The Stanley Cup Playoffs are a different animal. Players can go an entire 82-game regular season without throwing a single hit; in the postseason, that’s downright unthinkable. Playoff hockey is known for tight checking, high emotion, and intense physicality. The Vegas Golden Knights are no strangers to that atmosphere, and it showed in their 4-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth.

Despite having a roster with little playoff experience, the Mammoth got to their game quickly and outshot the Golden Knights 11-9 in the first period. However, the Golden Knights boasted the lion’s share of scoring chances, generating 11 while holding Utah to 5.

The Mammoth broke the ice with just 11 seconds remaining in the first. Nate Schmidt found Logan Cooley all alone at the left dot, and Cooley one-timed it home.

Pittsburgh’s own Logan Cooley with a ROCKET of a one-timer from the right circle. Old friend Nate Schmidt with the beautiful pass.

1-0, Mammoth

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— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 20, 2026

In the second period, the Mammoth continued their solid play. They outshot the Golden Knights 11-10 and generated four high-danger scoring chances while holding Vegas to three.

The Golden Knights found the equalizer at 3:44 in the second. Brayden McNabb’s shot didn’t reach the net, but Cole Smith ended up with the puck. He fed a backhand pass to Colton Sissons, who crashed the net and banged it in.

Nice little backhand feed from Cole Smith, and Colton Sissons crashes the net and stuffs it home.

1-1

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— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 20, 2026

The Mammoth regained the lead just 1:23 later. Carter Hart slid to the top of the crease to try to break up Kevin Stenlund’s pass for JJ Peterka in front. Instead, the puck took a hop into Kaedan Korczak, who mistakenly put it into his own net.

I’m not sure how to put into words what just happened there, but let’s give it a go:

Carter Hart gets aggressive and tries to break up a pass from Kevin Stenlund to JJ Peterka. Somehow, Kaedan Korczak put it into the net.

2-1, Mammoth

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— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 20, 2026

During the regular season, the Mammoth boasted a record of 29-2-2 when leading after two periods. But despite their regular-season record of 39-26-17, the Golden Knights were among the top teams in the league in time spent trailing, and tonight, that paid off. They played with composure and didn’t let the nature of Utah’s go-ahead goal rattle them.

“We didn't really pay attention to it,”said Ivan Barbashev postgame. “It's a tough bounce for our team and, of course, for our group. Our guys did a really good job of getting one back, on the power play, and especially the third goal by our fourth line. They've been outstanding today.”

Ivan Barbashev drew a penalty less than four minutes into the third period, and the Golden Knights scored on the ensuing power play.

Tomáš Hertl got a piece of Mitch Marner’s blast from the point, but Karel Vejmelka made the save. The puck kicked out to Mark Stone, who slammed the puck into the empty net.

Marner with the shot and Mark Stone scores the rebound.

2-2

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— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 20, 2026

The Golden Knights took their first lead of the night just 1:47 later. Nic Dowd picked off MacKenzie Weegar’s pass and played it to Colton Sissons, who cut around Nick Schmaltz and passed back to Noah Hanifin at the point. Dowd presented his stick as he cut down the middle of the ice, and Hanifin hit him with a shot-pass for the go-ahead goal.

Wardo! Nic Dowd presented his stick for the tip, and Noah Hanifin made it happen.

3-2, Golden Knights

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— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) April 20, 2026

The Mammoth pushed back and outshot Vegas 10-6 in the remaining 12:40 of regulation. However, despite getting very little practice in the regular season, the Golden Knights knew how to play with a lead and limited them to just one high-danger chance.

The Mammoth tried to pull Karel Vejmelka for the extra attacker, but timed it poorly, and Ivan Barbashev hit the empty net with 1:39 remaining in regulation to give his team the 4-2 lead.

“I think our team is best when we play physical, and I think we showed that today,” said Ivan Barbashev following the 4-2 win. “It’s hard to play like that for 82 games. But when playoffs come, I think it matters, and I think it matters for our group.”

Three Takeaways of the Knight

1. Mark Stone’s franchise-leading 39th postseason goal changed everything for the Golden Knights. At the start of the third period, it looked like the Golden Knights were just trying to hold on for dear life. After Stone’s goal, however, it was all Vegas. They came in waves, and rode that momentum-high all the way to Nic Dowd’s game-winning goal.

2. Physicality ramps up in the playoffs, and very few players feed off of it quite like Ivan Barbashev. He was a wrecking ball tonight, recording eight hits and drawing the penalty that led to the game-tying goal.

“I think [Barbashev] is a good, honest player,” said Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella following the 4-2 win. “That’s what I like about him. He’ll run you over, he’ll take a hit, he’ll make a play, he’ll score a goal… I think he’s an incredible pro.”

3. It doesn’t matter how many games this series goes— it’s going to be physically taxing on whoever emerges victorious. The Golden Knights won that war tonight, recording 52 hits against Utah’s 30. There were post-whistle scrums all game, but it all culminated in one big extracurricular after Ivan Barbashev’s empty net goal, and again after the final horn.

And just think— this was only Game 1. Typically, tempers grow as the series progresses. This is going to be a very nasty series.

LAS VEGAS -- The Golden Knights successfully carried their regular-season ending momentum into the postseason by overcoming a two-goal deficit with three third-period goals for a 4-2 win over the Utah Mammoth in Game 1 of their opening round series.

Captain Mark Stone scored the equalizer with a power-play goal 5:33 into the third period, Nic Dowd fired the even-strength game-winner in at the 7:20 mark, and Ivan Barbashev put the game away with an empty-net goal with 1:39 remaining.

EXPRESSIVE!!! MARK!!! STONE!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/Y748AAQBVZ

— y - Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 20, 2026

Vegas, which closed the regular season 7-0-1 after coach John Tortorella took over for fired Bruce Cassidy, also got a goal from Colton Sissons in the second period.

Goaltender Carter Hart continued his own personal hot streak by stopping 31 shots, including the only two Utah could manage during its lone power-play opportunity.

🎥 Hear from Head Coach John Tortorella, Cole Smith, Ivan Barbashev, Nic Dowd, and Colton Sissons following Sunday’s Round 1 Game 1 win against the Mammoth.

