Category: NHL

The Philadelphia Flyers kick off their first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night. The Flyers will be aiming to secure a victory in Game 1. 

The Flyers are entering the playoffs hot, as they won five out of their last six regular-season games. Flyers top prospect Porter Martone was certainly a reason behind this, as he was excellent for the Metropolitan Division after signing his entry-level deal. 

In nine career NHL games for the Flyers, Martone had four goals, six assists, 10 points, and 16 hits. This included him ending the regular-season on a six-game point streak, where he scored all four of his goals and recorded five assists. 

With how well Martone kicked off his NHL career this regular-season, it is hard not to feel optimistic about him heading into the playoffs. His hard-nosed style of play should make him a great fit for playoff hockey, and he should give the Flyers a major boost during the postseason because of it.

If Martone can continue to provide strong offense and physicality during the playoffs, it would be huge for a Flyers team that is looking to go on a run as big underdogs. Let's see how the Flyers' top prospect performs from here. 

The one thing that people can be proud of is that the Columbus Blue Jackets always put fans in the stands. We can argue about whether or not they deserve it, but that's an argument for another day. 

Let's take a look at the attendance numbers for this past season. 

Total Nationwide Arena Capacity: 18,500 - 14th highest in the NHL. 

Total Fans For Season: 691,996 total fans came out to games - 24th in the NHL.

Average Attendance: 16,878 - 26th in the NHL.

Capacity % - 91.2% - 30th in the NHL

Sellouts - 16 - Most since the 2003-04 season (16). 

Home Record - 20-13-8

Per NHL PR, the National Hockey League set a total attendance record for the 4th straight year, with a total of 23,158,522 fans passing through NHL doors. NHL teams played in front of an average of 17,651 fans, which comes out to 97.5% capacity. 

Despite the CBJ not making the playoffs for the 6th straight year, attendance remains strong. Some fans see that as a bad thing and would like attendance to drop to get the owner's attention, whiles most choose to support the team no matter what.

No matter where you sit on the issue, there is no right or wrong answer. Support the team how you'd like, but more fans in seats means more money to spend on free agents and young future stars like Adam Fantilli, Denton Mateychuk, and Jet Greaves.

The fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets are loyal, loud, and love showing up at Nationwide Arena to watch their team play NHL Hockey.  

With the excitement of the CBJ re-signing Head Coach Rick Bowness to a one-year contract, many fans said they'd come out to support the team next year, even after the epic collapse that cost them the playoffs. It's hard to imagine fans being excited about a head coach, but here we are. 

Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft Lottery on May 5, 2025, where the CBJ will most likely pick 14 or 15. 

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As they head into their first appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2020, it is becoming clear that the Philadelphia Flyers still don't have many believers out there.

Some of the skepticism is, of course, understandable. Veterans like Christian Dvorak, Noah Cates, and Dan Vladar all enjoyed career years, and the Flyers don't yet have a superstar in their ranks like many other contenders do.

That's exactly why national pundits--namely ESPN--have the Flyers on the outs before the puck is even dropped for Game 1 of the series with the Penguins.

In their recent preview, x-factor, and bold prediction story, ESPN's bold prediction is that the Flyers are swept by the Penguins. Here's the rationale:

"Vladar's lack of past playoff reps is exposed early, and the Flyers can't counteract with enough goal support. Coach Rick Tocchet does his best to shuffle the deck and keep Philadelphia alive, but it gets swept in the opening round," they wrote.

Flyers Coach Rick Tocchet Has Rave Reviews for Porter MartoneAfter a short adjustment period, Porter Martone was one of the best players for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> during their playoff push, and head coach Rick Tocchet quickly took notice.

They were careful to note in the leadup, too, that Trevor Zegras, the team's No. 2 scorer with 67 points in 81 games this season, has never played in an NHL playoff game himself.

That is what makes the upcoming experience with the battle-hardened Penguins so valuable, even though the sentiment amongst the Flyers themselves is that they have been playing playoff hockey since the Olympic break.

There is some truth to that, as the Flyers were eight points back of the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division with two games in hand back on Feb. 22.

As for the Penguins, they were still second in the division at that time and never relented, whereas the Flyers had to scratch and claw for it after a dismal winter stretch.

Flyers' Travis Sanheim Deserves Credit for This Insane StatThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> made the Stanley Cup playoffs largely through hard work and discipline, and one veteran leader took the discipline part literally.

ESPN's prediction of the Flyers getting swept is interesting, if nothing else, due to the rivalry behind the series. It seems a near-impossible outcome, especially with the two sides finishing the regular season with very similar records.

The Flyers will get their first crack at proving the ESPN crew wrong when they face the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh at 8 p.m. on Saturday night.

The CHL is currently unveiling its list of the top 50 players of the last 50 years, and one former Montreal Canadiens captain has made it to 36th place on the countdown: Shea Weber. In three complete seasons with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL, the hulking defenseman won two league championships and one Memorial Cup. In his last two seasons, he was named to both the WHL and the CHL All-Star Teams and ended his junior career by winning the 2005 playoffs MVP title, thanks to his nine goals from the blueline.

A second-round draft pick of the Nashville Predators at the 2003 draft, the 49th overall pick spent 11 seasons with the Tennessee outfit before being traded to the Canadiens in the much-talked-about trade for fellow blueliner P.K. Subban. The polarizing deal didn’t please everyone, but Weber eventually won most fans over with his physical play and booming shot.

