Category: Ice Hockey

NHL hits leader Yakov Trenin had to go to the dressing room after absorbing a massive hit on Monday, April 20.

The Minnesota Wild forward had just received a pass as he skated up ice when the Dallas Stars' Colin Blackwell stepped into him with a clean hit and sent him flying. Trenin was down on the ice for several minutes as trainers came out to tend to him and hold a towel to his face.

He eventually got up and started skating off the ice with assistance, then by himself.

Trenin was the NHL's leader in hits during the regular season with 413. He had 13 hits in Game 1, a 6-1 Minnesota rout.

Colin Blackwell just destroyed Trenin in open ice#TexasHockeypic.twitter.com/vDsfI3OXi1

— DailyDallasHockey (@DallasStarsDDH) April 21, 2026

Blackwell ranked fourth on the Stars with 112 hits. He's 6 inches shorter and 20 pounds lighter than Trenin.

The Stars won the game 4-2 to tie the first round series at one game each.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yakov Trenin, NHL's hits leader, crushed by Colin Blackwell check

Pregame

No lineup changes for the Penguins from Game 1, including going back to Stuart Skinner as the starting goalie.

A look at the lines for Game 2 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/QDN52Ve6xT

— x – Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 20, 2026

The Flyers have one change from Game 1, Noah Juulsen is in and Emil Andrae is out on the blueline.

#Flyers warmup lines vs. PIT

Foerster – Zegras – Tippett
Konecny – Dvorak – Martone
Barkey – Cates – Michkov
Glendening – Couturier – Hathaway

Sanheim – Ristolainen
York – Drysdale
Seeler – Juulsen

Vladar starts in net, Ersson backs him up.

— Siobhan Nolan (@SGNolan) April 20, 2026

First period

Penalties are the story of the first period, the teams combine for eight minutes on four minors (three for Philadelphia, one for Pittsburgh) that ends up with the Penguins spending 4:00 of the period on the power play, where they don’t score and mostly don’t come close to doing so.

Other than that, the first period looked like Game 1 in many ways. The Flyers continue to gum things up in the neutral zone and play tight defense. The Penguins did better to cut through the defense at times — shot attempts were 19-5 PIT at one point — but still are unable to make much out of it just only getting two of those 19 attempts on goal. The Penguins are still butting their heads against the wall by attempting low-percentage cross-ice passes frequently. The Flyers are doing the typical Flyer things (Travis Sanheim dove forward and on his butt after feeling a stick in his skates to draw a penalty, Rasmus Ristolainen punched Sidney Crosby in the head after the whistle).

Shots for the period end up 5-2, PHI. Certainly not the style and way that Pittsburgh wants these games to go, it’s still right up the Flyers’ aisle. No goals through 20 minutes.

Second period

The Penguins get caught with six players on the ice 5:34 into the period. That happens before they can manage an official shot on goal in the period but they kill it off without much problems.

The game chugs along for a while, the Pens get some pressure and coming out of a TV timeout put Egor Chinakhov with Evgeni Malkin, Tommy Novak and the third pair defense. That group gets caught on the ice for a 1:30 shift and a bad bounce leads to the first goal. Ryan Shea blocks away a Travis Konecny shot but unfortunately the puck flips out right to Porter Martone. The rookie has a wide open net. 1-0 with 6:21 to play in the second.

Marty Supreme. #IgniteTheOrangepic.twitter.com/DgDSpcYjyb

— x – Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 21, 2026

A good shift by the fourth line draws a power play for Pittsburgh with 4:12 left in the period. It leads to disaster with a shorthanded goal against. Owen Tippett wants the puck way more than Tommy Novak, who compounds the mistake of an indirect path to the puck by then colliding with Kris Letang to hand the Flyers a late 2-on-1 down low. Tippett feeds Garnet Hathaway, who matches his regular season goal total of one in the playoffs with an easy finish to extend the PHI lead to 2-0.

Hath finds a way. #IgniteTheOrangepic.twitter.com/BFWK7mfMlF

— x – Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 21, 2026

Evgeni Malkin and a Flyer both get their sticks up and contact a Flyer up high, after review Malkin gets two minutes for the high-stick but avoids getting four minutes for not causing the injury.

End of the period and it wasn’t a good one. The Pens fall behind by two goals.

Third period

The Penguins kill off the carryover power play at the start of the period.

The newly reunited Rakell-Crosby-Rust line gets a very good shift, culminating in Sam Girard all alone from the middle getting a good shot that Dan Vladar answered with a big save.

Pittsburgh stacks a couple more good shifts with a second and third line playing well, followed up by Crosby getting a shot. Shots are 6-1 Pens and it’s the Flyers finally having to ice the puck to relieve pressure from the first sustained and decent push that Pittsburgh has made. Konecny hits Crosby once the puck is gone to open the door for yet another Penguin power play.

