After defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 by a 2-1 final score, the Montreal Canadiens have made a roster move.
The Canadiens have announced that they have assigned defenseman Adam Engstrom to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket.
While Engstrom has been on the Canadiens' roster, he has not appeared in a playoff game for them this spring. Now, with this news, he is heading back to Laval for the time being.
Engstrom played in his first 15 career NHL regular-season games this season with the Canadiens, where he had one assist and a plus-2 rating.
In 45 regular-season games this year with the Rocket, Engstrom had 10 goals, 24 assists, 34 points, and a plus-14 rating. This is after he had five goals and 27 points in 66 games with the AHL squad during the 2024-25 season.
The Anaheim Ducks are one of the final eight teams left standing in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. They upset a perennial cup-contending Edmonton Oilers squad in six games in the first round and will be up against another cup-contender in the second round: the Vegas Golden Knights.
Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville, with the help of his coaching staff, out-coached Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch in round 1, and will have to pull out all his tricks once again if he’s to defeat brand new Vegas head coach John Tortorella.
Tortorella has only been the Knights’ head coach for eight games heading into the playoffs after they shockingly parted ways with Bruce Cassidy. Vegas went 7-0-1 down the stretch under Tortorella and dispatched the Utah Mammoth in six games in their first-round series.
It’s unclear if, how, or to what extent (beyond lineup alterations) Tortorella can make changes throughout the course of a long series, behind the bench of a new team, but Quenneville will have to win five key matchups if the Ducks are to win four games in the next seven and advance to the Conference Final.
Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images
Jackson LaCombe vs Jack Eichel
If the Conn Smythe Trophy were awarded after one round, a very strong case could be made for it to be awarded to Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe. LaCombe scored nine points (1-8=9) in six games, tied for second in playoff scoring and leading all defensemen, dominated underlying metrics, dictated play on every shift, and effectively shut down (or severely limited) Connor McDavid, the world’s best hockey player.
If Quenneville continues to hard-match LaCombe against his opponent’s top player, LaCombe’s next assignment will be Team USA teammate, 2026 Olympic Gold Medalist, and 2023 Stanley Cup Champion Jack Eichel.
Tying LaCombe, Eichel scored nine points (1-8=9) in six games against Utah in the first round, while averaging 24:22 TOI/G, and offers a completely different challenge for LaCombe than McDavid did. McDavid is far and away the fastest player in the NHL who does most of his damage off the rush and operates at a high rate of speed in every facet of his offense.
Eichel, not slow by any means and still one of the NHL’s best skaters, attacks more surgically and methodically. He utilizes his 6-foot-2, 206-pound frame to protect pucks with an elite glide and is one of the NHL’s best passers, displaying deception and throwing misinformation at every turn. He’s equally as dangerous off the rush or on the cycle.
Eichel prefers to carry pucks low to high in the offensive zone and across the blueline, looking for and opening dangerous seams. Like with McDavid, it will require all five skates on the ice to properly limit his impact, but LaCombe will need to be smart not to drift too far from the net front and remain in good positions.
Lukas Dostal vs Carter Hart
Any goaltender will echo that they aren’t playing against the opposing goaltender, but rather the opposing team as a whole. However, in this particular series, Ducks netminder Lukas Dostal will have to out-duel Vegas netminder Carter Hart, and out-duel him significantly, if the Ducks are to have a chance at advancing beyond the Golden Knights.
Through the first round, traditional numbers suggest that Dostal and Hart have been two of the worst goaltenders in the playoffs, with Hart finishing with better numbers.
Hart finished his first round series by allowing 18 goals on 167 shots (.892 SV%) and saved -0.13 goals above expected (GSAx). The eye test suggests a slightly different narrative, as he let in several goals from distance, without a screen, and/or through his body (between his arm and his torso).
Dostal’s numbers were far worse in the first round, as he allowed 20 goals on 158 shots (.873 SV%) and saved -4.61 GSAx. His eye test suggests he was better than those numbers, but unspectacular nonetheless. His rebound control and puck tracking (typically two staples of his game) left a lot to be desired, but none of the goals (of very few) could be classified as “soft.”
Dostal either allowed goals with screens in front of him, off of deflections, and/or from incredibly high-danger areas of the ice. If he could see a shot, he typically saved it, but he wasn’t able to “steal a game,” and he didn’t come up with a “big save that he wasn’t supposed to make” very often.
The big saves he does make often go unnoticed, as his primary strength as a netminder is his positioning, and he makes difficult saves often seem routine. However, with what Vegas strives to accomplish on offense, Dostal will need to make those big, athletic saves he’s not supposed to, and he may have to “steal” a game or two.
Both goaltenders have the skill sets to dictate a series from their respective creases, but neither had to for their teams to advance to the second round. One may have to, however, if they intend to backstop games in the third round.
Corinne Votaw-Imagn Images
Ducks Power Play vs VGK Penalty Kill
In the regular season, Vegas boasted elite special teams, featuring the sixth-best power play (24.6%) and seventh-best penalty kill (81.4%). That continued into the playoffs, as they currently have the fifth-best PP (20%) and third-best PK (93.8%).
The Ducks are a completely different study, as they had middling to poor special teams in the regular season (18.6% PP, 76.4% PK). Their penalty kill remained unimpressive through the first round (71.4%), but it didn’t bite them, as they are the least-penalized team in the playoffs to date.
Anaheim’s power play flipped a switch, however, in the first round, and was one of the greatest factors that led to them defeating the Oilers in six games. With two units finding cohesion and chemistry after 82 games of trial and error, the Ducks scored eight power play goals on 16 attempts in round one.
With the assumption that Vegas’ power play will remain productive and Anaheim’s penalty kill will continue to allow goals at a similar rate, the Ducks’ power play will prove ever-important once again in the second round, as will a continued discipline from Anaheim to limit their own trips to the penalty box.
Ducks Depth Scoring vs Knights Middle Pair (Hanifin-Andersson)
The Ducks’ top line (Gauthier/Kreider-Carlsson-Terry) accounted for six of the Ducks’ 14 goals at 5v5 in the first round and were on the ice for seven. Vegas opted not to match a pair or line against Utah’s top line in their first-round series with much consistency, but the gap between Utah’s first line (Crouse-Schmaltz-Keller) and their second line (Yamamoto-Cooley-Guenther) isn’t as drastic as Anaheim’s.
