PITTSBURH (AP) — Travis Sanheim scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period and the Philadelphia Flyers announced their return to the playoffs with a 3-2 win over Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.

Philadelphia pulled off a stunner in the opener when Sanheim split a pair of Penguins at the top of the zone, glided down the slot and then fired the puck by Stuart Skinner. Porter Martone, the Flyers’ 19-year-old rookie forward, provided some needed insurance when he beat Skinner on a wrist shot with 2:37 to play.

Game 2 is in Pittsburgh on Monday.

Jamie Drysdale also scored for the Flyers, who hardly appeared intimidated by an electric PPG Paints Arena crowd buzzing by Pittsburgh’s first playoff appearance since 2022. Dan Vladar stopped 14 shots to pick up the first postseason win of his six-year career.

Evgeni Malkin scored his 68th career playoff goal for Pittsburgh but the Penguins, the NHL’s third-highest scoring team during the regular season, had trouble sustaining pressure against the Flyers. Bryan Rust pounded home a rebound with 1:01 remaining to get Pittsburgh within a goal, but Vladar stoned Anthony Mantha in the final seconds as Philadelphia held on.

HURRICANES 2, SENATORS 0

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall scored and Frederik Andersen came through with a big third-period performance in net to help Carolina beat Ottawa to open their first-round playoff series.

Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour had gone with Andersen’s veteran experience as the starter over Brandon Bussi for this one, and it paid off for the Eastern Conference’s top seed.

Andersen finished with 22 saves, including back-to-back stops on a third-period power play that had Ottawa buzzing with quality chances. One of those was initially ruled a goal, only for a replay review to overturn the call in showing Andersen had gloved a loose puck as it bounced off his skate near the post.

By the end of the game, Andersen was holding up against Ottawa spending most of the last 2 1/2 minutes with a 6-on-4 advantage after pulling Linus Ullmark from the net with the Senators on the power play.

It was a physical game with hard hits and chippiness throughout, starting with captains Brady Tkachuk of Ottawa and Jordan Staal of Carolina locking up in an immediate fight on the opening faceoff and heading to the box just 3 seconds into the game.

Game 2 is Monday night in Raleigh.

The Hurricanes are in the playoffs for the eighth straight year, reaching the Eastern Conference Final in two of the past three years and thrice overall in this current run that began in 2019.

WILD 6, STARS 1

DALLAS (AP) — Matt Boldy had two goals with an assist, Joel Ericksson Ek scored two power-play goals and rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt stopped 27 shots in his postseason debut to help Minnesota beat Dallas in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series.

Kirill Kaprizov added a goal and two assists and Mats Zuccarello had three helpers for the Wild, who have lost nine consecutive playoff series since 2015. This was an impressive start in a long-expected matchup of Central Division rivals who finished behind Presidents’ Trophy winner Colorado.

Even though the Stars have made the West final each of the past three seasons, they are 1-7 in Game 1s at home during that span.

Game 2 is Monday night in Dallas.

Dallas allowed the first goal in 15 of its 18 playoff games last year, and gave up three power-play goals in a 5-4 win over the Wild just nine days earlier. The Stars trailed for good only 5 1/2 minutes into the series when Ericksson Ek scored on a pass from Boldy to make it 1-0. Ericksson Ek added another power-play goal past Jake Oettinger in the third.

Kaprizov and Boldy, the first Wild teammates with 40 goals in the same season, scored during a three-goal surge in the first 6 1/2 minutes of the second period for a 4-0 lead. Ryan Hartman scored in between, after having the primary assist on Kaprizov’s goal.

Pregame

The Penguins get both Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte back from injury, forcing Justin Brazeau out of the lineup. Stuart Skinner gets the call to get the first start.

How we're lining up for Game 1 👇 pic.twitter.com/uOXjPwSmU3

— x – Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 18, 2026

First period

The Flyers make the first mistake when Rasmus Ristolainen hits Elmer Soderblom way after a whistle stops play. Philadelphia to the penalty box 1:53 in. The first power play comes up empty, despite a few Egor Chinakhov shot attempts.

Kris Letang gets the Penguins into trouble hacking at a Flyer after getting hurried. Late in the power play Christian Dvorak barges into Skinner, kicks the puck and lands on the goalie. The puck goes in but the referees immediately wave off the goal as being no good. No goal.

You knew this series was gonna be physical 🍿

A potential #Flyers goal waved off as they bulldoze Stu ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Fk5hzCqL4N

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) April 19, 2026

More penalties come when Sidney Crosby pulls the helmet off Jamie Drysdale. Drysdale doesn’t leave the play immediately so he goes for what’s called interference, Crosby for roughing to bring on 4v4 play.

Intense period, no goals that count. Philadelphia takes a 9-5 edge in shots through 20 minutes.

Second period

Skinner stays sharp making a big stop on Trevor Zegras and then another on Noah Cates in the early going of the second.

Dewar gets hobbled by a hit from Tippett and is hunched over, leaving the game temporarily but didn’t miss a shift.

Tippett gets sprung for another breakaway and gets denied by Skinner. The shift continues as the Flyers isolate on the Sam Girard – Letang pair and the fourth line. Zegras gets the puck low to high for Drysdale who walks up to the circle and uses the traffic in front to sneak a low wrister past Skinner. 1-0 Flyers get the first goal 9:19 into the second period.

