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).

___

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. 

On Wednesday, the Vegas Golden Knights visit the Colorado Avalanche to kick off the Western Conference Finals. 

Puck drop is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. PST. 

Carter Hart starts in net for the Golden Knights. Hart has a record of 8-4 and an average save percentage of .917 in 12 games this postseason. 

Scott Wedgewood starts in net for the Avalanche. Wedgewood has a record of 7-1 and an average save percentage of .914 in eight games this postseason. 

Mark Stone was on the ice for morning skate with the scratches ahead of Game 1, but did not take the ice for warmups.

Golden Knights Lines

Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev

Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner

Brandon Saad — Tomáš Hertl — Colton Sissons

Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Keegan Kolesar

Defense

Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore

Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson

Ben Hutton — Dylan Coghlan

Goaltenders: Carter Hart / Adin Hill

Ducks Lines

Gabriel Landeskog — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Nečas 

Artturi Lehkonen — Brock Nelson — Nicolas Roy

Ross Colton — Nazem Kadri — Valero Nichushkin

Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Logan O’Connor

Defense

Devon Toews — Sam Malinski

Brett Kulak — Josh Manson

Brent Burns — Jack Ahcan

Goaltenders: Scott Wedgewood / Mackenzie Blackwood 

Special Teams

VGK power play: 25.7%, 4th

VGK penalty kill: 86.8%, 5th

Ducks power play: 25.0%, T5th

Ducks penalty kill: 79.3%, 11th

Game Notes

The Golden Knights are 13-11 in Game 1s in franchise history. 

Historically, teams that take a 1-0 series lead go on to win 70.3% of the time. 

Mitch Marner is the postseason leader in scoring with 18 points (7G, 11A). 

Pavel Dorofeyev leads the league with nine postseason goals. 

Jack Eichel leads the league in assists this postseason with 14.

How to Watch 

TV: ESPN

Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 94.7/1340

Hockey in the state of Florida has become much more than just a novelty.

This year will break a streak of six consecutive seasons in which the Stanley Cup Final was played in Florida.

The Tampa Bay Lightning went to the Final each year from 2020 to 2022 and the Florida Panthers reached the Final from 2023 to 2025.

Additionally, despite failing to extend the streak this season, both the Panthers and Lightning are considered among teams that could continue to compete for the Stanley Cup in the foreseeable future.

All that success has given Floridian hockey fans one hell of an in-state rivalry between its two NHL franchises, which has provided some incredibly fun and entertaining hockey games over the past several seasons.

Recently, RotoWire.com put together a guide of the most hated teams in America, going state-by-state.

While that might lead to the question of which team is more disliked inside the state, the Panthers or the Lightning, this collection of data looked to see which teams that played outside of each state were the most hated by those who live on the inside.

So neither the Panthers or Lightning was the most hated in Florida, just like how neither the Rangers or Islanders was most hated in New York, or how none of the Kings, Ducks or Sharks were the most hated in California, and so on.

Interestingly, the most hated team inside the state of Florida is apparently the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Florida was the only state that had Toronto listed as its most hated.

What makes more sense to this writer would be if it were the other way around. A team from Florida has knocked the Maple Leafs out of the playoffs in three of the past four postseasons; Tampa took out the Leafs in 2022 while Florida eliminated them in both 2023 and 2025.

Do you agree that Toronto is the most hated NHL team in Florida not named the Panthers or Lightning?

No states in the U.S. had the Panthers or Lightning listed as their most hated.

Outside of the Florida result, there were some other interesting elements of this data collection.

The most hated team in the U.S. is, according to this list, the Vegas Golden Knights, who are the most hated team in 11 different states, including Hawaii and Alaska.

Next is the Colorado Avalanche, hated in eight states, followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens, who are each hated in five states.

The most hated team in New York was the Boston Bruins, the most hated team in Pennsylvania was the New York Rangers and the most hated team in Massachusetts was the Canadiens.

Some of the seemingly random ones were the Philadelphia Flyers being the most hated team in West Virginia and the Edmonton Oilers being most hated in Nevada.

Let us know in the comments which team you think is the most hated in Florida.

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Photo caption: May 7, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) scores a goal and celebrates with center Anton Lundell (15) against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period in game two of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)

Good morning, everyone. With the first round just about completed (there is one game to be played as of this writing), it is time to make an update to our Stanley Cup Playoffs Open Post. You can see the original post here, but let’s dive into the new matchups.

The Schedule: You can see the NHL’s schedule here.

The IIHF Worlds Open Post: For Worlds-related commentary, please see here.

The Preview

The Eastern Conference Finals: The Carolina Hurricanes vs. the Montreal Canadiens

The Carolina Hurricanes are surely very rested. Through two rounds, they have played the minimum of eight games, and former Devil Taylor Hall leads them in scoring with 12 points. The Hurricanes also got the version of Freddie Andersen who usually shows up against the Devils in the playoffs, as he has a .950 save percentage and a 1.12 (not a typo) goals against average. Carolina does probably want to work some kinks out here. Sebastian Aho only has four points, as do Nikolaj Ehlers and Seth Jarvis. Shayne Gostisbehere has not been as productive as he has been in the regular season. But the depth of their attack will be very difficult for Montreal.

