The regular season may be over, but the real season is about to begin.

The Colorado Avalanche begin their pursuit of the franchise’s fourth Stanley Cup championship today, as they face the Los Angeles Kings in first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche wrapped up the most successful regular season in franchise history with a 2-0 win over the floundering Seattle Kraken on Thursday night at Ball Arena. Defenseman Nick Blankenburg scored in the first period (which was overturned on a successful offside challenge by Seattle head coach Lane Lambert), but broke through (again) late in the second period to give the Avs the lead. Parker Kelly would cap off the scoring with his twenty-first goal of the season to secure the victory. The win saw them finish with a 121 point campaign, a new franchise record. Scott Wedgewood earned his fourth shutout of the season (and twelfth of his career), stopping all twenty-two shots he faced.

The Avs, who enter the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and League standings with their fourth Presidents Trophy under their belts, face a Los Angeles Kings team that clinched the second wild card position in the Western Conference late in the regular season. During regular season play, the Avs swept the season series, outscoring the Kings 13-5. Both teams met twice previously in postseason play, with both series going a full seven games. The Avs defeated the Kings in Game Seven to advance to the Western Conference Final in 2001, and earned another Game Seven victory in the first round back in 2002. Despite being heavily favored in this year’s matchup against the Kings, the Avs would do well not to take them lightly: the Avs lost their first round series to Seattle (and former goaltender Philipp Grubauer) back in 2023, which ended their Stanley Cup defense. While it’s a coincidence that another former Avs goalie will be on the opposing side in Darcy Kuemper, the notion of having another playoff run come to an early end is an outcome that no one wants to see, especially for this loaded roster.

Head Coach Jared Bednar yesterday addressed prior playoff disappointments and expectations for his roster. “There has to be a mentality there that we’re willing to go and earn what we want, right? We’re not deserved of anything yet. It’s all going to be about the way we play, and being willing to earn that, and if we think a team is going to hand us something, then that’s the wrong mentality, so we talked about that type of mindset. I think all of our guys understand that we’ve been through some heartache here in the first few rounds of playoffs, and I think it’s still fresh in our minds about what our focus is. It’s not on anything but L.A., Game One, and then we’ll shift to Game Two. Like, we have to have a narrow focus going into this thing […] We’re not looking past L.A.; this is a very good hockey team that’s played very well down the stretch, and we have to go and beat them, and that’s our focus, and it starts tomorrow afternoon with the puck drop.”

MacKinnon, who also spoke with the media after practice yesterday, echoed similar sentiments. “All our focus is on Game One in the first round. I mean, we need to play desperate, desperate hockey, you know? All we’re focused on is the Kings, and after that, if we’re lucky to make it that far, we’ll focus on the next series, but, you know, all our attention and focus is on L.A.”

Bednar also indicated yesterday that he won’t comment on any lineup changes, or who his starting goalies will be, throughout the playoffs. During the practice session, Parker Kelly spent time playing wing on the second line with Brock Nelson and Valeri Nichushkin, and Gabe Landeskog, who made his memorable return to the Avs lineup last postseason, was on the wing with Nazem Kadri and Nicolas Roy. While these lineup tweaks may not be what takes the ice this afternoon, it certainly would provide a different look to the top and bottom six units. Placing Kelly in the top six would be quite a show of trust from Bednar in the newly-minted twenty-plus goal-scorer to see what he can do with more talented linemates, while putting Landeskog with Kadri and Roy would turn that third line forecheck into a nightmare for the Kings.

As far as the goaltending goes, should Bednar with his pre-existing rotation, the nod should go to Blackwood for Game One, as he could always turn to Wedgewood in the event that Blackwood struggles in the series opener. However, it’s difficult to look past the appeal of starting Wedgewood, who just completed his first thirty win campaign—a career best—this season.

Projected Lineup

Forwards:
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas
Parker Kelly – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin
Gabe Landeskog – Nazem Kadri – Nicolas Roy
Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Logan O’Connor

Defense:
Cale Makar – Devon Toews
Josh Manson – Brent Burns
Brett Kulak – Sam Malinksi

Between the Pipes:
Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood

Los Angeles Kings

After three consecutive seasons of first round postseason exits at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles gets a break from being terrorized by the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl…only to find the likes of MacKinnon and Martin Nečas, both of whom scored a combined 227 points during the regular season, perennial Norris Trophy favorite Cale Makar, and the William Jennings trophy-winning duo in Blackwood and Wedgewood waiting for them.

Some break.

Although they had been in the mix for a more promising seeding in Pacific Division standings, General Manager Ken Holland made several moves to try to bolster his team’s position. Philip Danault, Warren Foegele, and Corey Perry were shipped out, while Artemi Panarin and Scott Laughton were added. While Los Angeles managed to clinch their playoff berth on April 14 in a 5-3 victory over Seattle, they wouldn’t learn of their actual playoff position until the final night of the regular season three nights later. The Anaheim Ducks wrapped up the third seed in the Pacific Division in their 5-4 defeat of the Nashville Predators, which locked the Kings into the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.

According to Kings insiders Jared Shafran and Zach Dooley, due to the multiple playoff scenarios that could have unfolded for Los Angeles, they opted returned home after wrapping up their regular season finale in Calgary. Dooley said that the Kings spent time in L.A. on Friday to give the roster some rest in familiar surroundings before practicing on Saturday, then flying out to Denver afterward. Shafran said that the Kings wouldn’t hold a morning skate prior to Game One due to its early start time.

Going into the postseason as the second wild card against the League’s top seed is daunting enough, but to go into Denver with so little practice time prior to the start of the series against Colorado, who made Ball Arena a house of horrors for opposing teams throughout the regular season, is certainly an unenviable choice. Dooley also noted that injured forwards Andrei Kuzmenko, Jeff Malott, and Alex Turcotte, who have missed stretches of time due to injury, participated in yesterday’s practice. All three are now options to return to the lineup for Game One, but no firm decisions had been made regarding their status.

