With the regular season finally coming to an end on Thursday night, the NHL released the schedule for the first round of the playoffs shortly after midnight. As had been heavily rumored over the last few days, the Montreal Canadiens will kick off their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday, and it’s fair to say that the schedule leaves something to be desired.
There are three Canadian teams in the spring dance: the Habs, the Ottawa Senators, and the Edmonton Oilers, and none of them will be in action on Saturday night. In a country where hockey is pretty much a religion, with its faithful expecting their weekly sermon on Hockey Night in Canada, the masses will have to make do with a Saturday matinee, a Sunday almost-night, and a late Monday-night game.
The commissioner and the NHL are well aware that Canadian viewers will watch the games whenever and wherever they are set, which means they are focusing their energy on courting the American market; that is why the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins get the primetime Saturday night slot. While it was to be expected, after all, the only two playoff games in Montreal last season took place on a Friday and a Sunday night, it’s still disappointing.
In any case, here is the Canadiens’ (and yours) schedule for the first round:
Game 1: Sunday, April 19, Tampa Bay 5:45 PM Game 2: Tuesday, April 21, Tampa Bay 7:00 PM Game 3: Friday, April 24, Montreal 7:00 PM Game 4: Sunday, April 26, Montreal 7:00 PM *Game 5: Wednesday, April 29, Tampa Bay TBD *Game 6: Friday, May 1, Montreal TBD *Game 7: Sunday, May 3, Tampa Bay TBD * if necessary
Even if the series goes the distance, there won’t be any Saturday night games for the Habs faithful in this first round.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - MARCH 25: Sam Carrick #10 and Zach Benson #6 of the Buffalo Sabres battle for position in front of Joonas Korpisalo #70 of the Boston Bruins against Mason Lohrei #6 and Fraser Minten #93 during an NHL game on March 25, 2026 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Spring is in the air and it’s that time of year again: the best part of the season for hockey fans. The first round of the NHL playoffs is one of the top parts of the whole calendar with eight series all simultaneously providing the highs and lows of playoff hockey.
Let’s take a stab at the first round, but given the preseason projections here and everywhere, maybe this is the year to expect the unexpected.
Buffalo Sabres (Atlantic 1) vs. Boston Bruins (Wild Card 1)
It still is surreal that the Sabres are a first place team, emphatically ending a 16-year playoff drought. Their reward for that great season seems like a cruel joke to draw a 100-point Boston Bruins team in the first round. The Bruins’ soft road record (16-16-9) looms large in what undoubtedly will be a beyond fired up, passionate Sabres crowd finally getting a chance to cheer on playoff hockey after all these years. Usually atmospheres and intangibles don’t make a huge difference, but sometimes they do (the mind turns to the rabid Pirates crowd hosting a playoff game as a suitable comparable). Having the home ice advantage could and should be a factor within this series in Buffalo’s benefit, for whatever it ends up being worth.
In the end, I don’t think Boston (14th in the NHL with 3.01 goals/game allowed) is strong enough defensively to slow Buffalo down. The Sabres wagon rolls into the next round, to the delight of a delirious crowd.
Prediction: Sabres in 6
Tampa Bay Lightning (Atlantic 2) vs. Montreal Canadiens (Atlantic 3)
Two 106-point teams square off in the first round that could be about a coin flip to find an edge. Tampa profiles as a sort of old guard with several pieces hanging around from their 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup wins. Montreal is the other side of the coin with many great young players hungry to take the next step. Both teams have a ton of firepower, the Nikita Kucherov led Lightning are 4th in the NHL with 3.51 goals per game, the Canadiens with 50-goal man Cole Caufield aren’t far behind in 7th with 3.40 goals/game themselves.
On one hand, I wouldn’t be shocked at all if Tampa ended up being the Eastern Conference champions when the smoke clears. On the other hand, I can’t shake that since March 8th Jakub Dobes has a 9-4-0 record with a 2.22 GAA and .924 save% while Andrei Vasilevskiy isn’t exactly playing great lately (12-8-1 record, .899 save% since the Olympic break). I think Montreal has enough speed and skill to make it more competitive than the lopsided betting line would suggest (was seeing it at -250 for Tampa and +205 for Montreal earlier in the week). With much hesitancy and reluctance, I’m smelling an upset brewing.
Prediction: Montreal in 7
Carolina Hurricanes (Metropolitan 1) vs. Ottawa Senators (Wild Card 2)
This matchup represents a fantastic styles clash. Ottawa was the No. 1 team in the NHL in expected goals against but suffered from some of the worst goaltending in the league. That’s perhaps been rectified somewhat by the stability of Linus Ullmark (with an above average .908 save% in his last 14 games) but still is going to be a shaky proposition until proven otherwise. Their opponent, Carolina, remains the analytic darlings for second in xGoals for and xGoals Share, but struggles at finishing chances (29th, per Hockeystats.com). Who wins the battle between Carolina’s strong generation/weak finishing and Ottawa’s great suppression/bad goaltending will make for some incredible theatre.
Carolina is 6-0 in first rounds under coach Rod Brind’Amour, besides the August COVID bubble playoff of 2020. I don’t see that streak coming to an end this spring, though I really do like this potential matchup for Ottawa. There’s a way if things break differently that they could have a real chance, but in the end I’m going to call it as a series short in games which belies how tight most of the games will be.
