The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking for a new head coach after the organization's new brass of GM John Chayka and senior executive advisor Mats Sundin made the decision to fire Craig Berube.

Berube completed two full campaigns with the Leafs and is now a free agent and in the mix for coaching jobs across the NHL.

When Chayka was named GM of the Maple Leafs, many were surprised and shocked by the hire, for several different reasons.

With the surprise hire for the GM position, what if Toronto go a similar route when selecting the 42nd head coach in franchise history?

Here are three surprising head coach candidates for the Maple Leafs.

Todd Nelson

Maybe it wouldn't surprise some if the Maple Leafs considered hiring Todd Nelson as the team's next head coach. Nonetheless, he'd be a great candidate to be a head coach in the NHL, let alone for Toronto, and many may not have Nelson at the top of their lists.

Nelson is currently an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins, coming off his first season with the team. He previously spent three years as the head coach of the AHL's Hershey Bears, winning a pair of Calder Cups in that stint. Nelson has won a total of four Calder Cups in his coaching career.

Despite his excellence in the American League, Nelson has never had a true tenure as an NHL head coach. In 2014-15, Nelson led the Edmonton Oilers behind the bench as an interim head coach for the final 51 games of that regular season.

Even if the Maple Leafs don't snatch him up, Nelson should be getting an offer to be a head coach in the NHL eventually.

David Carle Among Three First-Time NHL Head Coach Candidates For Maple LeafsWith Craig Berube out, the Toronto Maple Leafs are in search of a new head coach, with multiple reports suggesting they'll look for a fresh candidate. Here are three first-time NHL head coaches who could be considered for the Maple Leafs' 42nd head coach in franchise history.

Dallas Eakins

Dallas Eakins has been out of the league for a few years now, with his last season as an NHL head coach coming in 2022-23. Since then, he's been the head coach of the DEL's Mannheim in Germany.

In the NHL, Eakins coached the Oilers for two seasons and was actually replaced by Nelson in 2014-15. He also had a four-year stint with the Anaheim Ducks from 2019-20 to 2022-23. In between those gigs, he was the head coach of Anaheim's AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.

It's worth noting that Eakins has ties to the Maple Leafs, serving as an assistant coach in 2006-07 and 2007-08, as well as the director of player development in 2008-09. Also, he was the bench boss of the Toronto Marlies from 2009-10 to 2012-13.

Furthermore, the Daily Faceoff's Jeff Marek suggested that it should be expected to hear Eakins' name surface in Toronto's search.

Maple Leafs’ Head Coaching Search To Include At Least One Internal CandidateMaple Leafs GM John Chayka said the search for a new bench boss would be "wide and deep". That will include speaking with current assistant coach Derek Lalonde.

Bruce Boudreau

Like Eakins, it's been a few years since Bruce Boudreau has been a head coach in the NHL. His last stint ended in 2022-23 when he was fired by the Vancouver Canucks in the midst of his second campaign with the team.

Boudreau, a Toronto native, has had some successful campaigns as an NHL head coach. 

In his first year as an NHL bench boss, he won the Jack Adams Trophy with the Washington Capitals. In 2009-10, he led Washington to a stellar 54-15-13 record, which turned out to be the best season in Capitals history.

He had some more great years with the Ducks, marking a 54-20-8 record in the 2013-14 season, which was also the best campaign in Anaheim's franchise history.

Boudreau certainly knows how to make a team successful in the regular season, winning eight divisional titles in his NHL coaching career.

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The Edmonton Oilers are in the market for a new head coach following the dismissal of Kris Knoblauch, and amid the pursuit of high-profile options like Bruce Cassidy, whispers have emerged about a name that once commanded respect across the NHL but now carries significant baggage: Former Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock.

On Oilers Now, host Bob Stauffer and former NHL GM Brian Lawton floated the idea, with Lawton suggesting that someone with Stan Bowman’s background might consider Babcock given his pedigree. Lawton, who knows Babcock personally, described him as a good human being who deserves a second chance in a business that can be unforgiving. Yet, the conversation quickly pivoted to the realities of Babcock’s recent past, particularly the short-lived and tumultuous stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

TSN’s Darren Dreger reached out directly to Babcock, Dreger shared the veteran’s response: 

“Dregs, I’m retired. Loving it.”

Part of me loves the symmetry and energy of idea of Babcock coaching Oilers.

Babcock — something to prove
McD and Drai — something to prove
Bowman — something to prove
Oilers — something to prove https://t.co/WsaUYdX4ak

— David Staples (@dstaples) May 20, 2026

Babcock's coaching journey is one of remarkable highs followed by a steep fall from grace. He began his NHL head coaching career with the Anaheim Ducks, leading them to the 2003 Stanley Cup Final. His true breakthrough came in Detroit, where he guided the Red Wings to the 2008 Stanley Cup and established himself as one of the league's elite tacticians. His international success with Team Canada, securing Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014, further cemented his status as a winner who could extract the best from star-studded rosters.

That reputation led the Toronto Maple Leafs to sign him to a massive eight-year, $50-million contract in 2015, positioning him as the franchise’s saviour during a rebuild. In Toronto, Babcock inherited a young core headlined by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and others. His early tenure showed promise, with the team improving and making the playoffs in three straight seasons. However, underlying issues simmered.

