passes back and hit a player with speed to break through the layers of the Flyers’ defensive structure. Now we’ll see if Philadelphia has an adjustment for the adjustment. Nice to see the Pens’ coaches be able to install something useful that helped unlock the middle of the ice, even though ultimately they still ended up with a big goose egg with 0 5v5 goals for a second straight game.
• The second period was infuriating and all those shrewd adjustments and best laid plans unraveled and went completely down the drain. Didn’t help to have Konecny go unpunished (and at times rewarded) for stirring the pot post-whistle by targeting opponent’s heads, but the Pens got pushed way away from where they wanted to be and were finding success. It’s 2012 all over again with the game unraveling. Wasn’t fun then, isn’t fun now!
• Unravel is the word for Skinner too, which is a shame. He was so good in the early going. You could see his play and form slipping away, a puck hit his glove and he couldn’t keep close it up. Rebounds were starting to be placed in areas his team couldn’t get to them. A few seconds before the Zegras PPG, the puck rolled into Skinner’s stomach, he couldn’t stop it from rolling off it. Then the shot off the post seemed to put him on tilt, giving up a bad goal to Ristolainen seconds later to a shot he saw the whole way. Two game minutes later, another bad goal against from Seeler. Went it goes south for Skinner, it goes all the way there and very quickly. Turned out to be at the absolute worst moment, which again is a tough development since he was really good early in this game and serviceable enough up until the point where the bottom drops out.
• Will Rust losing his mind be the moment that we think back of all summer and maybe beyond? He fell for the bait. Hook, line and sinker. Handed the Flyers a power play when the Penguins were up 1-0 and doing just fine. It was all downhill from there. Personally, I find it hard to criticize someone for responding and sticking up for themselves when getting elbowed in the head but the Pens always talk about how they need to be smart, walk away, let it go. Then they just never do, and the problem with rolling around with pigs is that you end up covered in the muck and the pig likes it.
• Two power play goals aside for each team, two weak ones for Philadelphia were the difference. The Penguins going from 201 5v5 goals (2nd most in NHL) to now one 5v5 goal in three games is the story of the series. .
• There’s disappointments about as far as the eye can reach, doesn’t help that 2024 playoff Anthony Mantha showed up. The one who got scratched by Vegas. Pittsburgh was within reach at 3-2 with time left and looking somewhat stable for a comeback effort. Mantha’s careless play of the puck and the subsequent PHI PPG to extend the lead to 4-2 put the game practically out of reach

Well, that’s that. The Penguins fall into a 3-0 series hole without much hope at this point. Their even strength offense has been nonexistent. Their goaltending has shown signs of cracks to where it’s not going to be anything to lean on. They play into their opponent’s hands by lacking discipline. About all of this paragraph applied in 2012 when the Flyers went up 3-0 and it now looks practically the same 14 years later. They get one more chance on Saturday in Game 4 to earn another one after that.

Philadelphia Flyers fans love to hate Sidney Crosby.

And with the Pittsburgh Penguins captain in Philadelphia for a playoff game for the first time since 2018, they were prepared.

They booed whenever Crosby touched the puck on Wednesday, April 22, and booed when he picked up his first point of the series (getting an assist on Evgeni Malkin's goal as the Penguins ended their power play drought) for a 1-0 lead in the first period.

But the boos got louder at 18:47 of the first period. Crosby was lining up for a faceoff when Philadelphia's Garnet Hathaway caught him in the face with a high stick. Crosby dropped to the ice.

Hathaway high sticked Crosby before the draw, but Crosby was ALSO penalized for embellishment, we play 4 on 4.... pic.twitter.com/QcsGi9wg7J

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 22, 2026

Hathaway made the diving gesture and yelled at Crosby before being led to the penalty box as fans booed. On-ice officials consulted and the Penguins star was eventually called for embellishment.

The fans' boos turned to cheers.

