The Los Angeles Kings have their backs against the wall in their first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche. The Kings are down 3-0 and are struggling to find ways to outscore the Avs.
"I'm hoping it's not going to be (my last game)," Kopitar told NHL.com. Indeed, it would be a disappointing way to sign off on the magical career that Kopitar had.
Unfortunately for the 38-year-old, it doesn't look good for the Kings based on the first three games of this series against the Avalanche.
Defensively, Los Angeles has put up a fight against a Colorado roster that is littered with stars and elite talent. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Brock Nelson, Martin Necas and Nazem Kadri have all been limited to one point each in these playoffs.
In the first three games in this series, Los Angeles hasn't scored more than two goals. To go with that, the Kings' top line that includes Kopitar, as well as Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe on his flanks, have not scored a single point at even strength.
Kopitar himself is the only player in the team's top-six forward group to not record a point in these playoffs. Also, he's averaged 19:14 of ice time and has registered a team-low minus-four plus-minus rating.
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After an arduous rookie season in 2023-24, Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe took a sizable step in his progression in 2024-25, jumping from 17 points (2-15=17) in 71 games while averaging 19:23 TOI/G to 43 points (14-29=43) in 75 games and leading the Ducks in TOI/G with 22:18.
When LaCombe was discussed among breakout players in 2024-25 among national media outlets, it was met with a chorus of “WHO?”
Just prior to the 2025-26 season, on Oct. 2, 2025, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek signed LaCombe to an eight-year contract extension that carries an AAV of $9 million, and will not kick in until the start of the 2026-27 season.
Upon the extension announcement and when it reached a national audience, it was again met with a chorus of “WHO?”
On Jan. 21, 2026, it was announced that USA Hockey selected LaCombe to replace Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones on USA’s 2026 Winter Olympic men’s hockey team that would play in Milano Cortina in February.
Guess what the reaction was. That’s correct, a chorus of “WHO?”
He didn’t see any ice during USA’s run to a gold medal, but returned to Orange County with one around his neck, regardless, and gained valuable experience skating on the same ice with the world’s best hockey players day in and day out.
LaCombe continued to elevate his game and finished the 2025-26 season with 58 points (10-48=58) in 82 games, again leading the Ducks in TOI/G with 24:15, 17th in the entire NHL. He is the blueline’s centerpiece, a true NHL #1 defenseman, on a Ducks team that made a 12-point jump in the standings (a year removed from a 21-point jump in the standings) and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
Through three playoff games, one would be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t know the name “Jackson LaCombe,” as he’s been one of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs’ top performers, and the argument could easily be made that he’s been the single best. However, due to the late starts in the series between the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks, there are still those relatively unfamiliar.
As of Saturday morning, when three games were played across all eight playoff series, LaCombe co-led the NHL in scoring (with Leon Draisaitl) with six points (1-5=6) and led all defensemen in scoring by two points. However impressive the production has been, what he’s accomplishing over the entire 200-foot ice surface, on the defensive side of the puck, and against Planet Earth’s single best hockey player (maybe in history) has been transcendent.
“It’s insane. I think he’s probably our best player,” Ducks forward Mason McTavish said. “He just does everything. Even in practice, when he’s defending a two-on-one, it’s so hard to pass through him every time. Just his skating, he’s so smart in the o-zone, he’s a single-man breakout. He literally does it all, so it’s been really fun to watch him step into this role.”
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Through three games, LaCombe has led the Ducks with 67:55 TOI at 5v5. In those minutes, the Ducks have registered 62.30% of the shots on goal, 55.94% of the shot attempts, 62.24% of the expected goals, and have outscored the Oilers 6-4.
Though Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville didn’t have the benefit of last change in the first two games of the series, he deployed LaCombe, along with partner Jacob Trouba, as much as he could against Connor McDavid and the Oilers’ top line. All but three defensive zone starts featured LaCombe and Trouba.
When the series shifted back to Anaheim for Game 3, McDavid was on the ice against LaCombe for 13:55 TOI and Trouba for 13:39 at 5v5, a far cry from the Ducks’ second pair of John Carlson (4:58) and Pavel Mintyukov (4:55).
“Oh my god, was he good tonight,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after Friday’s 7-4 Game 3 win over Edmonton. “He was special tonight. The plays, the poise, and the patience he had on the goal at the empty net kind of sums up the night. He did have the puck a lot, and I thought his speed going through the middle and into the zone was high-end, and he was definitely a factor.”
In total, in this series, LaCombe has gone head-to-head against McDavid for 33:10 TOI at 5v5. In those minutes, the Ducks have won the shots on goal battle 20-10 (66.67%), the shot attempts battle 45-32 (58.44%), the expected goals battle 1.44-0.88 (61.95%), and the Ducks have outscored the Oilers 4-1.
