With the Golden Knights bringing a 2-0 series lead back to Las Vegas, history is accompanying them when opening a playoff series with consecutive wins.

Vegas has won four of the five series it's been in after winning Games 1 and 2, including the Western Conference Final and Stanley Cup Final in 2023.

The Golden Knights defeated the West's No. 1 seed Colorado 4-2 in Game 1, and came from behind with three unanswered goals for a 3-1 victory on Friday in Game 2.

Vegas goaltender Carter Hart continues to impress as one of the best players on the ice for the Knights. He leads all postseason goalies with 10 wins, and among netminders with at least four appearances, he ranks No. 3 with a .924 save percentage and No. 5 with a 2.25 goals-against average.

"I feel good," Hart said. "I’m just trying to take things one period at a time, one shift at a time, and one puck at a time, and just enjoy it."

The series resumes in Vegas with Games 3 and 4 on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively.

Three of the series the Knights won after taking a 2-0 lead were during years they made it to the Stanley Cup Final, as they swept the Los Angeles Kings in 2018, when they lost to the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Knights also defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in five games after taking a 2-0 series lead during the 2020 playoffs in the bubble.

The only time Vegas lost a playoff series after winning the first two games was in 2024, when they stole Games 1 and 2 in Dallas, but eventually lost in seven games.

"It changes quick," Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood said. "You just bank on a seven-game series, find a way to get one next. It’s really all you can bank on and just prepare for that. But obviously, I think that’s the playoffs. It’s not an easy script, set in stone, predicted or prepared. This is the hand we’ve been dealt, we (have) to find a way to play it to our advantage."

History could also rear its ugly head onto the Avalanche, who finished the regular season with the league's best record, at 55-16-11. Their 121 points earned them the Presidents' Trophy award, but that hasn't equated to success in terms of the Stanley Cup.

"Stings for sure right now, but tomorrow we’ll wake up, have a meeting, fly to Vegas and we’ll regroup," Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "That’s all you can do. Win or lose, you do the same thing. Would we have liked this one tonight? For sure, but move on."

The last team to win the Presidents' Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season was the Chicago Blackhawks in 2012.

All that said, this series is far from over, especially if the Avalanche get back all-world defenseman Cale Makar, who missed the first two games of the series.

"It’s big, obviously, getting two on the road, but it’s far from over, and we know that," Noah Hanfin said. "It’s a long series. They’re a great team over there, and we have to stay even-keeled.

"We have to come home, really take advantage of this home ice, and dig in. This Game 3 is going to be huge."

PHOTO CAPTION

The Vegas Golden Knights celebrate a goal during the third period against the Colorado Avalanche in game two of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena.

DENVER, May 22nd, 2026— On Friday morning, Vegas Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella sat in front of a microphone for his pregame media availability and announced that he wouldn’t be satisfied with a split heading back home. 

“I think we need to be better if we’re going to have an opportunity,” he said. “Because we’re thinking about getting two out of here… We’ve had some things that we’ve talked about that we need to adjust, even though we got a win. We’re all-in; we’re trying to get another one out of here.”

Tortorella got his wish. The Golden Knights stunned the Colorado Avalanche with one of their trademarked third period comebacks and held on for a 3-1 victory in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final.

In the first period, the Golden Knights were the better team. They outshot the Avalanche 12-11 and generated 13 scoring chances against Colorado’s six. However, they entered the first intermission trailing by one. 

The Avalanche broke the ice at 16:59 in the first. Nazem Kadri worked the puck up to Brent Burns at the point, who ripped off a one-timer towards the net. Ross Colton drifted out from around the goal line, batted down Burns’ shot, and beat Carter Hart glove-side.

COLORADO STRIKES FIRST IN GAME 2!

📺: @espn, @Sportsnet & @TVASportspic.twitter.com/IFA06S3ArN

— NHL (@NHL) May 23, 2026

At the start of the second period, Martin Nečas took two separate minor penalties, setting the Golden Knights up for a four-minute power play. Jack Eichel took an interference penalty one minute in, and the Avalanche killed off the rest. 