Kevin Fiala won’t be an option for interim head coach (and one-time Colorado defenseman) D.J. Smith, who missed the rest of the season after sustaining a leg injury during the Olympic break. Having Kuzmenko, Malott, and Turcotte as possible additions for his lineup would give him more options to go against Colorado’s deep forward ranks. Adrian Kempe, Quinton Byfield, and Alex Laferriere, all of whom led Los Angeles in goals and points, respectively, will have their work cut out for them as they go against a formidable Colorado defense. However, Smith will have one of the League’s best wingers at his disposal in Panerin. Over the course of twenty-six games played with Los Angeles, Panarin averaged over a point per game during his short tenure with the Kings (9G/18A/27PTS). He and Kempe, along with captain Anže Kopitar, will likely be Colorado’s top defensive assignment of Makar and Devon Toews, which could afford Smith the opportunity to deploy Byfield and Laferriere against more favorable matchups.

In goal, Anton Forsberg, who won six of his past seven starts, could get the nod again as things get underway in Denver. However, in eight career games against Colorado, Forsberg has recorded only one win (1-7-0), and has never faced Colorado in postseason action. Kuemper, who backstopped Colorado to the Stanley Cup in 2022, would seem to be a more logical option, given his familarity with their playing style. He also has a playoff series win against Colorado, which was earned as a member of the Minnesota Wild during the 2013-2014 postseason, marking his first ever playoff series victory.

This series against Colorado will mark Smith’s first ever appearance as a head coach in the playoffs, who was tagged as interim head coach after Jim Hiller was dismissed in March. During his time as the bench boss of the Ottawa Senators, none of his teams qualified for the playoffs. Despite this lack of playoff credentials as a head coach, Smith did make playoff appearances as an assistant as part of Mike Babcok’s coaching staff with the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, three consecutive first round exits concluded those playoff appearances during his time in Toronto.

Kopitar, who annouced that this season would be his final NHL season, will make his last appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a Kings sweater. If he has his say, he’ll have more than four more games of postseason play to put a feather in his Hall of Fame crown…unless Colorado has a different send-off in mind.

Projected Lineup

Forwards:
Artemi Panarin – Anže Kopitar – Adrian Kempe
Trevor Moore – Quinton Byfield – Alex Laferriere
Joel Armia – Scott Laughton – Jared Wright
Mathieu Joseph – Samuel Helenius – Jeff Malott

Defense:
Mikey Anderson – Drew Doughty
Joel Edmundson – Brandt Clarke
Brian Dumoulin – Cody Ceci

Between the Pipes:
Anton Forsberg
Darcy Kuemper

The noise begins before the puck drops, but it doesn’t crest until the first collision.

A hard, clean finish along the wall that sends a surge through the building. It’s a signal. This is how the game will be played.

And within the first five minutes of Game 1, the Philadelphia Flyers made something unmistakably clear: They weren’t here to be passengers, or bow to the Pittsburgh Penguins' history of postseason success.

They came to the Steel City to win. And win they did. 

A 3–2 victory in the opener of a bitter rivalry series is easy to reduce to execution, to moments, to who finished and who didn’t. But this game lived in the layers underneath—how pressure was absorbed, and how a team with far less playoff mileage refused to let the environment dictate its decisions.

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1. They Shrunk the Ice Deliberately and Repeatedly

Playoff hockey doesn’t just feel tighter—it is tighter. Time compresses. Passing lanes narrow. The difference between a clean exit and a turnover is often half a stride.

The Flyers played an active role in creating that compression. From the opening shifts, their neutral-zone structure was compact without being passive, and their forwards tracked with purpose, angling puck carriers into narrower lanes rather than chasing them outright. Defensemen held their gaps a fraction longer than they might in January, stepping up not to force a turnover every time, but to ensure that Pittsburgh’s entries came without speed or support. Goaltender Dan Vladar gave another performance that showed exactly why he was named the Flyers' MVP this season.

Defenseman Jamie Drysdale, who netted his first career playoff goal to open the scoring for the Flyers, pointed to the emotional driver.

“I think we just came in with real high intensity in that first period," he said postgame. "[Sean Couturier] led the way there, and everyone just kind of built off that. I think we’ve got confidence in this room.”

But tactically, it was about denying Pittsburgh the ability to build plays. The Flyers weren't chasing this game. They anticipated where it would go, and arrived there first.

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2. The Game Was Played Inside the Dots By Design

There’s a tendency in playoff openers for teams to test the perimeter, to probe for openings without committing to the interior.

Philadelphia bypassed that phase.

Their offense was all about shot location. They funneled pucks and bodies toward the middle of the ice, even when it meant absorbing contact or delaying a release. That commitment showed up most clearly on Porter Martone’s goal.

At 19 years, 174 days—now the youngest Flyer to score in a playoff debut, surpassing Simon Gagne—Martone didn’t drift into space. He occupied it early, then adjusted as the play developed. By the time the puck arrived, he was finishing.

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

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

That sequence is easy to misread as instinct, but really, it’s processing. And it speaks to something broader about the Flyers’ approach: they weren’t trying to outpace Pittsburgh at the edges of the ice. They were trying to win the most contested areas, repeatedly, until those areas became advantageous.

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3. Their Composure Was Structural Instead Of Emotional 

There is a visible kind of composure—calm faces, controlled body language—and then there is the kind that shows up only in decision-making. The Flyers’ version lived in their edges and exits.

When the Penguins pressed, the Flyers resisted the urge to try to solve those moments with a single play. They used the glass. They chipped into space with purpose. They accepted neutral resets instead of forcing controlled exits that weren’t there.

However, Drysdale didn’t shy away from the emotional reality of such a monumental game for the Flyers, saying, “There’s definitely nerves, to be honest, but you’ve got to channel them the right way. It’s what we’ve been working for. You obviously would much rather be here than at home watching. It’s fun, it’s a good position to be in, so you’ve got to take advantage of it when you can."