EAST SIDE STRIKES FIRST. #PHIvsPIT | #IgniteTheOrangepic.twitter.com/WtKs41kE2U

— x – Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 19, 2026

Looking for a response, the Pens step up their pressure a little and Crosby draws a penalty driving to the net and forcing Travis Sanheim to take him down. Pittsburgh is as disconnected as ever, the first group failed to get a zone entry without going offsides.

Back at 5v5, the Penguins get their best shift of the game and convert it to a goal. A long shift wears down the Flyers, who get trapped as Pittsburgh changes lines with the benches being near the offensive zone. Rickard Rakell shoots a puck that Dan Vladar kicks out, right to Evgeni Malkin. Malkin charges in and beats Vladar with a low shot. 1-1 game as the Pens get on the board.

EVGENI MALKIN 🗣️

IT'S LOUD IN PITTSBURGH RIGHT NOW! #StanleyCup

🇺🇸: @espn
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet & @TVASportspic.twitter.com/xP8NXFktyz

— NHL (@NHL) April 19, 2026

The Flyers are the next to the power play when Anthony Mantha gets busted for cross checking. The period ends while they’re on it.

Shots in the second are 7-5 Philadelphia. The Penguins aren’t playing very well, but they found a way to get an answer and somehow aren’t trailing after 40 minutes despite their poor play.

Third period

Philadelphia doesn’t score on their carryover power play and the Pens’ PK improves to 3/3 on the night.

The Pens look good at the start, Soderblom drove to the net and got a good shot away, momentum derailed when Mantha took his second offensive zone penalty of the game by high-sticking Porter Martone. The Flyers get some zone time but no goal.

The Flyers find that goal with 10:00 left. Sanheim dances around Soderblom then shoots back across his body to catch Skinner deep in the crease. 2-1 PHI.

Sanny Snipe Show in the Steel City. 🎯#PHIvsPIT | #IgniteTheOrangepic.twitter.com/wKP2bq9rC3

— x – Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 19, 2026

The Pens are pushing to try and find a tie goal and then the rookie Martone extends the lead. He did well to hold the puck and let Noel Acciari skate away from him, then pick the top corner on Skinner. 3-1 with only 2:37 to go.

MARTY PARTY HARD. #PHIvsPIT | #IgniteTheOrangepic.twitter.com/OFss5fPrej

— x – Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 19, 2026

Pittsburgh pulled the goalie to try and attack more. Away from the play Crosby and Sanheim start jousting with dueling cross-checks. Both get sent off on matching penalties. The Pens pull Skinner again to make it a 5v4 situation. Bryan Rust scores, finding a bounce off a Malkin shot attempt and then throwing it in past Vladar.

WE WANT MORE 🙌 pic.twitter.com/6QCEWMcRoC

— x – Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 19, 2026

But they run out of time. Mantha gets a chance going through the crease, Vladar keeps it out. The clock runs out.

Some thoughts

• It wasn’t a pretty start for the Penguins in the first period which set the tone for the game. The Flyers had them hemmed up a lot of times, stopping breakouts and using a lot of speed and pressure to turn the game into a tough battle. Philadelphia was great with their counter-attacks once they gained possession and very physical shown by a 16-8 edge in hits in the first period. It was about as close to a dream scenario they could dream up for a start for a road game, sans not being able to score on Skinner.
• The coaching chess moves are always an interesting wrinkle to track in a playoff series. Rick Tocchet was starting his checking line with Sean Couturier in the middle for the opening faceoff of the periods. The Penguins didn’t avoid the matchup at the beginning of the game, starting the Crosby line for the first. Then the Pens adjusted and started the second period with their Ben Kindel line (with the third defensive pair), freeing Crosby up for the second shift of the period away from Couturier.
• The Penguins were shockingly disconnected, their passes were all over the place, they were on their heels and unable to get much of anything going. What should have been a weakness, in goal, was actually the best part of the team. What was supposed to be the strength, like power play and their forwards, played very poorly.
• The Bob Grove stat of the day points out the Pens were in 2017 territory (which isn’t a compliment in this reference) by only generating 10 shots on goal through 40 minutes. The only two times they had that low of a shot output in franchise history both happened in the 2017 run.
• Blake Lizotte came back and the penalty kill that was leaky without him tightened right back up immediately with a perfect night tonight. The Flyers’ power play wasn’t very good in the regular season but it was a good night to have a good night while shorthanded since the Pens power play wasn’t performing well.
• In the end it was too little, too late for the Pens. They didn’t play particularly well, yet still had a last gasp chance to force OT. That’s a positive outlook, on the other side it’s concerning to come out and lay an egg at home for the playoff opener.

Well, the Pens have a lot to think about and adjust before heading into Game 2 on Monday after playing a very poor game to start the playoffs. They’re going to need to regroup and try again.

The San Jose Sharks missed the NHL playoffs but they have every reason to be optimistic about their future.

Their standout young phenom, center Macklin Celebrini, finished a stellar 2025-26 season where he broke a team record and indicated that he wants to be in San Jose in the long run.

During player exit interviews, a 19-year-old Celebrini told reporters that he wants to commit to the Sharks, following his sophomore season.

When asked if he'd welcome a contract extension over the summer, Celebrini responded, "Yeah, I'm open to it."