As soon as captain Max Pacioretty was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Habs’ brass gave Weber the C. Even though he only spent five seasons with the Canadiens, three of which as a captain, Weber was a game-changer in the Habs’ culture. A true professional, he was a fantastic example for the next generation of Habs players like Nick Suzuki.

The Canadiens made the playoffs in three of his five years with the Canadiens, reaching the Stanley Cup final in his final season, bowing out in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning. That 2020-2021 Canadiens team didn’t really belong in the Cup final, but it was a tight-knit group that gave its all, inspired by a couple of veterans who were appearing in their final Stanley Cup playoffs, Carey Price and Shea Weber. The rugged blueliner would never play another game in the NHL as his career was cut short by injuries.

In his 275 games with the Canadiens, he put up 146 points, including 58 goals in the regular season and 14 points in 38 playoff games in the Habs’ three appearances. After his retirement and following his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Weber was added to the Canadiens' ring of honor in November 2024. 

Even though Weber didn’t play a single game under the new Canadiens administration, he still had an important impact. Kent Hughes recently revealed in an interview on The Sick Podcast that Weber had taken it upon himself to tell him that he had a true captain in Nick Suzuki.

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Who: Philadelphia Flyers (43-27-12, 98 points, 3rd place Metropolitan Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (41-25-16, 98 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division)

When: 8:00 p.m. ET

How to Watch: Local on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and TVAS, national on ESPN, streaming on ESPN+

Pens’ Path Ahead: The series continues Monday with Game 2 at PPG Paints Arena on Monday night. Then the series swings to Philadelphia for road games on Wednesday and Saturday night.

Opponent Track: The Flyers snagged the final playoff spot in the East after finishing the season as one of the hottest teams in the NHL. Since the end of the Olympic break, this team went 18-7-1 to tie the Buffalo Sabres and Colorado Avalanche for the most wins in the league over that stretch. While the Pens were resting their starters, the Flyers finished the season out on a three-game win streak capped off with a back-to-back against the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens.

Season Series: The Pens and Flyers split this series in the regular season, although both of the Flyers’ wins came in extra time. The Flyers bookended the series with shootout wins on Oct. 28 and March 7. The Penguins outscored their in-state rivals by a combined score of 11-4 in wins on Dec. 1 and Jan. 15.

Hiden Stat: This marks the eighth all-time Battle of Pennsylvania, which officially ties the New York Islanders and New York Rangers for the most all-time NHL playoff series between in-state rivals, per NHL Stats.

Hidden Stat II: The Flyers are the first team in NHL history to qualify for the playoffs after facing a point deficit of at least nine points 60 games into the regular season, per NHL Stats.

Getting to know the Flyers

Projected lines (from Friday’s practice)

FORWARDS

Tyson Foerster – Trevor Zegras – Owen Tippett

Travis Konecny – Christian Dvorak – Porter Martone

Denver Barkey – Noah Cates – Matvei Michkov

Luke Glendening – Sean Couturier – Garnet Hathaway

DEFENSEMEN

Travis Sanheim / Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York / Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seeler / Emil Andrae

Goalies: Dan Vladar, Samuel Ersson

Potential scratches: Garrett Wilson, Carl Grundstrom, Noah Juulsen

Injured Reserve: Rodrigo Abols (fractured ankle), Nikita Grebenkin (upper body)

• The Flyers capped off the regular season by signing their No. 6 pick from the 2025 draft, Porter Martone, to an entry-level contract. Martone responded by putting up 10 points (four goals, six assists) in his first nine NHL games. He could be noticeable during this season for his size— he’s listed by the Flyers at 6-foot-3— and his habit of posting up in front of the net.

PORTER MARTONE DOES IT AGAIN!!! 🤩

That's his 9th point in 9 games! #NHLStats: https://t.co/pcdyZqEuGgpic.twitter.com/QvOxmI4jn2

— NHL (@NHL) April 14, 2026

• Dan Vladar is likely to get the start in net against the Pens. He’s coming off a month of April during which he posted a 5-1-0 record, .921 save percentage and 1.81 goals against average.

DAN VLADAR, ARE YOU SERIOUS?? 🤯 pic.twitter.com/7S4WhI1m2f

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 4, 2026

• Rasmus Ristolainen, who is in his 13th NHL season, is set to make his playoff debut tonight with the Flyers.

Regular season stats
via hockeydb

• There are a few pieces of Flyers history on this stat sheet. Matvei Michkov is the first Flyers player since Simon Gagne in 2001 to start out his Flyers career with consecutive 20-goal seasons, per NHL Stats.
• Trevor Zegras also scored 26 goals in his first season with the Flyers, the most by any first-year player with the franchise since Wayne Simmonds in 2012, per NHL Stats.

Take a closer look at the Flyers’ 18-7-1 run since returning from the Olympic break, and there seem to be some clear issues with this team. Here are some stats from the Flyers over that span:

• Power play: 14.9 percent (30th in NHL)
• Penalty kill: 74.0 percent (26th)
• Shots per game: 25.1 (27th)
• Goals per game: 3.00 (21st)

But here’s where they excel:

• Shots against per game: 25.0 (5th fewest in NHL)
• Goals against per game: 2.38 (3rd fewest)

The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz provided a look at some of the Flyers’ midseason defensive changes in early March. As written by Kurz:

“A big part of it is just energy,” said Cam York. “We want to be as aggressive as we can in the (defensive) zone. I think the time off just let us refresh a little bit, mentally and physically. That goes a long way being able to defend hard and close out time and space for the other guys.”