It was all Avalanche for the remainder of the period. They held the Golden Knights to just three shots on goal and controlled 92.57% of the expected goal share. They generated 11 scoring chances while holding the Golden Knights to five, and generated five high-danger chances while not allowing any. 

The dam finally broke for the Golden Knights in the third period. They stunned the Avalanche with two goals in just over two minutes, and Colorado was never able to recover.

The Golden Knights found the equalizer at 9:15 in the third. Jack Eichel drove deeper into the zone, drifted to the right dot, and went post-and-in to beat Scott Wedgewood far-side.

Jack Eichel with his first goal since Game 3 against the Mammoth, and we are tied in Denver!

1-1

pic.twitter.com/hNd4CAogf9

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 23, 2026

The Golden Knights took the lead at 11:22 in the third. Pavel Dorofeyev won a wall battle in the neutral zone and fired the puck in. The Avalanche tried and failed to clear twice; on the third attempt, Pavel Dorofeyev batted the puck to Jack Eichel in the high slot. Eichel found Ivan Barbashev, who stepped into his shot and beat Scott Wedgewood with a wrister from distance.

What a turn. The Golden Knights win yet another board battle, and Jack Eichel sets Ivan Barbashev up for a beauty from the high slot.

2-1, Golden Knights

pic.twitter.com/FROlg5Z6gc

— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) May 23, 2026

From that point on, the Avalanche managed just five shots on goal– and two came after Ivan Barbashev’s empty netter to seal the game.

“[There were] so many shot blocks and desperation plays,” said Jack Eichel following the 3-1 win. “Credit to the group. It really feels like we’re playing for each other.”

The Golden Knights will return to Las Vegas with a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Final and a chance to take a stranglehold on the series. Game 3 is scheduled for 5 p.m. PST on Sunday.

“It’s big, obviously, getting two on the road, but it’s far from over, and we know that,” said Noah Hanifin. “It’s a long series. They’re a great team over there, and we have to stay even-keeled. We have to come home, really take advantage of this home ice, and dig in. This Game 3 is going to be huge.”

After a frustrating loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1, the Colorado Avalanche we back at it two night later hoping to even up this Western Conference Finals series. An even more frustrating loss ensued as the Avalanche gave up their first third period lead and dropped this game 3-1. Vegas now takes a 2-0 series lead for a pair of games upcoming in their building.

The Game

Minus Cale Makar again, this game felt like the first meeting between these two teams. It was a cautious approach by both sides and Vegas earned a healthy amount of the shot share. But before the end of the period Colorado would strike first. Ross Colton fired on a rebound off of a Brent Burns shot to put the Avalanche up 1-0 after 20 minutes of play.

The second period went scoreless but each team had their opportunities on the man advantage but couldn’t cash in. A Vegas four-minute power play was interrupted by their own penalty and Colorado had some good looks on the four-on-four. Vegas was held to just four shots in the period but the score was still just 1-0 Colorado.

Midway through the third period it seemed Colorado was going to nap their way to a 1-0 victory since they hadn’t lost a game all year entering the third period with a lead but Vegas found some puck luck and got back into the game. First Jack Eichel unleashed a blistering shot and found Scott Wedgewood off his angle slightly to hit the far side post and in. Then just two minutes later Ivan Barbashev found a loose puck in the slot and gave Vegas a lead for the first time in the contest.

Now scoring was an urgent matter and the Avalanche made a push and then pulled Wedgewood for the extra attacker but Carter Hart shut everything down and Vegas secured a 3-1 victory after Barbashev found the empty net for his second goal of the evening.

Takeaways

Cale Makar can’t be replaced but it’s still no excuse for $64 million worth of forwards who couldn’t find any offense in this contest. Ross Colton, the lone goal scorer for Colorado, played a team-low eight minutes of ice time. The rest had two ineffective power plays and largely didn’t shoot the puck. When Nathan MacKinnon only has one shot on goal, that’s usually a symptom of a loss.

