The Buffalo Sabres kick off their second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night. This has the potential to be an excellent series between two very talented Atlantic Division rivals.
However, it is clear that the Sabres have a big challenge in front of them heading into the series: solving Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes.
Dobes helped carry the Canadiens past the Tampa Bay Lightning in their first-round series due to his excellent play. In seven games so far this post-season, the Canadiens netminder has a 4-3 record, a 2.03 goals-against average, and a .923 save percentage. With this, Dobes undoubtedly is entering this series on a hot streak.
Dobes also ended his series against the Lightning on a strong note. This is because he had a .950 save percentage or better in each of his last three starts against the Bolts. This included him stopping 28 out of 29 Lightning shots in the Canadiens' Game 7 win.
The Sabres will now be looking to end Dobes' hot streak this series. If the Sabres can get the 24-year-old goalie off his game, it would be huge for them as they look to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Flyers turned tenuous postseason hopes into a fashion statement when they wore T-shirts with “3.8%” on the sleeve to start their playoff run — a nod to their chances in March, per an NHL analytics and prediction platform.
Might be time for a new addition — courtesy of updated math — to their wardrobe.
When Travis Konecny missed on a breakaway in overtime of a Game 2 loss at Carolina, the Flyers lost a chance to earn a split on the road.
Most sportsbooks have stamped the Flyers with the worst odds of any of the eight teams left in the NHL playoffs to win the Stanley Cup.
Can “60-1” fit on the other sleeve?
The Flyers indeed are the decided underdog headed into Game 3 against a Hurricanes team that remains unbeaten in the NHL playoffs, thanks two impressive home wins to open the second-round series.
Carolina swept that first-round series against the Senators and never trailed. That series started with a home shutout and then a 3-2 double-overtime win in Game 2. The Hurricanes started this series in similar fashion, first with a Game 1 shutout and then another 3-2 win in extra time on Taylor Hall’s score at 18:54 of OT.
The Flyers host the next two games in the best-of-seven series.
The Flyers wasted a 2-0 lead in Game 2 before Konecny’s miss that became the hot topic — along with the 76ers’ blowout Game 1 loss to New York in the NBA playoffs — on the Philly sports scene.
“I should have finished that,” Konecny said.
Flyers coach Rick Tocchet refused to pin the blame on Konecny and noted in a game that went that long, there were plenty of opportunities to win it.
“There’s a few other guys that had some really Grade A chances,” Tocchet said. “If you’re not getting chances, then you’d be concerned. We had a ton of chances. I’m sure he’s upset. But hey, we need him on Thursday night and hopefully he can connect on Thursday night.”
The Hurricanes have played in the conference finals three times in the past seven years and are facing a young Flyers team gaining footing in the playoffs.
The Flyers became the first NHL team to make the playoffs after being 10 points out with 22 or fewer games remaining, securing Philadelphia’s first postseason appearance since 2020. Then the Flyers beat Pittsburgh in six games in the first round.
The Flyers have learned the hard way that even playing their best — Tocchet believed the Game 2 effort proved to them they can hang with the Hurricanes — might not be enough to outlast the top-seeded team in the East driven to break through and win the Stanley Cup.
The experience, if not the result, has been invaluable to a team that has an average age of just 27 and threw out a Game 2 line with three rookies in 19-year-old Porter Martone, 21-year-old Denver Barkey and 22-year-old Alex Bump. They have 25-and-under core players that include forwards Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras defenseman and Jamie Drysdale.
“It really is huge for the development of the guys,” Tocchet said. “Imagine if we didn’t make the playoffs and these guys never got to experience it? I think going into Game 3, you’ll see more improvement.”
The Flyers are looking for some wins to come with their improvement as they prepare for their first home second-round playoff game since 2012.
“I know the kids were upset last game,” Tocchet said. “But they can’t be upset because they’re going to get another shot it, they’re going to get right back on the ice, and they have a lot of support from the organization and their teammates. I think that’s going to help their development, also.”
Flyers’ Cates out for rest of the series
Flyers forward Noah Cates was ruled out for the series after he was injured in Game 2.