Utah’s top line did see slightly more ice against Vegas’ top pair (McNabb-Theodore) than they did against their second pair (Hanifin-Andersson). If Vegas’ top pair has remotely the success they did against Utah’s top line, Anaheim’s depth scoring will be more vital to their success in this series.
Anaheim has the offensive prowess down their forward lineup to supplement Terry and Carlsson at the top, with a potent blend of veterans like Mikael Granlund and Alex Killorn alongside talented youth like Beckett Sennecke and Mason McTavish. McTavish and Sennecke got their first taste of playoff hockey, and both project to thrive, stylistically, in that environment. However, both will hope to increase production and factor into more dangerous plays in the second round.
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Ducks Net Defending vs Vegas Slot Offense
At various points in the 2025-26 season, the Ducks struggled to defend every facet of on-ice play. While adapting to a new coaching staff that brought in a new system, the Ducks had sorting issues defending the rush and made poor pressure decisions at the offensive blueline. However, the area that consistently pained them most was defending the front of their net.
Though they’ve improved when defending cycles, they are still susceptible to getting beat back to the front of the net from the perimeter, and they can still get caught puck watching when plays shift sides of the ice laterally.
When pucks are funneled to the crease from the perimeter, the Ducks struggle mightily with boxing out, tying up sticks, and clearing rebounds.
Vegas is as polished as they come on the cycle. They can work pucks low to high for point shots, dominate possession below the goal line, and sustain pressure for minutes at a time. They’re at their best when their best players (Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel) skate pucks up the walls and across the blueline, drawing defenders out of position to open seams and passing lanes.
Anaheim’s centers will have to make astute decisions on whether and when to pressure in those situations, and defensemen will have to limit their temptation to drift too far from the crease. When defending the net-front, they’ll also have to work tirelessly to eliminate screens, tips, and second-chance opportunities. Easier said than done.
As with any series, this Ducks roster stands a chance to win four of seven, especially with Quenneville behind the bench. However, the execution will need to be nearly perfect, and they’ll have to come out on the positive end of these five matchups to do so.
MONTREAL, CANADA- APRIL 26: Alex Newhook #15 of the Montreal Canadiens screams during the warm-up of Game Four of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Photo by Arianne Bergeron/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Colorado Avalanche News
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Wild vs. Avalanche Western 2nd Round preview. [NHL]
Who has the edge in Wild vs. Avalanche? Breaking down a titanic, conference-final worthy showdown. [The Athletic]
Notebook: Avalanche prepare for heavyweight Round 2 series vs. Wild. [Sportsnet]
News Around the League
Habs hang on in Game 7, eliminate Lightning on a goal from Alex Newhook, move on to face Buffalo Sabres. [CBC]
NHL Draft Lottery: Canucks are no strangers to sliding, even with a lucky charm. [The Province]
Malkin wants to keep playing in NHL, even if Penguins don’t re-sign him. [NHL]
Maple Leafs elect for high-risk, high-reward option in hiring franchise legend Mats Sundin. [The Leafs Nation]
Leon Draisaitl unloads: Edmonton Oilers have ‘taken big steps backward’. [Edmonton Journal]
Top 50 NHL UFAs of 2026: Bobrovsky isn’t in the playoffs, yet his value is rising. [Daily Faceoff]
Rantanen fined $5K for cross-checking Kaprizov. [The Score]
The National Hockey League is going to conduct the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery on Tuesday, May 5th. This weighted lottery will select one team to pick first overall, and another to pick second. From there, the picks will go in reverse order of the standings for the non-playoff teams.
The Chicago Blackhawks have the second-best odds of winning the lottery at 13.5%. Only the Vancouver Canucks have better odds at 25.5%. Rounding out the top three is the New York Rangers at 11.5%.
The results of this lottery will change the plans of multiple franchises that are in the mix. This mock draft is a projection of how the picks could go if the Blackhawks win the first pick and the Canucks get the second.
1. Chicago Blackhawks - Gavin McKenna, FWD
If the Chicago Blackhawks win the draft lottery, it would be hard to pass up on Penn State forward Gavin McKenna. He had an up-and-down road to this point, but there is no doubt that he'd fit in right away with this organization.
There is already an off-ice connection with Connor Bedard, which would make it a bit easier for him to translate to the NHL after a productive college season, especially the second half.
If Gavin McKenna came to the Blackhawks, his boyhood team, he would have the inside track to play in the NHL as soon as next season.
2. Vancouver Canucks - Ivar Stenberg, FWD
The Vancouver Canucks have a strong history of drafting Swedish-born players, and Ivar Stenberg could be the next in line.
After a dominant performance in the World Junior Championships en route to the Gold Medal, Stenberg cemented himself into this top-three draft pick conversation.
Like McKenna, he has the potential to play in the NHL as early as next season. With how poorly constructed Vancouver's lineup is right now, there is plenty of room for him to hop right in.
3. New York Rangers - Caleb Malhotra, FWD
Caleb Malhotra has risen on the draft board as much as any player who will be selected in June. The New York Rangers weren't expecting to be in this conversation heading into the year, but Malhotra would be a great consolation prize.
Malhotra is a forward who could come to the NHL and change the fortunes of his franchise because of his incredible two-way game. The Rangers don't have many young forwards like him, which makes him someone that they can build around.
4. Calgary Flames - Keaton Verhoeff, D
The Calgary Flames have been very good drafters over the last handful of years while they rebuild. That includes players from the NCAA.
Keaton Verhoeff would make a perfect addition to their organizational prospect depth as a slippery smooth offensive defenseman.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs - Chase Reid, D
Chase Reid has more of a two-way style to his game from the back-end, which is exactly what the Toronto Maple Leafs need in their long-term plan.
6. Seattle Kraken - Tynan Lawrence, FWD
The Seattle Kraken are dying for an offensive gamebreaker. It is unclear whether Tynan Lawrence will become that guy, but he certainly has great upside as a forward.
7. Winnipeg Jets - Carson Carels, D
The Winnipeg Jets won the President's Trophy last season, which makes them selecting seventh overall surprising. Carson Carels, a defenseman, would join that organization and be groomed by one of the best at developing this position.
8. Florida Panthers - Viggo Bjorck, FWD
The only thing more surprising than the reigning President's Trophy drafting in the top-ten is the defending Stanley Cup champions drafting in the top-ten. That is the reality for the Florida Panthers, who would be the perfect landing spot for Viggo Bjorck.