Prediction: Carolina in 5
Pittsburgh Penguins (Metropolitan 2) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (Metropolitan 3)
Two surprise playoff teams from Pennsylvania matchup in what never fails to live up to the hype. We’ve talked a ton about this so to keep it short and sweet, I think the Penguins are better and/or deeper at every place on the ice, also aided by the fact that Pittsburgh is good in the first period (outscoring opponents 93-68 this season) and the Flyers are not (getting outscored 65-68). The Pens are used to being in the lead, having lead the third most minutes in the whole league. The Flyers are used to chasing games, and the playoffs are no time to consistently dig holes. Put yourself in enough holes and someone is bound to bury you, and let’s face it, Sidney Crosby always buries the Flyers as it is. It won’t be a smooth road, Penguins/Flyers is naturally going to have it’s twists and turns along the way but in the end the Pens continue onto the next round.
On Thursday, former New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson was honored for skating in his 1,000th NHL game when the Colorado Avalanche hosted the Seattle Kraken for their regular-season finale.
He reached the milestone back on Monday against the Edmonton Oilers, in Edmonton.
Former Islanders teammates Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas, Cal Clutterbuck, and Josh Bailey, along with their wives, were in attendance for the celebration.
During his 1,000-game tribute video, his longtime Islanders' teammates Anders Lee and Ryan Pulock, along with Bo Horvat, had some words for their former No. 29:
bo horvat, ryan pulock, and anders lee congratulating brock nelson on his 1000th game 🥹 pic.twitter.com/WMo4Z8GFxK
Drafted 30th overall at the 2010 NHL Draft, Nelson played 901 regular-season games for the Islanders, recording 574 points (295 goals, 279 assists) over the span of 12 seasons.
Dealt to the Avalanche ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, Nelson has played 99 games for his new team, recording 78 points (27 goals, 26 assists), scoring 30 goals this season with 32 assists for 65 points.
Nelson and the Avalanche host the Los Angeles Kings, with Game 1 on Sunday, April 19 at 1 PM ET.
BOSTON - APRIL 26: Miroslav Satan #81 of the Boston Bruins celebrates his game winning goal in the third period against the Buffalo Sabres in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 26, 2010 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins defeated the Sabres 4-3 to win the series. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After the regular season officially concluded late on Thursday night, the NHL finally released the full schedule for the first round series between YOUR Boston Bruins and the Buffalo Sabres.
Bruins vs. Sabres schedule
As you know, the Sabres are the higher seed and will have home-ice advantage in the first round. Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 will be in Buffalo, with games 3, 4, and 6 at TD Garden.
Game 1: Sunday, April 19, 7:30 PM
Game 2: Tuesday, April 21, 7:30 PM
Game 3: Thursday, April 23, 7 PM
Game 4: Sunday, April 26, 2 PM
Game 5: Tuesday, April 28, TBD
Game 6: Friday, May 1, TBD
Game 7: Sunday, May 3, TBD
Bruins vs. Sabres TV channels
While the NHL website doesn’t specify this, a release from the Bruins confirms that all first round games will be broadcast on NESN locally.
This is in keeping with the usual tradition/contractual obligations, where teams’ regular season broadcasters get the first round before everything moves to national channels in the second round.
As you can see below, these games will still be broadcast on the national channels as well, but should be available on good ol’ NESN in the New England area.
Game 1: NESN, ESPN, SN360, TVAS
Game 2: NESN, ESPN, SN360, TVAS
Game 3: NESN, TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN360, TVAS
Game 4: NESN, TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, SN360, TVAS
Game 5: NESN, TBD
Game 6: NESN, TBD
Game 7: NESN, TBD
Bruins vs. Sabres radio broadcast schedule
Per the B’s, Games 1 through 4 are confirmed to be broadcast on 98.5 The Sports Hub, with “TBD” after that.
Normally, the games being on 98.5 would be, to use an appropriate metaphor, a lay-up.
However, Celtics games are also broadcast on 98.5 The Sports Hub, and their first round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers will conflict with the Bruins-Sabres series on:
Tuesday, April 21
Sunday, April 26
Tuesday, April 28
(Both teams have games on Sunday, April 19, as well, but the Celtics game is at 1 PM.)
As things look at the moment, it will be the Celtics who get bumped to 105.7 FM, with the B’s remaining on 98.5.
I know the formatting for this post is a little annoying, but…SEO, Apple News, etc. You get the idea.
Overall, this is a pretty standard schedule for the B’s, though the series does have two built-in back-to-back days off, which can help both teams during a rough-and-tumble playoff series.
A Sunday afternoon home playoff game at TD Garden should be a pretty fun atmosphere.
I’d imagine the Bruins-Sabres series should be near the top of the league leaderboard when it comes to eyeballs watching on TV in the United States, maybe only rivaled by the Flyers-Penguins series.
The Bruins always draw well on TV, and Buffalo is a leading “playoffs-on-TV” market even when the Sabres aren’t involved, so you can imagine how much the interest will spike with them back in the mix.
NHL playoff bracket challenge
Loyal SCOC reader tupty set up a Bracket Challenge over on the NHL website. For those unfamiliar, it’s basically like a March Madness bracket, where you pick your teams, series scores, etc.
There are plenty of recent Stanley Cup winners in the field, such as the Vegas Golden Knights (2023), Colorado Avalanche (2022) and Tampa Bay Lightning (2020, 2021).
And there are teams that are back in the hunt after long absences, such as the Buffalo Sabres, Anaheim Ducks, Utah Mammoth, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins.