Montreal probably deserved to lose the second round to Buffalo, and I tend to think that Buffalo would give Carolina a better chase. But Montreal’s top players are showing up. Lane Hutson is continuing to be a point-per-game defenseman in the playoffs, and the trio of Suzuki, Caufield, and Slafkovsky have continued to be very productive on the power play…but that may be their downfall. They have yet to really step up at five-on-five in these playoffs, and Devils fans know that Carolina is a ridiculously stifling team on the penalty kill. If that top line does not turn it around at even strength, this may be another short series for Carolina. If they do turn it around, we might be in for an upset.

A saving grace for Montreal is they have three good centers leading the way right now in Suzuki, Evans, and Danault. But I am not convinced that they have a third-line edge over the Carolina group of Hall, Stankoven, and Blake. What I am sure about is this should be a fun series to watch the net, as both Andersen and Jakub Dobes have had excellent performances throughout these playoffs. Dobes may be more inconsistent through two series, but the highs get really high with him.

The Western Conference Finals: The Colorado Avalanche vs. the Vegas Golden Knights

They did not make it here without controversy to write about, but the Vegas Golden Knights are back in the mix for a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and I am sure that everyone reading this is just thrilled to see it. To their credit, though, Mitch Marner has been incredible and good to rely on in these playoffs, and that contract is looking very much worth it at the moment. But I will push back on the narratives surrounding him for a moment: this is the fourth time out of the last five playoffs that Marner has produced at a point per game or better. He is scoring more goals as an individual, but it would be wrong to say this is the first time he’s shown this ability in the playoffs.

The Colorado Avalanche, though, are in a space similar to the Carolina Hurricanes. They are a powerhouse. Nathan MacKinnon has seven goals in nine games. Gabriel Landeskog is the same as he ever was. They have six players who have taken shifts at center in the playoffs, and all of them range from solid to elite. The one thing they will be fighting is an injury to Cale Makar, who has admittedly not been his usual uber-productive self. However, he will not be out long. With Devon Toews, Brent Burns, and assorted contributions from Brett Kulak and Josh Manson, the Avalanche should be able to survive a night without their top blueliner.

We will see who returns first between Makar and Mark Stone. However, the key to this series will be whether defense and goaltending can allow Vegas to hold on with Colorado. The Avalanche have not gotten their playoff goaltending completely set in stone yet, but Scott Wedgewood is 7-1-0 with a .914 save percentage. I would think his leash is not super long at this stage of the playoffs, as Mackenzie Blackwood has already played in a couple of games to less rousing individual success. The Knights may have better numbers in goal, but they have less depth to rely on, and they do not have the skaters to stay purely even with Colorado without big performances in net. Even with as good as they are with Eichel, Marner, Barbashev, and Stone, Colorado has an embarrassingly rich lineup.

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The St. Louis Blues made a late-season push for a playoff spot, which, as many predicted, fell short.

With that, the Blues pushed themselves into the ‘Mushy Middle,’ just outside the playoffs but too far from landing a potential top-five pick.

The Blues moved to 11th last by the end of the season, and did not move in the draft lottery, so their top pick this season will be the 11th overall.

While it is very possible that they can still find a very skilled player who could change the franchise, it’s far less likely than if they were selecting in the top five. But each draft is unique, players rise or fall, whether there is a good reason or not.

This year, a prime candidate to be selected far lower than he should be is Viggo Bjorck, and that’s why he can be considered the dream draft scenario for the Blues.

Bjorck is an ultra-skilled center with two-way versatility. The 18-year-old loves to have the puck on his stick, and he excels with it. When watching Bjorck, his ability to pick up the puck from his own end and skate in transition is evident each shift. At times, he can look like a one-man breakout and zone entry.

But he also excels when he has the puck in the offensive zone. He possesses slick hands with the ability to make passes into the slot and carry the puck into dangerous areas of the ice. 

Defensively, Bjorck is smart with his positioning in his own end, and along the boards, he’s able to position himself and utilize his stick to win puck battles.

With all those traits, it’s odd to see many draft analysts think Bjorck will fall in the draft, but the reason is due to his size. 

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Bjorck is listed at just 5-foot-9. That’s very undersized, especially for a center. While there is plenty of evidence that smaller players can be successful NHL players, Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, Mats Zuccarello, Alex DeBrincat, Brad Marchand, and Jonathan Marchessault all come to mind, none of those players are centers, and they were all selected outside of the top 10; in fact, Caufield is the only player selected in the first round. 

With all that evidence against Bjorck, it’s understandable why some believe he could drop in the draft. 

But with all that, there’s still reason to believe he can be a top-six center. Take Logan Stankoven, for example. Stankoven stands at just 5-foot-7, but his relentless motor and fearlessness to get to the front of the net has seen him be successful in the playoffs.