“Captain Sean Couturier said: ‘I think we’re just harder to play against by being more aggressive, taking away time and space.’

“That aggressiveness that York and Couturier mentioned is by design. Tocchet has attempted to simplify the Flyers’ defensive zone structure, even going so far as to move away a bit from the standard zone defense that he’s known for implementing in previous head-coaching stops.”

The Flyers don’t always get a lot of run support, so they’ve relied in large part on this shutdown defense at even strength during their late-season climb into the playoff picture. The Penguins’ ability to solve this could be key to taking control early in the series.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines (from Thursday and Friday’s practice)

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 Graves / Jack St. Ivany

Goalies: Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs

Potential Scratches: Ilya Solovyov, Justin Brazeau, Kevin Hayes

IR: Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones (season-ending shoulder surgery)

• Connor Dewar has been back at practice after missing the end of the regular season with a lower-body injury. Getting both him and Blake Lizotte back means that the Penguins will be able to reunite the fourth line of Dewar, Lizotte and Noel Acciari that clicked so well earlier this season.

Connor Dewar (lower body injury) is also back on the ice in a regular jersey. Original 4th line is back with him Lizotte and Acciari @SNPittsburghpic.twitter.com/BggqaZZLFb

— Hailey Hunter (@TheHaileyHunter) April 16, 2026

• Justin Brazeau was the odd man out at practice this week now that Lizotte is back on the fourth line. The Pens also seem to be preparing to try Elmer Soderblom on the third line alongside Ben Kindel.
• As of Friday’s practice, the Penguins goaltenders hadn’t been told who will be starting Saturday’s matchup. Stuart Skinner certainly has the edge in experience after back-to-back conference final appearances with the Edmonton Oilers over the last two seasons.
• This will mark Erik Karlsson’s first time back in the playoffs since he went to the 2019 Western Conference Finals with the San Jose Sharks. It will also mark Egor Chinakhov’s first postseason action in the league.

#LetsGoPens winger Egor Chinakhov on finally getting an opportunity to compete in the NHL playoffs:

"I'm excited to play in the playoffs. I played in the KHL (playoffs), and I know it feels different than the regular season. Yeah, just need to prepare and be ready for Game 1."

— Kelsey Surmacz (@kelsey_surmacz4) April 16, 2026

• Both of the NHL’s active leading playoff scorers will be on the ice in Sidney Crosby (201 goals in 180 playoff games) and Evgeni Malkin (180 goals in 177 playoff games). Among active defensemen, only the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Victor Hedman ranks ahead of Kris Letang (90 goals in 149 games).

Just the Facts

• The Times
  • Game 1: @ Buffalo, 7:30pm. EST April 19
  • Game 2: @ Buffalo, 7:30pm. EST April 21
  • Game 3: @ Boston, 7pm EST April 23
  • Game 4: @ Boston, 2pm EST April 26
  • Game 5: @ Buffalo, TBD on April 28th
  • Game 6: @ Boston, TBD on May 1st
  • Game 7: @ Buffalo, TBD on May 3rd
    • *Games 5-7 will have times added if necessary
• The Places
  • TD Garden, Boston, MA
  • KeyBank Arena, Buffalo, NY
• Places to Watch:
  • All games of the 1st Round will be on NESN and Madison Square Garden Network – Buffalo, respectively.
  • Other Networks:
    • Games 1 and 2: ESPN
    • Games 3 and 4: HBO MAX, TNT, TRUTV

Final regular season results for both teams

Boston Bruins

• Record: 45-27-10
• Points: 100
• Goals-For: 272
• Goals-Against: 250
• Leading Goalscorer: Morgan Geekie, 39 in 81 games
• Leading Points-getter: David Pastrnak, 100 in 77 games
• Leading Goaltender by performance: Jeremy Swayman, .908 SV%

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• Corsi – Shot Attempts.
  • Corsi-For %: 48.92 (19th in the NHL)
  • Corsi-For per 60: 57.32 (16th in the NHL)
• Fenwick – Unblocked Shot Attempts
  • Fenwick-For %: 49.15 (19th in the NHL)
  • Fenwick-For per 60: 41.29 (17th in the NHL)
• Expected Goals – Shot Attempts weighted for their position on the ice. AKA “Shot Quality” AKA “Expected by you, dummy.”
  • Expected Goals-For %: 46.66 (28th in the NHL)
  • Expected Goals per 60: 2.56 (22nd in the NHL)
• High Danger
  • High Danger Corsi For per 60: 10.87 (24th in the NHL)
  • High Danger Goals For per 60: 1.33 (13th in the NHL)

Buffalo Sabres

• Record: 50-23-9
• Points: 109
• Goals-For: 288
• Goals-Against: 241
• Leading Goalscorer: Tage Thompson, 40 in 81 games
• Leading Points-getter: Also Tage Thompson, 81 in 81 games
• Leading Goaltender by performance: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, .910%

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• Corsi
  • Corsi-For %: 49.28 (16th in the NHL)
  • Corsi-For per 60: 56.41 (19th in the NHL)
• Fenwick
  • Fenwick-For %: 49.83 (15th in the NHL)
  • Fenwick-For per 60: 42.18 (10th in the NHL)
• Expected Goals
  • Expected Goals-For %: 49.95 (17th in the NHL)
  • Expected Goals per 60: 2.71 (14th in the NHL)
• High Danger
  • High Danger Corsi For per 60: 11.6 (15th in the NHL)
  • High Danger Goals For per 60: 1.47 (4th in the NHL)

Series Preview

Man. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen these two teams against one another in the playoffs.