"I want to commit to this team and being here. I love it here," he said. "So I'm open to whatever happens."

Pittsburgh Penguins v. Philadelphia Flyers - Game 1 (PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Updated start time: 8:25 p.m. ET

---

Penguins' projected lines and pairings:

Forwards
Egor Chinakhov - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Tommy Novak - Rickard Rakell - Evgeni Malkin
Elmer Soderblom - Ben Kindel - Anthony Mantha
Connor Dewar - Blake Lizotte - Noel Acciari

Defensemen
Parker Wotherspoon - Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard - Kris Letang
Ryan Shea - Connor Clifton

Goaltenders
Stuart Skinner (starter)
Arturs Silovs (backup)

---

Flyers' projected lines and pairings:

Per Siobhan Nolan of THN - Philadelphia Flyers:

Forwards
Travis Konecny - Christian Dvorak - Porter Martone
Matvei Michkov - Noah Cates - Denver Barkey
Tyson Foerster - Trevor Zegras - Owen Tippett
Luke Glendening - Sean Couturier - Garnet Hathaway

Defensemen
Travis Sanheim - Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York - Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler - Emil Andrae

Goaltenders
Dan Vladar
Samuel Ersson

---

First period

Let's see if this thing starts at 8:25.

- Well, the puck DID drop at 8:25, and the Pittsburgh Steelers were here to give the "It's a Hockey Night in Pittsburgh" opener. Good stuff.

Also, it is very, very loud. Deafening. "Flyers suck" chants already ringing.

- Flyers have already hit the post once, and fisticuffs are already being thrown. Flyers to the box, as Ristolainen gets an early penalty for roughing. Penguins to the game's first power play.

- PP looks a bit disjointed early on. A few chances on shots from the point, and an Egor Chinakhov chance off the rush.

- Rakell throwing around the body quite a bit early on. Already two or three hits from him, and we're six minutes into this game. Lots of physicality in general.

- Letang goes to the box for tripping at 6:37. Still no score. Flyers to the power play after the TV timeout.

- Well, the Flyers appeared to have scored the first goal of the game on their power play, but it was waived off. Can't make a beeline straight into the goaltender, squeak the puck through, and expect not to get called. Usually, that is.

Other than blip, the Penguins' PK is back - just as Blake Lizotte is back. Great stuff from the PK unit. 

- Sidney Crosby rips of Jamie Drysdale's helmet. No call. Drysdale continues to play, which is... not allowed. 

And after the refs convene, Crosby is called for roughing. But, not sure why Drysdale isn't also penalized there for continuing to play without his lid, unless I'm missing something here. 

Well, never mind. Drysdale is called for interference at 11:16, along with Crosby's roughing. We'll play four-on-four for two minutes. 

- Just over seven minutes left in the first, and the Penguins are being outshot, 10-4. It doesn't necessarily feel that way (not entirely, anyway), but Philly has controlled the majority of even-strength play in this opening period. 

- Malkin, Chinakhov, and Mantha are out there for a straggled shift together. Generated a few chances. Around six minutes to play in the first. 

- Nice stick by Connor Clifton with 2:40 left to prevent a high-danger opportunity for Philly in the slot. Skinner (Stuuuuuu) makes a save shortly afterward on a perimeter shot. 

About a minute earlier, Soderblom created a chance for himself off the rush. He took a pass and gained the zone down the right side, and he did a little toe drag and put a pretty heavy shot on goal from the top of the right circle. I continue to be impressed by this guy's puck skills and the way he uses his reach. 

- END OF FIRST PERIOD - 

Score: 0-0  |  Shots: Pittsburgh 5, Philadelphia 10

---

Second period

- The Penguins just put up a stat on the video board that Pittsburgh is 12-1-3 in its last 16 games against the Flyers at PPG Paints Arena. That's a pretty glaring disparity. 

- Penguins have been far too sloppy in this one, and that trend continues into the second period. Skinner makes a breakaway save on Trevor Zegras a minute and 20 seconds into the middle frame, and a minute later, Evgeni Malkin whiffs on a pass at the right point and gives it away to Noah Cates, who turns it back for a chance against (another save by Skinner).

Nice job by Ryan Shea to get back on that play and put some pressure on Cates to shoot, essentially taking away the pass. 

- Pens registered their first shot on goal in the second with a few ticks under 14 minutes to go in the middle frame. Flyers have simply been the better hockey team up to this point. Penguins are passing up far too many opportunities to get pucks to the net.

- Skinner ANOTHER breakaway save, this time on Owen Tippett, with 11:38 to go in the second. The Penguins are really playing with fire here. Philly is catching their blueline cheating a bit. 

- GOAL (PHILADELPHIA): Jamie Drysdale (1), from Trevor Zegras and Denver Barkey. 1-0 Philadelphia over Pittsburgh (9:19).

- Flyers were bound to break through eventually. Drysdale just throws a puck to the net from the right circle, and it finds its way through traffic and past Skinner. 

- Sanheim goes for interference. Knocked Crosby down, and he slid into the post. He's okay, but teammates take exception. Rust, Clifton, and Chinakhov all getting mixed up. Penguins to the power play at 10:38. They trail, 1-0. 