So who survives the four-round grind and gets to skate around the ice with the Stanley Cup in June? USA TODAY's Mike Brehm, Jace Evans and Kevin Skiver make their predictions:
Stanley Cup Final: Colorado Avalanche vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Stanley Cup winner: Colorado Avalanche
Playoff MVP: Nathan MacKinnon
Yes, I know that the Presidents' Trophy winner rarely wins the Stanley Cup, but this Avalanche team is deep and has run the gauntlet before. The same applies to the Lightning. Both teams are coached by Stanley Cup winners who know how to push the right buttons. The Avalanche will prevail again in a rematch of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.
Jace Evans, USA TODAY
Stanley Cup Final: Montreal Canadiens vs. Edmonton Oilers
Stanley Cup winner: Edmonton Oilers
Playoff MVP: Connor McDavid
Canada, rejoice! Your drought will end! Or, I think it will, anyways. Yes, I am putting a lot of faith in the Connor Ingram (or Tristan Jarry!) Experience in net, but I am also putting my faith in Connor McDavid, the best player in the NHL. He just wrapped up his sixth scoring title and has led the playoffs in scoring three of the past four seasons. He's a proven postseason performer in the prime of his career. You could say the same for Leon Draisaitl, assuming he's on the verge of a return. The biggest factor for Edmonton, though, might be its potential postseason path — the Pacific Division road is the smoothest, on paper.
Kevin Skiver, USA TODAY
Stanley Cup Final: Dallas Stars vs Tampa Bay Lightning
Stanley Cup winner: Dallas Stars
Playoff MVP: Mikko Rantanen
The Stars have been knocking on the door in the playoffs for a while, but something in the West has continued to hold them back. This year, they harness that experience and get over the hump to win the Stanley Cup, overcoming a Lightning team with a wealth of experience itself.
Since Montreal Canadiens’ sniper Cole Caufield climbed up the goal scorer list to eventually come short of catching up to Colorado Avalanche ace Nathan MacKinnon, who currently has 53 goals with one game to play, there have been a lot of comments about the nature of the Rocket Richard Trophy winner-to-be’s goals. Many have lamented the fact that the leading scorer has eight empty-netters to his name this season, while Caufield has none.
If empty netters were removed from the equation, the Habs’ leading goal scorer would be first in the league with 51 goals, followed by MacKinnon with 45 goals, and a pair of Dallas Stars forwards, Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston, who both have 44 goals.
While that’s an interesting stat, it just doesn’t matter. The Rocket Richard trophy was created to reward the league’s top scorer, the player who got the puck across the goal line the most times. Whichever way you look at it, that’s the way it’s defined in the NHL, and there had never been chatter about taking empty netters out of the equation before this season.
Whichever way you score a goal, it’s a goal, and it counts, as long as it’s in the game. The same cannot be said about the shootout, but that’s a whole different animal since it’s not during an actual game, but rather in what amounts to a one-on-one duel.
While an argument can be made about empty netters being easier to score, the same could probably be said about overtime goals, which are scored while playing three-on-three, which some would say is not proper hockey. Caufield leads the league in overtime goals this season with five, while MacKinnon has only one.
It’s easy to understand the Canadiens’ fanbase’s disappointment with the fact that Caufield was ultimately unable to win the Trophy that commemorates the career of one of the biggest names in Habs’ history, but the American is still young and in the early stages of his career. He’s 25 years old and has only played 368 NHL games so far; there are plenty more to come, and he won’t forget how to score goals. Patience, Canadiens’ fans, Caufield will be in the conversation for that trophy for years to come, and something tells me it’s only a matter of time before he captures it.
The Philadelphia Flyers made the Stanley Cup playoffs largely through hard work and discipline, and one veteran leader took the discipline part literally.
Going back to the Olympic break, the Flyers have been one of the least disciplined teams in the NHL with one of the least effective penalty kills, and special teams would have cost them a playoff spot if they didn't tread carefully.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers gave up 19 goals on the penalty kill over their last 26 games of the season, which is the fourth-most in the NHL dating back to Feb. 22.
Travis Sanheim, a penalty kill mainstay and the Flyers' No. 1 defenseman, went the entire final 26 games of the season without taking a single penalty.
That streak led to him playing 79:33 shorthanded, 16 minutes more than the next-closest player, Cam York, who played 63:25.
Over the course of the full season, Sanheim allowed 7.98 goals against per 60 minutes while shorthanded, while Rasmus Ristolainen (8.14), York (9.13), Emil Andrae (15.67), and Jamie Drysdale (15.98) were all more porous to varying degrees.
With that math in mind, we can only imagine how much worse the Flyers' penalty kill would have been without Sanheim.
In addition to keeping Andrae and Drysdale off the ice for special teams purposes, Sanheim's play had an impact on the overall lineup, too.
Much to the chagrin of Flyers fans, head coach Rick Tocchet had a penchant for substituting Andrae out with veteran Noah Juulsen specifically to utilize the latter on the penalty kill when needed.
But, from Feb. 22 to Game 82, Andrae led all Flyers defensemen in Corsi per 60 (53.6), Corsi percentage (52.08%), expected goals percentage (57.15%), scoring chance percentage (53.88%), and high-danger Corsi percentage (59.34%) at 5-on-5.
So, because Sanheim simply stayed out of the box and played hard for the final 26 games, a ripple effect occurred that benefitted the entire Flyers team.
Andrae, despite playing 69 minutes less at 5-on-5 than every other Flyers regular on defense, was one of their most effective, and he may not have gotten the opportunity if the disciplinary issues and lackluster penalty kill had gotten any worse.