Game 3 was LaCombe’s standout performance to this point in the playoffs, as he took his game to heights unseen and capped off his efforts with a spinning backhand disruption against a 2v1 featuring McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and a play where he (at the end of a long shift) drove McDavid into the corner, won a puck, ignited a breakout, and joined a rush that the Ducks eventually scored on to extend their lead to 6-4, effectively icing the game.
In today’s NHL, which features electric, dynamic talents like Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, and Lane Hutson, who will bring fans out of their seats by dancing at the offensive blueline, the fashion in which LaCombe impacts a game is far more subtle and understated while remaining equally as impactful.
Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
Watching him on a shift-by-shift basis will reveal how immensely involved he is in every play, in every zone, while remaining efficient in his efforts, never wasting a stride and poised throughout. He’s so effective on his edges that with just a few strides, LaCombe will often retrieve a puck, evade an F1, conduct a one-man breakout, dish at the offensive blueline, drive the center lane toward the crease, track back, and seal an opposing counter to win the puck back again.
While hesitant to invoke such a name, there’s been only one defenseman in Anaheim Ducks/Mighty Ducks of Anaheim history who could skate so well, defend so intelligently, play so poised, and effortlessly dice through opposing defensive structures while maintaining possession: Scott Niedermayer.
LaCombe still has a long journey ahead of him if he’s to achieve such lofty standards, however, and he remains far from a finished product. He can still often toe the line between poised and casual. Though instances of him holding on to and losing pucks against a heavy pursuit have diminished as the season progressed.
He’s also been somewhat of a liability in front of his own crease at times through the regular season and these playoffs. He’s made quality judgments on when to front on perimeter shots and get key blocks, but when he’s forced to box out, clear a sightline for his goaltender, or find a rebound in front, he’s come up short on occasion.
“I think there’s always things you have to learn and grow,” LaCombe said on Saturday. “You see other players around the league, and you see what they can do, and even on your own team, too. There’s always details you can pick up, and there are so many things in my game I want to improve and work on. So, I don’t think there’s ever a point where you’re a finished product.”
Given his vast progression through the first three years of his NHL career, one would likely be foolish to bet against LaCombe rounding out his game and continuing his evolution into one of the NHL’s truly elite defensemen.
The Montreal Canadiens look to take a commanding 3-1 lead at Bell Centre tonight, while the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning aim to even up the series.
Nick Suzuki was Montreal’s best playmaker in the regular season, and that trend has continued into the playoffs. My Lightning vs Canadiens predictions and NHL picks break down why the Habs captain will pick up another assist in Game 4.
Lightning vs Canadiens Game 4 prediction
Lightning vs Canadiens best bet: Nick Suzuki Over 0.5 assists (-160)
After finishing the regular season with 72 assists — good for fifth in the NHL — Nick Suzuki has picked up right where he left off with three helpers through the first three games of the postseason.
The Montreal Canadiens captain logged at least one assist in Games 1 and 2, but was held off the score sheet in Game 3 despite playing more than 21 minutes.
Montreal’s power play was uncharacteristically bad in Game 3, with no goals on four opportunities. That should change in Game 4, and Suzuki will collect another assist.
Lightning vs Canadiens Game 4 same-game parlay
I’m picking Suzuki and the Canadiens to win, but it’s hard to deny how good Brandon Hagel has been for the Lightning.
Hagel’s four goals are tied for the league lead so far this postseason, while the Lightning forward has collected at least one point in all three games so far, averaging nearly 25 minutes on ice per contest.
The Lightning have cashed the Under in nine of their last 13 games for +4.6 units and a 32% ROI. Find more NHL betting trends for Lightning vs. Canadiens.
How to watch Lightning vs Canadiens Game 4
Location
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Date
Sunday, April 26 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN, CBC
Lightning vs Canadiens latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
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Our best NHL player props for Sunday, April 26
Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.
Prop #1: Leon Draisaitl Over 1.5 points
+105 at BET99
While Connor McDavid has finally awakened from his playoff scoring slumber, Leon Draisaitl has taken care of business, potting two points in all three games against the Ducks this series.
It’s business as usual against Anaheim: Draisaitl now has 16 multi-point games in his last 21 against the Ducks, a trend that should continue in a crucial one for Edmonton tonight.
His linemates, Vasily Podkolzin and Kasperi Kapanen, are also buzzing, combining for eight points in this series. It looks as if Anaheim won't slow down this line anytime soon.
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CBC, ESPN
Prop #2: Cole Caufield Over 3.5 shots
+120 at BET99
It’s been an extremely quiet playoff for the NHL’s second-leading goal scorer, as Cole Caufield has just three assists and zero goals against the Lightning.
With Montreal in position to push Tampa to the brink, I think the 25-year-old starts throwing everything at the net.
Caufield was Top 15 in shots on goal this year, averaging 3.2 per game, yet he hasn’t even touched three shots in a game this series. That changes in Game 4.