Cates had a career-high 18 goals and 47 points in 82 games this season and has added a goal and four points in the playoffs.
Here come the Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are 6-0 in the postseason and didn’t trail at any point in the first five wins. Yet coach Rod Brind’Amour doesn’t have to look hard for areas that need improvement, such as a power play that hasn’t produced anywhere near like it did in the regular season and a largely quiet start from the top line of Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov.
Carolina is 12th among 16 teams in the postseason on the power play. The Hurricanes were fourth in the regular season at 24.9%.
“I think it’s just executing our plays,” Jarvis said. “I think sometimes you have a play, you run it, and then we have a tendency to kind of go a little wild and start moving a little too much. So just kind of getting back to what made us successful in the regular season, which was playing our positions.”
Jarvis broke through for his first postseason goal in Game 2, coming after Brind’Amour shuffled the lines to pair him with Nikolaj Ehlers and captain Jordan Staal.
Brind’Amour also has lamented the number of penalties his team is taking, leading to seven power plays for the Flyers in Game 2.
“I think there’s another level we’re going to have to get to,” Brind’Amour said, “and it’s there for us.”
The Montreal Canadiens play Game 1 against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night. The Canadiens will look to start their series against Buffalo with a win on the road.
Based on the team's morning skate, the Canadiens could have a different-looking roster for Game 1.
As reported by RDS' Patrick Friolet, Brendan Gallagher and Jayden Struble skated with the Canadiens' extras during their morning skate. In addition, Joe Veleno and Arber Xhekaj skated with the main group.
Gallagher, who turned 34 today, has one goal and a plus-1 rating in three games so far this post-season for the Canadiens.
Struble played in all seven games of the Canadiens' first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he had zero points and a plus-3 rating.
If Veleno gets into the lineup, it would be the first playoff game of his NHL career. In 61 regular-season games this year with the Habs, he had two goals, five points, 166 hits, and a minus-12 rating.
As for Xhekaj, he has one assist, 12 penalty minutes, and a plus-3 rating in six playoff games so far this spring with the Canadiens.
Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville speaks to the media after their morning skate at T-Mobile Arena.
The Ducks felt good about their play in Game 1, despite failing to take a 1-0 series lead. The Golden Knights, despite winning the game, felt that they did not play as well as the Ducks.
"I think we kind of dictated the game for most of it," Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke said. "Especially the first period. We came out a lot better than they did."
"I thought across the board, we had everyone contributing and we had the energy we were looking for and speed and pace" Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said. "We had some good opportunities, we missed some great chances as well."
While it may be concerning that Vegas was able to win a game where they felt like they weren't at their best, the Ducks believe that they were right in it until the end, just like Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers.
"It's little things, breakdowns," Sennecke said. "That unfortunate call that we thought should have been icing. But it's more of the same."
"I thought we played a good game," Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier said. There's a couple mistakes we need to clean up. Not playing this team in a little bit here, we knew what to expect, but we didn't really know what to expect going into it. It's a good challenge. They've got a great team and it's going to be fun to compete against them again tonight."
May 4, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) defends his net as a deflection by Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson (91) lifts over the cross bar during the first period of game one of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
"I think that's what playoffs is," Ducks forward Ryan Poehling said. "Maybe a little cat and mouse where maybe they didn't play their best (in Game 1) and stole one from us. But, from our standpoint, you just know that they're going to come out harder. They're going to make adjustments, they're going to be tougher on us, try to slow us down."
Anaheim's power play went 0-for-4 in Game 1, but Quenneville said he liked the looks they got, also noting that they won't be able to score on the power play every single game.
"They did a good job against us," Quenneville said. "They've got great sticks. The time and space is a lot tighter. We had a couple looks, but at the same time, we had one of those special series in the last one where we don't expect to be scoring at that rate. But I still thought there was enough momentum in our power play opportunities, our possession and zone time that the power play was still effective in what they had to do. It's just a matter, now, of trying to find a goal to get it going."