It starts out with near disaster, Bryan Rust can’t handle a zone entry pass and somehow the Flyers end up with a clean 2-on-0 break after Erik Karlsson misplays it. Skinner stands tall with by far his best save of the game to keep it from totally getting off the rails.

STUART SKINNER WITH A MASSIVE SAVE ❌ pic.twitter.com/Dn2lDp7CCU

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 21, 2026

A little later, Ben Kindel gets a glorious chance but sails a puck well high of the goal.

Karlsson has to water ski on Tippett after the Flyer got behind the defense, the refs award Tippett the rare playoff penalty shot. It goes outside the far post and stays out, still a 2-0 game.

There isn’t a lot more sustained pressure for Pittsburgh, they pull Skinner but there’s no late-game magic to be found this time. Luke Glendening scores on the open net. 3-0 game with 2:05 to go.

Tempers flare in garbage time, Letang gets called for a penalty hitting a Flyer away from the puck. Anthony Mantha feeds Tippett a couple of uppercuts and gets tossed. Letang picks up an extra penalty along the way, ending up in a four minute Flyer power play with 1:47 to go.

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Some thoughts

• The Pens’ power play went 7/18 vs PHI during the regular season, it’s at 0/7 for the playoffs with a SHG against tonight. That’s a big problem that’s actively hurting them. Situationally tonight there were some unfortunate circumstances (Erik Karlsson was stuck in the penalty box himself for a chunk of one power play) but there’s not much within the power plays to feel good about how it’s running at the moment.
• Two shots in the first, the team’s lowest playoff output since 2000. Fast starts were such a key to the series, so far the Penguins haven’t been able to get out to anything at all. Another huge, huge issue.
• The Flyers stick with starting the Sean Couturier checking line to open periods, today’s adjustment by Pittsburgh was to throw the Novak-Rakell-Malkin line out there to meet them. It’ll be interesting to see what happens at the start of periods now that the Pens have to make the first selection on the road in Games 3+4. A good bet: the Lizotte fourth line will start to see if Philadelphia will move accordingly to keep Couturier off the ice until a scoring line goes out for the Pens.
• Another reason this game was way too much like Game 1 was the continued struggles of the Girard/Letang pair. Girard doesn’t look like he’s lost confidence but try as he may, he’s not having very many successful puck touches in all three zones. Letang’s struggles have continued.
• Same could be said for Kindel too, he’s got no time or space to do anything and now might be clutching the stick a little too tightly. Subbing in Justin Brazeau isn’t alone going to fix all that ails the lineup right now, the players within it aren’t performing up to a playoff standard right now.
• The Flyers’ teenager, on the other hand, is making a huge difference. Philadelphia had 23 shots on goal today, Martone had six of them and the only 5v5 goal.
• The one good thing is the Flyers’ focus clearly being defensive-minded to layer their defense and often stack three near the blueline is that it’s difficult for them to generate a lot of sustained offense of their own. It’s a tight checking game that almost devolves into which team is going to get a good bounce or find some breakthrough that cracks the ice and forces the action to open up. Today the Flyers got that break out of nowhere (they hadn’t had a shot in 7:28 of game time before scoring).
• It was good to see the lines get switched in the second period, Chinakhov and Crosby had nothing going on at all through a game and a half of these playoffs. The decision to put the Shea-Clifton pair out for an offensive-zone draw coming out of a TV timeout with a scoring line on the ice looked questionable and ended up coming back to bite the Penguins in that instance.
• If you only knew that shot attempts were 75-38 PIT and at one point in the third period were 66-33, you’d be excused to think suggested good things on the scoreboard. That would end up being misleading, especially since the Pens only got 27 of those 75 shots on net and only a handful of them even had remote chances of being goals. The Pens got a bit of pressure at the start of the third period and required Vladar to look alive and make a couple of nice saves but just not nearly enough Grade A chances.

It’s back to the wall time now, the Penguins head on the road for Game 3 on Wednesday night and will need to come up with a lot better play than what they’ve showed so far.

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Fans of the Detroit Red Wings got several up-close and personal looks at former Michigan State Spartans forward Porter Martone, whom the Philadelphia Flyers selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. 

He picked up his first NHL point earlier this month against the Red Wings in Philadelphia, and picked up another point with several friends from Michigan State in attendance at Little Caesars Arena just days later.

He's already made a considerable impact for the Flyers, who punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2020. 

And now, he's officially made NHL history. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Martone has now scored in consecutive postseason games for the Flyers, and in doing so, became just the 12th teenager in NHL history to score in each of his first two playoff games.

He's already become one of their top forwards at just 19 years of age, showing that the sky truly is the limit for him.