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CBC, ESPN
Prop #3: David Pastrnak anytime goal scorer
+ODDS at BET99
It’s a critical situation for the Boston Bruins, who can’t afford to lose Game 4, giving Buffalo a chance to wrap things up at home in Game 5.
David Pastrnak was shut out of scoring for the first time this series, but Boston’s leading scorer will need to be prominent to bring this series back to even.
He’s scored four goals in the last six head-to-head meetings with the Sabres and will likely need another one to give his Bruins a chance.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Pittsburgh Penguins picked up a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4. With this, the Penguins have kept their season alive but still trail the series 3-1.
The Penguins made a bold lineup change for Game 4, as they started goaltender Arturs Silovs after going with Stuart Skinner for the first three games of the series. There is a risk in having a goalie come in cold deep into a series, but this bold move undoubtedly paid off for the Penguins in Game 4.
Silovs stepped up in a big way for the Penguins in this contest, as he stopped 28 out of the 30 Flyers shots he faced. With this, ended the game with a .933 save percentage, which is quite impressive.
Given how well Silovs played in Game 4 for the Penguins, it would be shocking if he is not the club's starter for Game 5. He did a great job keeping the Penguins' season alive, and it will now be interesting to see if he can keep this kind of play up for Pittsburgh from here.
In 39 regular-season games this season with the Penguins, Silovs had a 19-12-8 record, an .888 save percentage, a 3.07 goals-against average, and two shutouts.
The Montreal Canadiens are halfway there, as Bon Jovi once sang. They’ve won two games in their best-of-seven series against the favorite and experienced Tampa Bay Lightning, but the last two wins will be even harder to get as the Bolts are sure to up the tempo as they get pushed closer to elimination. Tonight’s game will be a pivotal one; there’s a huge difference between going back to Florida with a commanding 3-1 lead and heading back with a 2-2 tie.
Historically, the Lightning has a good record in Game 4 of a series, 23-16 for a .590 winning percentage, but it’s even better when said fourth game is on the road, they are 14-7 for a .666 winning percentage. However, their stats are a lot less enviable when they are trailing 2-1 in a series. Then, they are 6-8 for a measly .429 winning percentage, and it’s even worse on the road, where they are 3-6 for a lower .333 winning percentage.
However, the Canadiens’ outlook historically is even worse. They are 61-64 in Game 4 of a series for a .488 winning percentage, and at home, they are 19-27 for an even worse .413 winning percentage. There is some good news for Canadiens’ fans, however. When they have a 2-1 lead in a series, their record goes up to 39-11, which is a .780 winning percentage, and it’s even better at home, where they are 29-5, for a .853 winning percentage.
Given the result of the last game, it’s probably fair to expect the Canadiens to have not only the same roster, but the same lines and pairings. Despite his first line being muzzled by the Bolts, Martin St-Louis has made it clear that he trusts his first line to find a way to produce, essentially because they are elite player.
Game three made it look like Jon Cooper was a clown in another life; his ability to juggle his lines is second to none, and even on the road, he was able to get the matchup he wanted, largely because the Lightning kept having the upper hand at the faceoff circle. Nick Suzuki had only a 35.7% success rate in the faceoff circle. It’s much easier for the other team to change a couple of players on the fly when they have puck possession.
It could be an idea for St-Louis to use the same strategy he often uses in overtime in the regular season: send a draw specialist alongside Suzuki to win the faceoff, then have him change right after as they go up the ice. Jake Evans had a 66.7% success rate in the faceoff department on Friday, winning eight of his 12 draws, while Phillip Danault had an off night, winning just one of his five draws. Danault’s numbers were much better in Game 2 where he had a 66.7% success rate, while Evans was at 53.8%. Meanwhile, Suzuki was at 41,9% in Game 2 and had a surprising 71,4% success rate in the opening game.
If the Canadiens lose the draw, it’s not a big problem since both Danault and Evans are very good defensive forwards. Of course, that would give less ice time to Cole Caufield, but it might be worth trying, just to up the Canadiens’ top line’s chances of gaining puck possession and mounting a good attack.
Of course, the Canadiens have been able to grab two wins even if their top line wasn’t producing at even strength, but it stands to reason that their lives would be much easier if they could find a way to kickstart its production. However, the match unfolds, though, we should be in for yet another exciting bout between the two teams. This series is the only one that has needed overtime in all of its games so far, and it wouldn’t be surprising if it happened again.
The game is scheduled for 7:00 PM on Sunday, and you can catch it on CBC, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNP, ESPN, and The Spot. Brandon Blandina and Wes McCauley are set to officiate, while CJ Murray and Jonny Murray will be the linemen. Brittany Kennell will be on national anthem duty.