Ever since 2010, the Sabres have embarked on an over decade long wander in the desert to become the NHL’s punching bag when it wasn’t Arizona or Ottawa, and have returned a much more determined and battle-hardened team than even I thought they would be at the beginning of the season. At long last, the Sabres are not just watchable…but successful. Somehow, the Sabres found themselves out of hell.

Meanwhile, Boston has found an extra step they can take on the road to retooling that has had them making one of the most dramatic turnarounds in franchise history in terms of final regular season point totals. Marco Sturm found a way to get the Boston Bruins into a place where they could once again compete for Lord Stanley. The work of David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha, Victor Arvidsson, and Morgan Geekie, combined with resurgent performances from Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman, combined with a Bruins power play that was, and get ready for this…good…gave them a leg up on their contemporaries to get to another 100 point season.

Don’t go looking for anything that could help you from the 2010 playoffs; The Sabres are another animal altogether from where they were in 2009. Neither Boston nor even this Sabres team know what they are for the 2026 playoffs; both teams are lightyears away from where they’d been since that time. The game has changed so much in such a short amount of time.

What we have now, is two teams with a lot to prove.

X-Factors for Round 1

How will injury impact the series?

If there is a major up the B’s have over the Sabres, it’s in health. Their lineup is arguably as healthy as it’s ever been, with the only recent absences to the team being because two players became fathers, leaving them their full compliment and roster of players including Jimmy Hagens hot off of signing his ELC and playing in his first couple of NHL games. This will give them a necessary flexibility in playing the Sabres game-to-game that Buffalo just does not have right now.

Compared to the Bruins, the Sabres are beaten pretty badly: two players on injured reserve, and a grand total of four players that are considered day-to-day; Noah Ostlund, Alex Lyon, Sam Carrick, and Colton Ellis. Naturally if asked all four of these men would say they would be ready to go, but players at less than 100% can become liabilities if their injuries are severe enough. Carrick at less than 100% is also a major blow to the Sabres as he was one of their better performers down the stretch.

Meanwhile, Boston has been…just kinda fine? They’ve had some man games lost like all teams, but they were in the middle of the season and now they have the full compliment. That does mean however…that certain players may not be at 100%, and could theoretically re-aggravate if things

Congrats to Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt, by the way! Dad strength before the playoffs is also a major X-Factor!

Can the Bruins’ Depth keep up?

One of the big surprises of the year was Morgan Geekie and Pavel Zacha becoming trigger men for the Bruins after years of David Pastrnak holding that position down. Pasta himself has diversified his game far more into being a playmaker this year, but he too still had a scorer’s touch when asked for it. This has of course filtered throughout the lineup with a bunch of pleasant surprises like Marat Khusnutdinov and Fraser Minten having excellent years, the return to form for Victor Arvidsson, who finished the year the highest goal total he’s had since 2022-23; in 25.

The Sabres are right there with Boston; obviously the big names of Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch stand out but they’ve gotten some excellent work out of Josh Doan, Jason Zucker, and Jack Quinn, just to name a few. Both teams have over 10 players in double digit goals and it contributed majorly to their respective ascents back to the postseason and respectability. Some more in one category than another.

The big question of course, is if the pleasant surprises can keep up going into the playoffs.

One of the great strengths of Sabres hockey this year is the manic puppy energy that pervades their play; Sabres do not care if the game becomes a goalscoring race, because just about everybody of note in their lineup, including their defense, can score goals if it comes down to it. It’s what gives their “River Hockey” style so much danger; even if it’s not exactly tight, it can develop shooting lanes from just about anywhere. Boston meanwhile has still largely allowed their principal names alongside Arvidsson to do the lion’s share of the scoring, even if they’re getting good efforts from guys like Mark Kastelic and Casey Mittelstadt.

The Bruins depth needs to be able to match that energy with not just physicality, but in scoring mentality. The Sabres cannot get into the thought process that there will be shifts they can just dominate at will.

Can Boston’s Defense hold the line?

This is the lynchpin for Boston’s success in this series. At least in my opinion.

As we discussed previously, Boston’s defensive core has sort of formed through McAvoy, Lindholm, and yes, Nikita Zadorov as the movers and shakers…but the drop off from Lindholm to McAvoy to Zadorov are some steep cliffs overlooking a very deep ravine. Guys like Aspirot have been okay if a little frustrating, Jordan Harris was a tantalizing player who got some playing time but was waylaid by injury…but we know what Andrew Peeke and Mason Lohrei are at this point. We know that they are going to be the millstones around this team’s neck and that Marco Sturm will simply continue to play them. They have no other options.

We also know that just about every defender on this team, when given too much time with the puck, can start to exhibit some strange behavior.

Like it or not, this net-front defense may be contributed to by every player in Black and Gold but it’s the blueliner’s problem 90% of the time. It has to change in order for this to be a win.

While the Sabres defense can look particularly shambolic, with some of their better talents being prone to some spectacular blown plays, but they can keep their net-front clear. That’s something that Boston has struggled consistently with.

If the Bruins want to get anywhere against them, especially knowing that they’re gonna have to show a little more than just muscle to put Tage Thompson down for the count, they need to effectively break a bunch of their worst habits before Game 1. That includes the players that are already doing well; they need to be more. Puck possession needs to be used well, zone exits need to be crisp and if it can’t be done by a forward then by the puck carrier, keep-ins need to be done with intention, and bad passes to nowhere needs to end.