9. San Jose Sharks - Daxon Rudolph, D
The San Jose Sharks had a remarkable season based on their expectations coming in. Still, one more top-ten pick will be great for them, especially if it's a defenseman. They don't have that position solidified in the long-term, but this would help.
10. Nashville Predators - Alberts Smits, D
Like the Jets, the Nashville Predators are very good at drafting and developing defensemen. They've been a factory for multiple decades. With change coming to the organization at the top, their next big defender could be Alberts Smits.
11. St. Louis Blues - Oliver Suvanto, FWD
The St. Louis Blues may or may not move on from some of their star forwards this summer. If they do, they might want to start stockpiling new ones in the organization. Oliver Suvanto is someone to consider for that type of role.
12. New Jersey Devils - Oscar Hemming, FWD
Everything the New Jersey Devils do at forward starts with one question: how would they look playing alongside Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier? Oscar Hemming may have the skills necessary to at least be given a chance one day.
13. New York Islanders - Ethan Belchetz, FWD
The New York Islanders won the draft lottery in 2025, and it changed them forever. Matthew Schaefer is a superstar in every sense of the word. Now, they are looking to continue building. A forward like Ethan Belchetz makes a lot of sense for them.
14. Columbus Blue Jackets - Ryan Lin, D
The Columbus Blue Jackets enjoy drafting skilled defensemen in the first round. Ryan Lin is one ready to make an impact on the organization in the long-term.
15. St. Louis Blues via Detroit Red Wings - Malte Gustafsson, D
The St. Louis Blues received this pick from the Detroit Red Wings, and they would make it count if they selected Malte Gustafsson for their defense pipeline.
16. Washington Capitals - Nikita Kiepov, FWD
The Washington Capitals select Nikita Kiepov in this mock spot. He will attend Michigan State in 2026-27, which should prepare him for the NHL as well as any school in the United States.
17. Los Angeles Kings - Adam Novonty, FWD
The Los Angeles Kings must start restocking their prospect farm with more talent again. A retool is necessary for them as Anze Kopitar retires. Adam Novonty is a Czech-born forward who would be a great addition.
18. Washington Capitals via Anaheim Ducks - Ilya Morozov, FWD
The Washington Capitals may have two picks out of three late in the teens, depending on how the Anaheim Ducks finish. In this spot, forward Ilya Morozov makes perfect sense for them as they look to continue building their new forward core.
19. Utah Mammoth - Marcus Nordmark, FWD
The Utah Mammoth had a great season, and they never moved their first-round pick, despite rumors. Now, they could go with a forward like Marcus Nordmark out of Sweden.
20. San Jose Sharks via Edmonton Oilers - Elton Hermansson, FWD
Speaking of Swedes, Elton Hermansson may go one pick later to the San Jose Sharks. Although they need more defensemen, it never hurts to add a skilled forward as well. With the way that they've set up their draft for this year, one forward and one defenseman in the first round is a sound strategy.
21. Philadelphia Flyers - Xavier Villenueve, D
The Philadelphia Flyers are still alive, so their pick is far from locked at 21. If it did stick, however, Xavier Villenueve would be a great future defenseman for a team that has gone forward a lot in recent first rounds.
22. Pittsburgh Penguins - JP Hurlbert, FWD
The Pittsburgh Penguins didn't make a top-five pick last year, but one of their picks, Ben Kindle made it to the NHL right away as a teenager. They might not expect that of JP Hurlbert or anyone that they draft this year, but he is a good player nonetheless.
23. Boston Bruins - Juho Piiparinen, D
The Bruins overachieved this season after making the 7th overall pick last year, but they can still draft a good player like Juho Piiparinen. A young first-round talent like him for their organizational blue line would be great.
24. Vancouver Canucks via Minnesota Wild - Yegor Shilov, FWD
The Vancouver Canucks don't have Quinn Hughes anymore, but this pick is one of the many gifts that the Minnesota Wild gave them for their former captain. Yegor Shilov is a forward who may make an NHL impact perfectly in line with Vancouver's rebuild.
25. Montreal Canadiens - Mathis Preston, FWD
The Montreal Canadiens stayed the course of their own rebuild, despite being a 100-point team that has now won a round. Keeping their first round pick in a year like this is impressive fortitude, and a prospect like Mathis Preston could be a great prize.
26. Seattle Kraken via Tampa Bay Lightning - Wyatt Cullen, FWD
The Seattle Kraken make perfect sense for Wyatt Cullen, who is the son of former NHL forward Matt Cullen. Matt had a tremendous NHL career and was one of the best players to ever come out of Minnesota. Fittingly, his son Wyatt will play for the Golden Gophers in 2026-27.
27. New York Rangers via Dallas Stars - Niklas Aaram-Olsen, FWD
The New York Rangers will make a first-round pick in the top five and the bottom ten, which is great for a rebuilding squad. Niklas Aaram-Olsen would help them replenish their forwards as more of their veterans could follow Artemi Panarin out the door this summer.
28. Calgary Flames via Vegas Golden Knights - Simas Ignatavicius, FWD
The Calgary Flames, like the New York Rangers, will have an early and late pick in the first round. That will do wonders for their highly respectable prospect pool. Simas Ignatavicius is a forward who could be a diamond for them.
29. Buffalo Sabres - Maddox Dagenais, FWD
The Buffalo Sabres are not used to picking in the bottom third of the first round, unless it is a pick that a contender gave to them for one of their star players that they had to trade away. This year, a prospect like forward Maddox Dagenais would be going to a winning organization in Buffalo.
30. Carolina Hurricanes - Liam Ruck, FWD
The Carolina Hurricanes thrive on getting something out of these late picks. Liam Ruck is a forward who may keep their prospect depth intact.
31. St. Louis Blues via Colorado Avalanche - Alexander Command, FWD
The St. Louis Blues have the first-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche. They may pick late in the 20s or in the 30s, depending on how the Avalanche finish. Alexander Command is someone for them to consider regardless of where the pick lands.
32. Ottawa Senators - William Hakansson, D
The Ottawa Senators are locked into the 32nd overall pick. At first, it was forfeited, but the NHL restored it to them in the form of the final pick in the first round.