In 35 games played with the Spartans this season before officially signing with the Flyers and making his NHL debut, Martone scored 25 goals with 25 assists. 

He also racked up 78 penalty minutes while posting an impressive plus-24 rating. 

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Ahead of Monday's first-round, Game 2 matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman held a press conference and opened the floor for questions. 

Topics such as the Penguins' ownership sale and another NHL premier event potentially coming to Pittsburgh were big topics of discussion.

But the central topic? Goaltender interference. 

According to a piece written on Mar. 31 - shortly before the conclusion of the regular season - by The Athletic's Shayna Goldman, the success rate for coach's challenges on goaltender interference this season was 35.2, which is the lowest success rate since 2018-19, when it was 26.4 percent. It is also a steep dropoff from last season, which saw a 55.4 percent success rate. 

Goalie interference has been a source of frustration for many NHL teams, coaches, and general managers. But, according to Bettman, they're getting more right than ever before.

"You know, when it was first instituted, we had warned the coaches and managers that this isn't going to be crystal-clear in every situation," Bettman said. "It will be, sort of, a judgment. Whatever your view of the process is, I guarantee you it's much better in terms of getting it right than if we didn't have video replay. There's no question. But the only difference (is) it was originally designed for the most simple case: Somebody skates by the goaltender and hits his glove, but the officials on the ice don't see it. That would be something that's clear-cut when you pick it up in video.

"I think (NHL director of hockey operations) Colin Campbell and his people have done a great job with more and more cameras in the net (behind) the crossbar and overhead. We're going to get it right overwhelmingly. And we'll get a few calls where people will debate them. Depending on your interest in the game, you may have a different view."

LIVE GAME BLOG: Pittsburgh Penguins V. Philadelphia Flyers, Game 2Follow along with the THN - Pittsburgh Penguins' LIVE game blog for Round 1, Game 2 against the Philadelphia Flyers

In addition, Bettman reiterated that it is on the coaches to make the right call when it comes to challenges and only contest calls that are blatantly obvious to overturn. He said that this was a point of discussion when meeting with NHL GMs last summer. 

"I think the issue comes when people hope that a goal will either be confirmed or overturned," Bettman said. "In final analysis, you shouldn't be challenging unless the call is clearly and conclusively wrong one way or the other. And sometimes, strategically, you'll make the call to support your goaltender. Sometimes, you hope you'll get result you want. But, no, goaltender interference - and we've had a few video calls over the weekend, and they were all bang-on.

"Sometimes, the situation room has a view that isn't shown in real-time, or, sometimes, not at all, and we have to tweet it out. But the situation room does a good job. We went through an exercise a year ago with the general managers, and I think we showed 54 examples of what were, quote, 'controversial' coach's challenges. And the general managers, as a group, I think on like 48 or 50 of them, agreed that the right call had been made overwhelmingly, and the three or four where there was some disagreement, the room was pretty split. 

"So, the rule of thumb should be that unless it's conclusively wrong, you shouldn't be challenging it."

'I Don't Think Anybody's Panicking Here': Penguins Discuss Keys To Managing Emotions In Stanley Cup PlayoffsThe Pittsburgh Penguins have excelled at "turning the page" all season long - and they will have to continue that trend heading into Game 2 against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.

Bettman doubled down when asked whether or not there was any discussion about a deviation or shift in interpretation of the rule. 

"Listen... When you have a rooting interest or you are, in the moment, very passionate or frustrated, you may challenge a call," Bettman said. "But, in the final analysis, overwhelmingly, they get it right... and this final analysis, it's a judgment call. You know, offsides - other than when it comes to control of the puck - but offsides in terms of where the skate is is a whole lot easier to do because it's more black and white. It's a fine line.

"Goaltender interference is, again, a judgment call, which is why you go with the call on the ice unless it's conclusively wrong."

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!  

Pittsburgh Penguins v. Philadelphia Flyers - Game 2 (PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa.)  |  Monday, Apr. 20, 2026

Puck Drop: 7:10 p.m. ET

Penguins' projected lines and pairings:

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

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

Goaltenders
Stuart Skinner (starter)
Arturs Silovs (backup)

Flyers' projected lines and pairings:

Per Siobhan Nolan of THN - Philadelphia Flyers:

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

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

Goaltenders
Dan Vladar (starter)
Samuel Ersson (backup)

---

First period

- Gary Bettman held a press conference prior to the start of the game. Piece to come on that. But here is a bit of a highlight. 

After a question from Taylor Haase of DK Pittsburgh Sports about the success rate of coach's challenges on goaltender interference being low this season, I asked Bettman - who said that he met with NHL GMs last summer regarding the interpretation of goaltender interference - if part of those discussions involved any shift or deviation in the interpretation of goaltender interference that might help explain the low success rate.