The best example might be Brayden Point. Point does stand a couple of inches taller than Bjorck, but they possess so many similar traits, and Point has been a key contributing player, and at times the best player on a Tampa Bay Lightning team that won back-to-back Stanley Cups.

Draft-Eligible Viggo Bjorck Stars for Sweden: “It’s Just Hockey”Sweden rallied past Switzerland at the World Juniors as draft-eligible Viggo Björck sparked a third-period comeback in a 4–2 win.

Like Point, Bjorck owns a relentless motor, a strong lower body, and a high hockey IQ. Very few players have had the success Point has shown in the bumper spot, and we’ve already seen Bjorck have success in that position at the world juniors and the World Championship. 

In all, Bjorck notched six goals and 15 points in 42 games in the SHL this season. He then won the championship in Sweden’s U-20 league, posting eight goals and 20 points in nine games.

After a successful SHL season and a gold medal win with Sweden at the World Junior Championship, where he posted three goals and nine points in seven games, he was selected to represent Sweden at the World Championship.

So far, he’s posted one goal and two points in four games. Bjorck is the youngest ever player to represent Sweden at the World Championship. 

NHL clubs might fear his size, but they could risk missing out on a future star. At pick No. 11 and with two picks still in the first round, selecting Bjorck would be a worthwhile gamble. 

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The Anaheim Ducks just had their most successful season in nine years come to an end after a 4-2 series loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the 2026 NHL Playoffs. 

They’ve taken a colossal step toward becoming a perennial Stanley Cup contender, and have arguably opened that contending window in 2025-26 and beyond. 

One player who was once projected to be a key depth piece during the early stages of the Ducks’ build is veteran winger Frank Vatrano. 

Vatrano (32) entered the 2025-26 season coming off back-to-back-to-back 20-goal seasons, including a 37-goal, 60-point campaign in 2023-24 that earned him an All-Star appearance. 

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With a high-energy approach and a lethal release, Vatrano’s usage increased year after year during his first three seasons with the Ducks, and he signed a three-year contract extension on Jan 5, 2025, worth $18 million in real dollars. Still, due to a percentage of it being deferred, his AAV settled at $4.57 million. 

The Ducks hired head coach Joel Quenneville ahead of the 2025-26 season, and he brought with him a mostly-new coaching staff, along with all-new play styles and systems. Due to how Quenneville elected to divvy up usage and how he prefers his lineups to be constructed, Vatrano found his role diminished and eventually eliminated down the stretch of the regular season. 

Vatrano averaged 16:41 TOI per game in 2022-23, 18:21 in 2023-24, and 17:33 in 2024-25, and featured heavily on both special teams units. He experienced difficulty carving a role for himself on the 2025-26 Ducks’ depth chart, sustained a shoulder injury in Dec, and left the team for a period of time due to personal reasons. 

He finished the year averaging just 11:49 TOI/G in 50 games played, scored just nine points (5-4=9), and was scratched for every game of the Ducks’ 12-game playoff run to the second round. It’s understandable to question his future with the Anaheim Ducks.

Vatrano has two years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $4.57 million. However, he is owed $900,000 per year for ten years, starting in 2035. That number will not impact his NHL club’s cap sheet, but will have to be honored in real dollars.

On the surface, due to his production and contract, he appears somewhat immovable for Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek. However, Verbeek was able to move center Ryan Strome at the 2026 trade deadline. Strome experienced similar struggles as Vatrano, only producing nine points (3-6=9) in 33 games and had a year and a half remaining on his contract that carried a $5 million cap hit. The Ducks didn’t have to retain on Strome’s contract and acquired a seventh-round pick in exchange. 

The 2026 NHL free agency class is notoriously thin, and combined with the dramatically rising salary cap ceiling ($95.5 million to $104 million), teams may find themselves interested in or in need of the services of a forward like Vatrano. 

If the contract is too much for teams to stomach and the Ducks intend to spend to the salary cap ceiling, as they may have to, given contract projections for RFAs like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger, along with the potential to add to the roster, buying out Vatrano’s contract presents itself as an option for Verbeek. 

If Vatrano’s contract is bought out, his cap hit will decrease to $571,189 for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons. They will also incur a $2 million cap hit for the 2028-29 and 2029-30 seasons. 

Perhaps the least likely scenario, given all that’s transpired over the course of the 2025-26 season, is the hope that he re-finds his scoring touch and is afforded a role on the Ducks’ depth chart in 2026-27, rendering last season a “one-off.” Vatrano’s talent as a depth scorer and energy forechecker remains, but a longer leash than the coaching staff is willing to give out may be necessary to achieve that goal. 

The summer of 2026 will likely prove a pivotal one for the future of the Ducks franchise, as they have some aspects of their roster to iron out, some holes to fill, and a cap sheet that may require some navigating if they’re to maximize their potential and begin contending for Stanley Cups as soon as next season. Part of that navigation might include an important decision on what to do with Frank Vatrano.

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