@CCpxpSN What a goal call. “Canadiens in victory Lane.” Lane Hutson plays hero for the Montreal Canadiens as they take game 3 in overtime. #GoHabsGo Just an absolute perfect shot. pic.twitter.com/8jvVllFprh
Former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Ian Mitchell is currently playing in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Syracuse Crunch. While this is the case, the right-shot blueliner has already found his home for next season.
SC Bern of Switzerland's National League has announced that they have signed Mitchell to a two-year contract.
Mitchell spent all of this season in the AHL, where he had four goals, 23 assists, 27 points, and a plus-31 rating in 60 games. He has also played in one playoff game for the Crunch this spring, where he was held off the scoresheet.
Mitchell was selected by the Blackhawks with the 57th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. In 82 games over three seasons with the Blackhawks from 2020-21 to 2022-23, he had four goals, 12 assists, 16 points, 44 hits, and 119 blocks.
Mitchell was traded with Alec Regula to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Nick Foligno and Taylor Hall during the 2023 NHL offseason. Following the move, Mitchell had zero goals, three assists, and a plus-4 rating in 28 games over two seasons with the Bruins.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 23: Artturi Lehkonen #62 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates his goal with teammates against the Los Angeles Kings in Game Three of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 23, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche have battled through three tightly contested games thus far in their first round series, emerging victorious despite, among other things, the stifling defensive tactics employed by the Los Angeles Kings.
With a victory today, the Avalanche can be the first team in the Western Conference to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
1 Colorado Avalanche (3-0)
The Opponent: 2WC Los Angeles Kings (0-3)
Time: 2:30 P.M. MDT/4:30 P.M. EDT
Watch: ALT, ALT + (Avalanche Broadcast Area), FDSNSC (Kings Broadcast Area), HBO Max, TNT, truTV (US National Broadcast), SN360, SNP, SNW, SN+, TVAS2, TVAS+ (Canadian National Broadcast)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
Scoring had been hard to come by for the Avalanche in the first two games against Los Angeles, with their first goals not coming until the second and third period, respectively. Game Three was a different story, as a shot from Gabe Landeskog ricocheted off the end boards before bouncing off the skate of goaltender Anton Forsberg early in the first period to give the Avs the lead. Los Angeles would tie the game with a bounce of their own off Trevor Moore in the second period, but Cale Makar’s first goal of the playoffs restored the lead. A shorthanded goal from Artturi Lehkonen would give the Avs some breathing room in the third, but a power play goal for Los Angeles would make things interesting late. Brock Nelson would cap off the night with an empty net goal to secure a 3-0 series lead to wrap up a game that featured more end to end action for both teams. Scott Wedgewood stopped twenty-four of twenty-six shots for his third consecutive playoff win.
Despite Game Three being more wide open, it still featured plenty of physical play throughout. After a hard hit from Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson into the boards at the Los Angeles bench late in the first period, Josh Manson would play sparsely in the second period before missing the remainder of the game. Head coach Jared Bednar said yesterday that Manson was “sore” and “unlikely” to be in the lineup for today’s game. When pressed for a further opinion on Manson’s status yesterday, he said, “We don’t know how long he’s going to be [unavailable] yet, so it’s hard to say. […] I won’t have a timeline. I don’t have a timeline. We’ll just take it day by day, and see how he’s feeling, and go from there.”
Manson’s absence opens the door for Nick Blankenburg to step into the lineup for the first postseason appearance of his career. While Blankenburg is certainly capable of physical defensive play in his own right, it would be a pretty tall task to elevate his physicality to that of playoff Manson having never skated in playoff situations before. “We need him to be solid defensively,” Bednar explained. “He’s perfectly capable of coming into our system and being a responsible, defensive player and helping us move the puck out of the zone and into the offensive zone—what we expect from all of our D—anything he can add beyond that is a bonus. […] I feel good about the option we have in [Blankenburg] coming into the lineup and being able to help us. It’s why I’m glad we got him a bunch of games down the stretch. It hasn’t been that long [since he’s played], so he’s been in all the meetings, and he should be in tune with what we’re trying to do here for Game Four.”
Game Three also marked the return of Ross Colton to the Avalanche lineup. When asked about what he’s looking for out of Colton, Bednar said, “Hungry game from [Colton], I felt. Committed, played with great urgency and determination in the game, made his presence felt on the forecheck, and created a couple of really dangerous scoring chances for himself, for his linemates. He added an element of physicality and speed to our game, so I was happy with his game. Again, it is really hard to create offense, but he did a nice job in his time to help us do that, and help the second line.”
It should be noted that Colton had 8:22 of ice time in Game Three, the lowest total ice time among all forwards. Jack Drury (9:26) and Parker Kelly (9:31) were the only other forwards that had fewer than ten minutes of total ice time in Game Three.
