In just under two weeks, the NHL will conduct the 2026 draft lottery. May 5, 2026, will be a significant day in franchise history as the Vancouver Canucks enter the draft lottery with the best odds at landing first overall. With potential franchise-altering players at the top of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the Canucks hope that, for the first time, the lottery balls bounce their way and Vancouver leaves the lottery with a victory. 

One of the big questions leading into the draft lottery is whether the Canucks will name their new General Manager before May 5. After firing Patrik Allvin less than a week ago, the Canucks have reportedly already started the search for the next GM. Many names have already been connected to the job, including Ryan Johnson, who is currently one of Vancouver's Assistant GMs.

According to a new report by TSN's Darren Dreger, the Canucks goal is to have a GM in place before the draft lottery. Dreger revealed the potential timeline while making an appearance on Sekeres and Price. In his report, Dreger revealed why Vancouver wants to get this hiring done sooner rather than later. 

"Well, the hope is that they get something done around the draft lottery," said Dreger. "And there's reason behind that. You're talking about a relatively small window of influence and impact here on an organization. Especially one like the Vancouver Canucks, given their position in the draft and all of that. So how good would it be if your new head of hockey operations, or in this case, the General Manager, can participate in all scouting conversations leading up to the draft. And then he can quickly go through that crash course with the amateur scouts and everyone involved in that process with the Canucks. So that he is educated and feels part of very important days of decision making on the draft floor. It's a decentralized draft, so you're not going to have all of your hockey operations crew assembled in Buffalo, but the hope, the expectation, the target is to have that GM in place as early as the draft."

The Canucks enter the draft lottery with an 18.5% chance at first overall. According to the NHL, that equals 185 combinations out of a possible 1,000. The draft lottery broadcast will feature a live drawing and will be available to view on Sportsnet. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

NHL Insider Gives Update On Canucks GM Search, Indicates That Multiple Lists May Have Been Created

Report: Canucks Granted Request To Interview Former Sabres GM For Open Position

Canucks Räty Invited To Finland's 2026 World Championship Camp

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Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (0-2) @ Philadelphia Flyers (2-0) in Game 3 of the best of seven series

When: 7:00 p.m. ET

How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and NBC Sports Philadelphia, nationally on TNT and TruTV, streaming on HBO Max

Pens’ Path Ahead: Game 4 won’t be until Saturday (8:00pm start). If necessary, Game 5 would be back in Pittsburgh on Monday 4/27.

Opponent Track: The Flyers are up 2-0 in the series and now back at home for the next two games.

Hidden Stat: The Penguins went 21-12-8 on the road in 2025-26. Their 50 road points were tied for eighth in the NHL, per Pens PR. The Flyers and Penguins both tied for the fewest home wins in the regular season among Eastern Conference playoff teams (20).

Getting to know the Flyers

Projected lines

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

Goalies: Dan Vladar and Samuel Ersson

Potential scratches: Garrett Wilson, Carl Grundstrom, Alex Bump, Emil Andrae

Injured Reserve: Rodrigo Abols (fractured ankle), Nikita Grebenkin (upper body)

• Game 2 was the first shutout of the season for the Flyers, but going back to the Olympic break Philadelphia only allowed 2.38 goals against per game in the regular season (third best in NHL) and now have only given up two goals in the first two games of this series.
• Now at home with the benefit of the last change, expect the Flyers to get lots of matchups for Sidney Crosby against the Couturier and Dvorak lines.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

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 / Connor Clifton

Goalies: Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs

Potential Scratches: Ilya Solovyov, Justin Brazeau, Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Jack St. Ivany

IR: Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones (season-ending shoulder surgery)

• The Penguins did not have practice yesterday while traveling to the other side of the state, we’ll have to wait for the morning skate today to see any clues about changes in lines or personnel as they look to get off the mat in Game 3.

The big decision

Dan Muse had a great quote after Game 2.

“Tomorrow we’re going to have to make a decision: Are we going to stay with it? Stay with what we want to do and get to our game, which we haven’t gotten to in two games? Or are we going to let frustration boil over into the next one? That’s going to be the choice we, together, all of us, including myself, are going to have to make here in the next 24 hours.”

That’s about what it boils down to. Are the Penguins going to show up and play hard, play smart and show a commitment and dedication to playing a playoff-style of hockey? If they all buy in and actually do the work, then this just might be a series.

Or is it going to go the other way and the team keeps on the same path from the first two games? If so, seven months of work to get to this point will be squandered away in a hurry. By this point there are no secrets – the Flyers are a good team that are committed to shutting the Penguins down, and now they’re growing in confidence since it’s been working. They’ve bought in and have earned it. Pittsburgh either decides to match that in Game 3, or it’s going to be more or less curtains on their season. Pretty simple in that regard.