“This was a loud building, for sure," he continued. "[Penguins fans] were definitely behind their team. But in saying that, I think we held composure, we stayed calm, and we stayed consistent with our game, and I think, ultimately, that’s what led us through.”

Jamie Drysdale on the atmosphere of this game: [Pens fans]were definitely behind their team. But in saying that, I think we held composure. We stayed calm, and we stayed consistent with our game, and I think, ultimately, that's what that led us through.”#Flyers

— Siobhan Nolan (@SGNolan) April 19, 2026

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4. Physicality Was On Point

Rivalry playoff games often tilt toward excess. And while this game saw plenty of bodies on both sides giving out bruisers, the Flyers largely avoided the trap of showmanship physicality.

They were physical in proximity. If a play was there to be finished, they finished it. If it required an extra stride or compromised positioning, they let it go.

Head coach Rick Tocchet framed it like this: “When you play a team like [the Penguins], you can’t run around. If you’re six, seven feet away, to finish your check is not the smartest move, but if you’re three feet away, you’ve gotta finish your check. [The Penguins] had some good hits. They were physical too. The teams that can do it over and over again in the playoffs are usually the successful ones.”

Sit down. pic.twitter.com/OLSsDNuYnc

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

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5. Contributions Followed a Pattern, Not a Script

The names on the scoresheet varied.

Travis Sanheim scored his first of the playoffs, while Trevor Zegras recorded his first postseason point. Even Rasmus Ristolainen—appearing in his first playoff game after 820 regular-season contests—contributed.

And Denver Barkey, who also put up his first NHL playoff point, continued a season that has accelerated beyond expectation.

“It’s been a whirlwind; I think that’s the best word to use," he said. "It’s a lot to take in just to jump to pro as it is right? Credit to a lot of people that have helped me along the way as well as hard work and just loving the game."

Every player operated within the same set of decisions, the same understanding of space and risk. That’s what made the performance feel cohesive rather than opportunistic.

Zegras worded it best by describing it simply as the result you get "when you have 23 guys all on the same page."

Zegras on the stifling defensive effort: "That's what you get when you have 23 guys all on the same page."

— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) April 19, 2026

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What Lingers After Game 1

Playoff series aren't decided by the opening result, but they do evolve based on what that result reveals.

This game showed that the Flyers can play in an extremely hostile environment—one where fans are shouting "F—— you, Philly!," where decisions are accelerated, and mistakes are magnified—and not only survive it with a win, but shape it.

They didn't test out sneakers on the day of the marathon, and that's precisely why they won. They have figured out a playing system that has the capability to carry them past any opponent you put in front of them. After so many years of moving puzzle pieces and omnipresent uncertainty, that changes the equation.

Because now, the series is not about question of whether Philadelphia can produce in a playoff environment. Now, it’s about whether they can continue to impose their version of it.

And after one night, in one of the most demanding settings the sport offers, they’ve given a very clear answer.

The Pittsburgh Penguins played a disjointed opening game against the Flyers and ended up falling 3-2 to their instate rivals to kick off their 2026 playoff series.

Where’d it all go wrong (aside from just about everything in the first 20-55 minutes?) Let’s take a look.

They weren’t alone in it, but the Sam Girard – Kris Letang pair had an absolutely brutal night

NHL Game Score Impact Card for Pittsburgh Penguins on 2026-04-18: pic.twitter.com/KRMah9CNjF

— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) April 19, 2026

Sam Girard and Kris Letang had a tough night at the office last night. Letang was on the ice for all three goals the Flyers scored in Game 1, he also had to take a penalty after letting an opponent take the puck away from him. Girard wasn’t able to help and struggled just as much.

Per Moneypuck, Girard’s xGF% was 6.31%, to Letang’s 7.63. The Penguins aren’t going for anywhere but an early exit if their second pair defense is in the single digits of expected goal percentage. Girard and Letang were hardly alone at having bad nights: the vaunted fourth line had an XGF% in the 14-19% range, Karlsson didn’t score well on Game Score or xGF% either, Tommy Novak and Ben Kindel had difficult times getting their heads above water too, and on and on), yet they stand out as a glaring area to watch try and rebound in Game 2. One thing about Letang is he is not a very subtle player, it’s not going to be a secret to tell if he can pull the nose up or continues to struggle with the speed and pressure that Philadelphia is going to press upon him.

Failing to take advantage of a quick start

The beginnings of games should be toward Pittsburgh’s advantage, as we detailed here. They were one of the best first period teams this season, the Flyers were not. The Pens got handed a power play 1:53 into the game, the hot crowd was ready to explode and start the party. It did not work out that way and the tone for the rest of the game was set. The Pens couldn’t fight the momentum and Philadelphia poured it on them early to the tune of a 9-5 edge in shots for the first period.

Playing at home in the playoffs for the first time in four years, against a team with 10 players making their playoff debuts should have been a positive for the Penguins. It did not play out that way at all.

The line configurations didn’t work

The xGF% and shots for/against for the main lines went like this:

• Chinakhov-Crosby-Rust: 47.3%, 4-2 shots, 0-0 goals
• Novak-Rakell-Malkin: 23.0%, 2-4 shots, 1-0 goals
• Soderblom-Kindel-Mantha: 12.3%, 2-3 shots, 0-1 goals
• Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari: 20.8%, 2-2 shots, 0-1 goals

(The Flyers scored their eventual game-winner in the midst of a change while a ‘regular’ line wasn’t on the ice together in the course of play)

All those lines didn’t work. Chinakhov with Crosby still seems more like a new experiment than a fully-functioning combination in top form. Similarly, Rakell with Novak and Malkin is still in the finding their way stage. The third line might be the most disappointing at all on the stats (which is surprising since Soderblom had an impactful and positive game), but Kindel got buried and looked the way many hoped and expected that the Flyer young players would get pushed in the deep end. The decision to not play Justin Brazeau in the future will have to get reassessed. Even the fourth line that has been such a positive factor all year long was fighting and losing an uphill battle.