- The Penguins have tried to enter the attacking zone three different times on this power play and have failed each time. Whistled down. They can't get anything generated. The man advantage is a mess so far tonight. 

- Nice stick play by Wotherspoon in the d-zone to break up an odd-man break, as Cates had Barkey breaking to the net. This was after an o-zone turnover by Chinakhov.

- GOAL (PITTSBURGH): Evgeni Malkin (1), from Tommy Novak and Rickard Rakell. 1-1 tie (15:51).

- What a pass by Novak there. The Penguins were getting some chances in tight on Vladar, and he puts a perfect no-look backhand pass from the goal line right on the tape of Malkin, who was waiting for it in the right circle. Beautiful play.

The Penguins needed that one. The building was being drained of life with the Flyers' lead and the way the home team had been playing up that point. This gave them some much-needed momentum. 

- An Anthony Mantha blast hits Soderblom in front, and he is being tended to by trainers on the Penguins' bench. Not sure where he got hit, but it looked like he was favoring one of his legs heading to the bench. 

- Mantha then goes to the box for cross-checking on the same shift. Flyers to the power play late in the second (18:48).

- Skinner has been outstandng in this one. He needs more support in the final frame. 

- END OF SECOND PERIOD - 

Score: 1-1  |  Shots: Pittsburgh 10, Philadelphia 16  |  Goals by Jamie Drysdale (PHI) and Evgeni Malkin (PIT)

---

Third period

- Penguins still had 45 seconds to kill off on the Mantha minor to begin the third. They not only kill it off, the PK earned a glorious shorthanded chance just before time expired. Connor Dewar almost tipped on in at the goal mouth.

This PK is literally just a different animal altogether with Lizotte in the picture.

- Soderblom has got some great hands. Used his frame to power his way to the net for a chance (16:55) there, too. Really like his game tonight.

- Anthony Mantha goes for high-sticking at 3:48. Flyers to the power play. Offensive zone penalty by Mantha there.  

- Lizotte with a pickpocket and a clear on the PK. There he is again. 

- A "F--- you, Philly" chant rings through the arena. The proud people of Pittsburgh are letting this team have it right now. 

- Another Malkin turnover at the offensive blue line. Breakaway for Denver Barkey. Skinner comes up big again, and Karlsson kind of pressures him, too. Way too careless with the puck right now.

- GOAL (PHILADELPHIA): Travis Sanheim (1), from Rasmus Ristolainen and Christian Dvorak (10:02). 2-1 Philadelphia over Pittsburgh.

- Sanheim puts one home from the slot. Nice move around a few guys on that one, too. Penguins really just haven't had it all night. 

- GOAL (PHILADELPHIA): Porter Martone (1), from Travis Konecny (17:23). 3-1 Philadelphia over Pittsburgh.

- Just a snipe by Martone. Nothing you can really do about that one. The Penguins have a tall mountain to climb in the last three and a half here if they're going to claw their way back into it.

- GOAL (PITTSBURGH): Bryan Rust - PPG (1), from Malkin and Karlsson (18:59). 3-2 Philadelphia over Pittsburgh.

- END GAME -

Philadelphia 3, Pittsburgh 2 (Philadelphia leads series, 1-0)

---

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The Buffalo Sabres practiced at KeyBank Center on Saturday in preparation for their first playoff series since 2011, and had nearly a full complement of players.  Sabres Buffalo goalie Alex Lyon took to the ice for the first time in over a week and according to head coach Lindy Ruff, he would be available for the start of the series against the Boston Bruins on Sunday night. 

Lyon suffered a lower-body injury at practice in New York prior to their win over the Rangers on April 8 and third-stringer Colten Ellis stepped in for two starts in the final week of the regular season. Ellis also suffered an unspecified injury at the end of the season, but Ruff indicated that both netminders were ready to go.

Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was in the home goal during the morning workout, giving a preliminary indication that the big Finn will be the Sabres starter in Game 1. 

Ostlund last played in the 4-3 overtime loss to the Bruins on March 25 and missed the final three weeks of the season with an upper-body injury, but Ruff was optimistic about the rookie’s chances of returning to the lineup in the near future. 

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"It's his first day back with us. We're going to get him involved in a little bit of physical contact and see where he's at. He has been skating. We've just been trying to get him to that next level (and) today was that next level," Ruff said.  "We'll see how he feels after taking faceoffs and being involved in practice and (he's) definitely a possibility, I don't know for game one, but he is right there knocking on the door now."

 Ruff also reacted to the comments of Bruins head coach Marco Sturm, that his club is bigger, stronger, and more physical and that Boston’s game plan is to go after the Sabres.  

"That's his take on his team. I have a lot of respect for what our team has done and how we play and the speed we play the game," Ruff said.  "They've got a good team. They know who they are, and we know who we are."

The Bruins have been a physical team all season, and will likely be targeting their forechecking on Buffalo’s key players: centers Tage Thompson, Josh Norris, and winger Alex Tuch up front, and Rasmus Dahlin and Bowen Byram on the back end. Boston will likely look to match up veteran Pavel Zacha and Elias Lindholm against the Sabres top two lines centered by Thompson and Norris, while relying on their heavy forecheck and hard-hitting blueliners Charlie McAvoy to lay the body on Buffalo forwards. The series may come down what playoff series always come down to; special teams and which goaltender will perform better under pressure. 