Fans got rowdy during Game 2 of the NHL playoff series between the Los Angeles Kings and the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night, with a celebration causing a full panel of glass to collapse onto Kings interim coach D.J. Smith.

The incident took place as fans erupted in celebration after Quinton Byfield was denied on a penalty shot by the Avalanche goaltender with just under 17 minutes remaining in the second period. Video footage captured the moment the glass began to sway from the excited crowd’s repeated pushing.

Moments later, the panel shattered into pieces, falling directly onto Smith, who was standing behind the Kings’ bench. Smith was immediately covered in shards of glass and quickly made his way to the locker room to get checked out and remove any remaining debris. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured and was able to return to the game.

The Chicago Blackhawks made some tough moves during their rebuild. Some of them made the team worse in the short term, but improved the future. One of those moves was the trade that sent Brandon Hagel to the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Hagel was traded to Tampa during the 2021-22 season. In the 55 games leading up to the trade, Hagel had 21 goals and 16 assists for 37 points. He wasn’t a point-per-game player, but the goal scoring and feistiness in his game were exactly what the Lightning were looking for. 

That spring, the Lightning made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. It was their third straight appearance in the big series, but Hagel’s first. The Colorado Avalanche defeated them and have been working to get back ever since. 

What happened next for Hagel was unexpected by both the Blackhawks and the Lightning. There was always more room for development in his game, but nobody projected him to go from a solid middle-six forward to a star NHL first-liner. 

With the Lightning, Hagel is a point-per-game player who is strong in all three zones, is hard to play against, and will drop the gloves with anyone. At this point, he’s one of the premier “pests” in the NHL.

Team Canada in best-on-best tournaments is the hardest team in the world to make. They selected Hagel for the championship-winning 4-Nations Face-Off team in 2025 and the Silver Medal-winning Olympic team in 2026. 

Hagel had 36 goals and 38 assists for 74 points in 71 games played this season. He missed some time with an injury, but he was an elite player once again when he was healthy. Last season, he had 35 goals and 55 assists for 90 points in 82 games. The level he has proven he can get to would help any team in the league, especially when you combine it with the other attributes that make him a winning player. 

On Tuesday night, Hagel played a key role in the Lightning's Game 2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. After scoring two in Game 1’s loss, he followed it up with his third goal of the playoffs and first assist. 

Hagel also fought former number one overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky during regulation to secure a Gordie Howe hat trick. In what was close to a must-win situation, he showed up as the true playoff performer he is. Everything that the Stanley Cup Playoffs require suits his game well. 

"I never would have expected that, to be honest," Hagel said on the Gordie Howe hat trick. "Obviously, whatever it takes to win. Sometimes it takes fighting, and sometimes it takes scoring goals. I was lucky enough to squeak one by, and Kucherov made a good play. [It's] a good feeling that we won tonight."

Despite Hagel’s success with Tampa making the trade look bad, it was the right move for the Chicago Blackhawks at the time. Would they like to have him back right now? Sure. But they wouldn’t be where they are now if they kept him, and likely, neither would he. 

In exchange for Hagel, the Blackhawks received two roster players and a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. They eventually used that pick to land Oliver Moore. Moore may never be as productive as Hagel, or maybe he will be, but with his age, he fits the Blackhawks timeline a lot more. 

Not having a developing Hagel in 2023 also contributed to the Blackhawks being the third-worst team in the league. That 30th-place finish gave them good odds to win the draft lottery, which they did. Connor Bedard may not be in Chicago if they don’t trade Hagel away. If he makes them an even slightly better team in 2022-23, the results of the lottery may have been much different. 

No matter how you slice it, the Blackhawks were not going to execute a proper rebuild if they stood pat. Sustained success is ahead of them now, but they needed to get rid of some good players to get to this point. 

Hagel wasn’t the only great player let go by Chicago. Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, and even Patrick Kane ended up on other teams despite being productive Blackhawks.

Hagel’s playoff brilliance on Tuesday night has him at the front of everyone’s mind, and the Blackhawks traded an elite player away, but it had to be done. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

Sunny is here:

“Sunny Mehta has a few tasks at hand as the New Jersey Devils’ new general manager. Among those tasks are clarifying Nico Hischier’s situation and deciding on Sheldon Keefe’s future, but that’s not all. Devils on the Rush is a reader-supported publication. Navigating ways around all the no-trade and no-move protection he inherited from former general manager Tom Fitzgerald will be key to a successful offseason. It’s specifically a problem on defense, where nearly the entire blue line has some type of no-trade/no-move protection. And it could hamper what Mehta wants to do to retool the roster this offseason.” [Devils on the Rush]