This is the first true patch of adversity the Avalanche have faced all season long but there’s still time for them to respond. It’s an uphill climb to get back into the series, and probably would need a Game 7 victory, but it’s not supposed to be easy getting to the Stanley Cup finals.

Upcoming

The series shifts to Vegas for Game 3 on Sunday, May 24th at 6 p.m. MT on ESPN.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb limped off the ice in the first period of Game 2 after a check.

McNabb delivered a hit to Colorado Avalanche defenseman Sam Malinski, whose skate came up and appeared to catch the Vegas player in the leg.

ESPN cameras caught McNabb limping toward the dressing room and unable to put weight on his right leg.

McNabb was not on the bench in the second period, leaving the Golden Knights with five defensemen during the second game of the Western Conference finals. But he was able to return for the beginning of the third period.

Brayden McNabb has yet to return to Game 2 after leaving in the first period following this hit pic.twitter.com/cZkhtOpaIJ

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 23, 2026

McNabb had been averaging more than 21 minutes in the playoffs. He had one goal, two assists and 19 penalty minutes in 12 games.

Brayden McNabb injury update

The Golden Knights defenseman was back on the ice at the start of the third period and helped Vegas kill two Colorado power plays.

He hit Martin Necas up high with his glove in the third period, but the on-ice officials conferred and no penalty was called.

It looked like there was a penalty called for high-sticking on Brayden McNabb but after the officials discussed, there was no call.

McNabb's hit Necas in the face with his glove 🫣 pic.twitter.com/Nm9qaVq6jt

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 23, 2026

The Golden Knights rallied in the third period on a goal by Jack Eichel and two by Ivan Barbashev for a 3-1 win and a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Josh Manson injury update

McNabb wasn't the only defenseman to leave the game. Colorado's Josh Manson went to the dressing room after he tried to check Barbashev and went face first into the boards during the second period.

Josh Manson has left the Avs' bench after going face-first into the boards while laying a hit on Ivan Barbashev 😵🤕 pic.twitter.com/eDu0EbqcP1

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 23, 2026

He, too, returned in the third period.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brayden McNabb limps off ice with leg injury after check

The Philadelphia Flyers should be on the hunt for another goalie this off-season. Samuel Ersson struggled this campaign as the team's backup, so it would not hurt for the Flyers to bring in some more competition. 

When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, Detroit Red Wings goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa stands out as a very fascinating potential option.

Questions about Cossa's future in Detroit have been coming up now that the Red Wings' season is over. This is mainly because the Red Wings have two other exciting goalie prospects in Michal Postava and Trey Augustine. If the Red Wings do make him available, the Flyers would be wise to kick tires on the 23-year-old goalie. 

While Cossa has just one NHL appearance on his resume, he still has the potential to blossom into a very good goaltender. There is a reason why he was selected by the Red Wings with the 15th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, after all. 

Cossa spent all of this in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins and had a strong campaign. In 39 games with the AHL club this season, the 6-foot-7 goaltender posted a 26-8-4 record, a .915 save percentage, a 2.33 goals-against average, and five shutouts. With numbers like these, he certainly has the potential to make the jump to the NHL next season and could be a nice backup option for the Flyers because of it.

Ultimately, with the Flyers needing goalie depth, Cossa would be a very good prospect for them to take a chance on if he is made available. Let's see if they target him from here. 

We are about to begin.

First Period

The start of the game was just as exciting as one would expect as both teams traded waves of momentum. Nathan MacKinnon took a hit against the boards and still found a way to get his hands on the puck and fed a pass to Artturi Lehkonen in the slot, but his shot was blocked.

Vegas also had their opportunities as Mitch Marner tried to deke his way around Scott Wedgewood, but the William M. Jennings Trophy winner stood tall and stuffed Marner's shot between his pads.

And yes, the physicality also showed up, but it was the Golden Knights who delivered the first strike as Ivan Barbashev dished out a heavy hit on Logan O'Connor against the boards. Barbashev is built like a bear. He's the same player that broke Sam Girard's sternum during round two of the 2022 playoffs en route to the Stanley Cup when he played for the St. Louis Blues.