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Talk about the game with Pens fans here!

Big third period, strong defensive effort propel Flyers to Game 1 win over Penguins originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

PITTSBURGH — In a physical, chippy start to the playoffs Saturday night, the Flyers beat the Penguins, 3-2, at PPG Paints Arena.

Travis Sanheim scored the go-ahead goal at the halfway mark of the third period as the Flyers took Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round series with Pittsburgh. The Flyers’ defenseman made a skillful move to split two Penguins and fire home the puck from the slot.

Porter Martone provided important insurance with an absolute snipe. Bryan Rust made it interesting for Pittsburgh with a late goal. However, the Flyers held on, thanks to a key save by Dan Vladar.

Jamie Drysdale opened the scoring past the midway point of the game, but Evgeni Malkin struck later in the second period to make it 1-1.

Rick Tocchet’s club, though, played a strong defensive game and had a terrific third period.

The Flyers were playing their first playoff game since 2020 after snapping their five-year drought Monday night.

The Penguins are back in the postseason for the first time since 2022.

The scene before Game 1 of Flyers-Penguins first-round playoff series. pic.twitter.com/2eGVauk3Dq

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) April 19, 2026

• Vladar, who enjoyed a breakout regular season, carried the momentum into the playoffs.

The 28-year-old converted 15 saves on 17 shots.

On Malkin’s game-tying goal, the Flyers got stuck in the defensive zone. Vladar made an initial save, but the rebound sprung to Malkin, who fired away from the circle.

But Vladar was his reliable self and the Flyers didn’t give up many quality looks.

Pittsburgh netminder Stuart Skinner was solid, turning away a number of good chances by the Flyers. He had 17 saves on 20 shots.

Sanheim and Martone beat him on sharp shots.

Before that, Skinner stopped Denver Barkey in the third period after the rookie picked off a pass to go the other way.

A little before the halfway mark of the game, Skinner denied an Owen Tippett breakaway after Tyson Foerster made a great stretch pass. But the Flyers struck 58 seconds later when Drysdale scored his first career playoff goal.

• Rick Tocchet’s club really wants to keep this series at 5-on-5 as much as possible.

Since March 1, the Flyers were tied for the second-most power play goals allowed with 19. But in that span, they were the stingiest defensive team at 5-on-5, giving up a league-low 30 goals.

The Flyers didn’t give Pittsburgh much.

Meanwhile, the Flyers thought they had a power play goal and 1-0 lead in the first period when Christian Dvorak careened toward the net. He ended up barreling into Skinner slightly before the puck crossed the goal line. The officials waved it off immediately and stuck with the call after some consultation.

So, in a simpler way of putting it, the league credited Skinner with the save before Dvorak ran into him, which caused the puck to come loose.

The Flyers’ power play finished 0 for 3.

• At just 19 years old and three weeks since leaving college, Martone made his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut.

Think about this: Martone was just 2 years old when Sidney Crosby won his first of three Stanley Cup titles. Interestingly, Martone got the chance to see Crosby up close last offseason as teammates on Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

“You could say he’s kind of like your hockey idol when you’re a kid,” Martone said after morning skate. “Win Stanley Cups, captain of Team Canada, he’s kind of the face of the NHL, too. It’s someone who I’ve looked up to as a kid. You see what he has done for the game of hockey. He’s not just a great hockey player, but he’s an even better human, what he does in the community. So it’s going to be exciting to go against him this series.”

Martone played well in his first taste of the playoffs. He made some things happen and didn’t try to do too much. He also shrugged off a so-so start. His goal was a beauty and pretty much sealed the Flyers’ win.

• Led by Sean Couturier and Garnet Hathaway, the Flyers’ fourth line played with a style that’s needed this time of year.

Tocchet relied on that line to start the first and second periods. The veteran group finished its checks and was dependable all night.

• The series picks back up Monday with Game 2 at PPG Paints Arena (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

While Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson didn’t get off to the start he—or the team—had hoped for during the first two months of the 2025–26 campaign, he flipped a switch in December and became arguably the NHL’s top performer at his position.

From December through mid-January, Gibson posted a stellar 16–2 record, along with an impressive .929 save percentage and multiple shutouts.

Unfortunately, he and the Red Wings didn't attain a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs owing to several setbacks in March and April that doomed their chances. 

However, Gibson demonstrated that he's capable of being one of the best goaltenders in the NHL.

"I thought it was good," Gibson said on Friday of his adjustment to Detroit from Anaheim. "Obviously, it was a slow start for me personally, but after that, I got back to my game and did what I do."

"I mean, I try and keep it simple and stop the puck and give the team a chance to win," he continued. "I felt like I was able to do that in the second half of the year."

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While the Red Wings unraveled in March and early April, there was considerable discussion about whether outside noise was affecting their on-ice performance. Unfortunately for Detroit, this marked the third consecutive season in which they squandered a comfortable playoff cushion and ultimately fell out of the race.

However, Gibson believes that in a hockey-crazed market like Detroit, it's just part of the job. 

"I mean, it's part of the job," he said. "No matter where you play, you're going to hear the outside noise, and in a big market like this that is dying to get back to the playoffs, it's kind of expected. So, you just have to play. We put ourselves in this spot, and there's really nobody to blame or be mad at other than ourselves."