“Sunny Mehta took the Stanley Cup to his home state of New Jersey each of the past two years after winning it as assistant general manager of the Florida Panthers. Now, he’s hoping to do the same with his childhood team after being hired by the New Jersey Devils as GM on April 16.” [NHL.com]

“Mehta’s hockey brain made him a candidate for multiple vacancies around the NHL. The 48-year-old could have probably gotten more money from the Toronto Maple Leafs, who were also looking for an analytical GM. He chose the Devils and, underneath a screen showing him hoisting the Cup, called it without exaggeration his dream job. He called being from New Jersey a part of his identity and, for good measure, even dropped a Taylor Ham reference to show which half of the state he came from. ‘This is where I’ve always wanted to be,’ Mehta said. ‘This is where I want to be.’” [Associated Press]

Could Jacob Markstrom be bought out this offseason? “Despite the deal kicking in when Markstrom is age 36, his extension only has signing bonuses in Year 1 and the total compensation does not vary year-to-year, meaning it is not considered a ‘35+’ deal. The complication is that Markstrom cannot be bought out during the first buy-out window because his extension has not started until July 1, meaning he can only be bought out in the second window.” [Puckpedia]

Hockey Links

“The NHL is officially moving past the billion-dollar mark as commissioner Gary Bettman signals a massive surge in franchise valuations and future expansion fees.” [The Hockey News]

On the effort to get NHL hockey established in Seattle as winning has been a struggle and the NBA comes to town: [The Athletic ($)]

Still no Victor Hedman for the Lightning:

Defenceman Victor Hedman is taking part in Tampa Bay’s optional skate this morning ahead of Game 2 against the Montreal Canadiens but HC Jon Cooper says Hedman returning is on “the doubtful side for this series. pic.twitter.com/kRr8yhFs8v

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 21, 2026

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

The Montreal Canadiens lost Game 2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in overtime, but at the end of the day, Martin St-Louis’ men beat themselves on the night. They played a great game for 52 minutes, but after that, they made too many mistakes, and the Bolts made them pay.

We’ve often heard St-Louis say that good teams will make you pay cash for your mistakes, and Tampa Bay is a good team. If you turn the puck over high in your zone just by the blueline like Juraj Slafkovsky did on Tuesday, giving them a prime opportunity, they will feast on it.

Canadiens Drop The Game In Overtime, Go Back To Montreal Tied 1-1
Canadiens' Nick Suzuki Predicted To Win Top Award
Canadiens And Anderson Earn Big Praise From Tkachuk

If you’re too tired to take two or three more strides at the end of a shift before clearing the puck, they will make you pay. If you stop playing because you feel there should have been a call, they will make you pay. That’s what Tuesday night’s game came down to in the end.

THIS SERIES IS TIED ⚡️

J.J. Moser wins Game 2 for the Lightning with the Subway Canada OT winner! pic.twitter.com/3AV8HF4Pa6

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 22, 2026

That, and the fact that when Jon Cooper elected to send Scott Sabourin on the ice with two minutes left in the game, and he took an unnecessary but predictable penalty, the Canadiens couldn’t make them pay. They came close, they hit the post, but that was their opportunity to win, and they missed it. Something they weren’t able to bounce back from.

Montreal goes back home with a 1-1 split, which is a good result in the grand scheme of things, but they’ll have to get over the disappointment that they came oh so close to going home with a 2-0 lead. That will be made easier if the coach puts his money where his mouth is and makes at least one lineup change, scratching Kirby Dach.

The Albertan has a good pedigree; he was a third-overall pick, but he hasn’t lived up to it despite multiple opportunities. Time and time again, he was given opportunities to play in the top six, and he didn’t live up to expectations. Still, St-Louis decided to put him in the lineup for the playoffs, on a third line alongside Zachary Bolduc and Oliver Kapanen. Two games in, he’s been pretty much invisible except in the dying minutes of Tuesday night’s game when his two mistakes sealed the Canadiens’ fate.

St-Louis often says hockey is a game of mistakes, and you have to cut down on them to be successful. You must worry about the details and play the right way. With the game tied at 2-2, not icing the puck is not a detail; it’s more important than that. With tired players at the end of a shift, it’s vital.

Granted, it’s a shame for Dach, but he hasn’t been able to take flight, and he’s run out of runway. It’s time to ground him, especially with good options waiting in the wings. Veteran Brendan Gallagher must be foaming at the mouth at the thought of playing his first game in the series. The same goes for Joe Veleno. Neither is as talented as Dach, but both play a more committed, determined game and will be visible for the right reasons.

Veleno didn’t use to be the kind of player who goes out on the ice and forechecks hard, but he understood in less than a season that if he wanted to play for the Canadiens, that’s what he would have to do. Something Dach hasn’t been able to understand in four seasons. He’s also younger and has more energy than Gallagher, but the veteran has a lot of playoff experience and bleeds red, white, and blue. Whoever the coach picks doesn’t matter, as long as he picks one and shows Dach that what he did was unacceptable.