Brent Burns and Josh Manson you could say were the modern version of the Bath Brothers in the early stages as well as they dished solid hits on William Karlsson and Brett Howden, respectively, with the latter tapping Manson on the leg after taking a hit from behind. 

With under six minutes to go in the opening period, Vegas got a massive chance that fell right into their laps when Marner took off on a breakaway as Manson got caught napping, but Scott Wedgewood turned away a slap shot and the immediate rebound to keep the game tied at 0. 

Ross Colton gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead with 3:01 remaining, ripping a scintillating wrist shot top shelf over the glove of Carter Hart off a rebound generated by a point blast from Brent Burns. Nazem Kadri also picked up an assist after feeding Burns a pass from just behind the net to ignite the sequence.

At the end of the first, Colorado lead 1-0 and shots on goal were even at 12 shots on net apiece.

Second Period

The second period kicked off with penalties. Martin Necas earned a double minor after slashing and subsequently tripping Barbashev. However, early into the extended power play, Jack Eichel was called for interference. Following some 4-on-4 action, Colorado killed off the remainder of Necas' four-minute penalty to return to 5-on-5. 

About seven minutes into the period, Nathan MacKinnon brought his muscle into the mix as he dropped a charging Kolesar at the blue line. 

After a frustrating Game 1 loss against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Colorado Avalanche are back in action again tonight, as they look to bounce back and even this series up in Game 2.

Colorado Avalanche

Game 1 was, in a word, frustrating for Colorado. Yes, Vegas is a good hockey team and they were incredibly opportunistic with their goals, but the Avs made it super easy for them to actually benefit from those opportunities, as they made a lot of mistakes defensively in that game, giving the Golden Knights maybe a bit of an easier time than they would’ve had otherwise. Tonight, they’ll have to clean up those defensive mistakes to even this series.

There’s no greater storyline for Colorado than what’s the status of Cale Makar. He was a participant at morning skate, which is fostering some optimism that he can return to the lineup tonight. In net it still looks to be Scott Wedgewood despite the loss.

Projected Lineup

Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Gabriel Landeskog
Valeri Nichushkin – Brock Nelson – Martin Necas
Ross Colton – Nazem Kadri – Nic Roy
Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Logan O’Connor

Devon Toews – Sam Malinski
Brett Kulak – Brent Burns
Jack Achan – Josh Manson

Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood

Vegas Golden Knights

As previously mentioned, the Golden Knights were very opportunistic in Game 1, and capitalized on the opportunities they got throughout the game. They were as advertised in this game, being strong defensively and overall frustrating to play against. Colorado did make a late push in Game 1 and showed that they’re capable of hanging with this team, they’ll just need to capitalize the way Vegas did to even this series.

No lineup changes are expected for Vegas, though Mark Stone did make the trip to Colorado but he’s still out indefinitely.

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 Kolessar

Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
Noah Hanafin – Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton – Dylan Coghlan

Carter Hart
Adin Hill

Follow along in the comments below!

On Friday, the Vegas Golden Knights look to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Final over the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.

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

The teams last met on Wednesday for Game 1. The Avalanche came out hard and fast, but the Golden Knights weathered the storm and escaped the first period with a 0-0 tie. They got the ever-important first goal and scored twice more to take a 3-0 lead early in the third period. The Avalanche roared back, but the Golden Knights held on for a 4-2 win.

Carter Hart starts in goal for the Golden Knights. Hart has a record of 9-4 and an average save percentage of .920 in 13 games this postseason.

Scott Wedgewood starts in goal for the Avalanche. Wedgewood has a record of 7-2 and an average save percentage of .911 in eight games this postseason.

Mark Stone was on the ice for morning skate, but remains OUT for Game 2 per head coach John Tortorella.

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

Kaedan Korczak — Dylan Coghlan

Goaltenders: Carter Hart / Adin Hill

Avalanche Lines

Gabriel Landeskog — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Nečas 

Artturi Lehkonen — Brock Nelson — Nicolas Roy

Ross Colton — Nazem Kadri — Valeri 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: 27.0%, 4th

VGK penalty kill: 85.4%, T6th

Avalanche power play: 25.9%, 5th

Avalanche penalty kill: 77.4%, 11th

Game Notes

The Golden Knights are 10-10 in Game 2s in franchise history, and have lost the past four Game 2s 

Historically, teams that take a 2-0 series lead go on to win 87.6% of the time. 