This comes as a punishment that stemmed from an attempted Evgenii Dadonov trade between the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks were on Dadonov's "no-trade list", but the Golden Knights were not told that by the Senators, who traded Dadonov to Vegas previously. The NHL made them forfeit a first-round pick in either 2024, 2025, or 2026 before restoring it.
William Hakansson, a defenseman, makes great sense for Ottawa as they could use another defense prospect with high upside to work on developing.
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NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 21: New Jersey Devils introduce General Manager Sunny Mehta at Prudential Center on April 21, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI vis Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
“Unfortunately for Meier, the narrative that he has underperformed donning the red and black isn’t unique to this past season. Outside of his 2022-23 production (and even then), he has long been soured on by fans, and for good reason. After all, the three-time 30-plus goal scorer has never surpassed that mark with New Jersey, nor has his production ever matched his output from his San Jose Sharks years. And yet, as perhaps the most bullish person on him of anyone I know, I would argue that as far as bounce-back candidates go, Meier should be right at the top of the list.” [Infernal Access ($)]
“Sunny Mehta wants to focus on the process. That should make New Jersey Devils fans feel optimistic about the 2026 offseason and beyond.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
Front office changes:
#NEWS: The New Jersey Devils announced the team will not renew the contracts of Dan MacKinnon and Chuck Fletcher.
“Even in a league with 32 teams that range from model franchises to … um, not that, everyone is good at something. In fact, every team in the league is the very best at something. You just have to be willing to dig deep enough to find it.” [The Athletic ($)]
“Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch revealed that McDavid played through a fracture in the foot and ankle area en route to losing in six games to the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference quarterfinals. He also said forward Jason Dickinson had a similar injury.” [ESPN]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 03: An interior view of Ball Arena prior to Game One of the Second Round between the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 03, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NHL couldn’t pass up a Saturday night time slot on ABC and started the Philadelphia/Carolina series before the first round ended. (Sidenote, there goes conspiracy theories about leagues tinkering in results: a Pittsburgh/Philadelphia Game 7 would have filled that spot really nicely, but alas). We went 3-1 on the East in the first round, whiffing on the Pens loss but getting the Montreal upset over Tampa right. I realized I forgot/ran out of time with the Pens’ run to write the East, would have been 3-1 in that too by missing the Ducks advancing past Edmonton but getting the rest of them.
Now it’s onto the NHL’s version of the Elite 8.
Philadelphia vs. Carolina
I don’t think anyone needed to see Game 1 to see where the wind was blowing on this matchup (pun intended), the Hurricanes have too much for the Flyers. That was on display in a 3-0 win on Saturday where the Flyers only mustered 19 shots on goal. Add in the injury to Owen Tippett and the uphill battle for the Flyers becomes all the more tougher a climb. I’m rooting for the funniest outcome where a Carolina sweep would put them into the next round before Buffalo/Montreal even play their Game 3. Thinking that happens, if not a gentleman’s sweep if the Flyers can win a home game.
Prediction: Carolina in 4
Buffalo vs. Montreal
Ahh, the Atlantic Division comes down to the Sabres and Canadiens, just as everyone suspected in the fall. Montreal is perhaps lucky to be here after playing rope-a-dope and only getting nine shots in goal in Game 7 and requiring a pair of greasy goals to dispatch Tampa. Still, they deserve credit all the same for making this far and Jakub Dobes in net is providing a huge boost to them. Buffalo is a little shakier in net, though Alex Lyon only surrendered five goals over the five games he played in and has become the man of the moment for the Sabres. The key to this series might be the power play, Buffalo advanced over Boston despite going 1-for-24 in the man advantage. That won’t cut it this time around. This series could be about coin flip odds, something about Montreal’s hot goalie and young talent is too tough to resist considering the Sabres aren’t scoring on the power play and resorting to lightning in a bottle with their goaltender situation.
Prediction: Montreal in 7
Vegas vs. Anaheim
Anaheim is perhaps the surprise team of the playoffs for the way they took care of the Oilers, weathering the best shots that Leon Draisaitl (10 points) and an injured Connor McDavid (6 points) could give. Those guys are always going to get theirs, but as usual their team’s roster weaknesses got exploited, this time by the Ducks. The Ducks’ pressure completely overwhelmed the shaky Edmonton team defense and goaltending, scoring 26 goals in the six games (4.33 average). Vegas showed some vulnerabilities against Utah (giving up 3.0 goals per game) and Carter Hart (.898 save%) hasn’t been THE guy, so much as the guy that the Golden Knights have right now. Jackson Lacombe was barely used in the Olympics and is making a star turn (nine points in six games, plus solid play defensively). Between the young talent Anaheim has, the goaltending matchup and the coaching edge of Quenneville over Tortorella to tip the scales for a slight upset (betting lines current have Anaheim +140 and Vegas at -165).
Prediction: Anaheim in 6
Colorado vs. Minnesota
The heavyweight battle! The NHL’s divisional format usually gives that one monster second round matchup where the two teams involved are very much Stanley Cup worthy, and that certainly applies in the Central Division this year. The Avalanche coasted to a pretty easy win over Los Angeles, sweeping them without even needing to come out of third gear. The Wild had a much tougher first round matchup against Dallas. It was tight (besides Game 1’s big 6-1 Minnesota win, the other five games were one-goal contests until empty netters, and featured two OT games) but the Wild came out on top in relatively convincing fashion considering the circumstances. The Avs haven’t even played since April 26th, prior to last night’s Game 1. (This is being written just as the game started, so while you’ll know the result reading it on Monday, we don’t as of now). Hopefully for hockey’s sake, it will be a long series. In the end, gotta like the star power of the Avalanche and the form they are in right now. This looks like a year where Nathan MacKinnon and company aren’t going to be denied.
Prediction: Colorado in 6
—
As of now with the way the bracket is breaking, it’s looking like the SCF could be a showdown between the top two regular season teams (Colorado and Carolina). We’re still a long way from getting there, Colorado’s path through Minnesota and Anaheim/Vegas next round is no cake walk and Carolina is known for tripping up and running out of gas in the middle rounds. Overall though, it doesn’t look like too many Cinderella teams are primed to upset the apple cart. Maybe Montreal/Buffalo or Anaheim still have something to say about that. It’s pretty rare for the top two teams to both emerge at the end of three rounds of playoff action, we’ll have to see if Round 2 has some surprising outcomes to shake up the picture.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 01: David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal on Alex Lyon (not pictured) #34 of the Buffalo Sabres during the second period in Game Six of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on May 01, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Folks, I have the unfortunate duty today to welcome you to…the offseason.