---

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.

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Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ recent playoff struggles at home continued with back-to-back losses to the Philadelphia Flyers in Games 1 and 2. Pittsburgh’s home-ice playoff struggles run deeper than this series against their cross-state rival, however. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017, Pittsburgh has managed just five home playoff wins over nine seasons and now must earn at least a split in Philadelphia to keep the series alive. [PensBurgh]

The Penguins now enter Philadelphia for the next two games, but coach Dan Muse said the team remains confident and focused on correcting mistakes rather than panicking. [Penguins]

Pittsburgh coaches are rightfully considering lineup and power-play changes ahead of Game 3. The questions now become whether it’s too late to make changes or if the changes will even work against a team that has outright stymied Pittsburgh. [Trib Live]

News and notes from around the NHL…

The Vancouver Canucks have received permission to interview former Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams for their vacant GM position as they continue searching for a replacement after dismissing Patrik Allvin. [Sportsnet]

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said star defenseman Victor Hedman is unlikely to play in his team’s first-round NHL playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens. [Sportsnet]

Former NHL star Ilya Kovalchuk has been named president of KHL club Shanghai Dragons, marking a new front-office role for the retired winger. [TSN]

Colorado Avalanche (55-16-11, in the Central Division) vs. Los Angeles Kings (35-27-20, in the Pacific Division)

Los Angeles; Thursday, 10 p.m. EDT

LINE: Avalanche -157, Kings +131; over/under is 5.5

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Avalanche lead series 2-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Avalanche visit the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Tuesday for the sixth time this season. The Avalanche won 2-1 in overtime in the previous matchup.

Los Angeles has a 15-17-9 record in home games and a 35-27-20 record overall. The Kings have a 26-4-11 record when scoring three or more goals.

Colorado has a 29-7-5 record on the road and a 55-16-11 record overall. The Avalanche have a 48-6-6 record when scoring at least three goals.

TOP PERFORMERS: Adrian Kempe has 36 goals and 37 assists for the Kings. Quinton Byfield has six goals and two assists over the past 10 games.

Nathan MacKinnon has 53 goals and 74 assists for the Avalanche. Gabriel Landeskog has scored three goals over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Kings: 5-2-3, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.3 assists, 3.3 penalties and 7.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.

Avalanche: 8-1-1, averaging 2.2 goals, 3.8 assists, 3.5 penalties and seven penalty minutes while giving up 1.2 goals per game.

INJURIES: Kings: Kevin Fiala: out for season (leg).

Avalanche: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Buffalo Sabres (50-23-9, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Boston Bruins (45-27-10, in the Atlantic Division)

Boston; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT

LINE: Bruins -110, Sabres -110; over/under is 6

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Series tied 1-1

BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres visit the Boston Bruins for game three of the first round of the NHL Playoffs with the series tied 1-1. The teams meet Tuesday for the seventh time this season. The Bruins won the previous matchup 4-2. Viktor Arvidsson scored two goals in the win.

Boston is 45-27-10 overall and 12-13-3 against the Atlantic Division. The Bruins serve 11.9 penalty minutes per game to rank second in league play.

Buffalo is 17-7-4 against the Atlantic Division and 50-23-9 overall. The Sabres have a +43 scoring differential, with 283 total goals scored and 240 allowed.

TOP PERFORMERS: David Pastrnak has scored 29 goals with 70 assists for the Bruins. Sean Kuraly has one goal and five assists over the past 10 games.

Tage Thompson has 40 goals and 41 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has five goals and five assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Bruins: 4-4-2, averaging 2.9 goals, 5.3 assists, 4.1 penalties and 10.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.

Sabres: 6-3-1, averaging 3.5 goals, 5.8 assists, 5.3 penalties and 14.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.

INJURIES: Bruins: None listed.

Sabres: Jiri Kulich: out for season (ear), Sam Carrick: out (arm), Justin Danforth: out for season (kneecap), Noah Ostlund: out (upper-body).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

LAS VEGAS -- The wide-growing theme across the NHL this season - youth, speed and skill - caught up with the Vegas Golden Knights in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth in Game 2 of the opening round.

Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev scored for the Knights, while Carter Hart stopped 26 shots.

The veteran-laden Knights chased the game for much of the second and third periods, while Utah's youngsters shone brightly to help the Mammoth steal home-ice advantage in the best-of-seven series.

Meanwhile, Vegas' big guns Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner couldn't find the back of the net, perhaps a cause for concern with the team shifting to Salt Lake City for Games 3 and 4.