In such an event, it would have been very easy to tempt Tocchet into turning to a trusted veteran when the stakes were highest.
Instead, Tocchet and the Flyers regularly iced their best lineup and reaped the rewards, culminating in their first playoff berth since 2020.
Sanheim, while not overly vocal, did his job as a respected leader on this team and led the defense by example.
The results followed, and now the Flyers get to compete for a Stanley Cup.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 18: Assistant General Manager, Head of Analytics Sunny Mehta for the Florida Panthers poses for his official headshot for the 2024-2025 NHL season on September 18, 2024 at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Mehta will be the hockey operations decision maker for the Devils. No immediate decisions on head coach Sheldon Keefe or any other staff. He will take time to evaluate. Media conference for introduction on Tuesday.
“The biggest takeaway from the New Jersey Devils‘ exit interviews is the one that didn’t happen. Star defenseman Dougie Hamilton ‘politely declined’ to interview with the media, remaining in hiding after his agent went public this winter with displeasure over a healthy scratch.” [New Jersey Hockey Now]
“I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that this is the most crucial offseason the organization has had in years. They have to get the front office structure right, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. There are quite a few big decisions ahead for the next GM, and that should lead to an offseason of intrigue in the Garden State.” [Devils on the Rush]
“…We have spent the past few weeks canvassing many of the top player agents in hockey for their thoughts on key big-picture questions from around the league. In all, The Athletic polled more than 20 agents, who combine to represent hundreds of NHL player contracts worth billions of dollars, on nine key questions facing the league and its future.” [The Athletic ($)]
“Auston Matthews avoided playing fortune teller when addressing his career moving forward long-term with the Maple Leafs. Toronto’s captain met with the media Thursday following the Leafs’ final regular-season game the night before, a loss to Ottawa that signaled the end of a lost season for Toronto. Matthews wasn’t in the lineup — he has been sidelined by a torn MCL since mid-March — but with the Leafs heading into a transitional phase after missing their first postseason since 2016-17, Matthews was noncommittal on what lies ahead for him in Toronto.” [ESPN]
“Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin said he’s ‘pretty sure’ that Tuesday’s season finale at Columbus won’t be his last game, as the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer contemplates retirement.” [ESPN]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 05: Egor Chinakhov #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in action during the game against the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 5, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…
In an alternate universe, Egor Chinakhov might be wearing blue and white and playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs reportedly tried to trade for Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets, including discussions around a swap involving Nick Robertson. They couldn’t finalize a deal before he was ultimately sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins. [PensBurgh]
Penguins forwards Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte appear to be in the final stages of recovery from their respective maladies. When asked recently whether they would be able to suit up for Game 1 on Saturday night, both players said they were ready to “go.” [Trib Live]
Many within the Penguins’ locker room are embracing their return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing out in recent seasons, with players and coaches emphasizing that meaningful spring hockey is exactly what they worked for all year. [Trib Live]
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Plum native and ESPN host Pat McAfee made a friendly wager on the Penguins-Flyers first-round playoff series, with Shapiro backing Philadelphia and McAfee rooting for his hometown Penguins. If the Penguins win, Shapiro will wear a tank top to work; if the Flyers win, McAfee will wear a suit on his show. [Trib Live]
The Penguins are moving on from defenseman Matt Dumba after the team reportedly placed the veteran on waivers for contract termination. [TSN]
News and notes from around the NHL…
Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has made waves in Hockey Mecca, creating uncertainty about his long-term future with the Leafs by refusing to commit beyond his current contract, saying he “can’t predict the future” as the team searches for a new general manager. [Sportsnet]
The New Jersey Devils have hired Sunny Mehta as the team’s newest general manager. Mehta had been working in the Florida Panthers’ front office since 2020. [ESPN]
The Columbus Blue Jackets and Rick Bowness have agreed to a contract extension through the 2026-27 season, the team announced on Thursday. [Yahoo! Sports]
Some are upset that the St. Louis Blues have ruined what potential top-end drafty status they had coming out of the Olympic break, some are pleased that the team had a level of compete that showed throughout these 25 games since Feb. 26.
Whatever side you're on, you're going to have an opinion on, but one thing is certain, the Blues are one of those teams that wished that the regular season didn't end for them on Thursday. That's because they finished with a season-high tying fourth straight win, closing out 2025-26 with a 5-3 win against the playoff-bound Utah Mammoth at Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday.
The Blues, who closed the season 37-33-12, matched a season-high winning streak done two other times and closed their season winning 17 of 25 games (17-5-3) after the Winter Olympic break, including finishing 10-2-2 in their past 14 road games (4-0-1 to close the season).
In the end, they fell four point shy of reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second straight season, instead missing out of the second season now for three of the past four years, and there will come a time which we can go into the logistics of why they didn't reach the tournament again this year, but with their strong showing down the stretch, the Blues, who were once second-to-last in the overall standings and 14 points out of the second wild card in the Western Conference, will head into the NHL Draft lottery with the 11th spot. They also own the Detroit Red Wings' pick, which is 15th. So they didn't do themselves any favors of drafting high this year with this strong finish but there were several parts to their game that they did find, that they can hopefully take with them into the off-season and get themselves geared up for 2026-27.
On Thursday, Robert Thomas scored his second career hat trick in a span of 11 days; Dylan Holloway finished on a torrid pace with two assists; Pavel Buchnevich reached 20 goals with one on Thursday, and Logan Mailloux potted the game-winner with 2:57 to play that held off as the game-winner. Joel Hofer made 20 saves to finish the season with 24 saves.