Vegas GM is NHL laughingstock over Cassidy, while Oilers could be open to Mike Babcock as coachhttps://t.co/ZuyCEpLUgy via @edmontonjournalpic.twitter.com/uoDsUdi0Gm

— David Staples (@dstaples) May 20, 2026

The most infamous incident involved a then-19-year-old Marner during the 2016-17 season. Babcock tasked the rookie with ranking his teammates by work ethic. Marner, eager to please, complied and even placed himself at the bottom. What followed was a betrayal of trust: Babcock shared the list with veterans like Tyler Bozak and Nazem Kadri, who were ranked lower. Marner was reportedly brought to tears, and teammates were furious with the coach for pitting players against each other in such a public, humiliating way.

Stories of a toxic environment mounted. Former players and staff described Babcock’s style as imperious, with verbal abuse and mistreatment that spared no one. Johan Franzen, from his Detroit days, later called him a bully. In Toronto, Babcock’s methods clashed with a modern player-empowerment era. After a poor start to the 2019-20 season, the Leafs fired him just 23 games in, with years left on his deal. Brendan Shanahan acknowledged the tactics were neither appropriate nor acceptable.

Babcock largely stayed out of the spotlight afterward, working in university hockey and as an analyst, but his reputation lingered. Then, in the summer of 2023, the Columbus Blue Jackets took a chance, hiring him as head coach. It lasted mere weeks. Reports from the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast detailed Babcock asking players for their phones during meetings to view personal photos, an invasive tactic framed as team bonding. Players felt their privacy was violated, prompting an NHLPA investigation. Babcock resigned before coaching a single regular-season game, calling it a distraction. Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen later admitted the hire was a mistake.

These incidents paint a picture of a coach whose old-school, demanding approach, once celebrated for driving success, now collides with today's NHL values around mental health, player autonomy, and respect. Babcock's 700-plus wins and championship pedigree remain undeniable, but trust has eroded.

For the Oilers, facing pressure to deliver with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the appeal of a proven winner is understandable, especially if other targets like Cassidy prove elusive due to contractual hurdles with Vegas. Bowman himself received a second chance after his own controversies, as Lawton noted. But hiring Babcock would invite intense scrutiny and potential locker-room friction in a market already under a microscope.

As of now, Babcock insists he's content in retirement. The Oilers' search continues, likely prioritizing candidates who can unify rather than divide. In a league evolving rapidly, Babcock's history serves as a cautionary tale: success on the ice doesn't always translate when the human element falters. Edmonton must weigh pedigree against past patterns carefully if his name resurfaces.

As is customary, the GM and coach of all the teams that made the final four had a scheduled media availability before the start of their third-round series. On Wednesday, Eric Tulsky and Rod Brind’Amour from the Carolina Hurricanes spoke to the media early in the afternoon, while Kent Hughes and Trevor Letowski from the Montreal Canadiens met the press later in the day.

When Tulsky was asked about how the Canadiens operated their rebuild, he said:

Yeah, I mean, he’s done a great job. The team has come a long way; they’ve got a really strong young core, and they’re well set up to obviously have a great run this year and set up to keep getting better from there. Very impressed with what they’ve done, what they’ve put together. It’s going to be a tough round for us.

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That’s a fair assessment, especially when considering that most pundits considered the Canadiens’ window of contention hadn’t opened yet, and here they are in the Eastern Conference Final, just four wins away from playing for the Stanley Cup.

As for being well set up for the future, I believe their goaltending duo says a lot about how well Hughes and his team have planned. They may not have drafted Jakub Dobes, but they did recognize he was a better option than Cayden Primeau, and they now have him competing with Jacob Fowler, who was the heir apparent. Up front, they still have exciting prospects coming through the ranks in Alexander Zharovsky and Michael Hage, and they also have good blueliners waiting for their opportunity.

As for Brind’Amour, he was asked what had made the Canadiens’ power play so successful against the Buffalo Sabres, and he explained:

Well, I don’t know if that’s just in the playoffs, but they’ve been dynamic. They have dynamic players. All five of those guys in their own right are elite at what they do [Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov, and Lane Hutson]. You put them together in those roles, and I think they feed off each other really well.”

-

You just watch, they’re in synch. I think a power play is about skill, and they have it. So that’s a definite concern.

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While the Canadiens have had a good success rate on the power play in these playoffs at 25%, they’ll have their work cut out for them against Carolina. The Canes have the second-best penalty kill with a 95% success rate over the eight games they played. However, things have not gone as smoothly on the power play for Brind’Amour’s men; with the man-advantage, they’ve only scored on 13.5% of their opportunities.

It will be interesting to see just how big a role special teams play in the third round. Will penalties be called consistently? It seems like the referees struggled with that in the first two rounds, and it would be great if the quality of the on-ice product weren’t affected by them.

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Seventeen years ago today, Evgeni Malkin put on a show with one of the most remarkable goals of his career in the Eastern Conference Final.

In 2009, the Penguins stormed back to the Stanley Cup Final by blowing past the Carolina Hurricanes in the Conference Final, thanks in part to Evgeni Malkin’s spectacular play with six goals in the four games of the series.

The most special of those six goals came during the Penguins’ 7-4 win in Game 2 of the series.

The Penguins had trailed 3-2 in the game before jumping back out to a 5-3 lead, but Carolina wouldn’t go quietly, drawing back within a goal to make it 5-4 early in the third period.

That’s when Evgeni Malkin made headlines with a special goal, his third of the game.