Full video on our YouTube Channel: https://t.co/SjXIWnJcKQpic.twitter.com/ZcMh1q9Sx5

— y - Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 20, 2026

KEY MOMENT

The Mammoth could've seized momentum early in the game when Dylan Guenther had time and space in the low slot, but was stymied by Hart, whose pad save kept the game scoreless. While he had a handful of key stops throughout the game, especially down the stretch, it was the early save that likely instilled confidence for Hart and kept Utah from taking control just four minutes into the game.

KEY STAT

52-30 ... The Golden Knights held a major advantage with hits, almost doubling up the Mammoth in what was an extremely physical game. Utah came in with a bully-like mentality, hoping to make the first punch count, but Vegas responded, led by Keegan Kolesar (9) and Ivan Barbashev (8).

WHAT A KNIGHT

In a game where Vegas' big guns of Stone, Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner turned in a combined goal and assist, a supporting cast that included Sissons (1 goal, 1 assist) and Noah Hanifin (2 assists) contributed on the stat sheet. Sissons' play stood out most, with his first multi-point game since Feb. 25, when he had a goal and an assist during a 6-4 win in Los Angeles. Fun fact with Sissons: the Knights were 8-2 when he registered at least one point during the regular season and are now 1-0 in the postseason when he hits the stat sheet.

FIND A WAY, SIS ✂️ pic.twitter.com/ce9QZGffmB

— y - Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 20, 2026

UP NEXT

The Golden Knights continue their best-of-seven playoff series with the Mammoth in Game 2 on Tuesday.

PHOTO CAPTION

Vegas Golden Knights center Colton Sissons (10) awaits a face off against the Utah Mammoth during the second period of game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena.

There's a reason they say that Lord Stanley's Cup is the hardest trophy to win in all of sports. 

And the Pittsburgh Penguins were given a bit of a harsh reminder about that on Saturday in their first-round series opener against the Philadelphia Flyers. 

In their regular-season head-to-head matchups against Philadelphia, Pittsburgh went 2-0-2 and outscored the Flyers, 17-8. That's not to say that they were in cruise control against them prior to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they did not struggle much in terms of establishing their game and forcing the Flyers into mistakes. 

Well, none of that happened on Saturday. Instead, the Flyers - a much different team from when the Penguins last faced them on Mar. 7 in a 4-3 shootout loss - controlled play throughout Game 1 and took it, 3-2, in a clinical defensive effort that frustrated the boys in black and gold. 

Emotions were high within the game. Many Flyers' players were partaking in their first-ever postseason game, and while that was true for some on the Penguins' side, most of Pittsburgh's roster is comprised of players who have been here before. Nonetheless, it was the Penguins' first playoff game in four years, and tensions were high. 

But, even after a high-emotion game like Saturday's - especially in a must-win setting - the Penguins understand that being able to manage and regulate emotion between games in a best of seven series is key to turning the page.

"We obviously have a really good leadership group that will, kind of, set the tempo and set the mood," said rookie Ben Kindel, who is playing in his first-ever NHL playoff series. "I don't think anybody's panicking here."

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

In fact, the Penguins were able to show that "turn the page" mindset during and after their practice at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. on Sunday.

"Came to the rink, [and] it was a very good day today," Kindel said. "Looking to get the job done tomorrow and execute tomorrow, and that's about it. Tomorrow's a new day, new game. It's a long series."

And by "tomorrow," Kindel means Monday, when the Penguins and Flyers face off for Game 2 with Philly leading the series, 1-0. One of the things that worked against the Penguins in Game 1 is that they didn't come out of the gate with speed and forechecking pressure - a strength of theirs all season long - which allowed the Flyers to establish their game, especially once they took the lead midway through the second period. 

Takeaways: Penguins Drop Game 1 To Flyers In Sloppy EffortThe Pittsburgh Penguins dropped their Game 1 tilt against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, as they had trouble generating offense and neutralizing the Flyers' counterattack.

Once that happened, they clogged up the neutral zone. Stacked the blue line. Made it difficult for the Penguins to generate much of anything offensively, which frustrated them. Pittsburgh knows the key is getting to Philadelphia early and establishing their game so that the Flyers aren't able to fully commit to that neutral zone trap and could be forced to try to cheat for offense. 

Regardless of the mechanics of it all, however, the key is that they can't let a frustrating Game 1 carry over into Game 2. And, if the Flyers begin to execute their game again successfuly, the Penguins need to lock in and be prepared to counter that while keeping their emotions in check.

"It's been a big part of their game for a long stretch now," head coach Dan Muse said. "I mean, especially since the Olympic break, they've been a top defensive team in the league, so it didn't come as any surprise. I think there's some things that we could have done better in terms of just working through that.

“And we saw it there last night, we saw it with other teams throughout the league. When their numbers are back that much, too, sometimes, you've got to play a little bit more of a patient game. And, by ‘patient game,’ I don’t mean a slower game, it's just you just can’t frustrated or surprised that they have those numbers back. They've been doing this for a while now."

Top-5 Moves That Shaped Penguins' Successful 2025-26 SeasonThere are many moves that NHL GM of the Year frontrunner Kyle Dubas made this season to contribute to the Penguins' success - but there are five that were crucial to their first Stanley Cup Playoff berth in four years.

Hockey is a game of adjustments, and adjustments have been a strength of this team all season long. They've excelled at letting less-than-ideal efforts such as Saturday's simply roll off their back, and they've done well to respond in ensuing games with great efforts. 

They did it with a 7-3 stomping of the Chicago Blackhawks after the holiday break, which followed a measly 6-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs right before the holidays and began a six-game win streak. They did it after a stretch of four losses in five games in mid-January by responding with a perfect four-game Western road swing and another six-game win streak. They did it after a tough 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Apr. 2 by beating the Florida Panthers back-to-back and clinching the playoffs with a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils right after.

This team knows how to respond to adversity. They've done it all season long, making sure to not let themselves get too high or too low on emotion between games. Even if the playoffs are a different animal, that approach has to be the same game-to-game. 

"Obviously, we would have liked a different outcome in last night's game," forward Rickard Rakell said. "But, at the same time, we've got to move on. We've got to learn from that game and make sure that we put a better game on the ice tomorrow."

'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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For a while, things were looking pretty good for the Bruins in Game 1.

Weather the storm early? Check. Get the first goal? Check. Hold on for dear life but eventually extend the lead? Check.

Then it all fell apart in a span of just under five minutes in the third period, as the B’s saw a 2-0 lead turn into a 4-2 deficit in what would end up being a 4-3 Buffalo win in Game 1.