"It's a learning lesson, and hopefully we'll use it next year as motivation."

Gibson struggled out of the gate with Detroit, getting pulled in his first start on Oct. 9 against the Montreal Canadiens and posting a 5-7-1 record with a 3.59 goals-against average over his first 13 appearances. 

But thanks to his hot stretch in December and January, he put himself into conversation for the Vezina Trophy, which goes annually to the NHL's best goaltender. 

I think, for whatever reason, it took a little longer to find my game this year," Gibson said. "(I want to) make sure next year to put more emphasis on getting off to a hot start. I've taken pride in that throughout my career, wanting to get off to a good start."

"Unfortunately, it wasn't the case this year, so I'll try to make sure it's different next year." 

Gibson has one season remaining on his contract, which carries a $6.4 million cap hit. 

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Frederik Andersen made 22 saves as the Carolina Hurricanes opened the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 2–0 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Logan Stankoven, who was under the weather the last few days, was obviously feeling much better on Saturday afternoon, leading the way with a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes.

The game started with some early excitement, as for the third time in less than a month, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk squared off in a fight before the opening faceoff against the opposing captain.

After brawling with Anders Lee in a pair of games against the Islanders down the stretch, Tkachuk and Jordan Staal went at it to try and set the tone.

After a tight, defensive struggle in a scoreless first period, Stankoven opened the scoring on what seemed like a harmless shot from the slot that was partially blocked by the stick of Shane Pinto. The deflection slowly dribbled through Linus Ullmark’s legs for the game’s opening goal.

The Senators appeared to tie the game when Andersen made a glove save, and it looked like his trapper may have gone into his own net with the puck. However, replays showed that was not the case.

Carolina got another break on their second goal, credited to Taylor Hall. A shot from the point deflected over top of Ullmark, landing near his skate while he was on his knees, and Hall jammed in the loose puck to make it 2–0.

The Senators caught a break with about 2:30 left in the game. With their goalie pulled, Jalen Chatfield was called for delay of game after sending the puck over the glass, setting up a 6 on 4. The Sens unleashed plenty of shots, but Carolina's D held strong to preserve the win.

"We had a couple of close ones that almost went in and Ully played great," Sens winger Drake Batherson said. "Obviously, anytime you give a team two 5-on-3's you've got to make some saves. Yeah, I just thought we didn't get any breaks, but I thought we played pretty well."

Both teams played well defensively and shorthanded, combining to go 9-0 on the penalty kill.

"I didn't mind our game," head coach Travis Green said. "Pretty tight-checking game. Not a lot of space really for either team. Probably if you look at the numbers, I haven't seen them yet, but they probably deserved to win analytically, and they did."

The style of game and the tight checking was no surprise to Canes coach Rod Brind'Amour.

"Everybody out there was giving it all they had," Brind'Amour said. "And that was what you saw. You explained it perfectly. I mean, there was not a lot of room and everybody was fighting for everything."

Meanwhile, there seems to be no end to the injury troubles on Ottawa's blue line. After a big hit on Seth Jarvis, Artem Zub left the game and did not return. Prior to that, Dennis Gilbert suffered what appeared to be a left shoulder injury after a hit from behind but gutted it out and stayed in the game.

So Carolina leads the best-of-seven 1-0, with Game 2 is Monday night in Raleigh.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:  

The Farm System Everyone Doubted Helped Save The Senators Season
Rick Bowness Clarifies That Only Some Of His Players "Don't Care"
Rod Brind'Amour Describes Senators As 'A Huge Challenge' In Round One
Through All The Noise, The Playoff-Bound Senators Held Their Ground
Brady Tkachuk Describes Brief Vision Loss During Game As 'Weird And Scary'

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Brianne Jenner had a goal and two assists and Jocelyne Larocque had goal and an assist to lead the Ottawa Charge past the New York Sirens 5-1 on Saturday.

Ronja Savolainen, Peyton Hemp and Rebecca Leslie also scored and Gwyneth Phillips stopped 23 shots for the Charge (8-7-1-12). They took a five-point lead on the Sirens and Toronto Sceptres for the fourth and final playoff spot with two games remaining.

Paetyn Levis scored for the Sirens (9-2-3-1) and Kayle Osborne made 24 saves.

New York, which is 0-0-1-7 in its last eight road games, opened the scoring with a power-play goal midway through the first period when Levis took a pass in the slot and beat Philips on the stick side.

With 61 seconds remaining in the period, Jenner attempted to find Leslie in front, but the puck was redirected and went in off Leslie’s shoulder. The play underwent a lengthy review before the call was upheld.

The Charge took the lead at 7:54 of the second period.

Larocque blocked a shot to spark a short-handed rush as Jenner picked up the puck and broke in on Osborne. She gave up a big rebound that Larocque buried for her first of the season.

Just over six minutes later, Hemp won a race for the puck and knocked it free. That allowed Alexa Vasko to take possession and she sent it back to Hemp, who gave the Charge a 3-1 lead.

Ottawa scored a pair of goals in the third to put the game out of reach.

Savolainen scored from just inside the blue line through traffic. Larocque had a shot ring off the crossbar and Jenner buried the rebound.

Up next

Charge: Ottawa visits Boston on Wednesday.

Sirens: New York plays Toronto on Tuesday.