Flyers fans are loving Sidney Crosby getting two minutes for embellishment pic.twitter.com/a2gVBZaf4m

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) April 22, 2026

TNT said it was the first time Crosby had been called for embellishment in his career.

The teams played 4-on-4 for the rest of the period and the start of the second period.

Crosby was called for two penalties in the Penguins' Game 1 loss in Pittsburgh, including a retaliatory slash that took him off the ice in the final minutes.

Flyers, Penguins penalty boxes fill up

It was standing room only in the penalty boxes in the second period when a scrum broke out, leading to 11 penalties being handed out. Pittsburgh's Bryan Rust received a double minor for roughing, leading to a Flyers' power play.

EVERYONE on the ice ended up in the penalty box, FIVE players on each side 😭🫣 https://t.co/YJKQxVlTnwpic.twitter.com/yalOSHUiU5

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 23, 2026

Trevor Zegras scored with the man advantage to tie the game 1-1. It was the Flyers' first power play goal of the series. Porter Martone, the 19-year-old Flyers rookie standout, picked up an assist.

Philadelphia added goals by Rasmus Ristolainen and Nick Seeler to take a 3-1 lead into the second intermission.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sidney Crosby called for embellishment after being high-sticked

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

For the 10th consecutive season, the Detroit Red Wings were unable to earn a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Not only is it officially the longest drought in team history, but it's also now the longest active drought in the NHL, thanks to the Buffalo Sabres finally breaking through for the first time since 2011. 

Multiple clubs that didn't make the postseason in 2024-25, like the Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, did so this spring, while the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, two of Detroit's top Atlantic Division opponents (along with Buffalo), qualified for the second straight season. 

Adding insult to injury is seeing so many former Red Wings, who played with the club as recently as last season, that are now getting a taste of playoff action.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Speaking of the Sabres, goaltender Alex Lyon, who set a new Buffalo team record (breaking the mark previously set by Dominik Hasek) with a 10-game winning streak, is back in the playoffs after spending the last two seasons with Detroit. 

Lyon, who signed a two-year contract with the Sabres last offseason, accumulated a 20-10-4 record while posting a 2.77 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage, and three shutouts in his first season with Buffalo. 

Staying in the Eastern Conference, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been getting contributions from forward Elmer Soderblom, who was never really able to put it together with Detroit.

He was dealt to the Penguins at the Trade Deadline last March, and has already shown multiple flashes of being a reliable power forward that isn't afraid to use his hulking 6'9" frame, understandably drawing frustration from Red Wings fans for his hesitancy to do so while with the Red Wings. 

Additionally, goaltender James Reimer, who played one season with Detroit in 2023-24 and spent last season with the Sabres, returned to the playoffs with the Ottawa Senators, with whom he signed after being released from his PTO tryout with the Maple Leafs in the fall. 

Moving to the Western Conference, former Red Wings Vladimir Tarasenko and Jeff Petry are back in the playoffs as members of the Minnesota Wild. Tarasenko, who managed only 11 goals in his first and only campaign in Detroit in 2024-25, more than doubled that output with the Wild, scoring 23 times. 

Petry, who signed with the Florida Panthers last offseason, was dealt to the Wild at the Trade Deadline. 

Goaltender Ville Husso, who was traded by the Red Wings to the Anaheim Ducks last season as part of the Petr Mrazek trade, is the backup to Jakub Dobes in Anaheim's first playoff appearance since 2018.

Mrazek, who was then flipped to the Ducks from the Red Wings during the summer, underwent season-ending surgery in late February. 