Tage Thompson scored twice in 3:42 to make it a 2-2 game, then Mattias Samuelsson scored less than a minute after Thompson’s second goal to give Buffalo the lead.

An empty-netter from Alex Tuch would seal it, though the Bruins added a consolation goal with eight seconds left.

Ultimately, it was a stunning, if not surprising, collapse from a Bruins team who has seen this script play out one (or five) times too many this season.

Morgan Geekie, Elias Lindholm, and David Pastrnak scored the goals for the Bruins, while Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves in defeat.

Geekie got the scoring started midway through the first period, collecting a blocked Pastrnak shot and beating Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen clean to make it 1-0 Bruins.

It would be another second-chance shot that led to a goal for the B’s a minute into the third period, as Lindholm cashed in to make it 2-0 Bruins.

Annnnnnnnnnnd then it went south.

The Bruins held that 2-0 lead until 12:02 of the third, when Thompson scored his first to make it 2-1 Bruins.

It was Thompson again just three minutes later to make it a 2-2 game with 4:16 left in the third.

That lasted all of 52 seconds, as Samuelsson beat Swayman with a beautiful wrist shot to make it 3-2 Sabres with 3:24 left in the game.

Tuch’s empty-net goal would come with 1:12 left in the third, salting this one away for Buffalo.

Pastrnak scored a PPG with eight seconds left, but…yeah. Not enough time to do much with that.

Bruins LOSE, 4-3 final.

Game notes

• Given that the Bruins are the underdog in this series, you’d probably find that most Bruins fans wouldn’t have been surprised by a Game 1 loss. Juiced building, Sabres feeding off of the home crowd, etc. However, to lose in this fashion is a real kick in the teeth. It’s one thing to lose a series opener on the road, but it’s another to turn a 2-0 third period lead into a 3-2 deficit in a matter of minutes.
• It’s easy to say in hindsight, but it seems like the coaching staff should have done something to attempt to slow the game down at 2-2. Calling a timeout would have been the clearest option, but given how these games went for the Bruins during the regular season, it wasn’t hard to imagine that 2-2 wasn’t going to last long.
• Most goals you allow are going to be self-inflicted to a degree, but it’s hard to look past the individual mistakes on all three of Buffalo’s non-ENGs. Charlie McAvoy whiffed on a puck, Andrew Peeke lost a board battle, Hampus Lindholm flubbed a puck…they’re the kind of mistakes that will cost you against a good team, and they buried the Bruins tonight.
• Buffalo’s comeback was one for the record books, as it marked the first playoff regulation win for a team trailing 2-0 within the last eight minutes of regulation. An oddly specific stat, but a stat nonetheless.
• While the B’s did have a 2-0 lead and played well for decent stretches, this wasn’t a game that ever really felt like the Bruins controlled. It’s probably not fair to say they were hanging on for dear life for most of the night, but the second period, in particular, felt like a “batten down the hatches and survive” approach. Buffalo outshot the Bruins 13-4 in the second, but failed to beat Swayman.
• Pastrnak finished the night with 1G-2A-3PTS, but he’ll likely be fixating on two missed breakaway (or breakaway-adjacent) opportunities in the second period. One was a bit flubbed due to the pass, but the second was pretty clean, only for Luukkonen to stand tall.
• The B’s second line had themselves a rough night at the office, as Casey Mittelstadt, Pavel Zacha, and Viktor Arvidsson were each minus-three on the evening. They landed four shots on goal as a unit.

The good news for the Bruins is that painful losses still only count as a single loss, so they’ve got that going for them…which is nice.

Game 2 is Tuesday night, back in Buffalo.

Lineup changes? Line shake-ups? It is what it is?

Discuss.

DENVER (AP) — Logan O’Connor scored for the first time in more than a year, Scott Wedgewood stopped 24 shots in his first Stanley Cup playoffs start and the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 in Game 1 on Sunday.

O’Connor’s third-period tally was his first since Game 4 of a playoff series against Dallas on April 26. He missed most of this season with a hip injury. Artturi Lehkonen had a second-period goal for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche.

Wedgewood got the nod in net over Mackenzie Blackwood after leading the league in goals-against average and save percentage. Wedgewood made four career playoff appearances in relief before Sunday’s start.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Denver.

Artemi Panarin scored a power-play goal with 2:22 left to make it 2-1. Shortly after, forward Joel Armia was called for high-sticking and the Kings were unable to tie it up.

Anton Forsberg stopped 28 shots in his NHL postseason debut.

CANADIENS 4, LIGHTNING 3, OT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Juraj Slafkovsky scored his third power-play goal 1:22 into overtime and Montreal beat Tampa Bay in Game 1 of their first-round series.

Slafkovsky fired a slap shot from the left circle that beat Andrei Vasilevskiy to the far side for the hat trick.

Game 2 is Tuesday night at Benchmark International Arena, where Tampa Bay has lost eight of its last nine home games in the postseason.

Josh Anderson also had a goal for Montreal and rookie goalie Jakub Dobes made 20 saves.

Brandon Hagel scored two goals and Darren Raddysh also scored for Tampa Bay.

SABRES 4, BRUINS 3

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Mattias Samuelson scored with 3:24 left and Buffalo overcame a two-goal deficit in the final eight minutes to beat Boston in the Sabres’ first playoff game in 15 years.

Tage Thompson scored goals 3:42 apart to tie it, and Alex Tuch sealed the victory by scoring into an empty net with 1:12 left in nearly blowing the roof off the arena.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 17 shots.

Buffalo hosts Game 2 of the first-round series Tuesday night.

The playoff win was Buffalo’s first at home — and first overall — since a 1-0 victory over Philadelphia in Game 4 of a first-round series April 20, 2011. The Sabres proceeded to lose the series in seven games. The Sabres won their first Atlantic Division this season and snapped an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4, MAMMOTH 2

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nic Dowd redirected Noah Hanifin’s shot from the point to put Vegas ahead at 7:20 of the third period and the Golden Knights beat Utah in Game 1 of their first-round series.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Las Vegas.

The Golden Knights, who twice trailed before scoring three third-period goals, have not lost in regulation since John Tortorella (8-0-1) took over as coach.

The Mammoth lost in the franchise’s first playoff game since 2020. They are in their second season in Utah after leaving Arizona.