The Bruins officially checked out of the playoffs via Friday night’s loss to the Buffalo Sabres, ending a better-than-expected season sooner than we had hoped.
But the playoffs wait for no one’s sorrows, with things moving right along across the NHL: two second round series began over the weekend, and the last second round match-up was settled last night.
In last night’s “last call for the first round” game, the Montreal Canadiens eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7, winning 2-1 in spite of managing a remarkable nine shots on goal.
Yes, nine shots on goal for the entire game.
In fact, the Canadiens were outshot 12-0 in the second period, yet ended up winning the game. Playoffs, I guess.
Compare that to last night’s other offering, which was the second round opener out west with the Wild playing the Avalanche.
In THAT game, Colorado saw Montreal’s nine shots and raised you nine goals, while Minnesota scored six of their own. That should be an entertaining series, to say the last.
Your full list of second round match-ups:
Sabres vs. Canadiens (starts Wednesday)
Hurricanes vs. Flyers (Carolina is up 1-0)
Avalanche vs. Wild (Colorado is up 1-0)
Golden Knights vs. Anaheim (starts tonight)
Bruins injury updates
The B’s coaches and players had their break-up day media availability on Sunday, that end-of-season tradition where you find out how hurt everyone was.
In the Bruins case:
David Pastrnak said “throughout the playoffs, I would say I was healthy,” but also noted that he had been dealing with a groin tear for the better part of the season. He cited the groin injury as being something that was challenging to deal with mentally, as it affected his skating stride, movement, etc. He also noted that something would need to change “drastically” for him to consider going to the upcoming World Championships, which is a pretty good indicator that he is not, in fact, fully healthy.
Charlie McAvoy broke his hand in Game 2 of the Buffalo series. He said he has “some MRIs” coming up and will be heading in for more dental work as well.
Viktor Arvidsson had a broken rib and punctured lung, which is why he missed the end of the Buffalo series. He called it “a little puncture on the lung,” which is one way of putting it, I guess.
Elias Lindholm had an ongoing back injury, one that required injections and was just sort of a lingering thing. He cited that injury as being a blow to his confidence and belief in his ability to fully play his game, which tracks when you’re dealing with a back injury.
Nikita Zadorov tore his MCL at some point in Game 3, then played on it through Game 6 with a combination of a brace and tape. On the pain management aspect of things, he said “because it was fully torn, there wasn’t really much pain there,” which is…quite a nice bit of perspective, I guess? He added that the injury may not require surgery, just an injection and healing.
The walking wounded, indeed.
Odds and ends
Other items for both the B’s and from around the league:
The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery will be held tomorrow at 7 PM, with the draw broadcast live on ESPN. I assume the draw itself won’t take place until like 7:30, but who knows. Sky will have you covered with a primer for that process tomorrow morning.
The Maple Leafs ended their GM search over the weekend, officially hiring John Chayka as GM and Leafs legend Mats Sundin as Senior Executive Advisor, Hockey Operations. Chayka wasn’t exactly crushing it during his time as Coyotes GM, so…we’ll see how this goes for Toronto, I guess.
Lastly, a word of thanks to all of you fine readers for a fun season around these parts.
It wasn’t without its bumps, but overall, I think we’d all agree that this season was a lot less of a slog than last year.
We’re fortunate to have an engaged group of commenters and a good community here, something we can hopefully build on going forward.
Hopefully we’ll be right back where we started when next season rolls around, and we’ll try to keep you as entertained as possible during the summer doldrums.
If you have any suggestions on what kind of stuff you’d like to see over the summer, you know where to find me.
For one last time these playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning locked horns on Sunday night. With the stakes as high as could be, Martin St-Louis decided to insert Noah Dobson, who hadn’t played in three weeks due to an injury, in his lineup at the expense of Arber Xhekaj. A decision that raised a few eyebrows, given how physical the series had been, but the gritty defenseman’s missed coverage in OT in Game 6 ultimately cost him his spot on the roster.
Given how Dobson’s injury was on his left hand, some worried he wouldn’t be able to shoot properly, but the two slap shots he unleashed in the first frame cast all doubts aside. Even though the game was in Florida, the Bell Centre was packed to the rafters with 21,000+ fans for a watch party. The event sold out in less than an hour on Saturday morning, with fans paying $12 for the privilege.
After blanking the Canadiens in Game 6, there was a risk that Andrei Vasilevskiy had managed to get in the Habs players’ heads, making them wonder if he had suddenly become invincible, but that worry didn’t last for too long. With under two minutes to go in the first frame, Nick Suzuki tipped a Kaiden Guhle shot, the puck then deflected on J.J. Moser, past the Lightning’s supersize goalie to give the Habs the lead.
That was the captain’s first goal of the series, and it came at even strength with the Habs’ new look first line on the ice. The lamplighter was even more important, given that the team that scores first in a Game 7 wins 75% of the time, which put the odds in the Canadiens' favor.
The Dreaded Awful Second Period Came Back
For a good stretch of the regular season, the Canadiens struggled in the second period, and Sunday night, in the most important game of the year, that flaw came back with a bang. After Suzuki scored the first goal at 18:39 in the first, the Canadiens didn’t take another shot to end the period or in the second frame. It was the first time in their history that it happened.
Granted, the Bolts had a couple of power plays, but so did the Canadiens, and at the end of the day, if you cannot get a puck on the net, you certainly won’t get one in the net. It’s as simple as that. After 40 minutes, the score was tied 1-1 for one reason, and one reason only: Jakub Dobes, although he was getting some help from his blueline.
Perhaps the Habs were a bit frazzled by the enormity of the moment, but they were making mistakes you cannot make in that kind of setting. Juraj Slafkovsky’s no-look back passes were back, thankfully for him, he did that on the power play, and there was no harm done on the scoreboard. However, turning the puck over that way when your team is struggling to find something, anything to build on, is unacceptable. As is giving the puck back to the opponent with a soft pass when you cannot find a good option. Dobes is not Rocky Balboa; it’s rare that allowing your goalie to be peppered with shots while playing dead will lead to anything good.