“Oh my word!” Joe Beninati said on the call. “Evgeni Malkin….spectacular for the hat trick!”

Malkin’s hat-trick goal gave the Penguins a bigger lead, one that they never gave up for the rest of the game, going on to win Games 3 and 4 on the road, and punching their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.

DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche didn’t lose Game 1 of the Western Conference Final because they were outplayed—they lost it because they failed to execute in the moments that decided it.

Yes, a few calls didn’t go their way. One sequence in particular stood out—where Rasmus Andersson put on what, from the Avalanche bench, probably looked like an early audition for an Academy Award. The whistle came, the penalty followed, and Vegas capitalized shortly after. It wasn’t the only turning point in the game, but it didn’t help settle things down either. Still, that can’t be the first explanation when a game slips away at home.

Because this one came down to execution.

“I think tonight was a matter of them capitalizing on some of their chances,” captain Gabe Landeskog said. “First one's an odd-man rush, second one's a power play, third one's a 2-on-1 right out of the box. Odd-man rushes, we got to clean that up.”

Landeskog Emphasizes Details And Rush Defense

Landeskog also pointed to how Vegas managed to take away one of Colorado’s core strengths—pace through transition.

“They did a good job,” he explained to The Hockey News. “They didn't give us a whole lot off the rush, which I feel like we haven't gotten a whole lot off the rush the whole playoffs. It's not really that time of year to expect any of that, but thought we still did a decent enough job creating scoring chances, creating some screens, and rebounds around (Carter) Hart, but definitely areas that we can be better at, and they're a good hockey team.”

Colorado had chances. Plenty of them. At times, it felt like every scoring opportunity could’ve been bottled and turned into a full meal for the entire building. The looks were there, the lanes opened up, the puck even cooperated for stretches. It just didn’t finish.

The opening period reflected exactly what this matchup promised—tight structure, disciplined spacing, and two elite teams refusing to give ground. Colorado handled that environment well early, trading structure for structure and refusing to be pulled out of shape.

Second Period Slippage Tilts Momentum

The second period, however, shifted the tone.

Puck management began to unravel. Possession became harder to sustain. Breakouts that normally exit cleanly stalled in neutral ice. Passes that usually connect with rhythm arrived just off timing, just off angle—enough to break momentum entirely. At moments, Colorado appeared to press for something decisive rather than allowing the play to develop organically.

Late in the period, with the Avalanche trailing 2–0, Brock Nelson stepped into a prime one-timer look that could have rewritten the game’s trajectory on contact alone. The lane was open, the goaltender compromised, the net essentially exposed—but the shot sailed high and wide.

Moments later, Ross Colton drove a puck through the crease with no finishing touch at the back post. Chances like that don’t linger in playoff series—they vanish.

Golden Knights Punish Every Missed Opportunity

And Vegas made them pay without hesitation.

Brett Howden arrived at the front of the net with purpose and finished through traffic to extend the lead to 3–0—a goal that perfectly encapsulated the night. Simple. Direct. Uncompromising. A depth player operating with conviction while Colorado searched for structure in its own crease.

He’s been more than just a depth piece this postseason. With nine goals and two assists in the playoffs, Howden has become one of those unexpected secondary drivers who tilt games without needing top-line minutes. And once again, he found space precisely where the Avalanche failed to eliminate it. Whether it was body positioning, stick engagement, or urgency, Colorado was a half-step late in clearing danger areas.

Nathan MacKinnon offered no cushioning in his assessment of the performance.

“We just weren't sharp,” he said plainly. “Execution was poor from everybody. Just got to be sharper than that. We had chances.”

Vegas Clogs The Middle Lanes

To their credit, Vegas has built its identity on exactly that kind of detail. Under head coach John Tortorella, the Golden Knights have evolved into a team that compresses the ice, collapses the middle lanes, and forces opponents to live on the perimeter. It’s not designed for aesthetic approval—it’s designed for suffocation.

It’s the kind of system that doesn’t care about style points. It’s about surviving the night, winning ugly, and not caring about what others think about your victory. A win's aa win. 

The structure is deliberate: slow entries, shrink time and space, and punish mistakes in transition. Colorado’s speed never fully materialized because the neutral zone rarely opened cleanly, and when it did, passing lanes were already under siege.

It isn’t a style built for highlight reels, but it doesn’t need to be. It only needs results. And they got it in Game 1. 

There were still moments where the Avalanche threatened to tilt the ice back in their favor, but the margins were unforgiving. Even late-game disorder—when a potential icing wasn’t handled cleanly under a minute remaining—turned into another Vegas opportunity and ultimately an empty-net finish. Small details, decisive outcomes.

Landeskog did at least provide a late spark on the power play, converting with 2:21 remaining. And structurally, there is some positive data: Colorado’s power play has operated at roughly 26% this postseason according to StatMuse. But isolated success won’t be enough at this stage.

What must carry over is the urgency of the third period—except it cannot wait until the third period to arrive.

Because that is what Game 1 ultimately revealed: not a team lacking chances, but one that gave away too many of them through its own decisions—at times trying to do too much instead of simplifying the game, and at others not doing enough to finish the looks it created.

The series is far from settled, but the message from opening night was clear. At this level, control doesn’t vanish in sweeping waves—it slips away one detail at a time.

Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division) vs. Colorado Avalanche (55-16-11, in the Central Division)

Denver; Friday, 8 p.m. EDT

LINE: Avalanche -188, Golden Knights +156; over/under is 6

STANLEY CUP SEMIFINALS: Golden Knights lead series 1-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights visit the Colorado Avalanche in the third round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Wednesday for the fifth time this season. The Golden Knights won 4-2 in the last matchup.

Colorado is 55-16-11 overall and 31-10-6 at home. The Avalanche are first in NHL play with 298 total goals (averaging 3.6 per game).

Vegas has a 24-16-8 record in road games and a 39-26-17 record overall. The Golden Knights have a +22 scoring differential, with 264 total goals scored and 242 given up.

TOP PERFORMERS: Cale Makar has 20 goals and 59 assists for the Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon has seven goals and seven assists over the last 10 games.

Pavel Dorofeyev has 37 goals and 27 assists for the Golden Knights. Brett Howden has nine goals and two assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Avalanche: 8-2-0, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.1 assists, 3.8 penalties and 7.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.

Golden Knights: 8-2-0, averaging four goals, 6.4 assists, 3.8 penalties and 9.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game.

INJURIES: Avalanche: Cale Makar: day to day (undisclosed).

Golden Knights: Jeremy Lauzon: out (upper-body), Mark Stone: day to day (lower-body).

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

The Buffalo Sabres entered the offseason Wednesday carrying something the organization had not experienced in 15 years: legitimate momentum.

After guiding Buffalo back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011, Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen addressed the media for more than 30 minutes following end-of-season meetings with players and head coach Lindy Ruff. The tone throughout the afternoon was reflective, optimistic, and at times emotional as Kekalainen looked back on a season that reshaped expectations around the franchise.

Buffalo’s turnaround was fueled less by star power and more by the identity the group gradually developed over the course of the year. The Sabres became more connected defensively, more disciplined structurally, and far more difficult to play against as the season progressed — a shift that ultimately carried them into postseason hockey.

“I’m just real proud of the whole group and what we went through, and how much we learned," said Kekalainen on Wednesday in Downtown Buffalo. "Obviously we’re not where we want to be right now, and the disappointment will take a little while [to get over], but we did the exit meetings with Lindy [Ruff] together, and I just can’t emphasize enough to them how excited I am about the future of this group and the potential we have.”

A Foundation Buffalo Finally Believes In

Kekalainen repeatedly pointed toward the roster’s long-term makeup as one of the organization’s biggest strengths. From the depth at center to the mobility on the back end, Buffalo’s general manager made it clear he believes the Sabres are building a sustainable contender rather than simply enjoying a breakthrough season.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a group of young men that have so many potential center icemen in the group," the Sabres general manager said. "I’ve always believed in building from the back end, and I would put our defensemen against anyone in this league. The goaltending was solid all year, and it’s just the beginning.”

Just as notable was the way Kekalainen spoke about the city itself.

Buffalo’s playoff atmosphere became one of the defining storylines of the spring, with KeyBank Center re-emerging as one of the loudest and most energized buildings in hockey. For a franchise that spent years trapped in rebuilding cycles and frustration, the emotional reconnection between the team and its fanbase clearly left an impression on the organization’s front office.

“It was so great to see how this city came together. I get chills even thinking about it," Kekalainen noted. "The atmosphere in the building, the electricity around the whole city.”

Major Decisions Await This Summer

Despite the optimism surrounding the franchise, Buffalo now enters an offseason filled with important roster decisions — beginning with the future of veteran winger Alex Tuch.

The 30-year-old is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and while Kekalainen praised Tuch’s value to the team, his comments suggested negotiations will need to strike a balance between rewarding leadership and maintaining long-term roster flexibility.

“He’s been an important part of our success," Kekalainen acknowledged. "He’s always getting some of the most ice-time of any of the forwards, killing penalties, playing power play, he’s a consistent goal scorer. He’s a valuable part of our team. But just like I’ve told him and I tell everybody in the same situation, we make our decisions based on how can we make our team better. We have to come to an agreement that this is the type of contract where we can still make our team better, and hopefully we can do that.”

Kekalainen sounded considerably more aggressive when discussing defenseman Bo Byram, who becomes extension eligible July 1 with one year remaining on his current deal.

Buffalo views Byram as a major piece of its long-term core alongside Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Mattias Samuelsson — a defensive group Kekalainen clearly sees as the heartbeat of the roster moving forward.

“It’s very important, and I said that to Bo Byram today. I’d like to lock him up for a long time," Kekalainen said. "I think the top-four of our defense is our drive, our engine, and their mobility and ability to move the puck, ability to support offense and also play good defensively; there’s a lot of untapped potential there too. I think Bo’s still a young [defenseman], and he can get better.”

The organization also faces looming decisions in goal.

With new league requirements expected to mandate an emergency backup goalie presence at games next season, carrying three goaltenders on the NHL roster could become increasingly common around the league. Buffalo may find itself in exactly that situation, especially considering waiving Colten Ellis would likely expose him to a claim from the St. Louis Blues.

That reality leaves the development path of Devon Levi under continued scrutiny as the 24-year-old continues navigating the difficult transition from top prospect to full-time NHL starter.