The Avs had an extra day of rest coming into today’s game, which could provide some extra spark for them to utilize their speed to help create more offensive opportunities. As has been the case throughout the series, those opportunities won’t come easy, and with Los Angeles on the brink of elimination, they will throw everything they can at the Avs to slow down them down as much as possible. Elimination games are difficult to win, and the Avs have not closed out an opponent to advance in the postseason since eliminating the Winnipeg Jets in the first round back in 2024. A win today would give the Avs some valuable rest before the start of the second round, especially since their next playoff opponent in either Dallas or Minnesota will now be forced to play no fewer than six games in their first round series.
Coming into today’s game, both Landeskog and Lehkonen share the team lead in scoring at two goals apeice, while Lehkonen leads the team in playoff points with three. While there might be some concern in the lack of production from the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Nečas, which had been a staple for the Avs during the regular season, the Avs have also returned the favor on the defensive side of their game as well, having limited the Kings to four total goals across three games. When addressing the media yesterday on his opinion on the low offensive output to this point in the series, Nečas said, “It would be a different story if we’re not scoring much and maybe down 2-1 or something like that, but being 3-nothing up, with not scoring many goals, I think we’re pretty comfortable, and it honestly feels almost better.”
Given Wedgewood’s solid performance in this series, expect him to start in goal today as he looks to earn his first playoff series win.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Parker Kelly – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin Gabe Landeskog – Nazem Kadri – Nicolas Roy Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Logan O’Connor
Defense: Cale Makar – Devon Toews Brett Kulak – Sam Malinksi Nick Blankenburg – Brent Burns
Between the Pipes: Scott Wedgewood Mackenzie Blackwood
Los Angeles Kings
What do you do if you’re the Los Angeles Kings coming into today’s game? The League’s most potent offense, featuring the current Rocket Richard winner in Nathan MacKinnon—who hasn’t scored a goal during this postseason—has been held to eight total goals. The power play has found success in three straight games. The penalty kill has been flawless. Anton Forsberg has been solid. Artemi Panarin has been the primary driver on offense, which is what General Manager Ken Holland was banking on when he made the trade for him.
The ingredients for playoff success are there, and what’s been the end result? An elimination game scenario on your own ice after three consecutive losses to start the postseason.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs giveth, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs taketh away.
Despite the defense limiting Colorado’s high-powered offense to this point in the series, Colorado’s defense has returned the favor in spades. Los Angeles has only led for a total of 3:21 throughout the entire series. That primary offensive driver in Panarin scored power play goals in both Game One and Game Two, but was limited to a single assist in Game Three. Adrian Kempe and Trevor Moore have one goal each. Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere have registered only two assists. That same power play gave up a shorthanded goal late in Game Three, which proved to be the game-winner.
In addressing the media yesterday, head coach D.J. Smith said, “We just got to play our best game one time, and then we’ll worry about the next game, but we have to find a way to score more while playing the exact same defense. Is it hard? Yes. Are we going to give it everything we got? Yes. I think you’re going to see our best game of the series.”
For Smith’s roster, an unlucky bounce led to Forsberg kicking the puck into his own goal early in the first period, and with Forsberg on the bench for the empty net late in the third, a neutral zone turnover by Anže Kopitar flipped a potential game tying scenario into the final nail in the coffin and a 0-3 series deficit. While luck can hardly be accounted for in any situation, outcomes like that have the potential to make or break a series.
For Los Angeles, they face the latter. “I think the game plan is correct,” Smith said. “I just think that you want more results, and let’s see if we get them in Game Four, but there’s nothing to feel bad about. I think our team plays hard, I think we’re organized and we’re detailed. We just probably should at least have one win, and we’re probably feeling different, so I like everything everyone’s done.”
The phrase, “There is no tomorrow” holds even more significance ahead of today’s game. “Right now, we’ve got nothing to lose,” Kopitar said in comments to the media yesterday. “It’s focusing tomorrow on the start, having a good start, and just go from there. To think what’s going to happen in a couple of days, or four days or five days from now, there’s really no need for that. It’s just staying in the moment, go down there tomorrow, and play our asses off, and see where that takes us.”
When asked if he was prepared for Game Four to be his last game, Kopitar said, “I hope it’s not going to be [my last game]. Can you ever be emotionally prepared? Probably not, so we’ll see.”
Those sound like words of someone who, rather than playing like he has nothing to lose, feels exactly the opposite.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artemi Panarin – Anže Kopitar – Adrian Kempe Trevor Moore – Quinton Byfield – Alex Laferriere Joel Armia – Scott Laughton – Jared Wright Mathieu Joseph – Samuel Helenius – Jeff Malott
Defense: Mikey Anderson – Drew Doughty Joel Edmundson – Brandt Clarke Brian Dumoulin – Cody Ceci
Jiri Kulich (blood clot, Nov. 4; injured reserve - out for the season)
Sam Carrick (upper body, Mar. 31; injured reserve)
Josh Norris (unspecified, Apr 21; day-to-day)
Notes
A win today would give Buffalo back-to-back road playoff wins for the first time since the Sabres won two consecutive road playoff games from April 16 to 18, 2007 at the New York Islanders. It would mark the first time the Sabres have earned two consecutive playoff wins since April 20 to 22, 2011 against the Philadelphia Flyers. Buffalo last won consecutive playoff games against Boston from May 9 to 14, 1999 (three games). A win today would mark the second time in franchise history that the Sabres have earned consecutive road playoff wins against the Bruins (two games; April 18 to 20, 1993).