Gary Bettman doesn’t think the league has a problem with goaltender interference challenges. Coaches just need to stop challenging the wrong ones. — From Taylor Haase in Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/JcbQFRxAGt

— DK Pittsburgh Sports (@DKPghSports) April 20, 2026

He said:

"No. I mean, I think... listen. When you have a rooting interest or you are, in the moment, very passionate or frustrated, you may challenge a call. But, in the final analysis, overwhelmingly, they get it right... and this final analysis, it's a judgment call. You know, offsides - other than when it comes to control of the puck - but offsides in terms of where the skate is is a whole lot easier to do because it's more black and white. It's a fine line. Goaltender interference is, again, a judgment call, which is why you go with the call on the ice unless it's conclusively wrong.

"You know, when it was first instituted, we had warned the coaches and managers that this isn't going to be crystal-clear in every situation. It will be, sort of, a judgment. Whatever your view of the process is, I guarantee you it's much better in terms of getting it right than if we didn't have video replay. There's no question. But the only difference (is) it was originally designed for the most simple case: Somebody skates by the goaltender and hits his glove, but the officials on the ice don't see it. That would be something that's clear-cut when you pick it up in video.

"I think Colin Campbell and his people have done a great job with more and more cameras in the net (behind) the crossbar and overhead. We're going to get it right overwhelmingly. And we'll get a few calls where people will debate them. Depending on your interest in the game, you may have a different view."

- Penguins have been playing a bit more in the Flyers' end during thie first period. Still only three shots on goal for each team - and their power play could not convert on three opportunities - but, overall, a much better start to this one than in Game 1.

- The fourth line of Connor Dewar, Blake Lizotte, and Noel Acciari, in particular, have had a nice start to this game. The Flyers are still frustrating the Pens in the neutral zone, but this line has had the most success in terms of zone entries and simplification. 

- END OF FIRST PERIOD - 

Score: 0-0  |  Shots on goal: Philadelphia 5, Pittsburgh 2

---

Second period

- The fourth line had another solid o-zone shift about two and a haldf minutes into the period. The Penguins seem to be making a better effort to get pucks to the net, but they still only have two shots on goal and none this period. Flyers are still clogging up all their lanes.

Still too much happening on the perimeter. The Penguins absolutely need this first goal here. 

- Rust hits the post on a solid shift by the first line. Chinakhov also whiffed on a chance. 

Attack looks a good bit better so far in this period. 

- Pittsburgh penalty, too many men on the ice (5:33). Philadelphia to the power play. No score. 

- Penguins' penalty kill makes quick work of the Flyers' power play. Again, night and day difference between this unit with and without Blake Lizotte. It also helped generate some momentum for the Penguins, who have tilted the ice a bit for the time being. 

- Chinakhov just threw the body a bit on Trevor Zegras, much to the delight of the crowd. A "Zegras sucks" chant rang out afterward.

Pens have the momentum now. 

- Ben Kindel and the third line get mixed up with some Flyers around goaltender Dan Vladar. Kindel has been in the thick of the physicality through these first two games - but, especially, in this one - and it's a great thing to see from the 19-year-old, whose birthday was Sunday. 

There is a lot of energy in this building right now. Pens need to feed off it. 

- GOAL (Philadelphia): Porter Martone (2), from Travis Konecny an Christian Dvorak (13:39). Philadelphia leads Pittsburgh, 1-0. 

- It's really a shame. The Penguins had all the momentum prior to a TV timeout, which gave the Flyers a chance to reset and generate one of their only instances of sustained zone time in the second period. They were cycling , and Martone snuck in down the left side to finish a perfect seam pass by Konecny.

The Penguins need to respond quick and keep on the pressure so Philly can't stack the blue line and deploy an effective neutral zone trap - which was their kryptonite last game. 

- MASSIVE power play for the Penguins coming up with 4:12 to go in the second. Glendening for cross-checking. Penguins trail, 1-0, and head to the man advantage. 

- This power play is a disaster right now. It's absolutely burying the Penguins, and if they lose this series, they could point to this alone as a primary reason why. Passes aren't connecting. Too many long, cross-ice, low-percentage passes. And... a shorty.

Flyers generated more on that penalty kill than the Penguins did on their power play. 

- GOAL (PHILADELPHIA): Garnet Hathaway (1) - SHG, from Owen Tippett (17:43). Philadelphia leads Pittsburgh, 2-0. 

- Fans are booing the home team here at PPG. All the life has been sucked out of the building. The Flyers continue to frustrate the Penguins, and Rick Tocchet's fingerprints are all over it again. 

- Malkin takes a high-sticking penalty that they reviewed and confirmed. Ristolainen's stick got up on Konecny, too, but it appeared that Malkin initiated the play that led to both sticks clashing with Konecny's face. 