“He’s a talented goalie, and he’s played some great hockey at the American League level," Kekalainen said of the 24-year-old netminder. "He’s played some games in the NHL, and I think almost every goalie in the league has gone through the process of when they need to develop and play games, they need to play in the minors. It’s the most demanding position, and you don’t get better by sitting on the bench. So he’s just getting through that process now, and next year he’ll need waivers, and we’ll see how he keeps developing.”

Now, the real work begins.

Buffalo’s long playoff drought is over, but expectations inside the organization have shifted quickly. The Sabres are no longer trying to prove they belong in the conversation — they are now tasked with proving this season was only the beginning.

DENVER, May 20th, 2026– It was a dark and stormy night in downtown Denver, but none of that doom and gloom spread to the visiting Vegas Golden Knights. Against all odds, they went out on the road and beat the mighty Colorado Avalanche 4-2 to steal Game 1 of the Western Conference Final.

The Golden Knights have never been such heavy underdogs entering a playoff series before, and that says less about them than it does about just how good this Avalanche team is. But, underdogs or not, they kicked off the Western Conference Final with a road win against the best team in the league.

Game 2 of the Western Conference Final is scheduled for 5 p.m. PST on Friday.

1. A Good Old-Fashioned Story of Perseverance

Dylan Coghlan played just three games with the Golden Knights during the regular season, spending the rest of the year with AHL Henderson. But he’s drawn into the last five postseason contests, and the undrafted free agent out of Duncan, British Columbia, is making a name for himself.

“When you say Dylan Coghlan to me, I think of no fear. I don't think he’s afraid to make a play,” said head coach John Tortorella following the 4-2 win. “I just think he plays. He’s been unflappable… I don’t think he gets caught up in anything. He just tries to be the best he can be. And I just think he has an inner confidence about himself.”

He opened the scoring tonight with a sneaky shot that beat Scott Wedgewood five-hole. It was the first postseason goal of his career, and his first goal since December 17th, 2021.

“It was pretty crazy,” Coghlan said postgame. “I didn’t know it went in until I turned and looked at Shea, and he was smiling at me. Just kind of blacked out for a second.”

2. Defense Wins Championships

Carter Hart made no shortage of impressive stops in the Golden Knights’ 4-2 win, but it’s possible that the best saves were the ones he didn’t have to make. Most of the Avalanche’s best looks ended up going off-net, whether by the nature of a strong defensive play or an unforced error. It was usually the former.

The Golden Knights were excellent at limiting the Avalanche off the rush and keeping them to the outside during the first two periods. If they want to win this series, that will have to continue.

3. The Looming Threat

The Golden Knights winning Game 1 was no small feat, whether the Avalanche were at full strength or not. However, it’s important to remember that they beat the Avalanche… without Cale Makar, the best defenseman in the world, in the lineup. If and when Makar returns, the Avalanche become infinitely more dangerous.

“It’s a very hard team we're playing against,” said Mitch Marner following the 4-2 win. “We know that, and we know they’re gonna come with even more next game, and we gotta be ready for that.”

DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche opened the Western Conference Final without superstar defenseman Cale Makar on Wednesday night, and the difference was noticeable in a 4-2 Game 1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights at Ball Arena.

Colorado pushed late with third-period goals from Valeri Nichushkin and captain Gabriel Landeskog, but Vegas controlled much of the game and capitalized on their opportunities to take an early series lead.

First Period

The opening 20 minutes were scoreless, though both teams generated quality chances.

Vegas entered the night having scored in the first period in each of its previous four playoff games, but Scott Wedgewood helped keep the Golden Knights off the board early. The Avalanche goaltender made several key saves in the first period, including a strong stop on a dangerous Vegas rush that energized the Ball Arena crowd.

Colorado had moments offensively, but the Avalanche struggled to consistently break through Vegas’ structure without Makar in the lineup. The Golden Knights controlled stretches of possession and kept Colorado from establishing much sustained pressure.

Second Period

Vegas broke through midway through the second period when depth defenseman Dylan Coghlan converted on a rush chance and scored his first goal of the postseason to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead.

A few minutes later, Pavel Dorofeyev added to the advantage on a power-play goal after a slick setup from Mitch Marner, extending the lead to 2-0. It was his 10th score of the postseason giving the young sniper the NHL lead in goals.

Although Colorado held an edge in shots through two periods, Vegas looked sharper in transition and created the more dangerous scoring opportunities. The Avalanche continued searching for offense but struggled to generate consistent traffic around the net and looked slow for most of the night up to this point.

Third Period

The Golden Knights pushed the lead to 3-0 midway through the third period on Brett Howden’s ninth goal of the playoffs, putting Colorado in its largest deficit of the postseason. He evaded coverage and batted a rebound out of the air before getting his stick on the puck for a legal goal.

The Avalanche responded later in the period when Val Nichushkin scored on a between-the-legs finish to cut the lead to 3-1 and bring some life back into the arena.

Now the momentum was really on Colorado’s side and they looked dangerous with the puck for the first time in the contest. With the goaltender pulled late in regulation after receiving a power play and executing the 6-on-4 attack, Gabe Landeskog added another goal with 2:20 remaining to trim the deficit to one and give Colorado a chance in the closing minutes.

With Wedgewood on the bench again Vegas answered shortly after when Nic Dowd beat out an icing and scored into the empty net to seal the 4-2 Vegas win.

Takeaways

Missing such an important piece as Cale Makar was a factor in the loss and every day that goes by will ramp up the hope that he can return to play soon. The rest of the team was a bit scrambled and slow in their coverage and can correct some mistakes in their own right.