Owen Power has registered an assist in all three games of the series and he is the third skater in franchise history to record at least one assist in the first three playoff games in their career. Power joined Marc-Andre Gragnani (three games; April 14 to 18, 2011; 0+4) and Richard Smehlik (three games; April 18 to 22, 1993; 0+4). An assist today would make Power the only skater in franchise history to register an assist in the first four playoff games of their career. With any point today, he would join Danny Gare (seven games; April 13 to 29, 1975; 5+3) as the only Sabres skaters to record at least one point in the first four playoff games of their career.
Peyton Krebs (1+2) has also recorded one point in every game of the series and can join Gare with a point today. Krebs has a plus/minus of plus-5 through the first three games of the series, the best mark by a Buffalo skater in their first three playoff games with the Sabres all-time.
Noah Ostlund’s two points (1+1) in Game 3 made him the first Sabres rookie to record multiple points in the first playoff game of their career since Richard Smehlik on April 18, 1993 at Boston (0+2). Ostlund joined Pierre Turgeon (April 6, 1988 at Boston; 2+1) as the only Sabres rookies to record at least one goal and one assist in their first career playoff game. Ostlund, Smehlik, Turgeon and Bill Stewart (April 11, 1978 vs. NY Rangers; 0+2) are the only Buffalo rookies to register a multi-point performance in the first playoff game of their career all-time. He would join Paul Gaustad (April 22 to 24, 2006; 0+3) and Jason Pominville (April 22 to 24, 2006; 3+1) as the only Sabres skaters to collect three or more points in the first two playoff games of their career with a point today.
Alex Tuch has posted at least one point in all three games of the series (2+2) and a point today would give him the first fourgame point streak by a Sabres skater in the playoffs since Pominville from April 16 to 22, 2011 (four games; 1+3). With a point today, Tuch would become the first Sabres skater to register five or more points in their first four playoff games with Buffalo since Dainius Zubrus from April 12 to 18, 2007 (0+5). He would be the 10th Sabres skater to do so all-time. Tuch has two game-winning goals in this year’s playoffs and entering play Saturday, he was tied for 13th all-time among active players with eight career playoff game-winning goals.
Alex Lyon earned a win in his first playoff start with Buffalo in Game 3 and a win today would make him the first Buffalo goaltender to earn two straight playoff wins since Ryan Miller from April 20 to 22, 2011.
Bowen Byram has recorded a goal in back-to-back games and a goal today would give him the first playoff goal streak of three or more games by a Sabres defenseman since Ken Sutton from May 4 to 8, 1993 (three games; 3+0). A multi-point performance would make Byram the first Buffalo defenseman to record back-to-back multi-point games in the playoffs since Tyler Myers from April 24 to 26, 2011 (two games; 1+4). With a goal tonight, Byram would join Mike Ramsey (three games; April 14 to 17, 1983; 3+0) as the only defensemen in franchise history to record a goal streak of three or more games against Boston in the playoffs. He would be the first Sabres skater since Alexander Mogilny from April 18 to 24, 1993 (four games; 6+1) to register a goal streak of three or more games against the Bruins in the playoffs.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 25: Samuel Girard #49 and Kris Letang #58 of the Pittsburgh Penguins combine to knock Garnet Hathaway #19 of the Philadelphia Flyers to the ice along the boards in Game Four of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 25, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
A lot of things went right for the Penguins in their Game 4 win over the Flyers. A handful of them:
Sidney Crosby dug deep, embodying a ‘whatever it takes’ mentality on a two-point night
Kris Letang scored a goal, and beyond that played well over 23 minutes
Pittsburgh won the goaltending battle for the first time, thanks largely to Flyer goalie Dan Vladar coughing up a goal from behind the net but in no small part to Arturs Silovs playing his first game this playoff and performing very well
The penalty kill was perfect, the power play was far from it but did score one goal
Game sequencing mattered; the Penguins had a good start, scored first and never let the Flyers tie the game up again
Add it all up and it’s enough to earn another game.
There are still some problem areas, Anthony Mantha looks like he’s at half-speed at times and is a shell of the player who scored 33-goals this regular season. Egor Chinakhov (five missed shots last night) has not had a great series. The now 19-year old Ben Kindel has not made many plays lately. If the power play keeps messing around then they will give up a back-breaking chance sooner or later. The team is not clicking on all cylinders but at this point they just gotta keep finding a way to make it happen.