In short, it was a night nothing worked out well. The Flyers did their jobs, the Penguins looked lost and confused to where a lot of the people playing together weren’t connected enough. One game is one chapter of a series, now the Pens can take the chance to look at what they might need to change and try again the next time in Game 2 tomorrow.

When the Minnesota Wild (1-0) needed someone to take over, Kirill Kaprizov did what he’s been doing his entire playoff career.

He produced. And he produced at a level this franchise hasn’t seen before.

Kaprizov, 28, finished with a goal and two assists, marking his third career three-point game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the most in Wild history.

His goal didn’t just add to the stat sheet either.

It stood as the game-winner over the Dallas Stars (0-1). This happened to be Kaprizov's third game-winning goal of his playoff career, tying Nino Niederreiter for the most in franchise history.

That goal also gave him 16 for his playoff career, tying Zach Parise for the most in Wild history. It’s a mark that’s been around for a while and Kaprizov has reached it in just 26 games.

That’s where things start to look different.

Kaprizov now has 16 goals in 26 career playoff games. Only five players in NHL history have scored at a higher rate in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (minimum 10 games).

For a team that’s spent years trying to find consistent offense when it matters most, Kaprizov isn’t just contributing, he’s driving everything.

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The 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway, and for the first time in eight years, the Anaheim Ducks are one of the final 16 teams. They qualified with 92 points in the standings, good enough for third place in the Pacific Division, dubbed the “pillow fight division” by a member of the Ducks’ first-round opponents.

The Ducks’ first-round opponent for their first playoff series since 2018 will be the back-to-back Western Conference Champion Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers finished second in the Pacific, earning themselves home ice advantage in the opening round.

How Ducks GM Pat Verbeek Built Roster with Playoffs in Mind

Ducks to Face Oilers in Round One of 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

With the Ducks representing a team with a young core and on the rise, and the Oilers representing a perennial Cup favorite whose tolerance for losing has completely evaporated, storylines are plentiful entering Monday’s game one matchup. Let’s get into some on the Ducks’ side of the red line:

Joel Quenneville Returns to the Postseason

The Ducks hired Quenneville on May 8, 2025, nearly four years since he’d last been behind an NHL bench as the head coach of the Florida Panthers. After due diligence, Ducks’ general manager Pat Verbeek made the decision to hire Quenneville ahead of the 2025-26 season, with a mandate from himself and ownership to make the playoffs as soon as the upcoming season.

The Ducks succeeded in their seemingly lofty goal, and Quenneville will return to coach an NHL playoff game for the first time since the 2020-21 season. In his 26 seasons as a head coach in the NHL, Quenneville’s teams have qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs 22 times and won three Stanley Cups.

In the past, Quenneville has pulled the right strings at the right times to optimize his roster’s impact in each playoff series. He’s identified matchups to exploit, implemented game plans, and made proper adjustments through a grueling seven-game series.

The NHL landscape, skill level, and on-ice product/style have changed considerably since Quennville was winning Stanley Cups in the early-to-mid 2010’s with the Chicago Blackhawks and even since he last coached a playoff game. Will he be able to replicate what he accomplished in the past with an up-and-coming Ducks roster, as he had so many times in the past?

Backing into the Playoffs

On March 26, the Ducks seemingly had the Pacific Division all but wrapped up. With 86 points through 72 games, they had a five-point lead on the second-place Oilers, were primed to capture their first division title since 2017, and were destined for a first-round series against the Utah Mammoth.

Since that date, through the final ten games of the regular season, the Ducks went 2-6-2, were outscored 41-30, lost home ice advantage, and have to now play a significantly tougher opponent. They continued to face difficulties with poor starts, untimely poor puck or position decisions, and defending the tight areas of the defensive zone, areas that had plagued them for the majority of the first 72 games of the season as well. A difference down the stretch was also that their goaltending, which had kept them in games to that point, fell to mere human levels and was unable to continue bailing them out.

When the games mattered the most, in the regular season, they couldn’t meet the moment, perhaps leaving most analysts discouraged in their chances going into this series. On the encouraging end of the spectrum, though their special teams cratered, their last ten games was one of their best (or their best) stretches of the season at 5v5, as they accounted for 56.3% of the expected goals. Will they extract the positive while discarding the negative aspects of the last ten games when the pressure elevates even further?

Playoff Terry

Ahead of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, Troy Terry sat fifth among active NHL players in games played without a playoff appearance (488), behind Mario Ferraro (490), Tage Thompson (529), Rasmus Dahlin (586), and Rasmus Ristolainen (820).

That streak is now over for Terry (along with three of the four players ahead of him). The monkey is off his back, and he’ll have the privilege of playing hockey in the playoffs. He had been the franchise’s most consistent player through the entirety of the rebuild, having now played for five different head coaches, and is the only roster player remaining from when the Ducks last made the playoffs in 2018.

Can Terry take his game to another level and shepherd the Ducks’ current and upcoming crop of young players toward realizing their full potential in their present and future playoff runs?

Feet Wet or Make Noise

Had anyone said on Oct. 9, 2025, that, in six months, the Anaheim Ducks were going to finish with 92 points, qualify for the playoffs, and end their eight-year postseason drought, anyone who follows the team and the team themselves would have been more than satisfied with that outcome for the 2025-26 season.

There’s a sense around various national media outlets that the Ducks don’t stand much of a chance in this series and should simply be happy to have made “the dance” and gain some valuable experience, getting their feet wet in these high-intensity games.

Those aspects are true. However, for the younger players, their inexperience could make them most dangerous, riding emotion while not fully grasping the pressure of playoff hockey, and for the aging veterans, they do understand the gravity of their situation and how it could represent the last or one of the last “kicks at the can.”