___

AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

The Los Angeles Kings are in for a tall task as they're set to face the Presidents Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If the Kings want any chance to knock out the Avalanche, they will need every single player in their lineup to play the best hockey of their careers.

Obviously the star players like Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe will lead the way, the team needs solid production from depth players such as Trevor Moore and Joel Armia.

Drew Doughty will likely lead the Kings defensemen in ice-time but a player like Mikey Anderson must be ready for the task of shutting down Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas. 

Trevor Moore, LW

If the Kings are going to stay competitive in this series, they need depth scoring more than just about anything. Trevor Moore seems like the perfect player to provide a clutch goal or two throughout a series. 

Last postseason, the 31-year-old proved he has what it takes as he scored two goals, along with two assists for four points in the Kings six-game series against the Edmonton Oilers. 

This season, Moore scored 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points in 69 games played.

Three Los Angeles Kings X-Factors For The Stanley Cup PlayoffsGoing up against a tough team like the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Los Angeles Kings will need these three players to be X-factors in hopes of getting by the Presidents' Trophy winners

Mikey Anderson, D

Mikey Anderson might be the most underrated player on the Kings roster. The 26-year-old consistently plays over 20 minutes every night while playing alongside Drew Doughty on the Kings top pair.

In his seven-year career, the 26-year-old has never finished a season with a +/- rating over lower than zero. This season, he managed to finish with a +8 rating while playing on a team that has a hard time scoring, as well as facing the opponents top lines night in and night out.

However, his postseason numbers have not been as compelling. in 24 career postseason games Anderson is a -14. It should be taken into consideration that every game he's played in late spring has been against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.

The Kings need Anderson to build off of his past playoff woes in order to shutdown the high flying Avalanche.

Joel Armia, RW

Joel Armia's first season as a Los Angeles Kings should be described as a success. He has provided exactly what he was brought in to do. Score 10+ goals and 25+ points while bringing a solid two-way play style to the lineup. In 67 games, the 32-year-old scored 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points.

While Armia has shown he's a terrific third line winger, he has also proved that he can step up when it matters most. In the 2026 Olympics in February, Armia was arguably Team Finland's best player. In six games in Italy, the Finnish veteran scored three goals and five assists for eight points, while also having a +7 rating.

The winger also brings crucial playoff experience, having played in 49 career postseason games prior to this series. 21 of those 49 games came when Armia and the Montreal Canadiens made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.

Armia and his experience in big moments should prove to be crucial if the Kings are to have any success against the Avalanche.

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DALLAS (AP) — Key defensemen Miro Heiskanen and Quinn Hughes were active for Game 1 of the Western Conference playoff series between the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild on Saturday after both had missed the end of the regular season for different reasons.

Heiskanen didn't play the last three regular-season games for the Stars because of a lower-body injury in a 5-4 win over Minnesota on April 9.

Hughes, acquired by the Wild from Vancouver in December, missed their last two games dealing with an illness since playing a week ago at Nashville. He didn't travel with the team to Dallas on Thursday, and instead flew on his own Friday.

Heiskanen missed 42 games over 3 1/2 months last season, and he didn't get into those playoffs until Game 4 of the Stars' second-round series against Winnipeg.

Dallas coach Glen Gulutzan said before Saturday's game that some extra days of rest helped Heiskanen, who skated on his own Thursday before practicing Friday. The coach said the defenseman with 63 points (nine goals, 54 assists) would be a full-go for however many minutes.

“It's the time of year he can go,” Gulutzan said.

Hughes, who has 76 points (seven goals, 69 assists) in 74 games overall, also plays a big role for Minnesota.

“I just expect him to come in and do what he does,” Wild coach John Hynes said.

___

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

As the Vegas Golden Knights prepare to kick off the Stanley Cup Playoffs, a dangerous opponent awaits them: the Utah Mammoth.

The Golden Knights have the edge in certain areas, but this won’t be an easy matchup. The Mammoth are fast, young, and potent offensively. If the Golden Knights want to avoid a first-round exit, they’ll have to be cautious of these three challenges.

Power Play

The Mammoth struggled on the man advantage to begin the season. At the Olympic Break, their power play ranked 31st in the league, ahead of only the Colorado Avalanche. Since returning from break, however, they boast the 3rd-ranked power play in the league with a 30.0% success rate.

All five players on the top unit— Nick Schmaltz, Logan Cooley, Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther, and Mikhail Sergachev— are dangerous in their own right. Schmaltz and Guenther are the main trigger men with 11 and nine power play goals, respectively. Keller is an elite playmaker, with 27 of his 62 assists coming on the man advantage. And Sergachev recorded 26 of his 49 assists on the power play.

Dylan Guenther

On a team rich with talent, no one is better than Dylan Guenther at putting the puck in the back of the net. He’s the best scorer in this series, and it’s not particularly close. With 40 goals and 73 points in 79 games this season, Guenther has proved to be equally talented as a puck distributor as he is as a shooter.

Guenther can score from anywhere on the ice— he can rip it from distance or bang in a rebound. He’s especially dangerous on the power play, where he scored nine goals and recorded 24 points.

There’s no reason to believe that Guenther’s success is unsustainable— he’s shooting 16.5%, but that’s not terribly higher than his normal shooting percentage. The Golden Knights will need to be very conscious of when and where the young sniper is on the ice. 