"Edmonton kind of lets you hang onto it a little bit more," Sennecke said of the opposing penalty kill setup. "Vegas comes with a lot of pressure, so that's just kind of having a good middle release. That's kind of something we went over yesterday and this morning. Winning the draw is a huge part of the power play, I think we went 0-for-5."
Troy Terry will play in Game 2 despite missing the morning skate due to maintenance, which has been the norm for the past month or so. Radko Gudas, who has been out with a lower-body injury since Game 1 of the Oilers series, participated in morning skate for the second consecutive gameday, but will not play in Game 2.
Ducks Projected Lines
Chris Kreider - Leo Carlsson - Troy Terry Alex Killorn - Mikael Granlund - Beckett Sennecke Mason McTavish - Ryan Poehling - Cutter Gauthier Jeff Viel - Tim Washe - Ian Moore
Jackson LaCombe - Jacob Trouba Pavel Mintyukov - John Carlson Tyson Hinds - Drew Helleson
Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)
Golden Knights Projected Lines
Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Pavel Dorofeyev Brett Howden - Mitch Marner - Mark Stone Tomáš Hertl - William Karlsson - Keegan Kolesar Cole Smith - Nic Dowd - Colton Sissons
With the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks winning the top two picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks fell to pick number four. Like the Blackhawks, the Vancouver Canucks also dropped two spots into the third selection.
After the lottery concluded, GM Kyle Davidson was adamant that he would take the best player available with the fourth overall pick.
Most people believe that Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg are the two best players in the draft, or at least will be the top two prospects selected, but there is a world where one of them falls to the Blackhawks at four.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are almost certainly going to take one of them. Their new Senior Executive Advisor of Hockey Operations, Mats Sundin, is Swedish. He may have a heavy influence on landing the Swedish-born Stenberg. There is also the possibility that they go with the Canadian-born star McKenna.
Second overall, the Sharks may consider a defenseman because their pipeline is thin at that position in terms of high-end talent. They have one of the best farm systems in the league, but it's mostly based on elite forwards. One of the big three defenders in the draft makes more sense for them than any winger or center.
Third overall is a wild card, too. The Vancouver Canucks, in a situation where the Sharks take a defenseman, may still go with Caleb Malhotra over whichever one the Leafs leave behind.
Malhotra is the son of former NHL player Manny Malhotra, who also happens to be the head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks, Vancouver's AHL affiliate. Their scouting department is a fan of the player, more than just because of his name.
If that's the way that the first three picks go, the Blackhawks will see one of those two forwards (McKenna/Stenberg) fall to them. Both of their playstyles would fit into the organization right away.
Gavin McKenna has off-ice communication with Connor Bedard, and Ivar Stenberg is more than familiar with Anton Frondell, both on and off the ice. Each player having an olive branch to the organization would make the transition easier.
This is all a hypothetical situation because nobody truly knows what Toronto, San Jose, or Vancouver will be thinking come June, but it is not out of the realm of possibility.
The Blackhawks need a forward with star potential more than a defenseman, but if McKenna, Stenberg, and Malhotra are all gone, they may go with a potential franchise blue-liner. The Sharks are the wild card in that regard.
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Jiri Kulich (blood clot, Nov. 4; injured reserve - out for the season)
Noah Ostlund (lower body, Apr 28; week-to-week)
Notes
The Sabres have earned three playoff series victories over the Canadiens in franchise history. Buffalo last faced Montreal in the playoffs in the 1998 Eastern Conference Semifinals, a series which the Sabres won four games to none.The Sabres’ four goals allowed over the last three games are the fewest the team has allowed in any three-game span in the playoffs since May 9 to 14, 1999 (3).
A win tonight would give Buffalo five consecutive playoff wins over Montreal, second only to the team’s six-game playoff winning streak over the Canadiens from May 6, 1975 to April 5, 1990. It would make the Sabres the only team in NHL history to record multiple playoff winning streaks of five or more games against the Canadiens.
Alex Lyon allowed just five total goals in five appearances in the first round against Boston, the fewest goals allowed in any five-game span in the playoffs by a Sabres goaltender all-time. Lyon has posted a .955 save percentage in his first five appearances in the playoffs, tied with Dominik Hasek (April 24 to May 8, 1998; .955) for the best mark by a Sabres goaltender in any five-game span in the playoffs.