Jack Ahcan was inserted into the lineup again and played double the three minutes he received in Game 5 against Minnesota. He still was on the ice for a goal against in this game, though. The ailing defense core is thin on options and the Avalanche need to come up with some other solutions.

Upcoming

The rematch in Game 2 is scheduled for Friday night at Ball Arena with puck drop set for 6 p.m. local time.

DENVER, May 20th, 2026– How do you eat an elephant? Piece by piece.

The Colorado Avalanche are the mightiest of elephants, and the  Vegas Golden Knights took their first bite on Wednesday with a 4-2 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final. This was just Colorado’s second loss of the postseason.

Things didn’t look very promising early on. The Avalanche came in waves, hemming the Golden Knights into the zone for the first few minutes of the game. The Golden Knights survived the push and considerably improved their play for the rest of the period.

In the second period, the Avalanche held a slight edge in possession. They outshot the Golden Knights 15-10 and generated 12 scoring chances against nine from Vegas. 

The Golden Knights broke the ice at 12:29 in the second period. Brandon Saad found Dylan Coghlan in the slot, and Coghlan beat Scott Wedgewood five-hole. 

Dylan Coghlan from the slot. A goal in his fifth career postseason game!

1-0, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/U9v4XaLX5t

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 21, 2026

The Golden Knights doubled their lead on the power play less than three minutes later. Mitch Marner danced around Brent Burns and stretched to corral the puck when it rolled off his stick. He slid a no-look pass by Logan O’Connor to find Pavel Dorofeyev all alone in the slot, and Dorofeyev snapped a shot past Scott Wedgewood short-side. 

WHAT A PASS BY MITCH MARNER!

He sets up Pavel Dorofeyev to make it 2-0 for the @GoldenKnights!

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

— NHL (@NHL) May 21, 2026

The Golden Knights added another just 94 seconds into the third. As Ben Hutton’s penalty expired, Brett Howden blocked Sam Malinski’s shot from the point. The puck bounced out to Hutton as he stepped out of the box, who took off on a 2-on-1 with Howden. Scott Wedgewood made the save on Hutton’s shot, and Howden gloved down the rebound and poked it home. 

Ben Hutton breakaway out of the box! Brett Howden gloves down the rebound and pokes it home.

3-0, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/uvokv72xDd

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 21, 2026

From that point on, cracks began to show in the Golden Knights’ game. The Avalanche outshot Vegas 13-8, and generated 10 high-danger scoring chances while holding the Golden Knights to just one.

The Avalanche got on the board at 5:53 in the third. Val Nichushkin blocked a shot in the defensive zone and carried the puck out of the zone on an odd-man rush. As Nichushkin entered the offensive zone, Ben Hutton and Dylan Coghlan collided, taking themselves out of the play and effectively giving Colorado a 3-on-0. Nichushkin got a pass through to Ross Colton, drove the net, and redirected Colton’s feed between his legs and past Carter Hart.

Ben Hutton and Dylan Coghlan collide and the Avs are alive. Nichushkin tips home a feed from Colton.

3-1, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/wstapkeOtb

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 21, 2026

The crowd came alive after Nichushkin’s goal and stayed raucous for the remainder of the game. Shea Theodore took a late high-sticking penalty, and the Avalanche pulled Scott Wedgewood for a 6-on-4 opportunity.

The Avalanche pulled to within one at 17:39 in the third. Devon Toews left the puck for Nathan MacKinnon in the defensive zone, and the center raced up ice. He cut across the blue line, drove deeper into the zone, and juked Brayden McNabb out of his skates. MacKinnon drifted up to the goal line and set Gabriel Landeskog up for a backdoor tap-in.

Oh, ew, Nathan MacKinnon. Spins Brayden McNabb out of his skates and finds Gabe Landeskog backdoor.

3-2, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/8qiMcn7RPZ

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 21, 2026

Down by only a goal with 2:02 remaining, the Avalanche again pulled Wedgewood for the extra attacker. They recorded just one shot on goal, and the puck ended up on the stick of Jack Eichel. Eichel’s bid at the empty net went wide, but Nic Dowd won the race to the loose puck and slammed it home.

“We had some major inconsistencies,” said head coach John Tortorella following the 4-2 win. “We didn't play a flawless game by any means. We got some timely goals, and we got some great saves at key times. We have work to do, and it’s nice to get the first one under your belt, to get a win. But we have plenty of work to do when we’re playing against that team.”

DENVER — Dylan Coghlan scored his first playoff goal to get Vegas rolling, Carter Hart made 36 saves and the Golden Knights opened the Western Conference Final by holding off the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 on Wednesday night.

Trailing 3-0 in the third period, Colorado made it 3-2 with 2:21 remaining on a power-play goal from Gabriel Landeskog. Nic Dowd sealed it for Vegas with an empty-net goal.

Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden also scored for the Golden Knights, who took advantage of several defensive miscommunications by the Avalanche as they juggled their blue-line pairings with Cale Makar sidelined by an upper-body injury.

Coghlan scored his first NHL goal since Dec. 17, 2021. The 28-year-old defenseman spent most of the season in the American Hockey League. He’s played the last five postseason games with the recent injury to Jeremy Lauzon.

“When you say Dylan Coghlan to me, I think of no fear,” Vegas coach John Tortorella said. “I think he’s one of our best defensemen since he’s been with us and in the lineup. … He’s a bit unflappable.”