Or, at least, that seems to be what the ruling was. 

- END OF SECOND PERIOD -

Score: 2-0 Philadelphia over Pittsburgh  |  Goals from Travis Konecny (PHI) and Garnet Hathaway (PHI)  |  Shots on goal: Philadelphia 17, Pittsburgh 14

---

Third period

- The Penguins needed that kill, and they got it. Crosby mentioned after last game that the Penguins wanted to make sure they were supporting their PK more and feeding off the momentum from that unit. 

Girard was stopped on a point-blank chance from the shot shortly after. 

- The top-six has been switched around. 

Chinakhov is now with Malkin and Novak on the second line, and Rakell has bumped back up to the first line with Crosby and Rust.

It's way past time for this, but the Malkin line has generated a bit so far in the third. 

- Chinakhov came in with speed and almost created a scoring chance for himself. Lost a handle on the puck as he broke away from Philly's defense. 

- Crosby with a one-time blast. The Penguins' first line has come to life. They are playing with desperation and energy and need one soon here. 

Much more smooth operation with this set of lines. They're finally not galaxy-braining it. 

Also, Penguins now lead in shots, 20-18, with 14:21 to go. 

- Rust misses a pretty wide-open chance on the backhand just after this off the faceoff.

- Crosby is "chatting" with Konecny and Sanheim at center ice. Stirring it up. Gets the crowd going. Penguins to the power play, as Konecny goes to the box (6:31). Penguins to the power play. They trail, 2-0. 

- Stuart Skinner absolutely bails out Erik Karlsson on an errant neutral zone pass on the power play. Went post-to-post for a save on Glendening. Remember that save if the Penguins come back in this one.

Talk about the game with Pens fans here!

Flyers rip off two road wins to open playoffs, put Penguins on their heels originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

PITTSBURGH — Rick Tocchet talked about the importance of the Flyers not feeling too comfortable with a series lead.

The head coach had liked his team’s businesslike approach after its Game 1 win. That sure seemed to pay off Monday night.

The Flyers blanked the Penguins, 3-0, at PPG Paints Arena to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round matchup. Tocchet’s club stunned a lot of people by winning the first two games on the road.

“Coming in here, in a building like this and taking the first two games, it’s huge,” Owen Tippett said. “We’re really excited to get home, but we’re staying even-keeled.”

Dan Vladar was terrific again, providing his first shutout with the Flyers.

Porter Martone delivered another goal, giving him two in two career playoff games. He’s just 19 years old and not even a month out of college.

“It’s pretty impressive,” Travis Konecny said. “There are not a lot of guys that can come in and make the impact that he has. Especially in the games leading up to making the playoffs, how important those were, and for him to be able to jump in, I think it just speaks to not his hockey ability, but how he wants to learn.”

After Martone handed the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the second period, Garnet Hathaway struck a little over four minutes later at shorthanded. Tippett made a determined and skillful play to find Hathaway for the 2-0 lead.

tbh can't stop won't stop thinking about this Owen Tippett shift pic.twitter.com/6KevfXrbCe

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) April 21, 2026

The Flyers fended off Pittsburgh in the third period. Luke Glendening’s empty-net goal sent fans to the exits.

Tocchet’s club now comes home to what should be a raucous Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The Flyers won the opening two games of a playoff series for the first time since 2012. Ironically, they did it against the Penguins then, too. The Flyers won that first-round series in six games.

Going back to Feb. 26 of the regular season and including the start to these playoffs, the Flyers have won 20 of their last 27 games. In that span, they’ve allowed just 2.26 goals per game.

“It’s a series and it’s a war,” Noah Cates said before the game. “A little crack can go a long way, whether you see it on a team or kind of your body language and stuff like that. So you’ve just got to be strong mentally and physically, do all the right things and do it over and over to break them down little by little.”

The scene at PPG Paints Arena ahead of Flyers-Penguins Game 2. pic.twitter.com/CUeEwS6mkp

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) April 20, 2026

• Vladar denied all 27 shots he faced.

The 28-year-old really closed the door in the third period when Pittsburgh made a concerted push. Vladar had a message for his team during a break in the period.

“They were coming in waves at us and he said, ‘We’re OK, guys don’t worry about it, relax,'” Tocchet said. “He says that, he’s the goalie, he’s getting peppered a little bit, it means a lot.”

With under seven and a half minutes to go, Vladar stopped a redirection by Evgeni Malkin when the Flyers lost the winger backdoor.

He had a massive save on Samuel Girard early in the third period.

“He has been like that all year for us,” Tocchet said. “Guys enjoy playing for him. He comes by the bench, he’s talking to the players. A lot of guys aren’t used to goalies talking that much, but that’s the way Vladdy is; I love his personality. He’s a fun guy to coach, I’ll tell you that.”