Bowen Byram has recorded five points (3+2) in six playoff games thus far. His three goals are the most by a Sabres defenseman in a five-game span in the playoffs since Alexei Zhitnik from April 27 to May 14, 1999 (three goals).
In his last three games, Zach Benson has posted three points (2+1). A goal in tonight’s game would make Benson the first Sabres skater age 20 or younger to record three or more goals in the first seven games of their playoff career since Alan Haworth from April 8 to 22, 1981 (4+4).
Peyton Krebs has registered six points (2+4) in six playoff games thus far and he and Tage Thompson (2+5) are the first Sabres forwards to tally six or more points in the first six playoff games of their career since Tim Connolly (3+5) and Jason Pominville (4+2) from April 22 to May 2, 2006.
Alex Tuch has posted seven points (4+3) in the playoffs. He leads all Sabres skaters in goals and is tied with Thompson for the team lead in points.
The NHL has revealed the finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, and, alongside Anthony Cirelli (Lightning) and Nick Suzuki (Canadiens), Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson has been named the third finalist.
Presenting the finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy! 🏆 #NHLAwards
The trophy is presented annually to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game. pic.twitter.com/5pftUkfZLL
The Selke trophy is awarded “to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game." Like many other awards, this trophy is also voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. The award has been in a carousel of amazing centers these past couple of seasons, from Aleksander Barkov to Patrice Bergeron and Anze Kopitar.
He helped lead the Avalanche penalty kill and defensive stats to some of the best stats the franchise has ever seen. League-low 197 goals against, penalty kill finishing at a league high 84.6% while only allowing 36 goals in 234 times short. The most penalty minutes played in his career on the penalty kill at 150:18, which is almost double his previous high during the 2019-20 season, which saw him log 107:17 minutes.
The advanced stats that really stood out the most are: the highest percentage of shifts started in the defensive zone at 16.4%, a career high in blocks with 65, the second-lowest amount of defensive zone giveaways at 15, the highest on-ice goal differential at 39, and the same with expected on-ice goal differential at 42.5.
Nelson has been involved in every aspect of the game this season with the Avalanche. Power play, penalty kill, 6-on-4 situations, you name it. No other player in Avalanche history has won the Selke trophy; the last to be a finalist was Joe Sakic back in 2000-01, when he finished second behind John Madden.
The NHL announced this afternoon that Montreal Canadiens’ captain Nick Suzuki was one of the three finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, awarded “to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game”. The other two finalists are also centermen: Tampa Bay Lightning’s Anthony Cirelli and Colorado Avalanche’s Brock Nelson.
The nomination should come as no surprise to Canadiens’ fans, as Martin St-Louis regularly entrusts Suzuki and his line to face the opponent’s most productive forward and for key faceoffs. He was sixth in the NHL for faceoffs taken with 1,449, meaning he took 32.2% of all Canadiens’ draws. Only two players in the league took an equal or bigger percentage of their team’s faceoffs: Dylan Larkin ( 32.2%) and Nico Hischier (39.9%). On top of producing 106 points this past season, the 26-year-old, London, Ontario native, finished the season with a plus-37 rating.
Averaging 20:49 of ice time, he played very little on the penalty kill this season, but that was due to St-Louis wanting to specialize his players, so to speak. The coach used Suzuki on his first power-play unit and, at times, on the second as well.
Cirelli, who the Canadiens faced in the first round of the playoffs, recorded a career-high in plus-minus rating at +38, took 1,075 faceoffs for the Bolts, and led all Lightning forwards in shorthanded ice time (186:51) on the third-best penalty kill in the league. This is his second consecutive season as a Selke finalist; he finished third last season behind Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart.
As for Nelson, it’s his first nomination, and he helped the Avalanche bring its goals-against total to just 197 goals, a reduction of 34 compared to the previous season. He logged 150:18 of shorthanded ice time, on the league’s best penalty killing unit with a 84.6% success rate. He took a team-leading total of 1,459 faceoffs and also led the Avalanche in faceoff wins with a 50.4% success rate.