Colton Sissons had a goal and assist for the Golden Knights and Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev also scored. Carter Hart stopped 32 shots. Hanifin had two assists.

Logan Cooley and Kevin Stenlund scored for the Mammoth. Karel Vejmelka, playing in his first playoff game after five years in the Utah/Arizona organization, made 27 saves. Captain Clayton Keller, who closed the regular season with 16 assists over a 10-game streak, failed to record one in this game.

The Pittsburgh Penguins were back to work in Cranberry on Sunday after dropping Game 1 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night. 

They only scored two goals in the 3-2 loss and weren't close to their best. They had a lot of trouble breaking through the Flyers' trap and couldn't exit their zone cleanly. 

Sidney Crosby was especially quiet, which is rare for him against the Flyers. He has tormented them throughout his career, but the Flyers did a great job defending against him and his line. 

Speaking of his line with Egor Chinakhov and Bryan Rust, it appears to be staying together heading into Game 2 on Monday. In fact, it looks like Muse is keeping all of his lines and pairings together for Monday's game.

Here were the lines at practice:

Forwards

Chinakhov-Crosby-Rust

Novak-Rakell-Malkin

Soderblom-Kindel-Mantha

Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari

Defensive pairs

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Girard-Letang

Shea-Clifton

- If the Penguins find themselves down in this game or if they lose it, then I think you'd see head coach Dan Muse change some of the lines. I'd still like to see Chinakhov back with Evgeni Malkin at some point since those two had such great chemistry during the regular season. 

- Muse danced around a starting goaltender question after Sunday's practice wrapped up, saying he'd announce who his starter is on Monday. I'd be stunned if it wasn't Stuart Skinner after how great he played on Saturday. He was the only reason why the Penguins had an outside chance of tying the game late in the third period, and he made several big saves on odd-man rushes and breakaways.

If he can keep giving the Penguins goaltending like that, they'll have a really good shot of winning this series. 

- The Girard-Letang pair had a lot of momentum heading into the playoffs before falling flat in Game 1. The pair accounted for only 2.5% of the expected goals during the game, which is woeful. 

Letang struggled to break the puck out of the defensive zone and generate offense, largely because of the Flyers' structured defense. After practice, he spoke about the way the Flyers made it difficult and how the Penguins can get past their trap.

"I think it's just to play with speed," Letang said. "Like I said, the transition game is really good, so if you play in front of them instead of behind them, you give them a chance to counter with speed, and they have really skilled forwards that can make you pay."

The Flyers' speed was on display throughout the game, and they generated several high-quality chances, despite scoring only three goals. It's on the Penguins to limit those chances against and to get more high-danger chances of their own. 

Puck drop for Game 2 is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh and ESPN.

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At long last, the puck dropped on the much-anticipated first-round series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning. While the Bolts captain Victor Hedman skated on Sunday morning, his first time back on the ice, the Lightning had to make do without him for the game, just like the Canadiens were without Noah Dobson, even though he made the trip with the team.

Unsurprisingly, the atmosphere in the building was absolutely electric when the puck dropped, and the intensity level was dialed all the way up. As expected, Jakub Dobes was in the net for the Habs, starting just his fourth playoff game, while Andrei Vasilevskiy, a fixture in the Bolts’ net for years now, was playing the 121st playoff game of his career.

Canadiens: A Superior Option On The Blueline?
Canadiens vs. Lightning In The Playoffs By The Numbers
Double Dose Of Good News For The Canadiens

A Confident Rookie

Despite his inexperience, Dobes showed absolutely no sign of nerves. He came out strong, and while the Canadiens were outshot 9-4 in the first frame, they still had a 1-0 lead on the board thanks to some big saves.

The Czech netminder was aggressive at the right time, coming out of his net to cut the angles as a Tampa Bay player had a golden opportunity all alone in the slot. Furthermore, he proved he had nerves of steel when he came out of the net to handle the puck, near the empty net, under pressure; he kept his cool and made the right play.

JAKUB DOBES WITH A HUGE SAVE EARLY 🛑

📺: Canadiens 🆚 Lightning LIVE on Sportsnet
📲: Stream on Sportsnet+ pic.twitter.com/WwRreo8C9h

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 19, 2026

The Highs And Lows Of Anderson

Josh Anderson always brings a lot of energy to the table in the playoffs. He clearly loves the importance of the moment and the electricity in the air. It’s no surprise, really, that he got the first goal of the game.

For a few minutes in the second frame, it looked like he had a second goal when he tipped a high puck in front of Vasilevskiy, but it was waived off because he touched it too high. Immediately after that, he got a two-minute charging penalty. He came at Charle-Edouard D’Astous like a train while the Bolts’ player was readying himself for contact with Jake Evans on the other side. As a result, D’Astous was hit by two Habs at once and fell to the ice, clearly shaken up. If he hadn’t been bumped by Evans at the same time, there might not have been a call, but there was.

Unfortunately for Anderson, that penalty would result in a big momentum swing. The hosts scored their first goal on the man advantage, then a second 29 seconds later, as the Canadiens looked panicked in their own end, the puck went through Kaiden Guhle’s leg on its way to the front of the net, where Brandon Hagel collected it before flipping it over Dobes’ arm. In those 29 seconds, the game had been turned upside down, and Montreal went from thinking it led 2-0 to trailing 2-1.

At that stage, Martin St-Louis spoke with the referees. Perhaps it was about a call he felt was missed, but it also looked like a way to take a time-out without actually calling for one, giving his team time to settle their nerves. If that was the case, it was an excellent move by the bench boss who was coaching his sixth playoff game.

Slafkovsky’s Strength

If anyone still doubted just how strong Juraj Slafkovsky is, that game should have settled any doubt. In heavy traffic with hits flying left, right, and center, the power forward made his way through the Tampa defense relentlessly. With half the game gone, he was the only member of the first line to have tested Vasilevskiy; he even had two shots.

After the Bolts had taken a 2-1 lead, it was the big Slovak who brought everyone back to square one with a one-timer on the power play with less than a minute to go in the second frame. Then, on another power play, early in the third, it was he again who scored for the Habs with a perfect shot from the bumper.

It used to be that if you contained Cole Caufield, the Canadiens’ power play was neutralized, but not anymore with Demidov on the other side, who can unleash a one-timer or distribute the puck in an elite manner, and Slafkovsky in the bumper ready to fire at will. On his second goal, Vasilevskiy was in close to the post, covering the near side that Caufield likes so much, so when he passed it, the goalie was vulnerable in his push to follow the puck. That’s when the power forward beat him.