Of course, no one does that better than Crosby. The captain set up what would stand as the game winning goal by Kris Letang by kicking the puck back to the defender, then helping the cause by driving to the net to help take away the goalie’s ability to see the shot while drawing a defender with him to give Letang ample space to work into a dangerous spot. It’s the kind of gritty, desperate effort the team needs. The creative pass draws in the attention but the play runs deeper than that, it’s what Crosby did after kicking the puck back that made a big difference.
“(Bringing the series back to Pittsburgh) was our only option,” Rickard Rakell said after the game. “And it wasn’t pretty a lot of times today. But we stuck with it. Obviously, it feels really good. It’s a huge win.”
The game didn’t have to be pretty for it to be effective.
“I think that looked more like our game. It’s probably taken us three games to look like ourselves a bit,” Crosby said. “So, I think that’s something that we can definitely build on.”
While that was team focused and not untrue, Crosby might as well have been talking about himself personally after only registering one point in the first three games. Getting a multi-point effort on the road from their captain was about a necessity for the Penguins to extend their season. Crosby got on track and now the Pens live to fight another day.
'Pens Owen Pickering handles the puck during the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins home opener on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. (Photo by Jason Ardan/The Citizens' Voice via Getty Images)
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins finished second in their division this season, which might not sound like a big deal but is a huge deal in the AHL playoff format that grants the top-two teams in the Atlantic Division a pass into the second round of the playoffs. That means a lot considering the first round is only a best-of-three, a format that sunk WBS’s season last year when they finished in fourth place and were quickly eliminated from the playoffs.
Such a result struck again, third place Charlotte (who had a great season to put up 93 points in 72 games) ended up getting bounced in Game 3 by sixth place Springfield. Due to the reseeding, Springfield now moves onto play first place Providence. That left Wilkes to take on the Hershey Bears, who won their first round matchup against Bridgeport.
— x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) April 26, 2026
The Bears are the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals and have some quality players. One of them, Ilya Protas, played against Pittsburgh in the final week of the NHL regular season. The 19-year old has two points in two playoff games and won AHL rookie of the year for his 66 points in 69 game. Hershey also boasts veteran goalie Clay Stevenson, who stopped 40/42 shots in the quick sweep of Bridgeport.
The Penguins did carry a 7-3 record against the Bears this season and will be hoping that carries over into their first matchup. The winner of that series will move on to face the winner from mighty Providence or the upset-minded Springfield team in the next round of the playoffs.
The
electricity was palpable in town when the Montreal Canadiens hosted the Tampa
Bay Lightning for Game 3 of their first-round series. Hours before the game,
there was a buzz downtown as fans arrived early to either attend the game or the
outdoor watch party.
As is
tradition in the playoffs, the players' significant others turned up wearing
custom-made jackets that made it impossible not to recognize the ladies. Before
going to the Bell Centre, they went to take a picture in the Rio Tinto court
where the Fan Jam was taking place, and Alexa Dobson looked like she had a
blast taking in the atmosphere, according to her Instagram account.
Some of the
ladies even took the time to do a short interview with The Sick Podcast and
were asked to predict the game’s outcome, with one of them predicting a
Canadiens’ win 3-2 in overtime.
This year’s
edition of the jackets is cream, but it features plenty of red, white and blue.
The sleeves are embroidered with their partner's name and bear the Montreal
Playoff Hockey 2026 logo, as well as the team’s iconic logo over the years. The
jacket is like a Canadiens retrospective.
Alexa Dobson Instagram
Even the
younger ladies got their version of the jacket. Emma Fortin, Brendan
Gallagher’s wife, posted a picture of herself posing with her daughter, Everly,
who was wearing it as well. Playoff fever is alive and well in Montreal, and
the organization is doing everything it can to have all hands on deck, as the
coach would say.
Emma Fortin Instagram
Once inside
the building, they took several videos of the atmosphere, posting them to their
Instagram accounts and it clearly looked like they were having a wonderful
time, much like any other Habs fan in the building, really.
Fans of the Detroit Red Wings will have to wait another year for their beloved franchise to play beyond the 82nd game of the regular season.
Unfortunately, the Red Wings unraveled in the month of March once again, losing what was a comfortable playoff cushion and eventually being eliminated from contention in the 80th game of their centennial campaign.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes have already punched their ticket to the second round of the postseason thanks to a clean four-game sweep of Detroit's Atlantic Division rival, the Ottawa Senators.
In doing so, they matched an impressive mark set by the Red Wings in 2009 that had not been repeated until now.
The Hurricanes became the first team since the 2009 Red Wings, who swept the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Western Conference Quarterfinal, to never trail at any point during an opening-round series.