All three candidates are deserving of the award, and it will be interesting to see who wins the Professional Hockey Writers Association’s poll. Suzuki is the third Canadiens player to be dominated for a Trophy this season after Cole Caufield for the Lady Bing and Ivan Demidov for the Calder.
The NHL draft lottery is complete, but unfortunately, luck was not on the Florida Panthers side.
The Panthers entered the event with the eighth-best odds of landing the first overall pick, but when the balls were drawn, it was the Toronto Maple Leafs who moved up from fifth to first, and the San Jose Sharks who moved up from ninth to second, leapfrogging the Panthers.
Because of this, when June 26 rolls around, the Panthers will make the ninth overall selection.
Although moving up would have been great for the Panthers, there are still plenty of great options for them at No. 9 who play various positions.
To start, if the Panthers are hoping to improve their center depth in their prospect pool, they could look to add Swedish center Viggo Bjorck or Canadian center Tynan Lawrence.
Bjorck is an ultra-skilled, excellent skating center with two-way capabilities. At every level, Bjorck has posted phenomenal statistics. In 2024-25, Bjorck recorded the highest points per game in the U-20 Swedish league, posting a 1.76 ppg, with second-place William Nylander at 1.59.
Furthermore, Bjorck was a dominant figure at the world juniors, winning gold with Sweden while scoring three goals and nine points in seven games. But maybe most importantly, the 18-year-old played 42 games in the SHL this season, scoring an impressive six goals and 15 points.
The only knock on Bjorck is his size. Listed at 5-foot-9, Bjorck is on the smaller side, but his skill and grit make up for those issues. Bjorck is vying for a spot on Sweden’s World Championship roster, and if he makes the team, it can be another event to prove that his size is no issue.
As for Lawrence, he started the season in the USHL while dealing with an injury. After looking too talented for the USHL in 13 games, he moved to the NCAA at Boston University, where it wasn’t smooth sailing.
Lawrence’s strong U-18s campaign has put some worries about his game to rest, but he still has lots to prove, as he was once projected to be a top-five pick.
A quiet contender, thanks to the Panthers’ success drafting Finnish centermen, is Oliver Suvanto, a 6-foot-3 two-way force.
The Panthers could also look to draft a defenseman, as this draft boasts plenty of possible No. 1 defenders.
The names expected to go in the top 10 are Keaton Verhoeff, Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Alberts Smits, and Daxon Rudolph, but at the moment, many scouts and draft experts are unsure of what order to place them in.
Some like the high-end offensive game Reid brings, while others favor Verhoeff’s size and two-way versatility. Some believe Smits is the most NHL-ready with high physical upside, and some see the skating and comparables to Carels’ game and are very intrigued.
But Rudolph seems like the wild card. Rudolph was the first overall pick in the 2023 WHL draft and has posted eye-catching numbers since. He finished his second WHL season with 28 goals and 78 points in 68 games, and has followed that up with a playoff campaign of nine goals and 23 points in 15 games, leading the league in playoff points.
Because of the uncertainty around Rudolph, he could be the defender who drops to the Panthers. In addition to the aforementioned names, Ryan Lin and Malte Gustafsson are defenders who could receive some consideration at pick No. 9.
Finally, there is an abundance of wingers for the Panthers to choose from if they opt for the best available. Oscar Hemming, J.P. Hurlbert, Ethan Belchetz, Adam Novotny, and Elton Hermansson could all be available when the Panthers make their selection.
With just under two months until the draft, the Panthers will devote significant time and research to finding the best fit for their organization.
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When general manager Bill Armstrong realized adding pieces here and there wasn’t working for the Arizona Coyotes, he blew up most of the roster.
Armstrong kept the core young players to serve as the foundation for the future and amassed a stockpile of draft picks, hoping to rebuild a franchise that had been mired in mediocrity.
The incremental climb continued after the franchise moved to Utah, landing a big step with the Mammoth’s playoff berth this season.