Mitch Marner is the postseason leader in scoring with 19 points (7G, 12A). 

Pavel Dorofeyev leads the league with ten postseason goals. He is the fifth player in Golden Knights franchise history to record double-digit goals in one postseason. 

Jack Eichel leads the league in assists this postseason with 15.

How to Watch 

TV: ESPN

Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 94.7/1340

As the Ottawa Senators consider how to proceed with their backup goaltending position for next season, a new name has entered the fray.

According to NHL analyst and former Ottawa 67's goalie Kevin Weekes, Buffalo Sabres farmhand Devon Levi is a player several teams are interested in, including the Senators.

Per what I’m told @BuffaloSabres G
Devon Levi is a name of interest to
several clubs including Ottawa that
are looking to add to their goaltending
position. #HockeyXpic.twitter.com/3T9ojQOzox

— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) May 22, 2026

Ottawa started last season with Leevi Merilainen as their backup, so this may be the first Leevi to Levi goalie transition in NHL history.

Levi was a dominant goalie for the CCHL's Carleton Place Canadians in 2019-20, posting phenomenal numbers. He had a 34-2-1 record, a 1.47 goals-against average, a .941 save percentage, and 8 shutouts. Levi also won just about every award in Canadian Junior A hockey that year.

The following season, as he continued to dominate at the NCAA level (Northeastern), his numbers for Canada at the World Juniors were also out of this world. He went 6-1 with a 0.75 goals-against average, a .964 save percentage and three shutouts.

Levi saw quite a bit of action in the 2023-24 NHL season, appearing in 23 games, but has spent much of the past two-and-a-half seasons with the AHL's Rochester Americans. He’s still just 24 years old and currently appears crease-blocked in Buffalo behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Colton Ellis.

Still only 24, he’d certainly come at the right price, contract-wise.

Last summer, Levi signed a two-year, $1.625 million contract with the Sabres at an average annual value of $812,500. So he still has another year left on his contract and will remain under club control as he hits restricted free agency next summer, although he is arbitration-eligible. 

Levi was originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL Draft, but was part of the 2021 trade that sent Sam Reinhart to the Panthers.

The Senators have not ruled out leaning on their internal goaltending options, whether it’s Merilainen (RFA), Mads Sogaard (UFA-G6) or veteran James Reimer (UFA), but strong arguments can be made against all those options, and all three need new contracts.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

This story was originally published at The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. Click on the latest headlines below to read the latest stories there:

- Habs Playoff Watch Party In Gatineau Shut Down Over Senators' Territorial Rights
- By The Numbers: A Deeper Look Into A Potential Senators Trade Target
- Senators Defenseman Goes From 2026 NHL Playoffs To Signing In Switzerland
- Will The Senators Go Long-Term With RFA Defenseman Jordan Spence?
- Should The Senators Run It Back With James Reimer As Their Backup?

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Montreal Canadiens took the series opener in statement fashion, and they’ll look to grab a 2-0 series lead with a Game 2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, May 23.

My top Canadiens vs. Hurricanes predictions and NHL picks are headlined by rising Montreal star Juraj Slafkovsky.

Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 2 prediction

Canadiens vs Hurricanes best bet: Juraj Slafkovsky Over 0.5 points (-150)

Game 1 was a statement from Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky.

Not only did the budding star rack up three points, but he and linemates Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield were also the only Montreal trio to drive five-on-five possession, producing a 63.3 Corsi For percentage.

The Carolina Hurricanes are going to push back Saturday, but I’m still expecting the Habs to generate offense. Slafkovsky has posted an elite 4.06 points per 60 minutes across the past six games, making this prop playable up to -160.

Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen was never going to maintain his .950 save percentage across the first two rounds moving forward, so Game 1 stands as a potential sign of things to come in the Carolina crease.

Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 2 same-game parlay

In addition to Andersen looking shaky in the series opener, Habs No. 1 Jakub Dobes has had his own spells of inconsistency this postseason, allowing at least three goals in seven games.

I also fully expect the Hurricanes to generate more high-quality scoring chances in Game 2. Carolina produced just 2.87 expected goals in the series opener after averaging 3.72 per 60 minutes through the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Returning to Slafkovsky, he’s recorded three or more shots in five games while posting a high-end 18.78 shot attempts per 60 minutes during the highlighted six-game heater.

Canadiens vs Hurricanes SGP

• Over 5.5
• Juraj Slafkovsky Over 0.5 points
• Juraj Slafkovsky Over 2.5 shots

Canadiens vs Hurricanes odds for Game 2

• Moneyline: Canadiens +165 | Hurricanes -200
• Puck Line: Canadiens +1.5 (-150) | Hurricanes -1.5 (+130)
• Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-125) | Under 5.5 (+105)

Canadiens vs Hurricanes trend

Carolina has won 19 of its last 25 games (+11.30 Units / 28% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Hurricanes.

How to watch Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 2

Canadiens vs Hurricanes latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Colorado Avalanche will look to even their series with the Vegas Golden Knights on home ice Friday night.

They're heavily favored to do just that, which is why my Golden Knights vs. Avalanche goal scorer predictions lean towards the home team.

Let's dig deeper into my NHL picks for May 23.

Golden Knights vs Avalanche goal scorer predictions for Game 2

Goal scorer pick: Nathan MacKinnon (-110)

Nathan MacKinnon posted a game-high nine shot attempts in the series opener while logging more ice time than any other Colorado Avalanche forward.

Head coach Jared Bednar did his best to make life easier on MacKinnon, starting 10 of his shifts in the offensive zone (compared to two in the defensive zone) and keeping him on for 18 offensive zone draws. No forward on the team had more.

The Avalanche can't afford to go down 0-2 heading back to Vegas, so I expect this will be a "kitchen sink" game. MacKinnon could flirt with 24-25 minutes in regulation alone.

For reference, MacKinnon has averaged 5.4 shots on 10.3 attempts over his last 10 playoff games when playing 24+ minutes.

Given the remarkably strong volume he's likely heading for, MacKinnon has a strong chance of finding the net.

Goal scorer pick: Nazem Kadri (+265)

Nazem Kadri was a force in the series opener. The Avalanche generated more shot attempts, scoring chances, and expected goals with him on the ice than any other forward on the roster. He lived in the offensive zone, and tested Carter Hart often as a result.

Kadri had five shot attempts, four shots on goal, and a couple rebound looks during his 5-on-5 minutes. He was also credited with Colorado's only Grade A chance on the power play.

He was a thorn in the side of the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Avalanche will be able to chase the same matchups again in Game 2 with last change on home ice.

Not to mention, Kadri ranks first on the Avalanche in shots on goal, scoring chances, and high-danger looks over their past four home games.

Goal scorer pick: Jack Eichel (+215)

The Golden Knights led for the majority of Game 1, and never trailed, so Jack Eichel wasn't ever under much pressure to force the issue offensively and take chances.

Even so, he still led the team in 5-on-5 scoring chances. They just didn't find the net.

Eichel leads the team in attempts (70), shots (38), and has generated 5.03 expected goals yet scored only one goal. He's getting looks consistently but has been held back by a 2.63% finishing rate.

He scores on more than 10% of his shots year after year so this is a string of bad luck more than anything performance related. The tide is going to turn sooner rather than later, and a better performance from the Avalanche in Game 2 would force Eichel to shoot more frequently.

Golden Knights vs Avalanche anytime goal parlay (+1200)

• Nathan MacKinnon
• Nazem Kadri
• Jack Eichel

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Vancouver Canucks were the first NHL team eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff contention in 2026. Some of their former players, however, are continuing to make a big difference in their new teams’ playoff pushes — with the ex-Canucks specifically being big factors in the Vegas Golden Knights and Montréal Canadiens’ Game 1 wins on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. 