It was a smothering performance most of the game by the Golden Knights as they kept the pressure on goaltender Scott Wedgewood, while controlling the Avalanche’s speed through the neutral zone. Vegas also had 23 blocked shots.

“We didn’t play a flawless game by any means,” Tortorella said. “We have work to do.”

Valeri Nichushkin had a goal at 5:53 of the third to make it 3-1.

Hart was stellar most of the evening, making one sprawling save after another. He got some help from his post, too, when Logan O’Connor’s liner clanged off it in the first period.

“We know they’ve got a lot of skill on their team, and we respect that,” Hart said. “But you can’t respect them too much, and I thought we did a good job of defending and limiting their time and space.”

Mitch Marner added an assist for Vegas to give him 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in this postseason. It was Dorofeyev’s NHL-leading 10th goal of this postseason. The Golden Knights didn’t have injured captain Mark Stone.

“We’re trying to play our game, not worrying too much about countering off another team,” Tortorella explained. “They feel very comfortable in it.”

Game 2 is Friday night in Denver.

The Avalanche dropped their first game at home after winning five straight through the first two rounds. Wedgewood made 24 saves.

“It was kind of a nothing game, and then they got a few goals,” Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon said. “Really good team, obviously, but I thought we did a lot of damage to ourselves. Just guys kind of everywhere. Execution, like I said, needs to be better. Obviously, we’re capable of being a lot better than that.”

Colorado tried some different combinations without Makar. It led to some confusion, with Coghlan sneaking into the middle of the ice and lining a shot through the pads of Wedgewood to break a scoreless game in the second period.

“There’s definitely a trickle-down effect to that,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of not having Makar. “But he’s not playing. We have find a way.”

Coghlan has bounced around over his career, spending his first two seasons with Vegas before stints with Carolina and Winnipeg. He returned to the Golden Knights last July in part, he said, because of the bonds he’d formed.

“This is probably the best I’ve felt in my whole career,” said Coghlan, who played in three regular-season games for Vegas this season. “Whoever it is I’m playing with I’m very comfortable out there with them. They make it pretty easy on me. We have some pretty world-class players.”

The Golden Knights and Avalanche are meeting in a best-of-seven series for the second time. In 2021, Colorado won the opening two games of their second-round series before Vegas captured four straight.

“ Definitely things we can get better at,” Landeskog said. “But we knew it was (going to) be a long series.”

The Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights are ready to get the Western Conference Final started tonight at Ball Arena in Downtown Denver!

The Golden Knights represent the Pacific Division after series victories over the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks.

The Avalanche have lost just one game so far these playoffs after sweeping the LA Kings and besting the Minnesota Wild in five games, but will go without Norris candidate Cale Makar in game one.

Makar is not playing tonight@AltitudeSRpic.twitter.com/WgKmSr1I7P

— Darren McKee (@DMacSportsCO) May 20, 2026

The first chapter of this seven-game series is of the utmost importance, as the winner of game one has gone on to win the playoff series 68.2% of the time (historically speaking).

Colorado Avalanche

There were some pretty glaring questions for the Avalanche coming into this series regarding the health status, namely, regarding Cale Makar.

We have gotten confirmation via an announcement from Jared Bednar that Cale Makar will not play in game one.

Breaking: Avalanche star Cale Makar will miss Game 1 of the Western Conference finals vs. the Golden Knights, head coach Jared Bednar announced.

Bednar said Makar is day-to-day. pic.twitter.com/ylWiUuNBV1

— ESPN (@espn) May 20, 2026

This is a heavy blow to Colorado’s backend and likely means that recently recalled Alex Gagne, Jack Achan, or Nick Blankenburg will see playoff action in the bottom pairing. If any other defenders are still hurt, two of them would play.

With that in mind, a commitment to structure and support will be crucial this evening, as the Golden Knights will absolutely look to find favorable matchups.

I have three keys to a Colorado Avalanche victory:

1. Play team-first hockey.
2. Stay out of the penalty box.
3. Thrive in the environment.

Whenever you have guys that haven’t played much NHL hockey, much less playoff hockey, slotted into your backend, a commitment to the process is vital. The process is the fail-safe when a talent advantage may not exist, and the Avalanche take pride in it. That will need to be shown for the Avalanche to win game one.

The Avs have made going to the sin-bin a far too common occurrence in the playoffs so far. Combine that with a clear and concise advantage at five-on-five against the competition so far, and you have plenty of reason to play things straight up. Vegas’ special teams aren’t to be tempted.

Ball Arena should be a madhouse tonight, as many fans still don’t like the Vegas Golden Knights after the 2021 playoff series, and, of course, the Avalanche appear plenty capable of winning it all. The Avs-friendly and raucous environment has the potential to deal a heavy blow to Vegas’ confidence.

Projected Lineup:

Gabriel Landeskog — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
ARTTURI LEHKONEN — Brock Nelson — Nicolas Roy
ROSS COLTON — Nazem Kadri — Valeri Nichushkin
Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Logan O’Connor

Devon Toews — Sam Malinski
Brett Kulak — Brent Burns
Alex Gagne — Josh Manson

Scott Wedgewood
MacKenzie Blackwood

It will be Scott Wedgewood back between the pipes for the Avalanche, which makes sense, seeing as he’s lost just one game these playoffs and came in and shut things down in Colorado’s game five comeback victory against Minny.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Knights have depth, particularly up the middle, and with the Avalanche missing Makar, expect Vegas’ head coach to be pretty active in getting his best skaters favorable matchups against Colorado’s bottom pair.