Eichel hasn't scored in either of the first two games and has been limited to two goals in his last 10 games. Since March 14, he has three goals.

Marner hasn't scored in this series either and has just one goal in his past eight games.

Utah, which has the 13th youngest team with an average age of 28.15 years old, got its game-winning goal from Logan Cooley, the team's youngest active player, with six minutes left in the game.

Also scoring for the Mammoth was Dylan Guenther, the second-youngest active player on the ice last night. Veteran MacKenzie Weegar gave Utah its first goal of the game.

Karel Vejmelka made 19 saves to earn the win for Utah.

KEY MOMENT

Vegas was a perfect 4 for 4 on the penalty kill, but it might have been a Knights penalty that set them back a step early in the second period. Nic Dowd was called for tripping Cooley just 2:27 into the period, and the Knights appeared to be on their heels to rest of the game. After being outshot by Vegas in the first period, 10-6, the Knights were outshot by Utah in the second and third periods, 13-4 and 10-7, respectively.

KEY STAT

1 ... Carrying over from their aforementioned scoring droughts, Eichel and Marner each had just one shot on goal in the game. That's not going to cut it in the postseason. Eichel, who averaged 3.1 shots per game during the regular season, had three in Game 1. Marner averaged 2.0 shots per game in the regular season and had just one in Game 1. For the Golden Knights to steal home ice while the series is in Utah, and win this series, these two not only have to put more on net, but also find a way to put more shots in the net.

WHAT A KNIGHT

Barbashev now has a goal in each of the first two games and has scored in three of the past four games. He's scored six times in the last 14 games. Barbashev's consistency will be key when the series moves to the Delta Center, which hosts its first playoff game on Friday, in what should be a frenzied atmosphere.

UP NEXT

The Golden Knights continue their best-of-seven playoff series with the Mammoth as the scenery changes to Salt Lake City for Game 3 on Friday.

PHOTO CAPTION

Vegas Golden Knights left wing Ivan Barbashev (49) looks to deflect the puck towards Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) during the first period of game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena.

MORE

READ The Hockey News' Hannah Kirkell's recap from Game 2: 

Mammoth Take Game 2 After Golden Knights Can’t Mount Yet Another Third Period ComebackHistorically, teams that have gone up 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs went on to win their series&nbsp;<a href="https://champsorchumps.us/records/nhl-series-odds-up-2-0">87.5</a>% of the time. After <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights/latest-news/game-one-game-won-golden-knights-kick-off-postseason-with-third-period-comeback">winning Game 1</a> by a score of 4-2, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights">Vegas Golden Knights</a> entered Tuesday’s matchup with the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/utah">Utah Mammoth</a> desperate to grab a stranglehold over the series.&nbsp;

Another game at Ball Arena in this first round series against the LA Kings where the Colorado Avalanche hoped to sweep the home portion of the opening schedule. While it took until just before the clock struck midnight, the Avalanche achieved just that with a 2-1 overtime victory.

The Game

The first period was defined with cheap shots and fruitless power plays as seven minor penalties were called and the teams combined went through five power plays. No score was put on the board but Colorado did hold a 14-6 shot advantage through the first frame. Martin Nečas was the recipient of one of those cheap shots on a high hit to the head. He had to sit out for a bit but returned to the ice by the end of the period.

Cale Makar smokes the crossbar

EJ:

“You could hear that all the way in Greeley”#GoAvsGo

— Adrian Hernandez (@AdoHernandez27) April 22, 2026

The start of the second period saw the Avalanche take a penalty on Quinton Byfield whilst on their own power play which was deemed worthy of a penalty shot. Scott Wedgewood stonewalled the young forward and the game remained scoreless. Right after that a pane of glass shattered behind the Kings bench and there was a lengthy delay. That loss of momentum didn’t help as it was an ugly period with only eight shots apiece and still a scoreless game after 40 minutes of play.

Some urgency that developed at the end of the second period carried over to the third as suddenly this game was ripe for either team to claim it. With under seven minutes to go in the game a goal finally found its way into the back of the net — just unfortunately it counted for the Kings. Artemi Panarin broke through on the power play just like he did late in the contest in Game 1.

Of course this game wouldn’t end quietly as Gabe Landeskog tied the score with just over three minutes to go. As the Kings are no stranger to overtime having been a NHL record 33 times in the regular season, an extra frame was needed to settle the 1-1 tie at the end of regulation. After half a period of back-and-forth action Nic Roy broke through on Colorado’s second shot in overtime to give the Avalanche the 2-1 victory.

Takeaways

It will be interesting to see if Jared Bednar chooses to ride the momentum and decline to make any lineup changes leaving Ross Colton and Mackenzie Blackwood out of action as the Avalanche hope to wrap up the series on the road.