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Pittsburgh Penguins v. Philadelphia Flyers - Game 3 (Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pa.)  |  Wednesday, Apr. 20, 2026

Puck Drop: 7:10 p.m. ET

Penguins' projected lines and pairings:

Forwards

Rickard Rakell-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust

Evgeni Malkin-Tommy Novak-Anthony Mantha

Egor Chinakhov-Ben Kindel-Justin Brazeau

Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari

Defensemen

Parker Wotherspoon - Erik Karlsson

Sam Girard - Kris Letang

Ryan Shea - Connor Clifton

Goaltenders

Stuart Skinner (starter)

Arturs Silovs (backup)

Flyers' projected lines and pairings:

Per Siobhan Nolan of THN - Philadelphia Flyers:

Forwards

Tyson Foerster - Trevor Zegras - Owen Tippett

Travis Konecny - Christian Dvorak - Porter Martone

Denver Barkey - Noah Cates - Matvei Michkov

Luke Glendening - Sean Couturier - Garnet Hathaway

Defensemen

Travis Sanheim - Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York - Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seeler - Noah Juulsen

Goaltenders

Dan Vladar (starter)

Samuel Ersson (backup)

---

First period

- A couple of good early shifts from the Penguins thus far before Stuart Skinner stood tall in the Flyers' first surge. He continues to give them solid goaltending to start this series.

- GOAL: Evgeni Malkin makes it 1-0 for the Penguins just 4:18 into the first period. It's their first power play of the series and their first lead of the series. Wonderful puck movement from everyone on the top unit.

- This has been a tremendous start for the Penguins. They already have nine shots, and we're not even halfway through the first period. They're firing pucks from everywhere in the offensive zone. Let's see if they can keep it up. 

- END OF FIRST PERIOD: Penguins are up 1-0 and played by far their best period of the series. They were starting to break through the Flyers' neutral zone trap, though they still need to clean up a little bit in their own zone. 

We will start the second period with some 4-on-4 hockey after Garnet Hathaway high-sticked Sidney Crosby in the face, while Crosby was called for embellishment. 

---

Second period

- Massive save by Stuart Skinner at the end of a 4-on-3 power play. Porter Martone tried to beat him five-hole, but Skinner said no dice. 

- There was a massive brawl less than five minutes into the second period. Travis Konecny elbowed Bryan Rust in the face, causing Rust to snap and tackle him. It led then to the brawl. Rust got a four-minute roughing call, while everyone else got a two-minute minor. The Flyers also got a power play out of it, somehow. 

GOAL: Trevor Zegras ties the game on the power play at 5:18 into the second period. He beat Skinner clean on a one-timer. First power play goal of the series for the Flyers. 

GOAL: Rasmus Ristolainen makes it 2-1 Flyers at 9:06 of the second period. That's the first bad goal that Skinner has allowed in this series. It's now on the Penguins to respond. 

GOAL: Nick Seeler makes it 3-1 for the Flyers at 11:18 of the second period. It's another goal that Skinner would want back. He was screened a little bit, but still had enough time to track the puck. 

- END OF SECOND PERIOD: The Penguins had a great shift at the end of the second period with a lot of zone time, but couldn't do anything with it. There was a lot of nice passing, but no finish, which continues to be the story of this series. The Penguins are down 3-1 going into the third. 

---

Third period

- Penguins got a power play before the halfway point of the period and couldn't get anything out of it. Crosby had a wide-open net and somehow missed it. Dan Vladar got banged up on the play, but is staying in the game. 

GOAL: Erik Karlsson makes it a 3-2 game on the power play at 9:39 of the third period. He let it rip after a lot of passing before the puck found the back of the net. 

GOAL: Noah Cates makes it 4-2 on the power play, the Flyers' second PPG of the game at 12:30 of the third period. The Penguins' penalty kill sat back and didn't pressure the Flyers during that power play. 

GOAL: And that will do it. Owen Tippett ices the game with an empty-net goal, making it 5-2 Flyers. They now have a 3-0 series lead and will look to sweep the Penguins on Saturday night. 

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The Detroit Red Wings had put themselves in a prime position to be buyers at the NHL Trade Deadline this past March for the first time in a decade. 

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman did just that, bringing back veteran forward David Perron from the Ottawa Senators, while also acquiring right-handed defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues.

In return for Faulk, the Red Wing sent defenseman Justin Holl, a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, and forward prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov back to the Blues. 