The Flyers played with fire a bit in the first period when they put the Penguins on the power play three times. They weren’t hurt, though, keeping the game scoreless going into intermission.

Travis Sanheim did a nice job to negate one of the power plays when he put pressure on Pittsburgh up ice and drew a tripping penalty on Erik Karlsson.

The Flyers’ penalty kill went a perfect 5 for 5.

“It was a goofy game for us, there were a lot of penalties, they had three or four power plays early, guys get out of the game,” Tocchet said. “Sometimes in the playoffs, you’ve got to win those ugly games. It was an ugly game for us.”

Penguins netminder Stuart Skinner stopped 20 of 22 shots.

He denied Tippett on a penalty shot in the third period, but the Flyers got their insurance with Glendening’s empty-netter.

More: Flyers start playoffs with sweet new shirt that ‘says a lot’

Looks like some Flyers fans have a 3.8 percent sign. pic.twitter.com/1IsrNkliBQ

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) April 20, 2026

• Martone just continues to open eyes.

“He fit in right away, he’s a confident kid,” Christian Dvorak said. “He has been huge for us. To show that confidence straight from college is very impressive.”

For Martone to be making this much of an impact already is super promising for the Flyers. Konecny and Dvorak made strong plays to assist his game-opening goal.

Tippett and Hathaway then took the air totally out of the building when they connected.

Hathaway’s style of play is built for the playoffs. The veteran winger finished with two points.

“We talk about it a lot as a group — how can you bring it each shift to help this team,” Hathaway said. “I love it. If you’re not jacked up out there, you’ve got to check your pulse or something.”

More: Dvorak ‘fits in everywhere’ with Flyers, a team he believed could make playoffs

• After holding Sidney Crosby scoreless in Game 1, the Flyers pulled it off again.

They’ve quieted No. 87 so far.

Crosby, of course, has been the ultimate Flyers killer. He owns 139 points (60 goals, 79 assists) in 93 career regular-season games against the Flyers. In the playoffs, he has put up 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 25 career meetings with the Flyers.

• Noah Juulsen entered the lineup for Emil Andrae, who missed the game because of an upper-body.

Andrae didn’t practice Sunday. He has been considered day to day.

• The series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

It’ll mark the Flyers’ first playoff action on home ice since 2018; the 2020 postseason was forced into the bubble because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are officially underway. While the Vancouver Canucks will not be taking part in the post-season — unsurprisingly — there are quite a few former Canucks who will look to make their mark as they pursue the Stanley Cup with their current teams. Here are the former Canucks taking part in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Western Conference. 

Central Division 

Tyler Myers, Dallas Stars 

A Canuck for nearly seven full seasons, Myers’ upcoming post-season with the Dallas Stars will be his first stint in the playoffs since Vancouver’s run in 2023–24. The defenceman was one of two long-time members of Vancouver’s roster who were traded ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, with Conor Garland being the other. 

Myers has made the post-season seven times through his NHL career, with two of these occasions coming as a member of the Canucks. The defenceman also took part in playoff runs with the Buffalo Sabres (2009–10 and 2010–11) and Winnipeg Jets (2014–15, 2017–18, and 2018–19) through his career. Prior to the Sabres’ first playoff game on Sunday, Myers was the only active NHL player to have played in a playoff game for the Sabres. 

Casey DeSmith, Dallas Stars 

Also on Dallas’ playoff squad is DeSmith, whose lone season with the Canucks resulted in a playoff run. The Stars goaltender has played in three different post-seasons — one for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2021–22, the Canucks in 2023–24, and the Stars in 2024–25. He has registered a combined five games played in through these three playoff runs. 

Vancouver first acquired DeSmith via trade at the start of the 2023–24 season, with the goaltender posting a 12–9–6 record during the regular season. An injury during the playoffs forced Artūrs Šilovs into the net and resulted in the Latvian leading the way through the rest of Vancouver’s run. DeSmith later signed with the Stars in free-agency. 

Quinn Hughes, Minnesota Wild 

Once the franchise’s hope for a better future, a mid-December trade resulted in Hughes becoming the next big thing for a Minnesota Wild team that is looking to do some damage heading into the playoffs. The Wild have not made it past the first-round in the playoffs since 2015; with Dallas as an opponent in the opening-round of this year’s post-season, this task will be a difficult one. 

Vancouver made the playoffs twice in Hughes’ time as a Canuck — in 2019–20 and 2023–24. Through both post-seasons, the defenceman averaged nearly a point per game, putting up two goals and 14 assists in 17 games in 2020 and 10 assists in 13 games in 2024. In both playoff runs, Vancouver was eliminated in Game 7 of the Pacific Division Finals. 