Upcoming

The series shifts to Los Angeles with the first game on Thursday night. Puck drop is at 8 p.m. MT televised on TNT.

Historically, teams that have gone up 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs went on to win their series 87.5% of the time. After winning Game 1 by a score of 4-2, the Vegas Golden Knights entered Tuesday’s matchup with the Utah Mammoth desperate to grab a stranglehold over the series. 

Or, at least, the Golden Knights entered the first period desperate to grab a stranglehold over the series. They controlled play and outshot the Mammoth 10-7. They generated 12 scoring chances while holding Utah to four.

The Golden Knights broke the ice on the power play at 11:42 in the first. Mark Stone threw a centering pass towards the net, and it went off of Mikhail Sergachev’s skate and in past Karel Vejmelka. 

Stone with the centering feed. If Tomáš Hertl got a stick on that, it’s his first goal since March 4th. Nope— went off of Sergachev’s skate.

1-0, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/YKZ6yixsug

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 22, 2026

The Mammoth responded at 16:59 in the first. Noah Hanifin blocked MacKenzie Weegar’s shot on goal, but the puck took a bounce into Rasmus Andersson’s shin and into the net.

Another own goal. Hart makes the save on Weegar, but the rebound kicks out into Andersson’s skate and into the back of the net.

1-1

pic.twitter.com/p3F0YJUU6K

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 22, 2026

All of that first period urgency slipped away in the second. As the parade to the box continued, the Golden Knights struggled to find rhythm. The stats reflect it— the Mammoth outshot them 13-4, generated 16 scoring chances while holding Vegas to just three, and controlled 88.76% of the expected goal share.  

The Mammoth took their first lead of the night at 14:56 in the second. Kailer Yamamoto jumped to glove down Noah Hanifin’s flip-pass and found Dylan Guenther above the left circle; Guenther ripped a one-timer past Carter Hart short-side for his first career playoff goal.

Dylan Guenther will win a rocket one day.

2-1, Mammoth

pic.twitter.com/ipgCUcur5v

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 22, 2026

The Golden Knights found the equalizer just 1:02 later. Jack Eichel got a stick on Mikhail Sergachev’s stretch-pass attempt, and Ivan Barbashev corralled the puck at the blue line. Barbashev entered the zone, split the defense, and beat Karel Vejmelka on the backhand.

Ivan Barbashev goes 1-on-3 and scores on the backhand. What a move.

2-2

pic.twitter.com/ylfHrcw8hc

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 22, 2026

In the third period, the Golden Knights were largely unable to generate any kind of offense. Shots were 10-7 in favor of the Mammoth, and Utah controlled 70.79% of the expected goal share.

The Mammoth regained the lead at 14:00 in the third. Kailer Yamamoto backhanded a pass to Dylan Guenther, who entered the zone with speed, flew past Shea Theodore, and snapped a shot on goal. When Carter Hart made the save, Guenther got his own rebound and put it off the post. Undetected, Logan Cooley cut to the middle and scored on the third attempt.

Dylan Guenther flies past Theodore. Hart makes the save, and Guenther puts the rebound off the post. Pittsburgh’s own Logan Cooley gets that rebound and puts it into the net.

3-2, Mammothpic.twitter.com/BO7sHlDcWChttps://t.co/BO7sHlDcWC

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 22, 2026

The Golden Knights pulled Carter Hart for the extra attacker with 2:51 remaining in regulation and tried to mount yet another third-period comeback. They generated their looks, but managed only two shots on goal, and the Mammoth held on for a 3-2 win.

“I thought our first period was one of our better first periods in a while,” said Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella postgame. “We lost any type of flow in the second period. The way everything was going on, we had a good start to the third period and had some opportunities. We couldn’t score, and they found a way with some of their speed.”

Three Takeaways of the Knight

1. In Game 1, the Golden Knights were the more physical team by a wide margin and out-hit the Mammoth 51-31. For whatever reason, they just didn’t have that same edge in Game 2. It was a less intense affair, but the Mammoth had the edge tonight, 39-33.

“Being physical and playing hard… when you go out searching for it, that’s when you get burned,” said Brett Howden postgame.

2. Carter Hart was excellent tonight against the initial shot, but struggled to control the rebound. For the most part, the team in front of him did a good job of boxing the Mammoth out and preventing any second-chance opportunities. But on Utah’s game-winner, no one caught Logan Cooley crashing the net, and it cost them.

3. It’s been a long time since Hertl has scored a goal. He’s had his fair share of chances, but he just can’t seem to finish one. He’s not playing poorly– Hertl is doing the little things right, and he’s  recorded eight hits over the first two games of this series.

But he’s not scoring. And that, more than anything, continues to haunt the Golden Knights. With a chance to go up 2-0 in their second power play of the night, Hertl stared down an empty net… and sent it wide. 