With a 3-3 tie in the dying seconds of the third frame, the Canadiens got another power play, but they couldn’t score in regulation. Slafkovsky scored the game-winner, on the power play, in overtime, 4-3, against the Canadiens. Full marks to St. Louis, who didn’t call for a timeout earlier in the game when his young team panicked, but used it in overtime to extend his first unit’s shifts.

NOTRE ROI SLOVAQUE 🇸🇰

OUR SLOVAK KING#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/Loq2CNQ3aJ

— x - Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 20, 2026

The Habs now lead the series 1-0 and have stolen the home-ice advantage. Game 2 is set for Tuesday night, in Tampa Bay at 7:00 PM. 

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Five key takeaways from Bruins' stunning Game 1 loss vs. Sabres originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins had the Buffalo Sabres in a difficult spot with less than half the third period remaining in Sunday night’s Game 1 at KeyBank Center.

The B’s led 2-0 with eight minutes on the clock. Jeremy Swayman was playing fantastic in net. Defensively, the Bruins were giving up a lot of shots, but not too many Grade A scoring chances. It was at that point in the game where the Sabres actually had a mere 5.8 percent chance of mounting a comeback and winning the game, per Evolving Hockey.

But then everything changed.

The Sabres scored four unanswered goals in a 6:46 span and won the series opener 4-3. It’s the Sabres’ first playoff victory in 15 years, and it required a feat never seen in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The @BuffaloSabres became the first team in NHL postseason history to win in regulation time after trailing by two or more goals to zero with eight minutes or fewer remaining in regulation. pic.twitter.com/P0Hss3ROyo

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) April 20, 2026

“I thought we were in the perfect spot,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm told reporters in his postgame press conference. “We were exactly where we wanted to play, being in that position, 5-6 minutes left in the game. You could tell they got a little bit frustrated. We made pretty much two mistakes to let them tie up the game. With the crowd behind them, all of a sudden, they’ve got some life. All of a sudden, the game is done.”

There were a few positives for the Bruins, but this was a gut-wrenching loss and a huge blown opportunity. Instead of handing a tough defeat to a young and inexperienced Sabres team, now that group has a ton of confidence and belief entering Game 2,

What led to the Bruins’ collapse, and what needs to happen for them to bounce back in the next game Tuesday night?

Check out our five key takeaways from the Bruins’ Game 1 meltdown.

Bruins played not to lose in third period

The B’s did not play with enough of a killer instinct in the third period. They seemed content to play it safe with a 2-0 lead. They had very little offensive zone time and had absolutely no answer for the Sabres’ forecheck.

Boston’s defensemen wilted under the pressure of that forecheck, and it allowed the Sabres to control possession and fire a ton of shots at Swayman. It was only a matter of time before the dam broke, and it finally happened with 7:58 remaining in the third period when Tage Thompson scored Buffalo’s first goal. Charlie McAvoy turned the puck over trying to exit the zone right before this goal.

TAGE THOMPSON SCORES THE SABRES FIRST PLAYOFF GOAL SINCE 2011 🚨 pic.twitter.com/2KbVEZeSqr

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 20, 2026

Thompson scored again just 3:42 later, and then Mattias Samuelsson tallied the go-ahead goal 56 seconds after that. Hampus Lindholm couldn’t clear the puck in the build up to Samuelsson’s goal.

Turnovers, lost puck battles — it all added up to an avalanche of Sabres goals. Buffalo had 24 shots, 24 scoring chances and nine high-danger chances over the final two periods.

SAMUELSSON, BUFFALO TAKES THE LEAD 🚨

THIS IS PLAYOFF HOCKEY 🤯 pic.twitter.com/sHWYHDKlN8

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 20, 2026

The Bruins generated just seven shots and four scoring chances in the third period. A two-goal lead is not safe against a relentless group of Sabres forwards. Getting a third goal would have been pivotal. Sabres fans were actually booing their team halfway through the third period. But the B’s could barely get possession of the puck in the final 20 minutes of regulation.

Sabres were the more physical team

Bruins head coach Marco Sturm made some interesting comments earlier this week when he said the B’s were the “bigger,” “stronger,” and “more physical team.” Did the Sabres try to prove Sturm wrong with the way they played in Game 1? It looked like it.

HEADS UP 💥💥💥 pic.twitter.com/bVJ9XUgW1f

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 20, 2026

The Sabres outhit the B’s 53-38, and a lot of those hits were the result of the ferocious forecheck mentioned in the section above.

Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff made a point postgame to mention his team won the physical battle.

“We made them pay for those couple of mistakes down low,” Ruff told reporters. “They weren’t getting beat early. I think maybe some of our physicality wore them down.”

The Sabres got a huge boost from a raucous crowd that was watching their team play in the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. That boost of energy allowed the Sabres to set the tone physically from the start. The Bruins have to reverse that early in Game 2.

Jeremy Swayman was the Bruins’ best player

Swayman was under constant pressure all night and stopped the first 32 shots he faced. He made seven saves on one Sabres power play in the second period and he made eight saves on nine high-danger chances overall. He ended up with 34 saves on 37 shots (.919 save percentage).

The Bruins did him no favors in the third period with a bunch of defensive mistakes. The only goal that Swayman was mostly at fault for was Thompson’s second tally. Swayman’s left pad came up off the ice and the puck slid under it.

If Swayman continues to play like he did in Game 1, the Bruins will have a good chance to win this series.

Bruins need more scoring depth

In our series preview, I wrote the Bruins will win the series if the second, third and fourth lines generate enough offense. It’s very hard to beat the Sabres with just your first line. The B’s came close in Game 1, though. The top line of Morgan Geekie, Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak played great offensively.

Geekie got the B’s on the board in the first period. Lindholm buried a rebound to double Boston’s lead in the second period. Pastrnak assisted on both of those goals, and then he scored a late power-play tally in the third period. Pastrnak also had two breakaways he didn’t score on, and Geekie passed the puck with a wide open net during a late first period power play.

ELIAS DOUBLES THE LEAD ‼️ pic.twitter.com/NRLqoPBGDl

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 20, 2026

No other line for the B’s did much offensively.