St-Louis has shown a knack for speaking to his players and finding the right way to motivate them, and judging by how they bounced back in the third, he found the right words once again.
Feels A Little Like 2010
The Canadiens bounced back in the third after the coach told them they still had an opportunity, since it was still 1-1. The Habs took five shots on net and spent more time in the offensive zone, even though Tampa still had the upper hand. Dobes stood tall and stopped another eight shots to bring his total to 28 on the night. In this first round, the Czech netminder has looked like Jaroslav Halak back in 2010. Speaking to Sportsnet after the game, the young man was going through a rollercoaster of emotions and was absolutely beaming, as he should have been, he became the fifth rookie goaltender in Canadiens’ history to win a Game 7.
"People sometimes say that I get too emotional. But every game I play is like a Game 7."
The netminder wasn’t the only one to pull off a performance reminiscent of 2010, however. Alex Newhook showed fantastic hand-eye coordination to bat the puck out of mid-air from behind the net; it bounced off Vasilevskiy and into the net. An unusual goal, but a game-winning goal, nonetheless. As those who watched in 2010 will remember, Mike Cammalleri had also scored an important goal by batting the puck out of mid-air. In the end, Montreal only took nine shots on the night, but two of them crossed the goal line and that's all that matters.
The last part of the game was nail-biting with the Bolts attacking with an extra man, but the Canadiens managed to hang on. Ironically, at one point, what would have been an icing was stopped by Slafkovsky’s broken stick that had been left for dead in Tampa’s zone. Considering how often the Habs had their sticks fail them in the regular season, it must have felt like poetic justice for St-Louis’ men.
The win also had shades of 2021, though, with veteran Phillip Danault celebrating with a pizza and bringing Mike Matheson a slice during his post-game interview. The Habs will now fly straight to Buffalo in readiness for the start of their second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday at 7:00 PM.
WHAAAAAA??!
Phillip Danault brings back the pizza celebration 🍕🍕👏🏻👏🏻
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 21: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins chat against the Vancouver Canucks at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 21, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning…
As the Pittsburgh Penguins and their fans begin the off-season, two of the franchise’s biggest stars are in something of a “wait-and-see” mode regarding their future. Captain Sidney Crosby hasn’t decided whether he’ll continue playing beyond the 2026-27 season when his contract expires. He could sign an extension this summer, but is in no rush to decide his long-term future. [PensBurgh]
Evgeni Malkin, on the other hand, is waiting to resolve his ongoing contract saga and see whether he will be a part of the team for the 2026-27 season. If he is not a Penguin, it appears Malkin has no issue donning the colors of another team to continue his NHL career. [PensBurgh]
The Penguins are likely headed for another off-season of major roster turnover, with uncertainty at center, defense, and goaltending, despite maintaining a veteran core led by Crosby. [PensBurgh]
Connor Dewar carved out a strong role with the Penguins this season, thriving as a reliable fourth-line contributor. But with Dewar set to become an unrestricted free agent, his future in Pittsburgh remains uncertain. [Trib Live]
Forward Filip Hallander has returned to Sweden to resume off-season training after missing most of the season due to a blood clot, with plans to be reevaluated ahead of training camp. [Trib Live]
News and notes from around the NHL…
The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Mats Sundin as a senior executive adviser for hockey operations and John Chayka as general manager as part of the much-discussed front-office overhaul. [NHL]
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid played through a fracture in his foot/ankle area during the playoffs, head coach Kris Knoblauch said. [Sportsnet]
With guys like this, your power play should not suck. | NHLI via Getty Images
Feel relieved, Islanders fans: the Canadiens have eclipsed the 2015 Islanders’ dubious records by recording even fewer shots in a Game 7 than the Islanders did on that terrible night in D.C.
Of course the critical difference is that the Canadiens’ 9 shots (compared to the Islanders’ 11 on that frustrating night opposite Barry Trotz’s Caps) came in a startling 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Florida. So the Canadiens move on to face the Sabres, completing the second-round pairings. And dipshit Nikita Kucherov, who kept trying to chirp Jakub Dubes all series, goes home with a sad.
The second round began over the weekend, however with a bit of predictability and a bit of theater.
On the predictability front, I looked at my friend with puzzlement when he said “Hurricanes-Flyers should be a good series.” I don’t have any notion that it will be, and Saturday did not put any doubt in my head when Carolina easily handled Philadelphia, 3-0. [NHL]
Meanwhile, the opening of Colorado vs. Minnesota was insane. The Avalanche jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first, only to allow Minnesota to get two goals back in just over a minute span. In the second period, the Avs extended their lead to 4-2 only to allow the Wild to come back and tie it at 4-4. That didn’t last long, however, as Colorado retook the lead on the way to a 9-6 (EN) win, with a historic number of individual goal scorers. Cale Makar played only just over a minute in the first after taking a big hit, but returned with some of that magic spray and scored two goals. [NHL]
The Wild have Quinn Hughes, who was big in Game 1, but they start the series without Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek. [NHL]
The Boston Bruins’ journey in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs lasted just six games, and now a very pivotal offseason awaits the franchise as it searches for ways to become a true title contender again.
Overall, the season was undoubtedly a success for the Bruins. Very few experts and analytics models predicted Boston would make the playoffs one year after finishing with the NHL’s fifth-worst record. But to their credit, the B’s were in a playoff spot the majority of the season.
Jeremy Swayman bounced back from a tough 2024-25 campaign and was a top-five goalie and Vezina Trophy finalist. Many of the team’s young players, such as center Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov, took positive steps in their development. David Pastrnak is still a 100-point player.
So, what now for the Bruins? How should they attack the upcoming offseason? Do they stay the course of their retool or look to accelerate the process and make some bold moves?
There’s an argument to be made for staying the course, continuing to draft well, developing young players at the NHL level and not sacrificing premium assets to make short-term upgrades.
But the obvious path for the Bruins is accelerating this retool.
The case for offseason upgrades
They punched above their weight all season, and assuming they will perform at a similar level (especially offensively) next year without making substantial upgrades is a huge risk.
The analytics crowd was skeptical of the Bruins’ success all year. The B’s scored 15.45 goals above expected at even strength during the regular season, per Natural Stat Trick, which led the league. They also ranked seventh in shooting percentage at even strength. Several players, including Morgan Geekie, Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt, posted career high-shooting percentages.