The Kings haven’t won an NHL playoff series since the last time they won the Stanley Cup, which is to say it’s been a while.

They’re halfway to another early exit after a 2-1 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, a result that gave the Avalanche a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The winning goal came from Nicolas Roy 7:44 in the extra period.

The Kings’ lone goal came from Artemi Panarin while captain Gabriel Landeskog had the other Colorado goal.

“We did play really well,” interim coach D.J. Smith said. “We’ve got to find a way to win a game. Clearly, good isn't enough. We’ve got to win a game and keep taking a piece of them and keep playing physical and give ourselves a chance to keep lengthening the series.”

Panarin gave the Kings a 1-0 lead on a wrister from the inside edge of the right circle with less than seven minutes left in regulation. It was his second power-play goal of the series and it came on the Kings’ fifth power play of the night.

It also came after the Kings got a fortunate break, with a Colorado clearing pass striking a linesman, leading to a faceoff in the Kings’ offensive end.

Read more:D.J. Smith is leading Kings in playoffs, but it's bittersweet because of who he replaced

Landeskog evened things for Colorado 3 1/2 minutes later, escaping Kings forward Scott Laughton to skate to a Martin Necas pass through the crease before pushing the puck inside the left post to send the game to overtime.

For the Kings, it marked their 34^th overtime in 84 games this season, an NHL record. They lost 21 of them but Tuesday’s was the most painful, with Roy scoring on a deflection in the crease.

“We had every opportunity,” Smith said. “You’ve got to be able to close it out.”

The teams now head to Crypto.com Arena for games Thursday and Sunday with the Kings needing at least one win to extend their season.

“I expect that we'll be better at home,” Smith said.

To do that, the Kings are going to have to stop wasting the kind of opportunities they had in Denver, where they converted just two of nine power-play chances and failed to score on a penalty shot in the first two games.

The physical series turned chippy in late in Game 1 and that carried over to the start of Game 2 with a pair of scuffles, each involving more than a half-dozen players, breaking out 12 seconds apart midway through the first period. The teams combined for seven penalties in a fast-paced opening 20 minutes played with a lot of open ice.

Quinton Byfield had two chances to put the Kings on the board just more than three minutes into the second period but Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood came up big both times.

The first came when Byfield charged Wedgewood on a breakaway, only to have the goalie stop his wrister from in close. But Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar was called for hooking Byfield from behind on the play, setting up a penalty shot. Wedgewood stopped that too.

An over-excited group of fans celebrated the two saves by breaking a pane of glass behind the Kings bench, sending the coaches scurrying and pausing the game for several minutes as workmen repaired the damage. But 16 seconds after play resumed, the Avalanche took another penalty, their sixth of seven on the night.

The Colorado penalties left the Kings with a man advantage for nearly a quarter of the game’s first 25 minutes, but their power play couldn’t take advantage against a Colorado penalty kill that ranked No. 1 in the NHL during the regular season.

“Obviously, you just want the opportunities,” forward Trevor Moore said. “Now we’ve just got to make the most of them.”

Colorado’s best scoring chance in the first two periods came on a three-on-one rush less than five minutes before the second intermission, but Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson reached in to break up the play and keep the game scoreless.

Sam Malinski appeared to give the Avalanche the lead on a slap shot from above the left circle 10 seconds into the final period, but after the horn sounded and the goal was put in the scoreboard, the officials correctly ruled the puck had struck the outside of the net.

Five minutes later Byfield fanned on a loose puck in the crease, allowing Wedgewood to roll over and clear it from in front of the open net.

Now the Kings come home, where they won six of their final seven regular-season games, the only loss coming in a shootout. But they haven’t beaten the Avalanche anywhere this season and if they have to at least once in the next two games to avoid their seventh straight first-round playoff exit.

“Thought we played better tonight,” Moore said. “So we’ve to to try to just take the positives and get to L.A. and play a good game.”

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

In what was one of the wildest games we've seen so far in the postseason, the Los Angeles Kings entered Game 2 in Denver in what was as big a game for the Kings, looking to tie the series 1-1.

As it turns out, LA suffered a heartbreaking road overtime defeat after a back-and-forth effort, resulting in a 2-1 loss. The Kings were exceptional on defense, led by Anton Forsberg, Mikey Anderson, and Mathieu Joseph, holding the Avs to two goals, but once again couldn't score on offense, leaving the door open for Colorado to strike. 

Arguably, it was the greatest defensive performance we've seen from the Kings this season, with 23 hits, 26 blocked shots, and Colorado going 0/3 on the power play. LA was making all the plays on defense to try to steal this game, but they couldn't hold on late.