The second line of Viktor Arvidsson, Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha was one of the league’s top trios post-Olympic break. But this line was on the ice for two goals against in Game 1, and the Sabres had a 13-8 edge in shot attempts during this trio’s 9:09 of 5-on-5 ice time. The Arvidsson-Mittelstadt-Zacha line had an expected goals scored of 0.27 at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck, with four shots overall. The Bruins need much more from them in Game 2.

The “Kid Line” of rookie James Hagens, Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov played OK. They had a few good offensive shifts and played with speed. They had a minus-2 shot attempt differential at 5-on-5, which wasn’t horrible by any means given how dominant the Sabres were in the final two periods.

Despite not getting much from the second, third and fourth lines, there’s no pressing need to make huge changes to this group entering Game 2. The Bruins just need to play with more pace and not sit back as much with the lead. And, honestly, there’s no player who didn’t play in Game 1 who would make a substantial impact Tuesday night. Alex Steeves and Mikey Eyssimont are not going to turn the tide for the B’s.

A more balanced scoring output and Hagens getting some power-play time in Game 2 would be a step in the right direction.

Henri Jokiharju should replace Andrew Peeke on blue line

It was a rough night for Andrew Peeke.

The veteran defenseman did not have a great game and struggled against the Sabres forecheck. Jokiharju is a better puck-mover than Peeke and he is a little more reliable getting the puck out of the defensive zone.

Swapping him in for Peeke is one minor change Sturm could potentially make for Game 2.

DENVER, CO — Ball Arena was the stage, and playoff hockey was the entertainment, and we were not disappointed in the slightest.

The arena and its patrons started in a frenzy, and as Gangsters Paradise rang out, the frenzy built into downright bedlam as the white pom poms flew.

Let it begin! #GoAvsGopic.twitter.com/xubSQ3tuet

— Adrian Hernandez (@AdoHernandez27) April 19, 2026

With three Stanley Cup banners wading in the noise, the Colorado Avalanche began their journey toward hopefully adding to the collection with the LA Kings standing in their way as first-round foe.

Will the Presidents’ winning Colorado Avalanche assert their dominance, or will LA prove pesky early in round one?

The Game

From puck drop, one thing was made very clear: the Avalanche were prepared and ready to get off on the right foot.

The pressure on the Kings’ netminder, Anton Forsberg, built and built; however, the Avalanche couldn’t cash in.

The Kings created a flurry of chances of their own late in the first frame, but a bit of puck luck and mostly stellar play from Wedgewood kept things tied at one.

A no-goal first period is likely exactly what the LA Kings players and staff had in mind, so I’d count that as a win for LA in period one.

The second frame began with much of the same.

Colorado’s second power play of the night led to some great chances, including a doorstep look for Landeskog, but the puck just didn’t go in.

The Avalanche appeared to score a goal, but it was immediately waved off for goaltender interference.

Fans were understandably displeased as it appeared that Drew Doughty’s check on Jack Drury caused the contact in the crease.

Inevitably, Jared Bednar would challenge the play.

Avs score but was ruled goalie interference, they challenged the call and it stood.

Right or wrong call? pic.twitter.com/gbMHpso6OO

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) April 19, 2026

The call was upheld, and the Avalanche would have to kill a power play.

I’m of the opinion that, although the contact from Doughty was well away from the net, Drury couldn’t do much more to stay out of the blue paint.

Finally, after all of the attacks Colorado was bringing to the table, it was none other than Artturi Lehkonen who broke the scoreless tie, in typical fashion!

Lehky’s goal looked strikingly similar to his series-clincher back in 2022 against the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final, in that Artturi was there to net a rebound and give his side the 1-0 lead. The Avalanche would hold that lead heading into the third period.

Next up on the goal-scoring train was Logan O’Connor, who, a few short months ago, hadn’t played any NHL hockey this season. His goal would give Colorado a 2-0 lead in the third period.

The Kings would cut the lead to one with a power play goal from Artemi Panarin with just over two minutes to go but Colorado held on to take the first game of the series by a 2-1 score.

Takeaways

There are very few environments in hockey like Ball Arena during the playoffs. The place was rocking, and during a game where the heavy favorites didn’t tally a goal in the first period, they stayed engaged and loud beyond the first wave.

This is why the NHL playoffs are so fascinating. No matter how the 82 games before the playoffs go, it’s still about who can win 4 games first, and the Kings played like a team with nothing to lose.

It was a low-scoring affair, but Colorado did control this one from the onset. Just took time to net one.

Scott Wedgewood with a playoff win to get things started, and I’m not sure the Avalanche could ask for more on that front.

Good for Scott, who more than earned his place as the starting netminder here in Colorado.

Did the Avalanche do a good job of sheltering their tender? Absolutely, but when he was on his own, he stood tall.

Upcoming

Same place, but different time (8:00 p.m. MT) as the Colorado Avalanche and the LA Kings meet for game two at Ball Arena on Tuesday.

Let us know what you thought of this contest in the comments!

The Los Angeles Kings start on the wrong foot in their first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche. Colorado handled business in a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles, taking a 1-0 series lead on Sunday.

The Avalanche were by far the better team in this contest, creating the most dangerous chances and dominating puck possession. Despite Colorado imposing their will on this game for most of the outing, the Kings weren't completely out of it.

It was an awakening opening stretch of the first period, with the Avs suffocating the Kings offensively, and it seemed like Los Angeles had no answer, nor any sort of pressure.

It's worth mentioning that the Kings weathered the storm, remained patient, and slowly got more and more comfortable in the contest. But the truth is that they just couldn't break down the star-studded Avalanche.

A large part of the reason the Kings were ineffective for most of this game was the team's inability to survive Colorado's quick pressure, and they couldn't orchestrate many clean breakouts.

Late Push Not Enough As Kings Fall To Avalanche In Game 1The Kings did enough defensively to hang around, but a lack of offensive support and Colorado’s scoring down the stretch proved to be the difference in a tight Game 1 loss.

For instance, Colorado's second goal by Logan O'Connor was a result of Los Angeles getting hemmed in the defensive zone because the defense couldn't make a clean breakout pass to relieve the pressure.

Another note to add to this Kings' loss in Game 1: they couldn't capitalize on their chances. As coach D.J. Smith put it, they "need to be meaner offensively."

Defenseman Drew Doughty had a grand opportunity to open the scoring in this game, missing a wide-open net.