Faulk fit in nicely with the Red Wings, forming a defensive pair with Ben Chiarot, and scored five goals with three assists in the 16 games he appeared in following the trade.

Unfortunately, the Red Wings were in the early stages of unraveling yet again in March, at the time of Faulk's acquisition, and they ultimately finished on the outside looking in at the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 10th straight season. 

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"Ultimately, there's a lot of frustration with not getting in," Faulk said of how things finished for Detroit. "It's hard, it's hard to get in the playoffs, and it's a hard stretch to go through. Mentally, like I said, it's frustrating right now. It's something that's a goal along the way, I think the ultimate goal is to try and win a Stanley Cup."

"There's a lot of processing and steps before that, but you have to get in the playoffs to give yourself a chance," Faulk continued. "I think we all know in this League that if anyone gets in, there's a chance. There are upsets every year, teams go on runs. You've gotta get your foot in the door, but where we're sitting, it's not a great feeling." 

As for his transition to the Red Wings, Faulk had already heard plenty about the organization from players who experienced both sides of what was once a heated Western Conference rivalry. It also helped that his former Blues teammate, David Perron, was back in the fold to make the adjustment smoother.

"Yeah, ultimately, I thought it went pretty well," Faulk said of the transition to Detroit from St. Louis. "I've said this a little bit I think, but I played with David Perron in St. Louis, and I had some other guys that we made a few trades over the years back and forth. We got Nick Leddy, I think (Ville) Husso ended up here, and Oskar Sundqvist and whatnot. So, I've known plenty of guys who have had a lot of familiarity with this organization, so nothing was really too unknown to me." 

"Obviously, there's a lot of getting to know people and feeling it out, but the organization as a whole, those guys have filled me in, and David Perron made life a lot easier for me," Faulk continued. "Showed me how to get around town, all the little things outside the rink that get unnoticed, and you get into a flow when you're in a situation for a while.

The transition was pretty smooth." 

Faulk, who has tallied a total of 146 goals with 352 assists across 1,058 career games played with the Carolina Hurricanes, Blues, and Red Wings, is signed through the end of next season. 

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The San Jose Barracuda, the American Hockey League affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, start the postseason tonight in Henderson, NV as they face the Henderson Silver Knights. Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting players to watch heading into the playoffs.

Kasper Halttunen

During his time with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, Kasper Halttunen’s offensive production always found a higher gear in the playoffs. Halttunen, the Sharks’ second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, had a respectable rookie season in the AHL, scoring 16 goals and 35 points in 69 games with the Barracuda. 

Back in November, Elite Prospects scout David St-Louis wrote, “Kasper Halttunen is taking steps toward becoming more of a complete power forward in the AHL, forechecking with more intensity, using his body, and helping defensively. He’s winning battles and making short passes to the middle.” Although he had a few dry spells throughout the season, his goal scoring was picking up when the regular season came to an end as well, with three goals in his last five games.

Igor Chernyshov

This one seems a bit obvious, but Igor Chernyshov can be a game-changer for the Barracuda in the playoffs. He was playing very well for the Barracuda during his time in the AHL this season, but Chernyshov seemed to really find another level during the last month of the season when he was playing in the NHL. 

With the Barracuda, he scored 13 goals and 33 points in 41 games this season. Meanwhile, with the Sharks, he scored nine goals and 19 points in just 28 games. Given his performances to close out the 2025-26 regular season with the Sharks, this will likely be the last time we see Chernyshov in the AHL.

Nolan Allan

During Sharks general manager Mike Grier’s exit interview, one player he mentioned by name when discussing the future of their blue line was Nolan Allan. The 22-year-old defenseman is known for his strong skating ability and defensive play, plus he already has some NHL experience under his belt as well. 

As a member of the Chicago Blackhawks organization, Allan played 43 games in the NHL during the 2024-25 season. During that time, he scored a goal and seven assists while being a -13. While he’s not a player that should be expected to contribute a lot of offense at any level, the Sharks need to figure out a way to keep the puck out of their own net, which means Allan could be on the shortlist for an NHL job as soon as next season. He’s not the flashiest player in the world by any means, but he’s a player to keep an eye on this postseason.