One last time, lets look at Thursday's game observations:
* Among the draft shortcomings (for those that see it that way), the Blues have themselves a top line -- For the detractors that feel this strong play was too little, too late, that this should have come sooner than it did and that the Blues ruined their chances of getting a lottery pick, first of all, let the draft lottery play out first. Sure, the Blues' chances of getting the top overall pick is a slim three percent chance, and getting No. 2 is at 3.2 percent, according to tankathon.com and they have a 79.9 percent chance of drafting right where they are at No. 11, but of you look at the big picture, and Thursday night was another example: the Blues have a No. 1 line loaded with talent and one that can be dominant -- barring injury -- for many, many years to come.
Thomas recording a hat trick, his second in the NHL and first since April 5 in a 3-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche, was no coincidence.
With Dylan Holloway getting two assists and Jimmy Snuggerud setting Thomas up for the insurance empty-net goal with 38 seconds to play, that line closed with 95 points in 25 games since Feb. 26.
Holloway was tied for sixth in the NHL with 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists), as many points as San Jose Sharks teenage star Macklin Celebrini in two fewer games and as many as Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon. Thomas was tied for 11th with Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson and Montreal Canadiens sniper Cole Caufield with 31 points (14 goals, 17 assists), doing it in two fewer games; and Snuggerud was tied for 24th with Winnipeg Jets sniper Kyle Connor with 24 points (11 goals, 16 assists).
That trio (Holloway, plus-26; Thomas, plus-25 and Snuggerud, plus-21) was No. 1, 2 and 4 in the NHL in that time frame.
Look at Holloway's elite assist on Thomas' first goal at 8:14 of the second period that tied the game at 2-2 and tell me that wasn't elite playmaking skill:
And Blues coach Jim Montgomery has always described Holloway, when he's on top of his game, as someone hunting pucks, and he did so here, with Thomas starting it off, that ended with Thomas finishing for a 3-2 lead at 11:07 of the second:
I can remember how good the line of Jaden Schwartz-Brayden Schenn-Vladimir Tarasenko was in the 2019 Stanley Cup-winning season. This trio is running away with the elite playmaking skills. This is a bonafide top line, and the Blues found it, and they should under no circumstances keep it together when 2026-27 starts.
Blues fans have been craving for top-end skill for years, and they finally have it.
Despite missing 18 games with his right leg injury, Thomas ended a point per game player (64 points in 64 games), and Holloway (51 points in 59 games) and Snuggerud (51 points in 70 games), each who missed time with a high ankle sprain and wrist surgery, respectively, finished with 50-plus points.
So instead of being upset that the Blues fell to 11th in the draft odds, be glad and optimistic they have a talented top-end line that can be generational for years to come.
Oh, and can we finally stop talking about all this Thomas getting traded once and for all?
What's better than scoring your first career hat trick?
* Buch reaches 20 -- I've been as hard on Buchnevich as anyone covering this team. And of you look at the numbers from earlier in the season, it's justifiable.
But he finished the season on a three-game goal streak, including putting the Blues on the board first at 1-0 just 3:45 into the game:
Eleven of his 20 goals were scoring since the beginning of February (26 games) and he finished fourth on the team in points with 48 in 81 games played.
* Mailloux's goal a beauty -- Mailloux took plenty of grief this season, despite being a rookie, for the many shortcomings of his early Blues tenure after being acquired from the Canadiens on July 1, 2025 for Zack Bolduc.
But his fifth goal, which was an absolute beauty of a backhand with 2:57 to play, turned out to be the game-winner:
Mailloux, who at one point this season was a minus-20, finished as a minus-10 with 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 67 games, played 20 of 24 games with 20-plus minutes of ice time each game.
Her grew so much from the start of the season that's enabled him to play important minutes playing alongside Philip Broberg on the team's top line.
He finished a plus-3 in 22:24 of ice time in the game.
* Colt 800 -- In a season that almost saw him get traded at the deadline to the Buffalo Sabres, Colton Parayko finished his 11th season with the Blues playing in his 800th game on Thursday, leaving him third on the franchise all-time list and just three off tying Barret Jackman (803), with Bernie Federko (927) as the top player in that category.
Parayko, who played 17:58 for the game with seven shot attempts and two takeaways, was a mentor down the stretch and played with Theo Lindstein before the Blues assigned the young Swede to help in Springfield's playoff push.
"It's pretty special obviously to be able to do it here in St. Louis," Parayko said of reaching 800 games. "It's a special team, special organization. There's been so many great players and great coaches that came before me that I've gotten to play with. I'll take that and keep passing down all throughout and hope to keep that going."
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Even with strategic planning and adept drafting, players slip through the cracks. Fantasy managers need to adjust quickly and scoop up talent that may have been overlooked on draft day because those players could be major difference-makers in determining championship depth. The players below represent waiver wire pickups who delivered better-than-expected seasons and could have given your team a meaningful edge.
Scott Wedgewood, G, Avalanche
Wedgewood was selected in just 15% of leagues at the start of the year and had an ADP (average draft position) of 118.8. He was rostered in only 33% of leagues in the first week of the season. However, he became a popular pickup after a lower-body injury kept Mackenzie Blackwood sidelined until November. Wedgewood remained a solid option once Blackwood returned. The 33-year-old Wedgewood tied for fourth in the league with 31 wins while making a career-high 45 appearances. He led the league with a 2.02 GAA and a .921 save percentage. He was also tied for third in the NHL with four shutouts.