Late Push Not Enough As Kings Fall To Avalanche In Game 1The Kings did enough defensively to hang around, but a lack of offensive support and Colorado’s scoring down the stretch proved to be the difference in a tight Game 1 loss.

The Kings wanted to play physical, and we got it against the Presidents' Trophy winners. The game had no flow in the first period, several minor penalties, and scrums in the first 14 minutes of regulation. 

Once again, both teams were very slow offensively, especially on the power play, missing easy shots that should have gone in. LA and Colorado combined for five power plays in the first period and converted on zero of them. 

The physical play and hits were there, making it hard for either team to generate good looks. Trevor Moore had a very good look early in the game after finding himself alone for a chance to give LA the lead, but Avs goaltender Scott Wedgewood made a nice save to stop the goal. 

Both goaltenders did an excellent job in the first period, especially on the power play, killing the opposing team's scoring chances. Even with the Avalanche having more shots on goal, the Kings had plenty of chances to score, but once again were struggling to capitalize after getting timely stops. 

For the second straight game, we ended the first period scoreless. LA did a good job of increasing its physicality and taking big hits against the Avalanche, despite being outshot 14-6 after 20 minutes. 

LAK increased physicality and PK keeps them in game through 20. Through 4 periods, Anton Forsberg best King. Has to change.

— Dennis Bernstein (@DennisTFP) April 22, 2026

To open the second period, at the 16:48 mark, Colorado was on the power play, and Quinton Byfield stole the puck for a breakaway rush by himself against Wedgewood, but came up short after an extended glove save to stop the breakaway goal. 

LA continued to miss opportunities on offense, with its defense coming up big; the offense needs to start capitalizing on those key turnovers and stops at some point. 

The game continued to get physical. LA did a good job getting hits, especially Mathieu Joseph, who already had six hits midway through the second. Certainly, it was his best game with the Kings this season. 

LA's defense continued to make big stops, especially on the 3-on-1 with the Avs having a chance to score, but Mikey Anderson got a stick on Martin Necas to kill the play. In the last few minutes of the period, the Avs had good chances to score, but credit Anton Forsberg, Drew Doughty, and Mikey Anderson for playing their role on defense.

After 40 minutes, the game remained 0-0. Great effort from the Kings defensively in that period to keep the Avs off the scoreboard, but LA still was struggling to capitalize on offense. 

0-0 through 40 minutes.

What an effort from the Kings thus far. Forsberg exceptional in the final few minutes to keep that game without a goal.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) April 22, 2026

At the 19:50 mark of the final period, Colorado thought they had scored a goal, but the puck landed on the outside of the net, overturning the goal. LA kept dodging serious bullets with the Avs struggling to score, but so was LA, leaving the door wide open for Colorado to score. 

The tension was so high that the referees were just letting both teams play, without calling penalties. 

Finally, at the 6:56 mark, LA scored the first goal of the game to take a 1-0 lead. It was the breadman, Artemi Panarin, scoring the power play goal on a one-timer goal, the biggest goal of Panarin's time with the Kings. 

Definitely the best all-around game we've seen from the Kings this season, especially in a hostile playoff environment on the road. 

But it was clear at one point the Avs would strike back, and they did. At the

FRESH BREAD pic.twitter.com/vR2c38jgey

— LA Kings (@LAKings) April 22, 2026

But it was clear at one point the Avs would strike back, and they did. At the 3:35 mark, Colorado got a very good look at the net after great puck movement. The open look secured a goal for captain Gabriel Landeskog to tie it 1-1. 

After a gritty last two minutes of regulation, we were headed to overtime in Denver for extra periods. Credit LA for the effort on defense, holding the No. 1 offense in hockey to just one goal.  

In overtime, the Kings once again had an opportunity to seal this game and tie it 1-1 after forward Samuel Helenius had an easy shot with Wedgewood losing his stick, but another clutch save by Wedegwood killed the chance.  

The Avalanche sealed the game in the extra periods, capitalizing on LA's missed chances to win and take a 2-0 series lead. Center Nicolas Roy cleaned up the rebound and put the puck just under the legs of LA to win a gritty game. 

Key Stats

Despite the loss, credit the Kings' defense for playing an excellent game throughout regulation. To hold the league's best offense to just two goals was special. 

Anton Forsberg, starting in his second playoff game, was exceptional, finishing with 34 saves on 36 shots. Artemi Panarin, for the second straight game, scored a goal, the only King so far to score in the playoffs. 

Mikey Anderson and Mathieu Joseph were also great in this game defensively, combining to finish with eight hits and eight blocked shots. 

Tough loss for the Kings and an opportunity to secure the split, now they're headed home trailing 2-0. 

Game 3 will be on Thursday, 7:00 PM PT at Crypto.com Arena. 

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