A six-game loss to Vegas in the first round was not the ending the Mammoth wanted. They hope it’s just the beginning of something bigger.
“There’s a fine line in our sport between winning and losing,” Armstrong said. “For the growth of our team, we have to suffer a little bit of pain, learn to walk that line a little bit better. If we can do that in the big moments moving forward with this group, we’re going to have a chance of making a run as far as we can to the Stanley Cup. That’s the goal of this organization.”
The goal had been to reach the postseason. The Coyotes did it once since 2012, in the 2020 NHL bubble.
The Mammoth reached that goal in their first season since moving to Utah, using a five-game winning streak to clinch in early April.
Utah took away Vegas’ home-ice advantage with a win in Game 2 and took the next one in their first home playoff game to take a 2-1 series lead. The Mammoth couldn’t sustain it, losing in overtime and double overtime before the Golden Knights clinched the series with a 5-1 win.
The disappointment lingered over the weekend as they lamented what could have been, but turned to pride as they reflected on what they had done. It also hardened their resolve to not only do it again, but go on deeper runs in the future.
“We had objectives and hit all of them — sometimes a little tighter than we would have wished — but we hit them all,” Mammoth coach André Tourigny said. “We were able to have the consistency we have been looking for a few years, in a sense. That was important for us.”
The Mammoth have the pieces to keep it going.
Clayton Keller is part of the core from Arizona and has scored at least 76 points in four straight seasons. Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther have transformed from up-and-comers to dynamic players. Crafty Nick Schmaltz is coming off his career-best season, as is goalie Karel Vejmelka. Forward Lawson Crouse has been a veteran presence on and off the ice since the Arizona days.
The franchise also has made key additions in recent years: forward JJ Peterka, defensemen Mikhail Sergachev, John Marino, Nate Schmidt and MacKenzie Weegar. Veteran forward Kailer Yamamoto also finished the season strong after dealing with injuries.
“Looking at the guys we can add and some of the tweaks we can possibly make — maybe it’s a guy from the minor leagues, maybe it’s a prospect — it’s a good spot to be in,” Armstrong said. “You’re not reinventing the board — the board’s there.”
And more pieces could be on the way.
The store of draft picks Armstrong collected have turned into a loaded prospect pipeline.
The Mammoth used their first draft pick — sixth overall — on forward Tij Iginla, the son of NHL hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla who had 41 goals and 49 assists in the WHL this season. Center Caleb Desnoyers was Utah’s top pick last year — fourth overall — and also thrived in the minors with 33 goals and 55 assists in the OHL.
It doesn’t stop there; Utah has seven first-round draft picks in their system and Armstrong is willing to give them a shot to prove they can play in the NHL.
“We want to encourage our prospects to try to come in and make our club,” he said. “You don’t ever want to take a dream away from a prospect and you don’t know. Sometimes they can show up and earn their way in. We want our prospects who are probably watching this press conference to know: Come up, come be fighting for a job. There’s opportunity there.”
The Mammoth rebuild hit one big goal. Now they want to reach higher.
After being muzzled at even strength by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, the Montreal Canadiens’ first line will have to return to its very productive nature if the Habs are to beat the Buffalo Sabres. While the Habs’ scoring depth delivered in the last series, it would be unreasonable to expect that kind of production to be sustainable.
The good news for the Tricolore is that, historically, all three players have done well against Buffalo. Nick Suzuki has 26 points in 21 career games against the Sabres, Cole Caufield has 16 points in 18 games, and Juraj Slafkovsky has nine points in 13 games. In the regular season, the captain had 101 points, Caufield had 51 goals and 88 points, and Slafkovsky had 30 goals and 73 points.
While the Bolts’ game plan was largely focused on preventing the Canadiens’ top unit from scoring and putting their defensive forwards to good use, the Sabres should have a different game plan. Just like the Habs, the Sabres are a young group with plenty of speed and play an offensive brand of hockey. In the regular season, Buffalo scored 283 goals, four more than the Canadiens.