Darren Raddysh, D, Lightning
Raddysh was chosen in 3% of leagues, and his ADP was 76.9. Following a sluggish start, he ended the season 84% rostered and was one of only seven defenders in the league to reach the 70-point plateau. He also finished third among all blueliners with 22 goals and tied for seventh with 26 power-play points. He also added 212 shots on net, 67 hits and 69 blocked shots in 73 appearances en route to becoming a tremendous value pickup.
Matthew Schaefer, D, Islanders
Despite the hype of being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, fantasy managers took a cautious approach to Schaefer out of the gate. He was drafted in 36% of leagues, and his ADP was 119.5 in all drafts. However, it didn't take long for his stock to rise, and a six-game point streak to kick off his career served as a precursor to an impressive showing. He tied Brian Leetch for the most goals (23) in a season by a rookie defenseman in NHL history. The 18-year-old Schaefer had 59 points, 222 shots on net, 111 blocked shots and 18 power-play points in 82 appearances.
Cutter Gauthier, C/LW/RW, Ducks
Gauthier was selected in just 20% of leagues at the start of the year, and his ADP across all drafts was 110.0. However, he remedied that situation shortly afterward, scoring 11 goals on 62 shots and adding seven assists in his first 13 appearances. He jumped from 20 goals and 44 points in his rookie campaign to 41 markers and 69 points over 76 contests during his sophomore season. He also amassed 285 shots in 2025-26, which placed him sixth overall in the league. Gauthier's high-volume shooting and ability to light the lamp should make him a fantasy mainstay going into next season.
Nick Schmaltz, C/RW, Mammoth
Schmaltz has rarely been a popular choice for fantasy managers on draft day, but he typically becomes a well-received option from the waiver wire. He was picked up in a mere 7% of leagues at the beginning of the season, and his ADP was 122.6 across all drafts. However, he was rostered in 82% of leagues by the end of the campaign. He had a career year offensively, collecting 33 goals and 74 points in 82 outings. He also posted a personal best with 206 shots on net. His performance helped him cash in with an eight-year, $64 million contract extension in March.
Evgeni Malkin, C/LW/RW, Penguins
Malkin was largely an afterthought at the start of the 2025-26 campaign. He was selected in only 10% of leagues, and his ADP in all drafts was 127.1. His rostered percentage going into the first week of the season was 21%, but it didn't take long for fantasy managers to correct that mistake. Despite being limited to 56 games, he provided plenty of bang for your buck to fantasy managers. He registered 19 goals, 61 points and 147 shots on net. He also finished fourth on the team with 22 power-play points.
Dan Vladar, G, Flyers
Vladar was selected in 2% of leagues and had an ADP of 131.4. He started a career-high 51 games in 2025-26, earning a 29-14-7 record with a 2.42 GAA and .906 save percentage over 52 games. After five seasons of serving as a backup, the 28-year-old netminder emerged as Philadelphia's go-to option in the crease. He also became a reliable fantasy contributor.
Beckett Sennecke, RW, Ducks
Sennecke's surprised look after being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft was an instant viral moment. The offensive upside and talent were clearly there, but the speed at which he became an impact performer probably surprised fantasy managers as well. Sennecke had two goals and two assists over a three-game point streak to begin his NHL career. He was rostered in only 5% of leagues in the second week of the season. However, his blend of scoring, shots and hits quickly made him a popular addition in standard leagues. Sennecke tied for the league lead among first-year players with 23 goals and finished second with 60 points in 82 games. He also added 97 hits and 197 shots on target.
Trevor Zegras, C/LW/RW, Flyers
Zegras was drafted in 4% of leagues, had an ADP of 131.5 and was rostered in 16% of pools going into the final week of October. He rode a hot start to his tenure in Philadelphia to a career-high 67 points (26 goals, 41 assists) in 81 contests. He also led the Flyers with 23 power-play points. Zegras' efforts made him integral to the team's return to the playoffs.
Brock Nelson, C, Avalanche
Nelson was drafted in 29% of leagues to start the season and had an ADP of 128.4 across all drafts. He was 35% rostered as of Nov. 17, and that is when he began to ramp up offensively. He operated at nearly a point-per-game pace from late November until the end of the year, finishing with 33 goals and 65 points in 81 appearances. Nelson was rostered in 82% of pools by the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
It's game 82 of the regular season, and a lot of players are being sat for “matinence” and rightfully so, but it doesn't mean there isn't one last game to win. It wasn’t the prettiest of games for sure, but the Avalanche made sure to go out with a bang and secure their 55th win of the season with a 2-0 win over the Seattle Kraken.
Period 1:
It was a pretty good period for the Avalanche; they took control of the Kraken and kept them on their pace for the entire period. Nick Blankenburg sends a shot through the blueline that goes initially, but the Kraken challenge for offside and succeed, so it remains tied at 0-0.
The Avalanche gets its first power play opportunity when Ryker Evans is called for high-sticking, but fails to capitalize. The period ends 0-0 as the Avalanche finish the period outshooting the Kraken 17-7.
Period 2:
Vince Dunn called for tripping just thirty seconds into the period, but the Avalanche failed to score on their second power play opportunity.
It's Nick Blankenburg again to open the scoring, but this time officially as he scored from a tight right angle, banks it off Victor Ostman, and in to make it 1-0. Vince Dunn is called for roughing, right before the goal was scored, but the Avalanche failed to score on their third power play opportunity.