Further…we need the return of Playoff Lohrei. The reason Lohrei has even survived this long, in spite of all of his many issues as a player, is because of his playoff performance; He wasn’t looking great coming out of his first taste of regular season hockey, but absolutely came alive when the playoffs started. All of his problems melted into strengths, all his concerns becoming afterthoughts as he became one of the brightest spots on the back-end throughout that playoff run.

They need another performance like that. Whatever that was for him, it needs to come back. One defenseman who isn’t all that great can be workable. Any more than that is absolutely not an option.

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Game 1 is on Sunday night.

Whatever you are in the light of a Best-of-7 Series is one that your fate in the regular season brought you to. All of your strengths and weaknesses.

This team has given us so many wonderful surprises. So many things to look forward to in their future.

So let’s see if they can give us one more fun surprise over the next couple of weeks.

Let’s go really stick it to a team in Blue this April.

The NHL playoffs will have a different look this season.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are out after an injury-plagued season and the Buffalo Sabres surged after a general manager change to end their 14-season playoff drought.

All told, six 2026 playoff teams had missed the postseason last year. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers, playing in the first round, have been out for a combined eight seasons.

So who will advance to the second round? USA TODAY's Mike Brehm, Jace Evans and Kevin Skiver offer their predictions and analysis on the eight first-round series of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Eastern Conference

Carolina Hurricanes vs Ottawa Senators predictions

Mike Brehm:Hurricanes in 5. Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour has never lost in the first round and the Senators aren't deep enough to end that run. Carolina goalie Brandon Bussi gave up some bad goals down the stretch, and he'll have to stop that if the Hurricanes are going to go far.

Jace Evans:Hurricanes in 5. It's kind of the same old story for Carolina. The 'Canes are deep. They possess the puck better than anyone in the NHL. And anything short of another conference finals appearance will be a big disappointment.

Kevin Skiver:Hurricanes in 5. Full credit to Ottawa for turning its season around, particularly after some wretched goalie play. But the Hurricanes have managed to fly under the radar as one of hockey's best teams. Now, however, there's nowhere to hide. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis lead Carolina to a win over Ottawa, which goes into the offseason with a spring in its step for surviving the Eastern gauntlet.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers predictions

Mike Brehm:Penguins in 7. Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby said in 2012 that he didn't "like any guy" on the Flyers. That intensity might not be as evident this year, but it's good to see these rivals back in the playoffs. Crosby is still at the top of his game, and he'll make the difference against an upstart Flyers team.

Jace Evans:Penguins in 6. Keeping it simple on this one: One team has Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and the other doesn't.

Kevin Skiver:Penguins in 7. What a blessing of a first-round series this is. A Pennsylvania Civil War between the veteran Penguins and the upstart Flyers? With newcomer Porter Martone leading the charge for Philly? Sidney Crosby in the playoffs for the first time in four seasons? It doesn't get better. Ultimately, this is going to be an absolute bar fight for seven games. But Pittsburgh manages to eke through.

Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins predictions

Mike Brehm: Sabres in 6. The Sabres' longtime core might not have playoff experience, but Alex Tuch, Luke Schenn and coach Lindy Ruff do. And Tage Thompson thrived at the Olympics, which dials up more pressure than the NHL playoffs. The Sabres also have more talent than the Bruins and will prevail.

Jace Evans: Sabres in 5. Boston's bounceback has been a nice story, but Buffalo is a cut above the Bruins. The Sabres being better than the Bruins feels impossible for anyone who has lived through the past 15 years, but it's true!

Kevin Skiver: Bruins in 6. Buffalo gets a brutal first-round draw after snapping its playoff drought, taking on a Bruins team with one of hockey's most experienced playoff goalies in Jeremy Swayman and Charlie McAvoy alongside David Pastrnak. While Buffalo took the Atlantic this year, Boston went 3-1 against the Sabres this season. That may not always translate to a seven-game series, but we'll see if Buffalo can shrug the bear off its back in the postseason.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens predictions

Mike Brehm: Lightning in 6. I have the Lightning reaching the final, though they could easily lose this series. But Montreal isn't the Florida Panthers, who knocked Tampa Bay out the past two years. Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy will be able to get out of the first round for the first time since 2022.

Jace Evans:Canadiens in 7. Few teams were hotter down the stretch than the Habs, who closed with an 11-3 flourish. They also play in the most raucous building in the NHL, which will give them an advantage in Games 3, 4 and 6. But the real reason they get the nod here is the questions about Vasilevskiy. The Lightning goaltender has been the most responsible for his team bowing out of the postseason in the first round the past three years. Now 31 years old, it's hard to trust he'll find his old form.

Kevin Skiver: Lightning in 6. In a series where one team is literally called the Lightning, the Canadiens are bringing the flash. With one of hockey's youngest teams and brightest futures, Montreal finds itself against a team that stonewalls opponents, sometimes almost literally, by way of Vasilevsky. Although Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are strikingly good, Kucherov is the player to beat here. Indeed, even overtime will look different for Montreal in the postseason.

Western Conference

Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings predictions

Mike Brehm: Avalanche in 5. The Kings will pull off one win to extend the career of retiring captain Anze Kopitar. But the Avalanche are far too deep for Los Angeles to do any more than that.

Jace Evans: Avalanche in 4. The Kings managed to make the playoffs, and credit to them for that. But, unfortunately, they stink. Only one team in the NHL had fewer regulation wins than them: the woebegone Vancouver Canucks. The Avalanche finished on the literal other side of the standings from the Canucks. Tough sledding for LA!