A scoring regression seemed inevitable, and it came in the playoffs. The B’s scored only five goals in the last four games combined against the Sabres. The power play, which ranked third-best in the league entering the Olympic break in February, ranked 28th the remainder of the regular season and scored on just two of its 16 opportunities in Round 1.
That’s a steep regression.
“You look around the playoffs now and how goals get scored — everything is in the paint,” B’s head coach Marco Sturm said after Game 6. “And for some reason, we didn’t get there. We didn’t get those garbage goals we needed this time of the year. It was just not enough. If you look at Buffalo, they scored a lot of (those kinds of) goals. I think that was a big difference.”
Great goaltending also masked some of the defensive issues that popped up throughout the season. Swayman bailed out the B’s in a lot of games. He ranked No. 2 in goals saved above expected and No. 3 in wins above replacement for goalies, per MoneyPuck.
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The best case for accelerating this retool is that the Bruins’ core players are in the win-now portion of their careers. The Bruins aren’t an old team by any means, but their best players aren’t exactly young, either.
Morgan Geekie, LW, 27 years old
Jeremy Swayman, G, 27
Charlie McAvoy, D, 28
Pavel Zacha, C/W, 29
David Pastrnak, RW, 29
Elias Lindholm, C, 31
Nikita Zadorov, D, 31
Hampus Lindholm, D, 32
Viktor Arvidsson, LW, 33 (UFA this summer)
Pastrnak was asked to describe his emotions after losing to the Sabres in Game 6 and gave a telling answer.
“Of course it’s disappointing,” Pastrnak said. “I’m turning 30 in a couple weeks. Had one sniff at the Cup so far. It gets harder every single year. … You don’t want to waste any opportunity.”
Anyone drafted this year is probably not going to be an impact player at any point during the rest of the above players’ primes. If rookie James Hagens is the real deal, maybe he becomes a top-six forward in this window, but it would be unrealistic to expect a 2026 draft pick to be a franchise player in 2028 or 2029.
Potential trade targets for Bruins
So, what would be a move to accelerate the retool and win now?
Making a bold trade for someone like St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas is one example.
Thomas is a legit top-six center and he’s only 26 years old. He tallied 64 points in 64 games this past season and posted 80-plus points in each of the previous two campaigns.
Thomas is an elite playmaker and can score 20-plus goals. He’s also signed through 2029-30 to a team-friendly contract that carries an $8.125 million salary cap hit.
The cost to acquire Thomas, or a similar player, via trade would understandably be very high.
The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford reported on Feb. 26 that the Blues were seeking “three first-half-of-the-first-round assets ahead of the trade deadline. For example, that could mean an established young player, a drafted prospect and a draft pick who were all selected or could be taken in the first 15 or so picks.”
Thomas was rumored to be available before the trade deadline back in March, but the Blues ended up holding on to him.
Another potential trade target for teams in need of scoring is Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson. He’s not a center, but he’s one of the league’s top goal scorers, and the Bruins could certainly use another one of those players, too. Robertson scored a career high 45 goals with 51 assists this season, and has scored 35-plus goals in four of the last five seasons.
The Stars were eliminated in the first round of this year’s playoffs, but it wasn’t Robertson’s fault. He tallied eight points (five goals, three assists) in six games against the Minnesota Wild.
The Stars are in a bit of a salary cap dilemma, and Robertson is an RFA this summer. He could re-sign with the Stars, and they’d be foolish not to pay him. But if he did become available, the Bruins would be wise to at least call the Stars and see what it might take to pry Robertson out of Dallas.
The cost to acquire Robertson via trade and then sign him to a huge long-term deal would obviously be high, but it would be worth it for an elite offensive player who is just 26 years old.
The Bruins have plenty of quality trade assets, including some good young NHL players, several talented prospects and five first-round picks over the next three drafts. If they decide to use any of these assets to bring in an impact player, it should be a forward.
The Bruins’ No. 1 roster weakness is a lack of elite forwards, specifically at center. Pastrnak is the only high-end forward on the team. He just posted a fourth consecutive 100-point season. Geekie scored 39 goals but can also be a little streaky. The B’s have some other good forwards, but no one who is going to dominate the opponent’s scouting report besides Pastrnak.
Pastrnak was the only Bruins player to eclipse 70 points this season. Only four other 2026 playoff teams — the Ducks, Kings, Flyers and Penguins — had one or zero 70-point scorers. The Lightning and Canadiens, who both play in the Bruins’ division, had four each. Six of the eight teams that advanced to Round 2 have two players with 70-plus points.
If you look at the last 10 Stanley Cup winners, they all had a legit No. 1 center (or two in some cases).
2024 and 2025 Panthers: Aleksander Barkov
2023 Golden Knights: Jack Eichel
2022 Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon
2020 and 2021 Lightning: Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point
2019 Blues: Ryan O’Reilly
2018 Capitals: Nicklas Backstrom
2016 and 2017 Penguins: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin
The Bruins haven’t had a real top-six center since Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retired after the 2023 playoffs. Elias Lindholm was supposed to be a top-six center when he signed a seven-year, $54.25 million free-agent contract in 2024. But he has been a huge disappointment so far.
Whether it’s Thomas, Robertson or someone else, the Bruins have to add another premium forward before next season. Hagens has the potential to be that kind of impact player, but will the Bruins want to wait until he develops into that?
Running it back with a similar roster next season makes no sense. It would likely result in another first-round exit.
The current Bruins core is solid. But it’s not a championship-winning core. A high-end player or two must be brought in before next season, or we will be having this exact same conversation in May of 2027.
Philadelphia Flyers (43-27-12, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7, in the Metropolitan Division)
Raleigh, North Carolina; Monday, 7 p.m. EDT
LINE: Hurricanes -262, Flyers +212; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Hurricanes lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Carolina Hurricanes host the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Saturday for the sixth time this season. The Hurricanes won the last meeting 3-0. Logan Stankoven scored two goals in the victory.
Carolina is 53-22-7 overall with a 21-4-2 record in Metropolitan Division play. The Hurricanes rank second in league play with 291 total goals (averaging 3.6 per game).
Philadelphia is 16-12-5 against the Metropolitan Division and 43-27-12 overall. The Flyers have given up 239 goals while scoring 240 for a +1 scoring differential.
TOP PERFORMERS: Sebastian Aho has scored 27 goals with 53 assists for the Hurricanes. Stankoven has nine goals and four assists over the past 10 games.