The Avalanche head to their first penalty kill as Brent Burns is called for hooking just over a minute into the third period, but they are successful in killing off the penalty. They would get their fourth power-play opportunity as Berkeley Catton is called for hooking, but can't capitalize on that one.
Sam Malinski called for interference just before the Catton power play expired, so it's 4-on-4 for 22 seconds, then the Kraken power play takes over, but the Avalanche can kill that one off as well.
Parker Kelly ices the game as he finishes a great cross-ice pass from Makar to make it 2-0. Both Logan O’Connor and Vince Dunn take roughing penalties, but nothing comes out of the 4-on-4 hockey, and the game finishes 2-0.
With that win, the Avalanche finish the 2025-26 season with a record of 56-16-11, good for 121 points, which sets a franchise record for most points in a season—beating out the 119 set by the 2021-22 Stanley Cup team.
Next Game
The playoffs have arrived, and the Colorado Avalanche will be taking on the Los Angeles Kings in round one of the Stanley Cup playoffs, with game one taking place on Sunday, April 19, at 3 pm EST/1 pm MT.
This will be the first time that these two teams have met in the playoffs since 2018, when the Penguins won in six games. It's also the last time the Penguins won a playoff series, so it's only fitting that they'll have a chance to snap their eight-year drought against the team they last won a series against.
For a while, it looked like the Flyers were going to miss the playoffs, but they went on a massive heater down the stretch, winning 12 of their last 16 games. At one point, they were nine points out of a playoff spot in March, but got hot at the perfect time.
Meanwhile, the Penguins were in a playoff spot for a good chunk of the season and finished the job against the New Jersey Devils on Apr. 9.
Playoff series history
The two teams have met in seven playoff series, with the Flyers winning four. Here's the full series history:
- 1989 Patrick Division Finals: Flyers defeated the Penguins in seven games
- 1997 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Flyers defeated the Penguins in five games
- 2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Flyers defeated the Penguins in six games
- 2008 Eastern Conference Final: Penguins defeated the Flyers in five games
- 2009 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Penguins defeated the Flyers in six games
- 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Flyers defeated the Penguins in six games
- 2018 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Penguins defeated the Flyers in six games
2025-26 Season Series
Each team won two of the four games during the 2025-26 regular season. The Flyers won the first matchup 3-2 in a shootout back on Oct. 28 before the Penguins won the next two 5-1 on Dec. 1 and 6-3 on Jan. 15. The Flyers won the final matchup 4-3 in a shootout on Mar. 7.
Penguins' projected lineup
Forwards
Chinakhov-Crosby-Rust
Novak-Rakell-Malkin
Soderblom-Kindel-Mantha
Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari
Defensive pairs
Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Girard-Letang
Shea-Clifton
Goaltender
Stuart Skinner
Flyers' projected lineup
Forwards
Foerster-Zegras-Tippett
Konecny-Dvorak-Martone
Barkey-Cates-Michkov
Couturier-Glendening-Hathaway
Defensive pairs
Sanheim-Ristolainen
York-Drysdale
Seeler-Andrae
Goaltender
Dan Vladar
Key matchup to watch: Penguins' potent offense vs Flyers' stingy defense
This is going to be a great chess match during the series. The Penguins were one of the best offensive teams during the regular season, finishing third in goals per game with 3.54. Only the Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche were better at putting the puck in the back of the net.
On the other side, the Flyers finished third in 5v5 expected goals against per 60, allowing only 2.19. Only the Ottawa Senators and Vegas Golden Knights ranked better than them. Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet has done a great job of getting the Flyers to play responsibly in their own end, especially towards the end of the regular season. This will be a fun battle throughout the series.
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) returns to the net against the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Penguins' X-Factors: Erik Karlsson and Stuart Skinner
Erik Karlsson was named the Penguins' MVP for the 2025-26 regular season and for good reason. He was outstanding for the Penguins, finishing the year with 15 goals and 66 points in 75 games. He put the team on his back during the March gauntlet when the Penguins had to play a lot of those games without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
Karlsson was great in all situations this year, whether it was at 5v5, the power play, or on the penalty kill. This will be the first time he has played in the playoffs since 2019, and he has been great in the postseason throughout his career, racking up eight goals and 53 points in 67 playoff games.
Skinner has been the better goaltender down the stretch of the season for the Penguins and has a lot of big-game experience. He's been to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals as a member of the Edmonton Oilers and has played really well in back-to-back Western Conference Finals. If the Penguins can get at least average goaltending from Skinner in this series, they should be fine.
Series schedule
Game 1: Saturday, Apr. 18 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/SportsNet Pittsburgh
Game 2: Monday, Apr. 20 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/SportsNet Pittsburgh
Game 3: Wednesday, Apr. 22 at 7 p.m. ET on TNT/truTV/HBO Max/SportsNet Pittsburgh
Game 4: Saturday, Apr. 25 at 8 p.m. ET on TBS/truTV/HBO Max/SportsNet Pittsburgh
Game 5: Monday, Apr. 27, time TBD
Game 6: Wednesday, Apr. 29, time TBD
Game 7: Saturday, May. 2, time TBD
Series prediction
This will be a tougher series than some fans expect it to be, but in the end, the Penguins' depth will be too much for the Flyers to overcome. I also think the Penguins' special teams will outplay the Flyers' special teams in this series, even if fewer penalties are called than in the regular season.
Sidney Crosby also loves to play against the Flyers, and I think he'll have at least one big moment in this series. Give me the Penguins in six games.