Kevin Skiver: Avalanche in 4. It's nice the Kings made it back for Kopitar's farewell tour, but the President's Cup-winning Avs are a staunch opponent. Los Angeles just doesn't have the firepower to match up with Colorado, which outstrips it at nearly every turn. For the Avalanche, there's a playoff bugaboo to shake off, having lost in the first round two of the past three seasons. This is a big first step.

Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild predictions

Mike Brehm:Stars in 7. This could be the best series of the playoffs and it's a shame it has to happen so early. Adding Quinn Hughes to high-scoring forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy makes the Wild a tough out. But Dallas' Mikko Rantanen is built for the playoffs as he showed last season.

Jace Evans:Stars in 6. Can Minnesota really lose a 10th consecutive playoff series? Yes! Dallas has been on the doorstep of the Stanley Cup Final three consecutive seasons and its playoff experience will prove to be the difference.

Kevin Skiver:Stars in 7. Another downright dogfight of a first-round matchup, in a different playoff format this could easily be a Western Conference final matchup. The Stars and Wild split the season series this year and will likely take seven games to decide it here. This series is a coin flip, but the Stars barely come out on top.

Vegas Golden Knights vs Utah Mammoth predictions

Mike Brehm:Golden Knights in 7. John Tortorella has the Golden Knights playing the right way, and that and home-ice advantage should be enough to get Vegas past the Mammoth. It remains to be seen if they can go farther.

Jace Evans: Golden Knights in 7. Say what you will about John Tortorella, but the decision to fire one Stanley Cup winner (Bruce Cassidy) and replace him with another (Tortorella) seems to be working out. VGK has yet to lose in regulation with Torts behind the bench (7-0-1).

Kevin Skiver:Mammoth in 6. Utah is a grindy, difficult team that isn't going to make itself easy to get out. While John Tortorella has managed to turn things around for Vegas down the stretch and has it looking scorching hot coming into the postseason, Utah is able to hold it off as some of the fire dies in the playoffs.

Edmonton Oilers vs Anaheim Ducks predictions

Mike Brehm: Oilers in 5. The Ducks' core is young. The Oilers' core went to the Stanley Cup Final the past two years. Experience will win out.

Jace Evans: Oilers in 5. The Ducks stumbled into the playoffs and now have to face the best player in the NHL. I wish them a lot of luck!

Kevin Skiver: Oilers in 5. Talent wins out in the playoffs, and the Oilers are dripping in talent. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are obviously the headliners, and while the Ducks play a fast, fun game, there needs to be more physicality before they can be trusted as a playoff team. Edmonton has been here before, and though the road to return has been bumpy, it knows what to do now that it's back.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoff bracket picks, predictions for every first round series

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There isn’t a player on the Detroit Red Wings who has been with the organization longer, or borne more of its setbacks, than team captain Dylan Larkin, the lone remaining player from the club’s last Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance in 2016.

Despite setting a career high with 34 goals this season, Dylan Larkin suffered an injury at a critical point. Although he eventually gutted it out and played through it, he was unable to carry his team over the finish line.

The Red Wings now hold the unfortunate distinction of owning the NHL’s longest active postseason drought, after the Buffalo Sabres, who hadn’t qualified since 2011, finally ended theirs.

"It's been hard, not great. I think it's been a very difficult end to the season," Larkin said on Friday morning. "Never a fun time when you miss the playoffs, but especially in this fashion, and kind of being here again. So today is not a pleasant day around the rink, that's for sure."

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During Detroit’s stretch run in March, they often found themselves trailing by multiple goals against opponents they were directly competing with in the standings.

Head coach Todd McLellan repeatedly called for a higher level of compete from his players, while questions also arose about “outside noise” potentially creeping into the locker room.

“I mean, that's a fair question, and I think, like I said, part of the tightness was kind of dipping your toe into a game, and when you're anxious for a game, there are tendencies as a player to go out there and see what it's going to be like,” Larkin said about Detroit's slow starts down the stretch. “Is it going to be a hard night or an easy night? Again, I don't think that was the story every night."

“It’s Their Right to Do So”: Moritz Seider Accepts Frustrated Red Wings Fans Reaction During locker room clean-out day, Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider addressed the frustrated reaction of fans during the team’s final home game this past Saturday evening, a loss that confirmed Detroit’s fate of missing the playoffs.

As the team captain, a position he's held since the beginning of the 2021-22 campaign, Larkin accepted responsibility for not, as he put it, driving the play more. 

"But especially at home, down the stretch, you have to know going into a game that you're going to go out there, and part of that is on me as captain of the team, a forward that plays a driving game," he said. 

“I should probably have been out there more, driving the play early in the games to set the tone early for our team, and that's a mindset that would go through the entire lineup.”

As a Metro Detroit native who grew up watching the Red Wings’ glory years, Larkin understands the weight of the moment better than others. He carries the burden of the captaincy once held by franchise legends such as Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Henrik Zetterberg.

Larkin signed an eight-year extension in 2023 to remain with the Red Wings and is committed to seeing the process through.

"I wanted to be here, and I want to be here to help this team in any way I can to win the Stanley Cup," he said. 

"We need to get the Detroit Red Wings back in the playoffs," he concluded. "Not just me." 