Depth Scoring

Dylan Guenther is far from the only dangerous player on this Mammoth roster. They, like the Golden Knights, have ten players on their roster with at least 10 goals. Their forwards are fast and skilled, and their defensemen are all capable puck movers.

The Mammoth have a dangerous top line with 83 goals between the three forwards. Apart from the obvious threat of Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz is particularly dangerous this season, with a career-high 33 goals. But they’ve also spread the wealth around, with 77 goals on their second line. Logan Cooley scored 24 goals in 54 games this season. And with 48 goals and one JJ Peterka on the third line, the Mammoth have no weak links offensively.

The Golden Knights certainly have their fair share of depth scoring, as well. But Tomáš Hertl, who is the fourth-highest goalscorer on the team, hasn’t scored since March 4th. He has just one goal and six assists in his last 23 games. And on their top line, despite ending the season on a high note, Jack Eichel is still less than two weeks removed from a 13-game stretch where he scored just once. 

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Juraj Slafkovsky enjoyed a massive breakout season with Montreal, blowing past previous highs while producing 73 points over 82 games.

He enjoyed a lot of success against Tampa Bay, and my Canadiens vs. Lightning predictions expect that to continue in the series opener.

Let’s dive into my NHL picks for Sunday, April 19.

Canadiens vs Lightning Game 1 prediction

Who will win Canadiens vs Lightning Game 1?

Lightning: Despite dealing with a ton of injuries all season long, they still won 50 games and finished 32 goals above Montreal in goal differential. They have a better underlying profile, a battle-tested roster, and an advantage in goal. That should shine through.

Canadiens vs Lightning best bet: Juraj Slafkovsky Over 0.5 points (-145)

Juraj Slafkovsky had an excellent campaign altogether but was especially effective down the stretch, producing 28 points over 25 games following the Olympics.

It wasn’t as if Slafkovsky had a couple of ceiling performances exaggerate his numbers. He was remarkably consistent, hitting the scoresheet at least once in 18 games — good for a 74% clip.

Slafkovsky faced the Tampa Bay Lightning twice during that stretch and produced multiple points in both meetings. That is nothing new for Slafkovsky, who has points in five of his last six against the Bolts.

Look for Slafkovsky to make an impact in Game 1.

Canadiens vs Lightning Game 1 same-game parlay

Mike Matheson blocked multiple shots in 60% of his games this season, including the only game played without Noah Dobson. The Montreal Canadiens are likely to be even more reliant on the veteran defenseman with Dobson sidelined.

More usage means more opportunities to block shots, especially against a strong shot-generation team like Tampa Bay.

Jake Guentzel has 43 goals and 73 points through 74 games, always rising to the occasion when the games matter most. He also has points in eight of his last 10 against Montreal, making him a prime target in this matchup.

Canadiens vs Lightning SGP

• Juraj Slafkovsky Over 0.5 points
• Mike Matheson Over 1.5 blocked shots
• Jake Guentzel Over 0.5 points

Canadiens vs Lightning Game 1 goal scorer pick

Nikita Kucherov (+130)

Nikita Kucherov hasn’t scored in back-to-back playoff series, but a steady dose of Aleksander Barkov and Gustav Forsling certainly had a lot to do with it.

The Canadiens don’t have true shutdown personnel — particularly on the backend — of that level, and head coach Jon Cooper also controls the matchups. That should result in less time against Selke candidate Nick Suzuki, which would help Kucherov’s cause.

Look for Kucherov to put his recent postseason struggles behind him.

Canadiens vs Lightning odds for Game 1

• Moneyline: Montreal +155 | Tampa Bay -180
• Puck line: Montreal +1.5 (-155) | Tampa Bay -1.5 (+135)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+115) | Under 6.5 (-135)
  

Canadiens vs Lightning trend

Juraj Slafkovsky has produced nine points over his last six games against Tampa Bay. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Lightning.

How to watch Canadiens vs Lightning Game 1

Canadiens vs Lightning latest injuries

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The most aggressive postseason in sports started with a bang between the No. 1 seed Carolina Hurricanes and second wild card Ottawa Senators, when Jordan Staal and Brady Tkachuk dropped the gloves off the opening faceoff.

The Stanley Cup playoffs had barely begun when Staal and Tkachuk went at it, much to the delight of the crowd at the Lenovo Center. While Tkachuk threw some early punches during the brief bout, it was Staal who dragged Tkachuk to the ice.

Both players were assessed major penalties for fighting, leaving the teams without their respective captains to open the postseason just three seconds in.

REQUIRED READING: NHL playoff overtime rules: Postseason hockey bracket changes OT format

A FIGHT TO START THE PLAYOFFS‼️

Brady Tkachuk and Jordan Staal immediately dropped the gloves 😳 pic.twitter.com/LBokHjzq6B

— ESPN (@espn) April 18, 2026

The two would also get roughing minors with nine seconds left in the game.

The Hurricanes scored the opening goal of the game, when Logan Stankoven was able to squib a goal five-hole to give Carolina a 1-0 lead.

That line scored again in the third period when Stankoven drew an assist on Taylor Hall's goal.

The Hurricanes won 2-0 and took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series as Frederik Andersen stopped 20 saves.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tkachuk, Staal fight after opening faceoff of Hurricanes vs Senators