The first big performance came from ex-Canuck Nic Dowd during Vegas’ 4–2 Game 1 win against the Colorado Avalanche. Though he only ended up playing 13:18 minutes during this game, the seventh-most among forwards on Vegas, Dowd’s difference-making moment came when he beat out two members of the Avalanche on a non-icing call to slap the puck into the empty net and seal the win for the Golden Knights. Easing up on the play would have likely been detrimental to Vegas, who’d faced an onslaught of offence from Colorado during those final couple of minutes. 

Dowd also won 62.5% of his faceoffs during this game, including the one that led to his empty-net goal. 

The next day saw another former Canuck make a big difference in his team’s victory, though his performance came off-the-ice rather than on it. Montréal took a surprising 6–2 win against a Carolina Hurricanes team that had not surrendered more than five goals in a single series throughout this year’s playoffs up until that point. Post-game, Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis gave a shout-out to one particular ex-Canuck’s work in helping them prepare for this series. 

“We knew for a long time that if we got through Buffalo, we were playing Carolina. Obviously, our analytics people, but Alex Burrows does a lot of that grunt work for us, and he worked hard while we were trying to close out the series against Buffalo,” St. Louis explained to reporters. 

Burrows, a longtime Canuck, was formerly an assistant coach for Montréal but stepped down from the role in July of 2024. Since then, he has remained with the Canadiens organization as a player development coach. He has been with the organization for eight seasons, working both with the AHL’s Laval Rocket as well as the Canadiens during that span of time. 

The Conference Finals of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs resume tonight at 5:00 pm PT, as the Avalanche will host the Golden Knights in Colorado for Game 2 of their series. Montréal and Carolina will face each other on Saturday at 4:00 pm PT. 

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

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

2 Canucks Prospects Will Compete For The 2026 Memorial Cup

Aatu Räty Scores Third Goal Of The Tournament In 7–1 Win Against Latvia: Canucks At The 2026 World Championship

Report: Canucks Prospect Safonov Will Be Leaving The KHL

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

The Montreal Canadiens’ top line might not have been firing on all cylinders in the first two rounds, but captain Nick Suzuki still managed to get his fair share of points. While most of them came on the power play before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes, they still count.

In Thursday’s game, Suzuki had a hand in three of the Canadiens’ six goals, all scored at even strength. He assisted on Cole Caufield’s game-tying goal in the first period and on both of Juraj Slafkovsky’s tallies in the final period, playing a big role in the Habs’ rout of the Hurricanes.

Canadiens' Jakub Dobes Continuing To Make NHL History
Canadiens’ Burrows Played Big Role In The Win
The Canadiens Took Carolina By Storm

After 15 playoff games, the 26-year-old now has 16 points, which is not a record in Canadiens’ history. However, the fact that 14 of those points came on the road is. The four goals he has scored have all come away from the Bell Centre, helping the Canadiens earn the nickname of Road Warriors. With Thursday night’s effort, he took the team lead in scoring, two points ahead of defenseman Lane Hutson.

The first game of the third round was quite promising for the Canadiens, who finally saw their top line erupt at even strength. While the Habs did manage to make it all the way to the conference final, their odds of eliminating Carolina would be greatly increased if their top line could contribute just like it did in Game 1 for the rest of the series.

Nick Suzuki factored on three of six goals tonight to establish a @CanadiensMTL record for most road points in a playoff year. He also tied Mitch Marner for the most in the 2026 #StanleyCup Playoffs.#NHLStats: https://t.co/Isa2xPwGUQpic.twitter.com/KlUnT8jVZv

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) May 22, 2026

The Canadiens will take on the Hurricanes in Game 2 on Saturday night in Raleigh, and a second road win would give them a stronghold in the series. Over recent years, Carolina has been a regular in the conference final but has struggled to win any game in that round. In their last four appearances, including this one, they are now 1-13, and one can wonder if the Habs didn’t plant the seed of doubt in the Canes’ heads with their dominant win.

---

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

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

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

Subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here.