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Utah Mammoth (43-33-6, in the Central Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division)

Paradise, Nevada; Sunday, 10 p.m. EDT

LINE: Golden Knights -153, Mammoth +127; over/under is 6

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Golden Knights host series opener

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Utah Mammoth to open the Western Conference first round. The teams meet Thursday for the fourth time this season. The Mammoth went 2-1 against the Golden Knights during the regular season. In their last regular season meeting on March 19, the Mammoth won 4-0.

Vegas has a 39-26-17 record overall and a 20-12-9 record in home games. The Golden Knights have allowed 242 goals while scoring 264 for a +22 scoring differential.

Utah has a 43-33-6 record overall and a 21-17-3 record on the road. The Mammoth are 10th in league play serving 9.5 penalty minutes per game.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Eichel has 27 goals and 63 assists for the Golden Knights. Mark Stone has seven goals and four assists over the past 10 games.

Clayton Keller has 26 goals and 62 assists for the Mammoth. Logan Cooley has scored seven goals and added six assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 7-0-3, averaging four goals, 6.4 assists, 3.2 penalties and seven penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game.

Mammoth: 6-4-0, averaging 4.3 goals, 7.5 assists, four penalties and 11.3 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game.

INJURIES: Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body).

Mammoth: Barrett Hayton: out (upper-body), Sean Durzi: day to day (upper-body), Jack McBain: out (lower-body), Dylan Guenther: day to day (undisclosed).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Los Angeles Kings (35-27-20, in the Pacific Division) vs. Colorado Avalanche (55-16-11, in the Central Division)

Denver; Sunday, 3 p.m. EDT

LINE: Avalanche -264, Kings +214; over/under is 5.5

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Avalanche host series opener

BOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Avalanche host the Los Angeles Kings to begin the Western Conference first round. The teams meet Monday for the fourth time this season. The Avalanche went 3-0 against the Kings during the regular season. In their last regular season meeting on March 2, the Avalanche won 4-2.

Colorado is 55-16-11 overall and 26-9-6 in home games. The Avalanche have an 18-2-6 record when scoring a power-play goal.

Los Angeles has a 35-27-20 record overall and a 20-10-11 record on the road. The Kings are 26-4-11 in games they score at least three goals.

TOP PERFORMERS: Martin Necas has 38 goals and 61 assists for the Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon has five goals and five assists over the last 10 games.

Artemi Panarin has 28 goals and 56 assists for the Kings. Adrian Kempe has scored 10 goals with three assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Avalanche: 7-2-1, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.7 assists, 2.8 penalties and 5.6 penalty minutes while giving up 1.9 goals per game.

Kings: 6-2-2, averaging 3.1 goals, 4.5 assists, 3.1 penalties and 7.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.

INJURIES: Avalanche: Nazem Kadri: day to day (finger), Josh Manson: day to day (upper body).

Kings: Kevin Fiala: out for season (leg), Alex Turcotte: day to day (undisclosed), Jeff Malott: day to day (undisclosed), Andrei Kuzmenko: day to day (knee).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Philadelphia Flyers (43-27-12, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (41-25-16, in the Metropolitan Division)

Pittsburgh; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT

LINE: Penguins -147, Flyers +123; over/under is 6

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Penguins host series opener

BOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Philadelphia Flyers in game one of the Eastern Conference first round. The teams meet Saturday for the fifth time this season. The teams tied the regular season series 2-2. In their last regular season meeting on March 7, the Flyers won 4-3 in a shootout.

Pittsburgh has a 41-25-16 record overall and a 13-4-9 record in Metropolitan Division play. The Penguins have a 41-8-9 record when scoring three or more goals.

Philadelphia is 43-27-12 overall with a 12-9-5 record against the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers rank ninth in league play serving 9.6 penalty minutes per game.

TOP PERFORMERS: Sidney Crosby has scored 29 goals with 45 assists for the Penguins. Erik Karlsson has three goals and six assists over the past 10 games.

Trevor Zegras has 26 goals and 41 assists for the Flyers. Matvei Michkov has four goals and eight assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Penguins: 5-5-0, averaging 4.6 goals, 7.7 assists, 3.3 penalties and 7.8 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game.

Flyers: 7-3-0, averaging 3.5 goals, 5.5 assists, 3.2 penalties and 6.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.

INJURIES: Penguins: Filip Hallander: out (leg), Caleb Jones: out for season (shoulder).

Flyers: Rodrigo Abols: out (ankle), Nikita Grebenkin: out (upper body).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Boston Bruins (45-27-10, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Buffalo Sabres (50-23-9, in the Atlantic Division)

Buffalo, New York; Sunday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Sabres -158, Bruins +133; over/under is 6

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Sabres host series opener

BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres host the Boston Bruins to start the Eastern Conference first round. The teams meet Wednesday for the fifth time this season. The Bruins went 3-1 against the Sabres during the regular season. In their last regular season matchup on March 25, the Bruins won 4-3 in overtime. Mark Kastelic led the Bruins with two goals.

Buffalo has a 16-6-4 record in Atlantic Division games and a 50-23-9 record overall. The Sabres rank fifth in league play with 283 total goals (averaging 3.4 per game).

Boston is 11-12-3 against the Atlantic Division and 45-27-10 overall. The Bruins serve 11.9 penalty minutes per game to rank second in the league.

TOP PERFORMERS: Josh Doan has scored 26 goals with 26 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has four goals and three assists over the last 10 games.

Morgan Geekie has 39 goals and 29 assists for the Bruins. Pavel Zacha has six goals and five assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Sabres: 6-3-1, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.6 assists, 4.5 penalties and 11.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.