Filip Bystedt

The Barracuda’s leading scorer this season, Filip Bystedt, was a player who needed to take a major step forward this season. Entering the 2025-26 season, his production during his limited time in the AHL was a bit disappointing for a prospect of his caliber, but he seems to have adapted to the North American game fairly well at this stage in his career.

The Sharks’ 27th overall pick in 2022, Bystedt finished the regular season with 22 goals and 60 points in 65 games. Despite his strong play this season, he’s a player who still hasn’t gotten a look at the NHL level, but a strong playoff performance could help him out when training camp comes around in the fall. As a 22-year-old, there’s still time for Bystedt to break into the NHL and be an impact player, but it’s starting to reach the point where questions can start to arise in the near future if he doesn’t earn a spot on the Sharks.

Luca Cagnoni

It seems like there’s a high chance that Luca Cagnoni will be on the Sharks’ opening night roster for the 2026-27 season unless Mike Grier makes some major additions to the blue line over the summer. Grier has expressed his desire for a puck-moving defenseman on the Sharks, and internally, Cagnoni would be the option that makes sense to fill that role. He earned a “tryout” with the Sharks, so to speak, at the end of the NHL season, appearing in their final three games of the season. 

Despite not recording a point in his three games with the Sharks this season, Cagnoni certainly didn’t look out of place and showed some signs that he’s on the verge of being NHL-ready. Much like Chernyshov, there’s a good chance that this postseason could be the last time we see Cagnoni in the AHL, but it seems like less of a sure thing at this stage. 

Honorable Mention: Leo Sahlin Wallenius

Leo Sahlin Wallenius was the Sharks’ most recent addition to the Barracuda, as he was loaned to the AHL on Wednesday afternoon. It’s unknown when he’ll join their lineup, but it’s hard to imagine he’d play in Game 1 against the Silver Knights tonight. 

As another puck-moving defenseman, Sahlin Wallenius would be an intriguing player to watch at the AHL level. He’ll be learning to adapt to North American ice on the fly, and his physicality is one of the biggest concerns surrounding his game. As a result, the playoffs will be a difficult place for him to learn the intricacies of North American hockey, but it would certainly be interesting to see how well he can adapt.

Despite icing a roster rich with talent, the Vegas Golden Knights often find themselves in an offensive rut. Their season has been defined by highs and lows, all dictated by game-to-game shooting percentages and a sporadic inability to finish.

Struggling to score isn’t a new issue for the Golden Knights— this has been a problem for a few years now. This struggle is, of course, most evident in the playoffs because of how little time and space they have. Everyone always says that it’s harder to score in the postseason. And for the third year in a row, an inability to solve that particular problem might send the Golden Knights to an early vacation.

The Golden Knights have scored just three goals at 5-on-5 over the first two games of this series against the Utah Mammoth. Two of those three goals came in Game 1, and they both came from the fourth line composed of Cole Smith, Nic Dowd, and Colton Sissons. That’s been their best line at 5-on-5, which simply can’t continue.

In a seven-game series, it’s important not to get too high or too low. It’s not yet time to hit the panic button. But alarms have to be flashing as a familiar demon rears its ugly head once more.

Their saving grace has been their power play, which helped them win Game 1 and kept them in Game 2. But even if the Golden Knights boasted a power play to rival the one that the Edmonton Oilers had in 2023, that’s not a long-term recipe for success.

The Mammoth seemed to break through at 5-on-5 in Game 2, and it’s up to the Golden Knights to respond on Friday. 

Utah’s brightest stars are showing up, and the Golden Knights can’t say the same. They also haven’t found an answer for Kailer Yamamoto, Logan Cooley, and Dylan Guenther. In 17:19 TOI, that line outshot their opponents 13-5 and outscored them 2-0. And it’s not a fluke— they’ve generated five high-danger scoring chances while limiting their opponents to one.