Ian Cole, Utah Mammoth 

Cole is one of two Utah Mammoth defencemen who previously played for the Canucks and will now help Utah succeed in their first playoff appearance in franchise history. Cole joined Utah the season after his one-year stint with the Canucks, then re-upping his contract with the Mammoth for another year. This season, he put up near career-high totals with three goals and 20 assists in 82 games. 

In Cole’s lone season with the Canucks, Vancouver scraped together a division-leading season that saw them lose in Game 7 of the second-round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Cole was a massive factor in the team’s success early-on for his sharp defensive play and previous playoff experience. He’ll be a player Utah will rely heavily on heading into the post-season. 

Nate Schmidt, Utah Mammoth  

The other one-year Canuck who now plays for the Mammoth is Schmidt. Traded to Vancouver back in October of 2020, Schmidt’s tenure with Vancouver lasted only one season — 2020–21 — during which he put up five goals and 10 assists in 54 games played. The defenceman was then traded at the end of the season, this time to the Winnipeg Jets. 

Schmidt’s most recent playoff run went about as successfully as any player could ask for, as the defenceman joined the Florida Panthers in winning their second-straight Stanley Cup and the first in his career. Previously, Schmidt had come close, joining the Vegas Golden Knights for their inaugural-season Stanley Cup run back in 2017–18. 

Pacific Division 

Vasily Podkolzin, Edmonton Oilers 

Podkolzin appears to have fit with the Edmonton Oilers like a glove since being traded there in August of 2024. The forward had a strong 24-point season the year prior and has now hit career-highs in goals (19), assists (18), and points (37) in his sophomore season with the Oilers. Were he playing at this rate while still on this year’s Canucks team, the forward would be fifth on the team in points. 

Podkolzin has made the post-season in his past three seasons, starting with the Canucks’ 2024 Stanley Cup Playoff run. While he only got into two games during this run, the season after, he was a much more noticeable force for Edmonton. Through 22 playoff games with the Oilers, he had three goals and seven assists. 

Jason Dickinson, Edmonton Oilers  

Dickinson has seen some of his best NHL seasons as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, who acquired him from the Canucks in July of 2021. With Vancouver, on the other hand, Dickinson put up five goals and six assists in 62 games played. The forward followed that up with back-to-back 30-point seasons with Chicago, including a career-high 22 goals and 13 assists in 82 games during the 2023–24 season. 

The Oilers acquired Dickinson and prospect Colton Dach at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline in exchange for Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional first-round pick in next year’s draft. Since joining Edmonton, Dickinson has a goal and three assists in 17 games. The forward’s last playoff appearance was in 2019–20, when he and the Dallas Stars lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final. 

Curtis Lazar, Edmonton Oilers  

Lazar was only a Canucks for 45 games, during which he scored three goals and two assists, before he was traded to the New Jersey Devils in March of 2023. He stayed with the Devils for two seasons after that before signing a one-year deal with the Oilers this season. With Edmonton this season, Lazar scored four goals and two assists in 45 games. 

This will be the sixth NHL post-season that Lazar participates in. His first playoff run came as a member of the Ottawa Senators in 2014–15, followed by a one-game performance with the Calgary Flames in 2016–17. The bulk of his post-season experience comes from his time with the Boston Bruins in 2020–21 and 2021–22, during which he played in 10 and seven games respectively. 

Andrei Kuzmenko, Los Angeles Kings 

Due to a meniscus tear suffered on February 25 against Vegas, Kuzmenko’s season ended early as the forward required time to adjust after undergoing surgery. Prior to the injury, the forward put up 13 goals and 12 assists in 52 games played. He has since appeared to recover and is now available to play for his team, though he did not end up skating in Game 1 of Los Angeles’ series against the Colorado Avalanche. 

Kuzmenko has only been to the post-season once while in the NHL — in 2024–25 with the Kings. Despite Los Angeles being eliminated in the first round in Game 6 against the Oilers, the forward scored three goals and three assists. 

Ben Hutton, Vegas Golden Knights 

Hutton seems to have found a great fit with the Golden Knights since departing from Vancouver. After bouncing around from Los Angeles, to the Anaheim Ducks, to the Toronto Maple Leafs, he found himself in Vegas where he has since spent the past five seasons. He hit a new season-high in points with the Golden Knights, putting up six goals and nine assists in 55 games this year. 

All of Hutton’s career post-season experience has come as a member of the Golden Knights. He played in two playoff games with Vegas in their Stanley Cup-winning effort in 2023, also taking part in one game the season after. 

Nic Dowd, Vegas Golden Knights 

Once a Canuck for only 40 games, Dowd’s eight-year tenure with the Washington Capitals ended at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, when he was moved to Vegas in exchange for goaltender Jesper Vikman, a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick. Through 20 regular season games with the Golden Knights this season, Dowd put up a goal and four assists. 