Bruins: 5-3-2, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.5 assists, 3.1 penalties and 7.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.

INJURIES: Sabres: Jiri Kulich: out for season (ear), Sam Carrick: out (arm), Alex Lyon: day to day (lower body), Justin Danforth: day to day (lower body), Noah Ostlund: day to day (upper-body).

Bruins: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

The first NHL playoff tournament without a local club since the Devils moved to New Jersey in 1982 opens Saturday afternoon with the Senators and Hurricanes kicking off the two-month sprint to the Stanley Cup.

As has become the norm under the current format, the first round is packed with stories, and the bracket will inevitably thin out early.

There is Buffalo’s return to the postseason for the first time since 2011.

There is an intriguing Wild-Stars series, with the winner likely facing the Avalanche in a bare-knuckles Round 2 showdown.

There is Sidney Crosby back in the postseason after a three-year drought, leading the Penguins in a Battle of Pennsylvania, and there is a young Habs team running straight into the grizzled, experienced Lightning.

The Eastern Conference is wide open after the mighty Panthers, reigning two-time Cup champs and three-time conference champs, suffered an injury-plagued regular season and missed the tournament.

This could be the year Rod Brind’Amour’s Hurricanes make it over the conference finals hump. The Canadiens, Lightning and Sabres all have real Cup aspirations as well.

The Central Division trio in the West — Minnesota, Dallas, Colorado — guarantees the current issues with the format will continue. Whoever makes it through that gauntlet and into the conference finals, though, will have the victor of the Pacific Division’s pillow fight to contend with.

Even though it was Connor McDavid who used just that phrase, his Oilers loom as an obstacle, if only they can get their goaltending sorted.

It is as good a postseason as we’ve had in recent years, and New York will experience it from afar, on television.

Every year, the NHL Players' Association releases a league-wide poll that asks players around the league various questions that they are prompted to answer with their peers in mind. 

And this time around, several Pittsburgh Penguins' players came up in the results.

Captain Sidney Crosby was the players' No. 1 selection for "Which player would make a great coach once they retire?", while he slotted in at No. 3 for an NHL forward who would also excel as a defenseman. Blueliner Erik Karlsson was voted opposite Crosby, getting picked at No. 3 as far as defensemen who would excel as a forward. 

And, finally, Kris Letang was voted as having the third-most intense training regimen of all NHL players, behind only Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid.

The @NHLPA player poll is in, and Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, and Kris Letang showed out 📝

Read more: https://t.co/j7Y89dDYREpic.twitter.com/OJQhdwoa54

— x - Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 17, 2026

In addition to the individual player voting, the rivalry between the Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers - which will come to a head in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season - was voted as the NHL's third-best behind only the rivalries between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs and between the Canadiens and Boston Bruins. 

Other questions included which goaltender had the best puckhandling skills, which player was the best-dressed, and which player was the NHL's best golfer. It was a bit of a diversion from the traditional player poll, which usually included items such as who the NHL's best forward, best defenseman, and best all-around player is - the third of which Crosby was voted six years in a row prior to this season. 

The full results of this year's NHLPA Player Poll can be found here. 

'I Think It's Going To Be Something Special': Penguins' Playoff 'First-Timers' Look Forward To Game 1The Pittsburgh Penguins have a ton of Stanley Cup Playoff experience spread across their roster - but six players will get their first taste of NHL playoff hockey starting Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

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After a short adjustment period, Porter Martone was one of the best players for the Philadelphia Flyers during their playoff push, and head coach Rick Tocchet quickly took notice.

Martone, 19, scored only one point--an assist--in his first three NHL games, though he did fire off 15 shots on goal. The 2025 No. 6 overall pick was due for positive offensive scoring regression, and it was all up from there.

The prized Flyers prospect scored all four of his first NHL goals and added another five assists in the final six games of the season, and during that six-game point streak, the Flyers went 5-1-0, securing their first playoff berth since 2020.

Suffice to say, Martone has impressed Tocchet early on.

"He's just a hockey player, right? Yeah, he's got some things to improve on or whatever, and he's really worked on his skating. You can tell he's improved over the year. He knocks pucks down, he goes to the dirty areas, he's got a hell of a shot. He's got a hell of a hockey IQ," Tocchet said of Martone on the NHL Network's "NHL Now" segment.

Flyers' Porter Martone Explains Viral Hat PhotoBy now, you may have seen the photo, now effectively a meme, of <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> rookie Porter Martone rocking a suit and large fedora. According to Martone, there is a story behind it all.

"We were playing Carolina the other night. Their PK's really good. It's a pressure PK where they just fly out everywhere. We practiced it in the morning, we talked about 'Hey, you gotta be ready'. If you look at the tying goal, he knew. He beat pressure, he knew where [Trevor Zegras] was, he threw it, great pass, and we end up getting the goal.

"That's his hockey IQ. Him taking the information that day and applying it in a pressure situation. So, for a 19-year-old, gotta give him a lot of credit."

The stakes were high for Martone, Tocchet, and the Flyers on Monday night; it was a win-and-in situation against a Carolina Hurricanes team resting several of their top players.

Of course, it wasn't an easy game, and the Flyers went down 2-0 early, but Matvei Michkov started the comeback, and then Martone and Trevor Zegras combined to tie the game.

A pivotal moment, too, as the Flyers required a shootout to seal the deal and reach the postseason.

Now, just imagine the next level Martone can hit for the Flyers once he gains more NHL experience and comes into a season fresh.