Can the Ducks capitalize on their blend of youthful naivete and veteran familiarity enough to upset a contender with two of the best centers in the world, both in their primes?

An Allegory for the Passage of Time

Time is a flat circle. Teams’ trajectories rise and fall like a roller coaster, and much like in fashion, things in the NHL tend to come full circle. The Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks last met in the playoffs in the second round of the 2017 playoffs. That series will be remembered, from the Ducks’ perspective, for the “Comeback on Katella” in game five and the series that put an end to their four-game losing streak in game sevens.

That series now represents the last series win for the Ducks, as their contending window would violently shut after the 2016-17 season. From Edmonton’s perspective, that series represented the very first playoff loss for a 20-year-old Connor McDavid, 21-year-old Leon Draisaitl, 21-year-old Darnell Nurse, and 23-year-old Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, as they were coming off their first taste of playoff success in the series preceding, which advanced them to the second round.

Now, nine years later, McDavid is 29, Draisaitl is 30, Nurse is 30, and Nugent-Hopkins is 32. The Ducks, who have a completely different roster without any leftovers from that series, are the team with the young core on the rise. Led by Beckett Sennecke (20), Leo Carlsson (21), Cutter Gauthier (22), and Jackson LaCombe (25), this series will hopefully represent a similar sustainable window of contention.

Can this Ducks roster do what those Oilers couldn’t, and take down a Goliath, or, like on many occasions, will history repeat itself?

Game one of this series will commence on Monday, April 20, at 7 PM PST, in Edmonton.

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The Philadelphia Flyers picked up a hard-fought 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of the first round. With this, the Flyers now have a 1-0 lead in the series, which is certainly good news for the Metropolitan Division club. 

Porter Martone played a role in the Flyers' win, as he scored a big insurance goal at the 17:23 mark of the third period that gave Philadelphia a 3-1 lead over the Penguins. It was a nice goal from the Flyers' top prospect, too, as he showed great patience with the puck before beating Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner top shelf with an excellent wrist shot. 

With this goal, Martone also made Flyers history. 

According to NHL Public Relations, Martone is now the youngest Flyers player in their franchise history to score in his playoff debut (19 years, 174 days old). Simon Gagne previously had the record, as he scored in his postseason debut in 2000 at 20 years and 44 days old. 

This stat just shows how much of an impact Martone is immediately making for the Flyers. The young winger is making it clear that he is not only ready for the NHL but can already be a big offensive contributor in the process. 

Porter Martone became the youngest @NHLFlyers player to score in his postseason debut, besting the previous benchmark established by Simon Gagne (20 years, 44 days) during Game 1 of 2000 Conference Quarterfinals. #StanleyCup#NHLStats: https://t.co/TrirK9vhfPpic.twitter.com/AzMVGoLDLU

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) April 19, 2026

Martone will now be looking to continue to shine with the Flyers as the postseason rolls on. In nine regular-season games for the Flyers to finish off the campaign, he had four goals and 10 points. 

Over the years, hardware store RONA has been a major advertising partner of the Montreal Canadiens, and it's stepped up its advertising in Quebec in recent years. The ad campaign “Mike Chez Rona” has been so successful that no one in the province can hear the Knacks’ song My Sharona without hearing the jingle in their head, and on March 26, a Mike Chez RONA bobblehead was even given as a promotional item at the Bell Center in

With the Canadiens making the playoffs for a second year in a row, RONA has decided to bring back its advertising campaign, “RONA on touche du bois” (RONA we touch wood). Last year, they brought a big stack of wood (which they sell, of course) and had fans touch it to bring luck to the Canadiens; this time around, though, they stepped up their game.

Double Dose Of Good News For The Canadiens
Former Canadiens Named To CHL Top 50 Players Of Last 50 Years
Canadiens St-Louis’ Thinks Xhekaj Has Shown Enough

This year, they’ve obtained Patrice Brisebois’ stick from the 1993 playoffs, and starting Friday, for the first home game of the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, they’ll be in the vicinity of the Bell Centre to allow as many fans as possible to touch the bois glorieux, the glorious wood.

Appearing on TVA’s morning news show Salut Bonjour, a RONA representative explained that they’d be going around to surprise fan gatherings and allow them to touch Brisebois’ stick to bring luck to the team.

Given just how superstitious hockey fans are, that’s a campaign that’s sure to get people talking about RONA. That’s just one example of the craziness that takes over Montreal when the Canadiens are in the playoffs. Last week, former NHLer turned radio host Georges Laraque organized an event in which he had fans climb the stairs of the St-Joseph Oratory on their knees to bring good luck to the Habs. Back in 1993, when the Habs won their last Stanley Cup, coach Jacques Demers had made a pilgrimage to the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre Basilica during the series against the Quebec Nordiques, and the Habs had won their next two games against the Nordiques; the rest is history.

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Just the facts

• When: Tonight, 7:30 PM
• Where: KeyBank Center – Buffalo, NY
• How to follow: NESN, ESPN, 98.5 The Sports Hub
• Opposing perspective:Die by the Blade

Know your enemy

• Tage Thompson: 40G-41A-81PTS; Rasmus Dahlin: 19G-55A-74PTS; Alex Tuch: 33G-33A-66PTS
• Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: 22-9-3, 2.52 GAA, .910 save percentage