Christian Dvorak has 18 goals and 33 assists for the Flyers. Porter Martone has four goals and three assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 9-0-1, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.3 assists, 5.2 penalties and 12.6 penalty minutes while giving up 1.6 goals per game.
Flyers: 7-3-0, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.7 assists, 5.5 penalties and 15 penalty minutes while giving up 1.8 goals per game.
INJURIES: Hurricanes: Alexander Nikishin: day to day (concussion).
Flyers: Owen Tippett: day to day (undisclosed), Rodrigo Abols: out (ankle), Nikita Grebenkin: out (upper body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Anaheim Ducks (43-33-6, in the Pacific Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Monday, 9:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Golden Knights -166, Ducks +140; over/under is 6
NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Golden Knights host series opener
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Anaheim Ducks in game one of the Western Conference second round. The teams meet Sunday for the fourth time this season. The Ducks went 3-0 against the Golden Knights in the regular season. In their last regular season meeting on Feb. 1, the Ducks won 4-3.
Vegas is 15-5-6 against the Pacific Division and 39-26-17 overall. The Golden Knights have a +22 scoring differential, with 264 total goals scored and 242 conceded.
Anaheim is 43-33-6 overall with a 19-12-1 record against the Pacific Division. The Ducks have a 23-12-3 record when they commit fewer penalties than their opponent.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Eichel has 27 goals and 63 assists for the Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev has six goals and one assist over the last 10 games.
Leo Carlsson has 29 goals and 37 assists for the Ducks. Mikael Granlund has two goals and 10 assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 7-2-1, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.6 assists, 3.5 penalties and 7.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.
Ducks: 6-3-1, averaging 4.2 goals, 7.2 assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.7 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body).
Ducks: Radko Gudas: day to day (lower body), Petr Mrazek: out for season (lower-body), Jansen Harkins: out (hand), Ross Johnston: day to day (lower-body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
DENVER — Cale Makar scored twice in the third period after returning from an earlier injury and the Colorado Avalanche overcame blowing a three-goal lead to beat the Minnesota Wild 9-6 on Sunday night in a wacky Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.
Makar, who left in the first period with an undisclosed ailment, scored his second goal of the game with 2:54 remaining to make it 8-6. Nathan MacKinnon added an empty-net goal with 2:08 remaining to seal it.
This was the 10th playoff game ever with at least 15 combined goals and just the second since 1994. There were five goals in each period.
Who figured this? A high-scoring affair between two of the better defensive teams in the league with two elite goaltenders. There were 14 different players who notched a goal in a game that turned into a track meet. It’s tied for the second-most in a playoff game.
The Avalanche improved to 72-1 since moving to Colorado in 1995-96 when leading a playoff game by three or more goals. The lone loss was Game 5 against St. Louis in a season they went on to win the Stanley Cup.
A well-rested Colorado team led 3-0 just 6:47 into the game. But the Wild steadily climbed back and took a 5-4 lead on a short-handed goal from Marcus Foligno late in the second.
Devon Toews tied at 5-apiece in the second period. It was just the fourth Game 1 in playoff history with both teams scoring five or more goals through two periods.
Both goalies struggled, but made some timely saves, too. Scott Wedgewood, who had the league’s best goals-against average this season, allowed one more goal than he did in the entire sweep of the Los Angeles Kings in Round 1.
He made 30 saves while Jesper Wallstedt stopped 34 shots.
Game 2 is Tuesday night in Denver.
Makar took a scary hit along the boards from Foligno early in the first period. The Avalanche defenseman’s right leg flew into the air before falling to the ice. Makar tested out his skating with some twirls at the end of the first and returned for the second. He had an assist on Nick Blankenburg’s goal.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Alex Newhook broke a tie with 8:53 left and the Montreal Canadiens outlasted the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Game 7 on Sunday night to end the thrilling first-round series.
The Canadiens will face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round after finishing off their first series victory since losing the Stanley Cup Final to Tampa Bay in 2021. Game 1 is Wednesday night in Buffalo.
Rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes made 28 saves and Nick Suzuki got his first goal of the series for Montreal.
Each game of the series was decided by one goal and four went to overtime. The score was tied or within one goal for all but six minutes in the seven games.
The Lightning were eliminated in the first round for the fourth straight season after falling two wins short of a Stanley Cup three-peat in 2022.
Tampa Bay’s tough defense held the Canadiens without a shot for nearly 27 minutes from the first period into the third and just four through two periods. Brandon Hagel made an outstanding, sliding stick save with an open net in the final minute but the Lightning couldn’t get the tying goal during a 6-on-5 and 6-on-4 for the final six seconds.
Montreal got a couple lucky bounces to score twice on its first eight shots on goal and finished with only nine.
After Lane Hutson fired a slap shot that went wide and bounced back out, Newhook skated backhanded the puck out of the air and in off Andrei Vasilevskiy’s pad and his backside.
AVALANCHE 9, WILD 6
DENVER (AP) — Cale Makar scored twice in the third period after returning from an earlier injury and Colorado overcame blowing a three-goal lead to beat Minnesota in a wacky Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.
Makar, who left in the first period with an undisclosed ailment, scored his second goal of the game with 2:54 remaining to make it 8-6. Nathan MacKinnon added an empty-net goal with 2:08 remaining to seal it.
This was the 10th playoff game ever with at least 15 combined goals and just the second since 1994. There were five goals in each period.
Who figured this? A high-scoring affair between two of the better defensive teams in the league with two elite goaltenders. There were 14 different players who notched a goal in a game that turned into a track meet. It’s tied for the second-most in a playoff game.
The Avalanche improved to 72-1 since moving to Colorado in 1995-96 when leading a playoff game by three or more goals. The lone loss was Game 5 against St. Louis in a season they went on to win the Stanley Cup.
A well-rested Colorado team led 3-0 just 6:47 into the game. But the Wild steadily climbed back and took a 5-4 lead on a short-handed goal from Marcus Foligno late in the second.
Devon Toews tied at 5-apiece in the second period. It was just the fourth Game 1 in playoff history with both teams scoring five or more goals through two periods.
Both goalies struggled, but made some timely saves, too. Scott Wedgewood, who had the league’s best goals-against average this season, allowed one more goal than he did in the entire sweep of the Los Angeles Kings in Round 1.