And just think: for the next two games, the Mammoth have the last change.

Quite frankly, if the Golden Knights didn’t have such a strong penalty kill, they would likely be on their way to Salt Lake City down 2-0 in the series. Their penalty kill, which was tied for 6th in the league during the regular season, remains one of their greatest strengths. That success when down a man has carried over into the playoffs, and the Mammoth are 0-fer on five power play chances.

But the Mammoth are probably going to score a power play goal eventually. And when that happens, the Golden Knights will need to respond by breaking through at 5-on-5 unless they want to see their season abruptly end.

Playoffs return to Philly with a bang as Flyers take stranglehold of Penguins originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

If anyone thought the rivalry between the Flyers and Penguins had lost its luster, they can think again.

The dislike between these two teams was alive and well Wednesday night as this best-of-seven first-round playoff series shifted to Philadelphia for Game 3.

The Flyers fueled off the intensity of the game and their rabid crowd to notch a 5-2 win over Pittsburgh at Xfinity Mobile Arena, which featured a sea of orange in the stands.

The victory handed Rick Tocchet’s club a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Trevor Zegras, Rasmus Ristolainen and Nick Seeler ripped off three goals in a feisty and decisive second period.

Noah Cates provided crucial insurance with a power play goal in the third period after Pittsburgh cut the Flyers’ deficit to one.

Owen Tippett iced the game with an empty-netter.

The Flyers enjoyed their first home playoff game in exactly eight years (the 2020 postseason was in the bubble). The last time the fan base saw playoff action in Philadelphia was April 22, 2018, when the Flyers lost a first-round Game 6 to the Penguins.

Michal Neuvirth was in net for the Flyers. The team’s defense featured Shayne Gostisbehere, Ivan Provorov, Radko Gudas, Andrew MacDonald, Brandon Manning and Robert Hagg. Porter Martone was just 11 years old.

In this series, the Flyers have outscored Pittsburgh 11-4 through three games. They’re one win away from advancing to the second round.

Flyers’ introduction and starters as playoff hockey returns to Philly for first time since 2018. pic.twitter.com/cpABa7UsMG

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) April 22, 2026

• The game went completely upside down just 4:33 minutes into the second period.

Travis Konecny, the Flyers’ emotional leader, was pinned to the ice by Bryan Rust behind the Penguins’ net. Konecny’s helmet was knocked off as Rust gave him some shots.

The Flyers, along with Konecny, became incensed. And the chaos loaded up the penalty boxes.

When the dust finally settled, the Flyers were awarded a power play. The Flyers and Pittsburgh each had five players whistled for roughing, but Rust received four minutes.

The Flyers took advantage of the power play when Zegras tied the game at 1-1 on a slap shot from the circle. At that point, Xfinity Mobile Arena had turned into a madhouse.

The Flyers made it a game-changing second period. They built on the energy as Ristolainen scored his first career playoff goal in his 13th NHL season before Seeler joined the fun with a blast from the blue line.

The three goals came in the span of six minutes. The Flyers went into second intermission with a 3-1 lead and all of the momentum.

Flyers fans went bonkers when the fifth Penguin took his place in the penalty box. pic.twitter.com/deefvWtOdL

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) April 23, 2026

• Coming off his first shutout with the Flyers, Dan Vladar converted 28 saves on 30 shots in Game 3.

The 28-year-old continued to be the Flyers’ all-important piece.

Vladar appeared to survive an injury scare in the third period. He was shaking his right blocker hand after Rust tried to make a play around the crease on a Pittsburgh power play.

After an injury stoppage, Vladar was able to stay in the game. Fans chanted his nickname of “Vladdy.”

The Flyers avoided damange on that Penguins power play. However, Matvei Michkov then committed an ill-timed roughing penalty. Pittsburgh capitalized as Erik Karlsson trimmed the Flyers’ lead to 3-2 a little under midway through the final stanza.