*Stats listed above are from the regular season

Game notes

• After what feels like a few weeks of waiting, the Bruins and Sabres will begin their first round series tonight in Buffalo. Compared to how long Sabres fans have been waiting for this day, however, three or four days will seem like the blink of an eye.
• This will be the first playoff game in Buffalo since April 24, 2011, a 5-4 OT loss to the Flyers in Game 6 of their first round series.
• With Alex Lyon still recovering from a late-season injury, the Bruins will see Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in net for Buffalo tonight and likely for the majority of the series, unless he struggles. Lyon has returned to practice, so he could be a late-series option for Buffalo, if needed.
• The Bruins don’t appear to have any fresh injury concerns ahead of Game 1. Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt will be available after each of their partners had babies earlier this week.
• All signs point to James Hagens being in the lineup for Game 1, as others competing for his spot made up the fifth line at practice earlier this week. He looked fine in his NHL tune-up, but it’ll be interesting to see how he fares in playoff hockey (though you could say something similar about several of the Bruins young players).
• Jeremy Swayman will be the Bruins starter in net. While the playoffs are a different animal, Swayman is 8-1-1 in ten career games against Buffalo.
• Aside from Hagens’s status, which seems relatively set, one place where Marco Sturm will have decisions to make is on the blue line. Mason Lohrei has been up and down all season, while Jordan Harris and Henri Jokiharju had some good minutes in the last few games of the regular season.
• As this is an ESPN game and there might be some pomp and circumstance (understandably) from the home team, I wouldn’t be surprised if this game starts a bit after 7:30, so…plan accordingly.

See ya tonight!

New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov still has work to do before getting back to the NHL. But he took steps in the right direction this past week, playing in two rehab games down in Bridgeport. 

He went 2-0-0, making 18 saves on 20 shots in a 5-2 win back on Wednesday before turning aside 28 of 29 in a 2-1 win over the Hershey Bears on Saturday.

Varly stopped 28 of 29 tonight.

Through two rehab games: Stopped 46 of 49. #Isleshttps://t.co/PkTDXMxCpj

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) April 19, 2026

These were his first two games since Nov. 29, 2024, before he underwent knee procedures on both knees. 

Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said that Varlamov, who has one season left on his contract at $2.75 million, is a realistic backup option for Ilya Sorokin in 2026-27. 

If he keeps looking the way he's looked, Varlamov's dream to get back to the NHL after so much time away will become a reality. 

There was a fun nugget in Elliotte Friedman’s recent 32 Thoughts

The Penguins are one of the league’s great stories and they are fun to watch. One scout said Anthony Mantha may be the most-watched player by other teams in Round 1

Mantha had a career-best season, exploding for 33 goals and 64 points, while appearing in 81 games. That’s the legwork to get a big contract this summer but now teams will be watching to see what happens when the spotlight gets the brightest. That’s been a problem for Mantha traditionally, he hasn’t scored a goal in 14 NHL playoff games while adding six assists. Mantha also got relegated to being a healthy scratch the previous time he was in the playoffs with Vegas in 2024.

So even for a guy who has proved a lot this year, there’s always more work to do and people to impress.

That started in Game 1, Mantha was credited with five hits and amped up the physicality in a major way. However, he also took two offensive zone stick penalties and came up empty in a last second chance near the net that ended up as his only shot on goal for the game.

It’s a long series and teams out there will have a close eye on what impact Mantha is able to have for the Penguins during this playoff stretch. It might just determine how aggressive his market will be on July 1.

Here are all the other games!

Game 1: Los Angeles vs. Colorado

Whoever showed up from the second wildcard spot for the West was getting fed into a woodchipper. Through a series of misadventures, it happened to be the LA Kings.

If you are wondering which of the first round series could be a sweep, this is your best bet; LA absolutely sucks at even strength and has fewer goals than even Seattle, who famously does not have talent to score. The only way I could actively see Colorado losing a game, let alone this series, is if they suddenly experienced a mass injury event or fell into the Springfield Mystery Spot. The only other realistic possibility is that Colorado’s power play is bizarrely terrible given the caliber of player they usually ice, so maybe LA could find a way to get back into games through short-handed chances…if only their own special teams weren’t apocalyptically terrible.

I dunno man. This is going to be a very short series unless the Avs just don’t show.

Game 2: Meteor Series

Montreal vs. Tampa Bay is a series designed to kill me specifically.

On one hand, the Tampa Bay Lightning are a uniquely obnoxious team; they win all the goddamn time and still have the temerity to try and juice the refs for calls, both on the ice and off of it. Even their best players are total nutcases who sometimes fly off the handle and cause grevious injury to players just because he’s feeling especially petty. And they don’t need to do that. That just brings my piss to a boil. They’re good enough that they just Do Not need to do any of that and still do it. Either because they’re petty or they’ve found the exact formula to dupe NHL refs into doing their bidding.

And on the other hand…the f!#king Habs. A team that isn’t much better than Boston at getting shots off but has the entire hockey world so happy that they’re good again. They aren’t even all that good! They just have an ok defense and a garden gnome who can score! Anybody can do that!

Here’s my answer: go as long as humanly possible. Double OT every game. Any endorsement of a team I’d like to see come out of this is just an endorsement for the next team they play to drop them unceremoniously.

Game 3: Bruins vs. Sabres

If you’re on this website, you’re probably already gonna watch that.

Game 4: Utah vs. Vegas

I don’t like Vegas. I don’t think anyone outside Nevada likes Vegas. That isn’t anything new.

I do respect the hell out of Vegas’ business ethos. I think more teams in the NHL could stand to be more like Vegas…but I draw the line exactly at Carter Hart. Even being ruthless in all things means you at least need to be able to generate positive buzz about yourself most of the time. That’s just asking for trouble. Oh, and Torts is here? Fantastic. Let’s get all the repugnant twerps in that glittering mustard sweater.

Meanwhile the Utah Mammoth have just been cruising, have been trying to find something that works to entertain their audience of largely bewildered but excited mormons, who likely have not had an outlet of violent competition in Salt Lake in a good long time. Making the playoffs in year two is a great sign; they should anyway given how young and talented they are, but what they have to do is establish a baseline in this series. Whether I like them or not, Vegas is pretty good. Great on some shifts, even. What Utah has to set is the tone for future years; can they adjust to the pressure? Can they find another gear? If not, where does the hesitation come from?

It’s all up to the Mammoth now to find out.