Talk about staying ahead of the game 🏃♂️💨
The Canes are the first team to never trail in a game in the first round series since the Red Wings vs. the Blue Jackets in 2009 🙌 pic.twitter.com/YiUboBdkFN
Detroit was matched against the Blue Jackets, who were making their very first playoff appearance.
Just like the Hurricanes did to the Senators, the Red Wings proved to be simply too much for the Blue Jackets to handle.
The only competitive game of the series was Game 4 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, a wild back-and-forth affair that ultimately resulted in a 6-5 victory for Detroit.
Johan Franzen scored the game-winning goal with 46 seconds left in regulation after an ill-advised bench minor penalty assessed to the Blue Jackets for too many men on the ice.
Detroit would then go on to enjoy a thrilling seven-game series win over the Anaheim Ducks, followed by a five-game series win over the Chicago Blackhawks to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight season.
However, it would be the Pittsburgh Penguins pulling off a stunning upset, winning the series in seven games and skating the Stanley Cup on Joe Louis Arena ice.
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PHILADELPHIA — Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang each scored goals and the three-time Stanley Cup champion teammates are headed back to Pittsburgh after they helped the Penguins avoid a first-round series sweep with a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 on Saturday night.
Game 5 is Monday in Pittsburgh.
Rickard Rakell also scored, and Connor Dewar sealed the win with a late empty-netter for the Penguins. Penguins coach Dan Muse made the right call with the season on the line to bench starting goalie Stuart Skinner in favor of Arturs Silovs.
The 38-year-old Crosby, a career-long foil for the Flyers, not only scored his first goal of the series, but he also set a savvy screen in the third period on defenseman Travis Sanheim that allowed Letang to have a clean look when he ripped his first goal of the series past Dan Vladar for a 3-1 lead.
The goal was crucial after Travis Konecny scored to make it 3-2 and ignite the “Let’s go Flyers!” chants that had largely been dormant with the Flyers down early.
The Penguins received a solid effort from Silovs in the net after Skinner was ineffective with three losses and an .873 save percentage. Silovs, who went 19-12-8 this season, made his 11th career playoff start; the previous 10 came with Vancouver in 2023-24 when it was coached by Rick Tocchet.
Tocchet worked wonders with the Flyers in his first season on the bench and it was his fiery postgame speech after an overtime win in March that sparked an R-rated rallying cry.
The Flyers winked at the unprintable battle cry and gave away Game 4 T-shirts to every fan that read: “Puck Everybody.”
Crosby said, not tonight.
Crosby scored on a one-timer against Vladar only 5 seconds into a power play late in the first period for a 1-0 lead.
Vladar, voted the Bobby Clarke team MVP, stayed in the lineup after he suffered an unspecified arm injury in Game 3. Vladar took off both days of the series break and showed no sign of any physical discomfort.
Vladar, incredulously, let a mental gaffe cost the Flyers a goal only 63 seconds into the second period when he misplayed the puck behind the net. Well out of place, an aggressive Rakell jostled the puck free and poked in an empty-netter for the 2-0 lead for Pittsburgh’s first multigoal lead of the series.
Denver Barkey deflected Trevor Zegras’ shot past Silvos, who had 25 saves, that cut it to 2-1 with 4:20 left in the second period. Barkey and Zegras are roommates — and jelled just as well as linemates.
They can now mull over what went wrong on the plane ride back to Pittsburgh. The Flyers won three straight games seven times this season but hadn’t won four straight games since February 2024.
NHL playoff history is still against Crosby and the Penguins. Only four teams that trailed 3-0 in a seven-game series have come all the way back to win — the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1980 New York Islanders, 2010 Philadelphia Flyers and 2014 Los Angeles Kings.
The first domino to fall in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs was the Ottawa Senators, as they were swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. Among the players eliminated were two former members of the San Jose Sharks, Fabian Zetterlund and James Reimer.
Zetterlund just finished his first full season in Ottawa after being dealt in a surprise move at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. The Sharks got Zack Ostapchuk in return for the Swedish winger, and they've been happy with his production, but Zetterlund had a respectable season in his own right.
In 82 games for the Senators, Zetterlund scored 17 goals and had 33 total points. With that being said, in his 10 playoff games with the Senators, both this season and last, he has failed to record a point.
Reimer on the other hand joined the Senators in January and took over the backup role from Leevi Merilainen. He didn't play in the postseason.
Reimer last played for the Sharks during the 2022-23 season, but had two separate stints with the team in teal.
Another former Shark, Cody Ceci, could face elimination tomorrow, as the Los Angeles Kings could potentially be swept by the Colorado Avalanche.
Kings Shouldn't Think About Beating The Avalanche, Worry About Beating Wedgewood InsteadThe Los Angeles Kings have done some good things in their first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche. However, they're down 3-0 in the series because they haven't been able to solve Scott Wedgewood.
Draisaitl Over 1.5 points
Caufield Over 3.5 shots
David Pastrnak anytime goal scorer