But Cates responded.

Penguins netminder Stuart Skinner stopped 24 of 28 shots.

As the Flyers surged ahead, 2-1, in the span of just 3:48 minutes, fans started to chant Skinner’s last name. Seeler then zipped a long-distance shot past Skinner’s glove to pad the Flyers’ lead and elicit more chants.

Flyers fans are chanting Stuart Skinner’s last name. pic.twitter.com/HN9eT39jnm

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) April 23, 2026

• After the Flyers held Sidney Crosby scoreless over the first two games of the series, the three-time Stanley Cup champion picked up an assist just 4:18 minutes into Game 3.

Pittsburgh’s power play struck for the first time in the series after Sean Couturier was whistled for tripping. Evgeni Malkin finished off a tic-tac-toe sequence to give the Penguins a 1-0 edge, their first lead of the series.

Some theatrics ensued late in the first period with Crosby and Garnet Hathaway. The Flyers’ winger clipped Crosby in the face with his stick as Pittsburgh’s center was preparing to take a faceoff.

Hathaway was whistled for high-sticking, but he was also visibly adamant that Crosby took a dive. After consultation, the officials hit Crosby with an embellishment penalty, evening out the infractions.

• The Flyers and Penguins have two days before the series resumes Saturday with Game 4 at Xfinity Mobile Arena (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

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Will the move to Crypto.com Arena be enough for the Los Angeles Kings to top the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, April 23?

My top Avalanche and Kings predictions and NHL picks think otherwise. The Avs have dominated the play throughout the first two games of the series, and I’m anticipating the Colorado offense to fill the net in Game 3.

Avalanche vs Kings Game 3 prediction

Avalanche vs Kings best bet: Avalanche moneyline (-155)

Hats off to the Los Angeles Kings for holding the Colorado Avalanche largely in check through the first two games of the series, but the levee breaks in Game 3.

Colorado has driven the play and been the more dangerous team with a 56.2 CF% and 59.3 xGF% at five-on-five, and the Avs have limited the Kings to just two goals, 5.69 expected goals, and 20 high-danger scoring chances through two games.

Additionally, as noted, I’m anticipating the Colorado offense to solve Los Angeles goalie Anton Forsberg in Game 3. His .901 save percentage across 124 games the past four years is solid, but unspectacular, and it’s also far more reflective of the skillset than his .939 mark in Round 1.

Avalanche vs Kings Game 3 same-game parlay

While I’m anticipating the statistical correction ahead of Forsberg to be a driving force in this Game 3 total going Over the number, Avs starter Scott Wedgewood isn’t going to maintain his own high level of play through the entire series. He’s sporting an equally unsustainable .960 SV% with 3.69 goals saved above expected through two games.

Colorado winger Martin Necas rounds out the same-game parlay, and he’s been held to a single assist despite being on the ice for 4.93 expected goals through two games. So, after hitting 100 points during the regular season, I’m expecting the Czech star to mark the scoresheet on Thursday.

Avalanche vs Kings SGP

• Avalanche -1.5
• Over 5.5
• Martin Necas Over 0.5 points

Avalanche vs Kings Game 3 goal scorer pick

Martin Necas (+195)

Sticking with Colorado winger Martin Necas, he's paced the club in individual expected goals during the series (1.22), and he’s also failed to find the back of the net in five consecutive games dating back to the regular season despite recording 17 shots and eight high-danger scoring chances. After scoring 38 times during the regular season, Necas breaks through and finds the back of the net in Game 3.

Avalanche vs Kings odds for Game 3

• Moneyline: Avalanche -155 | Kings +130
• Puck Line: Avalanche -1.5 (+160) | Kings +1.5 (-200)
• Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-115) | Under 5.5 (-105)

Avalanche vs Kings trend

The Colorado Avalanche have won 14 of their last 15 away games (+12.20 Units / 49% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Avalanche vs. Kings.

How to watch Avalanche vs Kings Game 3

Avalanche vs Kings latest injuries

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