Torts has brought a lot of security to a team that couldn’t get consistent enough goaltending or results to take a strong hold of their division in the regular season. His arrival has ushered in another era of defensive focus in Vegas, similar to what we saw under Pete DeBoer.

The Golden Knights present as a team capable of shutting things down like the LA Kings, but while having the talent to cash in on limited opportunities.

Mitch Marner leads all point scorers in these playoffs and has been a consistent performer for the Knights. His matchup and the challenges he will face against this Avalanche team are a much taller task than what he saw in the first two rounds, however.

Showing up when it matters most 🫡

A look at who's leading the way for each team left standing in the #StanleyCup Playoffs 🤩 pic.twitter.com/bOnh4d8rek

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 20, 2026

Here are three keys to victory for the Golden Knights:

1. Weather the storm.
2. Establish an early lead.
3. Exploit matchups.

If the Avalanche have a key to victory that plays into the home crowd, the Golden Knights have to have the opposite as a key to their success. Quieting Avalanche fans and making things awkward in the building can frustrate a club.

Vegas has shown the ability to win both low-scoring games and high-scoring games, but they’d be smart to limit Colorado’s flow and chances. Tough to see a goal fest not shaking out in Colorado’s favor.

Projected Lineup:

Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner
Brandon Saad — Tomas Hertl — Colton Sissons
Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Keegan Kolesar

Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton — Dylan Coghlan

Carter Hart
Adin Hill

Carter Hart has been better in the postseason than he was in the regular season, but the gap between his floor and his ceiling is large compared to most starters. He could be one of Vegas best or worst players on any given night. Do with that what you will.

Follow along in the comments below!

On Tuesday, the AHL announced that former Philadelphia Flyers forward Jakob Pelletier was named the AHL Player of the Year, putting the exclamation point on the best pro season of his career thus far.

Pelletier, still just 25 years old, erupted for 28 goals, 49 assists, and 77 points in 62 games for the AHL Syracuse Crunch this season, establishing new career-highs across the board while leading the entire league in scoring, making him an easy choice for AHL Player of the Year.

In four Calder Cup playoff games, Pelletier added a goal and four assists, and he got to play in five NHL games for the Tampa Bay Lightning this season as well.

The 2019 first-round pick was let go by the Flyers last offseason after a short stint in Philadelphia that saw him score three goals, five assists, and eight points in 25 games in place of the traded Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost, playing in a limited role for then-Flyers coaches John Tortorella and Brad Shaw.

Free to sign with any NHL team after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Flyers, Pelletier inked a three-year pact with the Lightning, giving the perennial Stanley Cup contenders some depth and some young upside - two things they badly needed.

Flyers Trade Target: Devon LeviThe Philadelphia Flyers can buy low on a goalie prospect with potential and trade for Devon Levi, who is on his way off the Buffalo Sabres.

The 5-foot-9 winger could have had a role to play in Philadelphia with the Flyers again this season when Tyson Foerster missed time with two different injuries, but Denver Barkey and Alex Bump stepped up in their first professional seasons instead.

At the same time, though, given that Pelletier played almost exclusively in the AHL again this season, we can point to a weak Lehigh Valley Phantoms team that probably could have used some upgrades.

For instance, journeyman Lane Pederson finished as the Phantoms' leading scorer with 23 goals, 25 assists, and 48 points in 63 games, while Pelletier trumped that total with just his 49 assists.

Also consider that Anthony Richard, the team's second-highest scorer, just left for Switzerland, and Bump and Barkey, seventh and 14th, respectively, on the team in scoring, graduated to the NHL.

Alexis Gendron, who was traded to the Boston Bruins organization midseason, had a modest 10 goals, 12 assists, and 22 points himself.

That's all to say that the Flyers lost a lot of firepower over the course of the season, which culminated in an early end to the year for prospects like Oliver Bonk, David Jiricek, Hunter McDonald, Aleksei Kolosov, Carson Bjarnason, Jack Berglund, and Cole Knuble.

In the end, Pelletier bet on himself and signed elsewhere, and now he's a bonafide AHL star, at the very least.

Welcome to Ball Arena! Stay tuned for all of the action!

First Period

The Avalanche dictated the pace of play for the early going of the opening period. Although there weren't a ton of shots on goal, we saw several players get involved in the physical side of the game early. 

At the 6:27 mark, Wedgewood came up with an outstanding save on a 2-on-1 rush before Tomas Hertl tried to fire in the rebound from his knees, but missed the net. 

On the subsequent faceoff, Nathan MacKinnon won the draw, but Devon Toews mishandled the puck behind the net resulting in a turnover to Jack Eichel, who was turned away by Wedgewood on a pair of shots before the puck was cleared.

Colorado killed a penalty after Brent Burns was sent to the box for hooking Vegas forward Brandon Saad at 9:02. 

With 4:45 to go in the period, Logan O'Connor received a pass just past the red line and penetrated the Golden Knights defensive zone before putting on the brakes and firing a wrister, but it dinged off the left post, and the game remained at a 0-0 deadlock. 

At the end of one, the game remained scoreless, and both teams accrued 10 shots on goal.