There should be more time and space on the ice for the Canadiens’ top line to play their usual kind of hockey, to pass the puck and make plays. Against Tampa, as soon as they were in possession, the Lightning’s forward group were on them, pressing them, which led to rushed passes and lost possession. Of course, the Sabres will have done their pre-scout on the Canadiens and seen how the Lightning countered the Habs’ top line, but they don’t have the right personnel to use that strategy.
Furthermore, Lindy Ruff is much more of a traditional coach than Jon Cooper, and he doesn’t juggle his lines and change them on the fly. While Martin St-Louis showed that he was able to coach that kind of game in the first round, chances are he won’t have to resort to that in this matchup and will be back in his comfort zone.
The top line shouldn’t be the only one to benefit from the Sabres’ style; Ivan Demidov, who only got a power play assist in the first round, should also be much more visible in this second round. He should be able to skate with the puck, to make plays, and dazzle as he has in the regular season, which made him a finalist for the Calder Trophy.
The top guns were bailed out by the Canadiens' depth scoring in the first round, and it's time for them to return the favour.
The Anaheim Ducks take on the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of their second-round NHL playoff series. The Golden Knights won Game 1 3-1. Vegas is favored by 1.5 goals in Game 2. The over/under for the game is set at 6.5 goals.
How to watch Anaheim Ducks vs. Vegas Golden Knights
Barstool Sports founder, and well-known high-roller, Dave Portnoy dropped a $100,000 wager on the Las Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup.
Portnoy revealed his six-figure wager, placed at DraftKings Sportsbook, in a post shared to his X account on Sunday.
Key Takeaways
The Golden Knights already took Game 1 in their second-round series.
Odds now give the Knights a 15.4% implied chance to win the Stanley Cup.
Portnoy has recently won and lost five- and six-figure bets in multiple sports
Portnoy’s ostentatious wager supported a Golden Knights team that was third in odds to win the Stanley Cup at DraftKings.
His $100,000 ticket, placed at +650 odds, would pay $750,000 if the Golden Knights win their franchise’s second NHL championship and first since the 2022-23 season.
“Davey Pucks Activated,” Portnoy succinctly wrote in a post sharing his bet.
The Knights showed support for Portnoy under an original post confirming that center William Karlsson would return for Game 1 of the team’s second-round series against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night. Karlsson had missed six months of action after he suffered a lower-body injury against the same Ducks team in early November.
After Portnoy responded with the “eyes emoji” that reflected his interest in the news, the Golden Knights posted a picture of an “El Presidente” jersey.
Portnoy, whose X account is @stoolpresidente, goes by the “El Presidente” nickname that translates to “The President” of Barstool.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 5, 2026
Golden Knights close in on the leaders
The Golden Knights were only fourth in the Western Conference and 13th in the NHL in the regular-season standings. However, they find themselves on a four-game winning streak and with a 1-0 advantage in the second round.
Monday’s opening gambit saw the Golden Knights emerge with a 3-1 victory with goals from Mitch Marner, Ivan Barbashev and Brett Howden. The series will continue at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday evening.
The win kept the Golden Knights third in Stanley Cup odds, although they shortened to +550. They now have a 15.4% implied chance to win the championship, up from the 13.3% chance they had when Portnoy submitted his ticket.
Vegas is also -350 (77.8% chance) to win the ongoing series. They’d face the winner of the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild, in which the Avalanche hold a 2-0 lead and is a -900 series favorite.
The Avalanche are also the favorite to win the Stanley Cup at +155 (39.2% chance). The Carolina Hurricanes, who are up 2-0 over the Philadelphia Flyers, are close behind at +180 (35.7% chance).
Portnoy’s big wins… and big losses
Portnoy is no stranger to large risks and massive payouts. He recently won $2.8 million from a $600,000 wager when UConn won the 2024 NCAA Tournament. He alsotook home $1.7 million from a $300,000 wager on Scottie Scheffler to win the 2024 Masters.
That said, he also had his share of losses. He recently missed out on $1.8 million after betting $50,000 on the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl and $1.4 million from a $200,000 bet on the Philadelphia Phillies to win the World Series.