In the rare two-minute intervals that the Kings see the offensive zone, against a top-dog like the Avalanche, there's almost no room for error in terms of not taking advantage of opportunities. And that's exactly what happened in this contest for Los Angeles.

But the result of this game shouldn't deflect from the effort the Kings put in this contest. They kept it to a one-goal game and had a respectable showing defensively. The longer the Kings can keep it tied or close, the more likely they are to creep in a goal or two, which they did in the late stages with a power-play marker from Artemi Panarin.

In the end, the Kings will have to take these positives and improve on what went wrong quickly because the playoffs are a blur.

---

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It has become clear that the Philadelphia Flyers would not be where they are right now without Porter Martone, and they certainly would not have won their first Stanley Cup playoff appearance since 2020 without him, either.

Martone, 19, was the hero for the Flyers on Saturday night, turning a mostly ho-hum performance into the zenith of his young career with a moment of individual brilliance.

With the Flyers up 2-1 on the Pittsburgh Penguins late in Game 1, Martone galloped down the ice in transition, and instead of forcing a pass to manufacture a scoring chance, found the composure to peel back at the right circle and evaluate his options with the puck.

The best option, clearly, was letting a shot fly; the 2025 No. 6 overall pick beat Stuart Skinner glove side at his near post with a bullet against the grain.

Not many players have the stones to make that choice nursing a fragile 1-goal lead in a playoff game, let alone their first-ever NHL playoff game and 10th total game in the NHL.

Porter Martone Makes Flyers History In Game 1 Win vs. PenguinsFlyers forward Porter Martone made some Flyers history in their Game 1 win against the Penguins.

But Martone did, and that is as good an indicator as any that he will eventually ascend to star status in this league.

The impact Martone has had on the Flyers since coming over at the end of his first and only campaign with Michigan State is demonstrable, and this play at this moment is only the latest example of that.

Martone's dagger against the Penguins Saturday night is one that will be shown in highlight reels and game previews between the two clubs for decades to come, and he only needed one chance to make that kind of impact for Philadelphians and Flyers fans everywhere.

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

The Flyers still have business to take care of, including at least two playoff games at home later in the week, but we can expect this won't be the last of Martone this postseason.

The Buffalo Sabres held an optional morning skate at KeyBank Center, where every seat was adorned with white towels saying “We’re Back”, in preparation for the opener of their first-round series against the Boston Bruins on Sunday night. Sabres fans level of excitement has been building since the club clinched a playoff spot to break the NHL record 14-season playoff drought, and is expected that thousands of fans will congregate at Canalside next to the arena to watch the game. 

Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff admitted that he is anxious to get started, as Buffalo will be in the primetime slot on ESPN on Day 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, as is team captain Rasmus Dahlin, who will be playing in the first playoff game in his eighth NHL season. 

“I try to stay away from (the emotions). It's hard to think about all the years and stuff, today especially, but we're in the moment. I'll probably reflect on it more when the season is over." Dahlin said. "But now, I just I'm ready to go, all I'm thinking about is having the best game of my career."

Other Sabres Stories

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

The Sabres have a trio of players (Bowen Byram, Luke Schenn, and Tanner Pearson) that have won Stanley Cups and a pair who have reached the Cup Final (Alex Lyon, Ryan McLeod), but only Byram and McLeod will have a large role when the series behind. The bulk of their core group will be playing in their first postseason contest, something that Ruff believes could be an advantage.  

"Everybody has a routine, we haven't broken off our routine. So I mean today, being an optional(skate), normal meetings, we went through our our pre-scout meetings this morning, keeping everything as normal as we possibly can, knowing that it's not quite as normal as it used to be," Ruff said. "I'm hoping that we are amped up, because it will be electric. it'll be a totally different feeling for sure. I'm looking forward to how our guys are going to react to it. We've talked about the energy we need to bring, how we need to play, and I anticipate them being ready to do it."

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

Different opponent. Same result.

In each of the last four seasons, the Kings have opened the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers. They lost each time.

So on Sunday the Kings tried a different route, opening against the Colorado Avalanche.

They lost, 2-1.

The goals came from Artturi Lehkonen late in the second period and Logan O’Connor early in the third. The Kings made a game of it late, pulling goaltender Anton Fosberg with 2:57 to play and getting a power-play goal from Artemi Panarin 35 seconds later.

But if the Kings lost the game they also gained a ton of confidence with the way they played against the winningest team in the NHL during the regular season.

“The guys did what they had to do and played the right way,” interim coach D.J. Smith said “It is what it is. We're down in the series, but a lot of good things.”

“We played a good game overall,” forward Scott Laughton added. “You don't get the results, so it's disappointing. But a lot of things to build on.”

The Kings came in knowing good wasn’t going to be good enough against the team that won the Presidents' Trophy, the prize that goes to the team with NHL’s best regular-season record in the league. And the Avalanche earned that honor, scoring the most goals and giving up the fewest in the NHL. They also had the best home record in the Western Conference and the best road record in the league.

Read more:Kings (vs. Avalanche) and Ducks (vs. Oilers) face tough first-round task in NHL playoffs

But with Forsberg making a number of spectacular saves, the Kings played Colorado even until Lehkonen, defended tightly by defenseman Drew Doughty, was able to reach out his stick and sweep in the rebound of Nathan MacKinnon's shot from the right boards to give the Avalanche a 1-0 lead with 4:31 left in the second period.

A major gaffe allowed Colorado to double its advantage 5:50 into the third period, with Joel Edmundson failing to handle a loose puck in the Kings' zone, allowing O’Connor to collect it and race defenseman Cody Ceci to the front of the net before beating Forsberg cleanly.

“It just comes down to a couple of bounces, a couple of plays,” defenseman Mikey Anderson said. “Then they find a way to capitalize.”

The game, which had been physical all afternoon, turned chippy after that and when Colorado’s Brock Nelson took an unnecessary high-sticking penalty at 17:03 of the final period, it gave the Kings their fourth power of the game. This time they took advantage, with Panarin halving the deficit with a wrist shot from just inside the blue line.

Although the Kings ranked in the bottom five in the NHL in both the power play and penalty kill, they won the special teams battle with Colorado in Game 1, scoring the only power-play goal and killing all four man-advantage situations for the Avalanche.

And while Laughton believes the late goal and the special-teams play gives the Kings momentum heading into the second game of the best-of-seven series Tuesday, Anderson said the team doesn’t need to rely on moral victories with the way its been playing lately.