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

Pittsburgh; Monday, 7 p.m. EDT

LINE: Penguins -152, Flyers +127; over/under is 5.5

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Flyers lead series 1-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Flyers visit the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Saturday for the sixth time this season. The Flyers won 3-2 in the last matchup.

Pittsburgh is 41-25-16 overall and 13-5-9 against the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins have scored 290 total goals (3.5 per game) to rank third in NHL play.

Philadelphia has a 43-27-12 record overall and a 13-9-5 record in Metropolitan Division games. The Flyers have a +one scoring differential, with 240 total goals scored and 239 conceded.

TOP PERFORMERS: Anthony Mantha has 33 goals and 31 assists for the Penguins. Rickard Rakell has seven goals and two assists over the past 10 games.

Owen Tippett has 28 goals and 23 assists for the Flyers. Porter Martone has scored five goals with six assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Penguins: 5-5-0, averaging 4.5 goals, 7.6 assists, 3.3 penalties and 7.8 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.

Flyers: 7-3-0, averaging 3.6 goals, 5.6 assists, 3.4 penalties and 6.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 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.

Ottawa Senators (44-27-11, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7, in the Metropolitan Division)

Raleigh, North Carolina; Monday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Hurricanes -148, Senators +124; over/under is 5.5

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Hurricanes lead series 1-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Carolina Hurricanes host the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Saturday for the fifth time this season. The Hurricanes won the previous matchup 2-0.

Carolina has a 30-10-2 record at home and a 53-22-7 record overall. The Hurricanes are 19-4-3 in games decided by a single goal.

Ottawa is 44-27-11 overall and 21-16-5 on the road. The Senators have a 25-14-1 record in games they have fewer penalties than their opponent.

TOP PERFORMERS: Sebastian Aho has scored 27 goals with 53 assists for the Hurricanes. Logan Stankoven has eight goals and five assists over the past 10 games.

Dylan Cozens has 29 goals and 30 assists for the Senators. Drake Batherson has four goals and four assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 8-1-1, averaging four goals, 6.8 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.

Senators: 6-3-1, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.1 assists, 3.6 penalties and 8.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.

INJURIES: Hurricanes: None listed.

Senators: Tyler Kleven: day to day (upper body), Nick Jensen: out for season (lower-body).

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

There was a ton of anticipation heading into the first-round matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, as it was the first time in four years the Penguins had reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

But the Penguins did not have the look of a team that was ready for it.

In the series opener, the Flyers took down the Penguins by a narrow score of 3-2 in what was one of Pittsburgh's sloppier efforts of the season. Bryan Rust scored a goal to bring the Penguins within one with just a minute remaining in regulation, but it was not enough to force overtime, and the Penguins find themselves down in the best-of-seven series, 1-0. 

The Penguins were never really able to get to their game at all in this one, as Philadelphia's neutral zone play and counterattack were puzzles they couldn't solve. 

"I think we've got to just put pucks behind them," defenseman Ryan Shea said. "They had a really good neutral zone. We just can't let it rattle us and default to, I guess, old school hockey and just get it behind them and go to work there, and use our bodies, use our forecheck that's been good all year. I think once that happens, then the neutral zone starts to open up."

Aside from a few odd-man breaks - all of which Penguins' goaltender Stuart Skinner stopped - the first period was relatively uneventful for both teams, as there was no score after one and the Penguins were outshot, 10-5. There was a lot of physicality and some nastiness brewing, though, and at one point, Sidney Crosby ripped the helmet off Flyers' defenseman Jamie Drysdale, and Drysdale continued to play without his helmet. Crosby was called for roughing, and Drysdale was not called for continuing to play - although he was assessed an interference penalty. 

Much was the same in the first half the second period, but the Flyers finally got rewarded for their efforts when Drysdale threw a puck toward the net from the right circle, and it found its way through traffic and past Skinner to give Philadelphia the 1-0 lead.

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

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

The Penguins responded six and a half minutes later, though, after building a little bit of momentum near the end of the middle frame. They were pressuring in the offensive zone, and they had a few scoring chances and a few big rebounds from Flyers' goaltender Dan Vladar. 

Tommy Novak pounced on one of those rebounds, and he executed a beautiful no-look backhand pass from the goal line back to Evgeni Malkin, who was waiting at the bottom of the right circle. Malkin put it home to tie the game, and the Penguins seemed to be on the upswing.

MALKAMANIA IN THE 412 ‼️ pic.twitter.com/zWhgYuI6WS

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

However, a late-period penalty by Anthony Mantha thwarted some of that momentum, and that carried into the third period. At the midway point of the third, Travis Sanheim made a nice play to get off a shot from the slot, and he restored the Flyers' lead at 2-1. The Penguins had trouble generating much of anything after that, and rookie Porter Martone scored the eventual game-winner with a snipe for his first career playoff goal with two and a half minutes remaining in regulation, making Rust's goal moot.

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

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

👇 https://t.co/5QHPZt1JBOpic.twitter.com/mquQFQfdZD

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

There were a lot of issues for the Penguins in this one - from their slogged start to their sloppy play, especially along the offensive blue line and in the neutral zone - but the power play continues to be an area that needs a bit of improvement. After being in the top-five for the vast majority of the season, the Penguins' PP dropped to seventh in the league (24.1 percent) before the end of the regular season, and they were 0-for-2 in this one. 

Philadelphia's penalty kill was ranked 22nd (77.6 percent) during the regular season, so the Penguins need to find a way to get back to basics on the man advantage. 

"I think the first one there is just a little bit of the execution, a little bit of the timing," head coach Dan Muse said. "And then, that kind of led into some of the breakouts as well.

"I mean, listen, this group has done a good job this year. It's part of it. Just like our team game, I think it's got to be a quick regroup there with that, and that's what we expect to see."

On the flip side, the Penguins' penalty kill with Blake Lizotte back in the lineup was outstanding, neutralizing all three Flyers' power play opportunities and generating some chances the other way. 