The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres open their East second-round series in the NHL playoffs. The Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games in the first round. The Buffalo Sabres beat Montreal 4-2 in the first round. Buffalo is favored by 1.5 goals. The total is set at 5.5 goals.
How to watch Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres
As Mats Sundin enters surgery to remove the horseshoe up his you know what, Toronto Maple Leafs fans are already lining up to pre-order their Gavin McKenna jerseys for the upcoming season.
But are Leafs fans jumping the gun, or is McKenna to Toronto a done deal?
We look at the possibility of who will go No. 1 overall to the Maple Leafs, with the 2026 NHL Draft odds from Kalshi — one of our best prediction market apps — listing McKenna as the heavy favorite with an 88% probably.
2026 NHL Draft odds (No. 1 pick): Who will Maple Leafs take first overall?
Percentages courtesy of Kalshi
Being a Maple Leafs fan is truly something else. One day, they are talking about Auston Matthews' next team odds. Next, they are trying to figure out who will be picked No. 1 overall.
What the market is telling us
Unless something disastrous happens — like McKenna knocking out another dork at a bar — the Penn State product is heading to Toronto.
Ivar Stenberg has been mentioned next to McKenna for the majority of the season, but their prices at Kalshi (88¢ to 10¢) shows as of now, this isn't up for debate.
NHL draft No. 1 overall favorites
Gavin McKenna
The 18-year-old from Whitehorse has been turning heads for years, and his name has always been involved in No. 1 pick talks. While not a true "consensus" pick, like Bedard or McDavid, McKenna has done nothing on the ice to make anyone doubt his potential.
After dominating the WHL, McKenna made the jump to the NCAA to play with the Penn State Nittany Lions. He transitioned seamlessly — putting up 51 points in 36 games. He's also a pass-first winger who fits perfectly with Matthews almost immediately.
McKenna's ceiling is higher than anyone in the draft, but his marketability is what can truly make him the golden boy for Toronto. Fans are in love with him, and he's already shown more personality than robots like Bedard or McDavid ever did in their younger years.
This market could see movement as we approach the June draft, but for now, McKenna is in the driver's seat.
Ivar Stenberg
The Swedish prospect might not have as high a ceiling as McKenna, but there's no doubt scouts believe he's more NHL-ready. Stenberg already has a year of pro hockey under his belt and has proven he's a winner after taking home gold at the World Juniors.
His two-way play far exceeds that of McKenna at this stage of their career, and Toronto will have a clearer picture of what they can expect with Stenberg. That said, it comes down to whether the Leafs believe adding the Swede can increase their chances of winning now.
The drama with Matthews isn't going away any time soon, and who they choose will surely impact how they value AM34 going forward.
NHL Draft No. 1 overall pick prediction
Pick: Gavin McKenna (88¢, -735)
Looking at the overall landscape of the Leafs and the NHL as a whole (more on that in a moment), Gavin McKenna is the clear choice here.
The Maple Leafs never looked like they were "one player away" last season, and even with their projected $22 million in cap space, there are too many holes to plug to help this sinking ship.
And that's not even talking about the off-ice positives. At the end of the day, the NHL is a business, and Toronto knows it will sell more McKenna jerseys than it ever would Stenberg ones.
McKenna gives them a true "face of the franchise" if Matthews decides to dip, and there may or may not be some upcoming free agent out of Edmonton who may love the idea of playing with a fellow Canadian in a couple of years...
2026 NHL Mock Draft
NHL mock drafts are talked about year-round, but the Draft Lottery helps us paint a clearer picture of how things will go. This is how Daily Faceoff sees the Top 5 going, along with their odds of being picked in that spot, according to Kalshi.
Team
Player
Win Probability
1. Toronto Maple Leafs
Gavin McKenna
-735
88%
2. San Jose Sharks
Ivar Stenberg
-354
78%
3. Vancouver Canucks
Caleb Malhotra
+113
47%
4. Chicago Blackhawks
Chase Reid
+245
29%
5. New York Rangers
Keaton Verhoeff
+285
26%
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Toronto Maple Leafs
San Jose Sharks
Vancouver Canucks
Chicago Blackhawks
New York Rangers