Kings center Anze Kopitar will be competing in the NHL playoffs for the final time. (Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
The Kings looked nothing like a playoff team heading into the NHL’s trade deadline. They had lost six of their last eight games, had just fired their coach and had saw their second-leading scorer go down with a broken leg in the Olympic tournament.
They were backing away from the playoffs, not heading toward them. So general manager Ken Holland did the prudent thing and largely stood pat, trading a couple of veterans for draft picks and making only a pair of minor acquisitions.
Turns out he wasn’t waving a white flag but rather a green one because the Kings hit the gas after that, gathering points in 16 of their final 20 games, finishing the regular season as one of the hottest teams in the NHL. That earned them a fifth straight trip to the playoffs and a first-round meeting with the Colorado Avalanche, the league’s winningest team, beginning Sunday in Denver.
The Ducks, meanwhile, advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2018 but they stumbled in, losing eight of their last 10 and blowing a five-point lead in the Pacific Division and the home-ice advantage that went with it over the final three weeks. The Ducks, the third-place team in the Pacific Division, will start on the road in Edmonton on Monday.
Kings interim coach D.J. Smith during a game in March in Boston. (Charles Krupa / Associated Press)
“It’s been a climb. Probably didn’t look very good a while ago,” said Kings interim coach D.J. Smith, who could lose the interim part of that title after going 11-6-6 after replacing Jim Hiller behind the bench with 23 games to play. “It’s a credit to the guys, the leadership. They played playoff hockey for a while now. And it’s allowed us this opportunity.”
Actually, crediting the Kings with playing playoff hockey isn’t necessarily a compliment since the team hasn’t won a postseason series since hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2014. But it’s been more than a decade since the Kings have entered the playoffs carrying this kind of momentum and they have a few people to thank for that.
Anton Forsberg has been key for the Kings down the stretch. (Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
Journeyman goaltender Anton Forsberg, who spent most of his first season in Los Angeles backing up Darcy Kuemper, won five straight starts in April to key the Kings’ fast finish. Russian winger Artemi Panarin, acquired from the New York Rangers just before the Olympic break and a month before the trade deadline, contributed nine goals and 18 assists in 26 games, helping make up for the loss of forwards Kevin Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko to injuries. And Quinton Byfield scored 10 times in his final 13 games to set a career high with 24 goals.
“Since the break I feel like we’ve really come together as a group,” Byfield said.
The team displayed uncommon grit as well, going to overtime an NHL-record 33 times. (They lost 20 of those games; if they have gotten the second point in just a third of those, they would have won the division.)
And finally, the Kings were also fueled by a desire to give captain Anze Kopitar one more chance at a title. Kopitar, who announced in September that this season would be his last, gave an emotional good-bye speech to the fans after the final regular-season home game. His teammates were determined to give him an encore in the playoffs.
“That had a lot to do with it,” Smith said. “Guys were playing for him. He gets one more chance to play at home.
“We found a way.”
Kopitar, however, credited his coach for the team’s fast finish.
“Once Smithy came in, he just changed the energy a little bit and we’re trying to be a little more aggressive versus sitting back,” said Kopitar, the Kings’ all-time leader in games, points and assists.
Cutter Gauthier is the first Duck to score 40 goals in a season since Corey Perry in 2013-14. (Melissa Majchrzak / Associated Press)
For the Ducks, they’re not only returning to the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons — only the Detroit Red Wings have a longer active postseason drought — but they also posted a winning record for the first time since 2018.
Troy Terry, who played two games as a rookie that season, is the only Duck remaining from that team.
“This year has just felt different from the start,” he said. “It was less question marks about the potential of the team. We knew what we could be.”
Which isn’t to say it’s been easy. The team had two seven-game winning streaks but also weathered losing streaks of nine and six games.
“We had a couple of roller coasters there, starting and then slowing down and getting back on it,” said coach Joel Quenneville, who has taken five teams to the NHL playoffs, winning three Stanley Cups in Chicago.
The Ducks’ 273 goals this season are the most in franchise history but the 288 they allowed is third-worst all time, leaving the team with the second-highest goal differential of any playoff team. (Only the Kings are worse at -22.)
Speaking of history, winger Cutter Gauthier, with 18 goals in the final 23 games, is the first Duck to score 40 goals in a season since Corey Perry in 2013-14. At 22, he’s also the second-youngest to get there, trailing only Paul Kariya.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Arsenii Sergeev made 27 saves in his first NHL start, Zayne Parekh broke a third-period tie and the Calgary Flames beat the playoff-bound Los Angeles Kings 3-1 on Thursday night to end the season.
The Kings learned during the game that they’d be the second wild-card in the Western Conference and face NHL regular-season champion Colorado in the first round — with Game 1 on Sunday in Denver.
Los Angeles finished 35-27-20. Earlier Thursday, Edmonton took second place in the Pacific Division with a 6-1 home victory over Vancouver, and Anaheim won 5-4 at Nashville to finish third.
Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee also scored for Calgary. The Flames finished 34-39-9.
Kings star Anze Kopitar appeared in his final regular-season game, finishing with the seventh-most career points by a born and trained European player with 1,316. The leader of the category is Jaromir Jagr with 1,921.
Quinton Byfield scored for Los Angeles, and Anton Forsberg made 18 saves.
Frost opened the scoring at 5:21 of the second period on a power play with his 22nd of the season. Byfield tied it less than two minutes later with his 24th.
Farabee scored into an empty net to reach 20 goals.