Crosby commended the work of the PK unit and hopes the power play can reward those guys on the other end of it in Game 2.

"Really good. They're a dangerous power play, and I thought they did a good job of giving us momentum from the kills," Crosby said. "So, yeah, it's unfortunate that we couldn't help them on the other side."

The Penguins will face the Flyers in Game 2 Monday at 7:00 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh.

'This Is What You Play For': Penguins Thrilled To Be Back In Playoff Picture, Confident About IdentityThe Pittsburgh Penguins are back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in four years - and their longest-tenured veterans are itching for a chance to bring home another championship for the organization.

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Three Takeaways:

- This is the sloppiest game I've seen the Penguins play in quite a while. They had absolutely nothing for most of the night, and it was clear that the Flyers' neutral zone trap was frustrating them immensely. 

It also didn't help that emotions were running high in this one from the jump, and that was the case with everyone - even the veterans. Players were gripping sticks too tight, making poor decisions with the puck (especially along the offensive blue line, where Malkin turned the puck over twice, leading to breakaways the other way), and trying to look for the perfect play instead of simplifying and getting pucks to the net.

This is the way Rick Tocchet's Flyers play when they aren't trailing in a game, and it's the same blueprint teams like the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators use. The key to Monday's game for the Penguins will be getting ahead early and forcing the Flyers to cheat for offense - hopefully, exposing that neutral zone a whole lot more. 

'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.

- I'm not sure the Penguins' top-six is optimal at the moment. 

I understand that Rickard Rakell has played very well at center down the stretch and for most of the season, so I think most of the reasoning behind the lines being what they are is to keep Rakell in that position while distributing the scoring. I also understand that the Rakell-Crosby-Rust combo hasn't worked quite as well this season as in years past.

But the second line earlier this season that was Egor Chinakhov, Tommy Novak, and Evgeni Malkin? They were operating like a machine. My feeling is that the Penguins simply like Rakell better in that 2C position than they do Novak, which makes sense, given Rakell's play. 

But, if the Penguins continue to struggle generating offense in Game 2, I'd highly consider switching things up. Time is not a luxury in the playoffs, and resorting to what's familiar may actually work in their favor if they're in a pinch.

- Skinner was outstanding in this game. In the live game blog I had going, there were three or four instances of "Skinner makes a nice save on an odd-man break" or something to that effect.

In fact, he made three breakaway stops in the second period alone on Trevor Zegras, Noah Cates, and Owen Tippett. 

The Penguins need to make his job a whole lot easier in Game 2, but he kept him in this game. In my book, he is the clear starter for Game 2. It shouldn't even be a question after this performance. 

GAME BLOG: Pittsburgh Penguins v. Philadelphia Flyers, Game 1Follow along with the THN - Pittsburgh Penguins' LIVE game blog for Round 1, Game 1 against the Philadelphia Flyers

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The Dallas Stars, despite reaching the conference finals the past three seasons, have a poor record in Game 1s.

The effort in their Saturday, April 18 playoff opener was poorer than usual.

The Stars were routed 6-1 at home by the Minnesota Wild and find themselves trailing after the first game of the series for the ninth time in their last 11 openers.

Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said "to a man," the Wild were better than his team, which didn't happen a lot during the regular season.

"You can't get your game going if you're not going to win battles," he told reporters. "You can take any metric and if you lose skating battles and puck battles, you're always on the receiving end of everything negative."

The Stars, under previous coach Peter DeBoer, overcame a 5-1 loss in their 2025 playoff opener to beat the Colorado Avalanche in seven games, so they are far from in trouble.

"There's room for growth," Gulutzan said.

Here are the winners and losers from the opening night of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs:

WINNERS

Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild

Coach John Hynes chose the rookie over veteran Filip Gustavsson for Game 1. Wallstedt made 27 saves for a victory in his first playoff game. In fact, coaches made the right decisions in net in other games. Carolina veteran Frederik Andersen got the start over Brandon Bussi and had a 22-save shutout. Stuart Skinner kept the Penguins in the game during their loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Porter Martone, Philadelphia Flyers

What a move on his goal, which ended up being the game-winner at Pittsburgh. He skated hard into the zone, stopped, circled back and ripped a shot past Skinner for a 3-1 lead. Martone is 19 and just signed after his Michigan State season ended.

WHAT A SHOT 🎯

PORTER MARTONE RIPS ONE HOME IN HIS FIRST EVER GAME IN THE #STANLEYCUP PLAYOFFS!

🇺🇸: @espn
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet & @TVASportspic.twitter.com/OyGrs7AgrV

— NHL (@NHL) April 19, 2026

Wild power play

The Wild had the third-best power play in the regular season behind Dallas and the Edmonton Oilers. It connected twice in Saturday's game, with both goals by Joel Eriksson Ek.

LOSERS

Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars

He was pulled in his last playoff game in 2025 by DeBoer and gave up five goals on Saturday. Gulutzan never considered pulling Oettinger, saying he didn't think goaltending was an issue in the loss.

"I'm going to be a lot better next game," Oettinger said.

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

The Flyers did what they could to get Crosby off his game. He took two penalties in the game, the first one for pulling off Jamie Drysdale's helmet. He was sent off the ice for a retaliatory slash on Travis Sanheim, who had cross-checked him. That meant Crosby was unavailable as the Penguins were pressing to rally from a 3-1 deficit late in the third period.

Crosby got a penalty for ripping off Drysdale’s helmet 😭 pic.twitter.com/lbaU7Et8E1

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 19, 2026

"We have to stay out of it a little more and trust that when they try to stir it up that they're going to be penalized for it," Crosby told reporters.

Artem Zub, Ottawa Senators

The Senators defenseman delivered a big hit on Carolina's Seth Jarvis but took the worst of it. He exited the game, leaving Ottawa short-handed on defense in a 2-0 loss. There was no update on his condition after the game.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoff openers winners and losers: Stars crushed in Game 1