“We're confident,” he said. “We've been feeling good about our game. We've been playing pretty good hockey. Everyone knows how good they are, but I think we have a good team in here.

“The feeling around the [locker] room the last couple weeks, it's been very high.”

The series still has a long way to go. And while the team’s playoff history with Edmonton was never encouraging, this time they may actually have history on their side.

Although the Kings haven’t won a postseason series since 2014, when they hoisted the Stanley Cup, the Avalanche are dealing with the Presidents’ Trophy curse. Only eight teams have won both the Presidents’ Trophy and Stanley Cup in the same season; an equal number have gone out in the first round.

Colorado might have had the best record in the NHL, but Smith said the fact the Kings are finally playing anyone but Edmonton is a boost.

“If you've lost a couple years in a row, three years in a row, it's in your mind that you have to outperform rather than just do what you do,” he said. “And I think this is brand new.

“Everyone knows that’s the Presidents' Trophy winner. There's a huge job ahead of us. But it's a fresh start.”

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Playoff hockey is back, and the Los Angeles Kings did a solid job keeping this game close after 20 minutes, but the Avalanche took the game in the second and third periods to win 2-1 and take a 1-0 series lead at home. 

It was a very physical game as LA took 49 hits and blocked 23 shots, but struggled on the power play, finishing 1/4 and scoring their only goal in the final two minutes of the third period. 

Final from Game One in Denver. #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/kw2Kcv7Nfj

— LA Kings (@LAKings) April 19, 2026

With the Kings being overwhelming underdogs in this game, LA still did a great job keeping it close and played solid defense early on, especially Anton Forsberg, but didn't get much help from its offense. 

We opened the first period with both teams feeling each other out. Colorado was all over LA like piranhas on defense, forcing them to take tough shots and making it hard to generate them.  

Even with the Avalanche playing good defense, the Kings got a lot of good looks at the net to score, including Drew Doughty, Trevor Moore, and Adrian Kempe, who had good looks to give the Kings an early 1-0 lead. 

Colorado also got away with an interference in the first period that wasn't called by the refs, leaving the play to continue on.

It wasn't the best first period from either team; Colorado came out controlling possession, but the Kings managed some dangerous chances as the period went on. Trevor Moore had a look at the rush that led to some extended pressure.

Anton Forsberg got the start and was excellent. Forsberg saved several key shots in the first 20 minutes of the game, including stopping the Avalanche on the power play to keep the scoreboard tied 0-0 to end the first period. 

The Kings had to be happy with how they ended the first period, keeping the game close, earning a great early PK, and getting a couple of good looks, with a solid defensive showing.

LA caught a huge break in the second period after Avalanche center Jack Drury initiated contact with Doughty and slipped on Forsberg, resulting in Colorado's goal being overturned. 

NO Goal. That was tight and usually the call on the ice stands when it's tight.

The Kings will head to their first power play of the game. A big chance here. https://t.co/70Lvrc3r3s

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) April 19, 2026

Colorado challenged the play, but the call would stand, clearly showing that Drury made contact, pushing Forsberg away from the net.  

Both teams were struggling on the power play, especially Colorado, which had two opportunities to score, but Forsberg continued to remain a force under the crease and stopped all the chances Colorado had at scoring. 

The Kings also couldn't score on the power play, struggling to hold on to the puck as Colorado brought pressure defensively and extra guys to force giveaways and kill the power-play chances. 

LA was leaving the door open because, even with the game tied, the Avalanche would eventually break loose. And that came at the 4:31 mark with Artturi Lehkonen cleaning up Nathan MacKinnon's shot at the doorstep to give Colorado first blood. 

1-0 Avalanche after 40 minutes.

Tough to give one up there, but good response by LAK after. Great shift by the top line with Dumoulin/Ceci pairing activating as well. Keep that up into the third.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) April 19, 2026

Doughty was all over Lehkonen, but his stick wasn't anywhere near the puck, giving Lehkonen the easy clean-up shot at home. 

Kings did a solid job holding their own for 35 minutes, but it's a tough goal to give up a goal after 40 minutes, especially with Colorado being 41-0-0 when leading after two periods.

Despite that, LA did what they were supposed to do, played solid defense, and the game was still close heading into the final frame. 

In the third period, Colorado's defense amped it up, holding the Kings to just two shots in the first eight minutes of the final period. After Logan O'Connor's goal was called off in the first period, this time it counted, coming at the 14:10 mark with a loose puck. O'Connor sprinted to seize it and buried the shot on the top shelf on the breakaway, beating Forsberg. 

COL Goal - O'Connor makes it 2-0.

Not sure if that puck hit something, but a floating puck falls perfectly to O'Connor, who buries it top shelf on a breakaway.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) April 19, 2026

With the Kings struggling on offense to generate quality looks on goal, you knew the Avalanche would capitalize on that and take the game from LA. The best offense in Hockey won't struggle for long and will take advantage of any mistakes the Kings make. 

Give credit to Scott Wedegwood, who wasn't making it easy at all for Los Angeles to score, especially on the power play. The difference was that Wedgewood was playing great defense and getting help on offense, but Forsberg didn't have anyone to capitalize on the stops he was getting. 

Los Angeles did get a big goal at the 2:22 mark after Artemi Panarin blasted a shot from the middle of the ice on the power play goal through traffic to cut the deficit down to one goal. 

Timeout Los Angeles, 52.3 on the clock.

Kings are shorthanded, after an Armia high-sticking call, trying to get Forsberg out as quickly as possible.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) April 19, 2026

 Even with the Kings cutting the lead down one, it was already too little too late for LA to get back in the game. Colorado did a good job playing with physicality in the last few minutes, so did the Kings, especially Kempe, but the Avs held on and won this game at home, taking a 1-0 series lead. 

Key Stats

Anton Forsberg finished with 28 saves on 30 shots, finishing with a .933 save percentage, and was huge on Colorado's power play possessions, saving key shots. If Forsberg got help on offense, the Kings would've had a great chance of stealing this game.  

Artemi Panarin scored the lone goal in the final frame to cut the deficit to one goal, finishing with a goal and a point. 

Both teams played with how they're supposed to if they want to win this series. The Kings, despite losing, showed they can win this series by matching the Avs' physicality, keeping the game close, and relying on strong goaltending. 

Game 2 will be on Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche at 7:00 PM PT. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.