Aside from this season, Dowd has taken part in the Stanley Cup Playoffs six times throughout his career, all with Washington. In 40 total playoff games with the Capitals, Dowd scored four goals and two assists, with his highest single-season numbers being registered in 2020–21 (2 G, 5 GP) and 2021–22 (1 G, 1 A, 6 GP). 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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In 2018, the St. Louis Blues made a blockbuster trade to acquire Ryan O’Reilly.

The move paid off greatly for the organization. In his first of five seasons with the Blues, O’Reilly notched career highs in goals (28) and points (77). He also helped the Blues hoist the Stanley Cup, skating as the No. 1 center. 

The Blues should have no regrets about making that deal, but if they did, it’s because of the play of former Blues first-round pick Tage Thompson.  

To acquire O’Reilly, the Blues traded Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, and Thompson, as well as a first-round pick in the 2019 NHL draft, and a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL draft, to the Buffalo Sabres. 

Berglund and Sobotka amounted to nothing more than depth players for the Sabres, and the first-round pick the Sabres acquired turned into Ryan Johnson, a defenseman who has spent most of his professional career in the AHL. 

But Thompson has morphed into a superstar, a true No. 1 center who won gold with Team USA at the Olympics and is centering the top line of a Stanley Cup-contending team. 

Thompson played just 41 games with the Blues, scoring three goals and nine points, and while it did take Thompson a bit of time to get his feet under him at the NHL level, he’s now a consistent 40-goal scorer with a career high of 47 and a point per game player with a career high of 94 points. 

Sabres Managing Excitement After Comeback Win With “One Game At A Time” Approach Buffalo scores four goals in the last 10 minutes of the third period to win Game 1 vs. Boston

On Sunday, the Sabres hosted their first playoff game in 14 years, but they found themselves down 2-0 late in the third period. That’s when Thompson introduced himself to the post-season.

The 28-year-old found a loose puck behind the Boston Bruins’ net and scored a wrap-around on his backhand to cut the Bruins’ lead in half. Just over three minutes later, Thompson won another puck battle, made a slick move to create space, and ripped a shot past Jeremy Swayman to tie the game and send the KeyBank Center into a frenzy. 

A minute later, Mattias Samuelsson gave the Sabres the lead before Thompson once again won a key puck battle and sprung Alex Tuch on a breakaway with the Bruins’ net vacant. 

The Sabres pulled off a miraculous comeback in Game 1 to take an early series advantage, which Thompson led.

The Sabres First Home Playoff Game Absolutely Lived Up To The Hype In Win Over BruinsAfter a fifteen-year wait, the Buffalo Sabres made NHL history with a four-goal third-period explosion to stun the Bruins and ignite a city-wide frenzy.

He finished his first career playoff game with two goals, one assist, two penalty minutes, seven shots on goal, and three hits in 20:01 of ice time. He also finished with a Corsi For percentage of 59.38 percent, an expected goals percentage of 61.23 percent, and a high danger chances percentage of 60 percent at 5-on-5. 

Thompson was nothing short of dominant.

Although he was once the 26th overall pick of the Blues in 2016, Thompson was the key part of a deal that helped the Blues hoist the Stanley Cup, and could help the Sabres hoist their own. 

---

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Charlie McAvoy has been a road warrior in recent months, tallying 21 points over his last 20 away games.

While he was held off the scoresheet in Game 1, my Bruins vs. Sabres predictions see McAvoy getting back on track in this one.

Let’s dive into my NHL picks for Tuesday, April 21.

Bruins vs Sabres Game 2 prediction

Bruins vs Sabres best bet: Charlie McAvoy Over 0.5 points (-105)

Charlie McAvoy played 40.5% of Game 1, leading all skaters. The Boston Bruins didn’t generate many chances during his minutes, but score effects played a big part.

The Bruins led from the 10-minute mark of the opening period until there was less than five minutes to go in the third. Boston was trying to see their lead through, which led to a larger focus on defense.

Even if the Bruins get another lead, I don’t think they’ll be as conservative in Game 2.

McAvoy has hit the scoresheet in 20 of his last 23 games following a day of rest. Look for him to make his mark offensively.

Bruins vs Sabres Game 2 same-game parlay

Morgan Geekie averaged 2.2 shots on goal and cleared this line in 65% of his games this season. The only extended lull came when Geekie was playing away from David Pastrnak.

Geekie is back on the top line and scored in Game 1, so his role on Pastrnak’s opposite wing should be solidified.

Josh Doan had two shots on goal and five attempts in Game 1, pushing his Over rate to 85% in home games against Bottom-10 shot suppression teams. 

Doan earned a solid 16 minutes of ice in his first playoff game, so head coach Lindy Ruff clearly trusts him.

Bruins vs Sabres SGP

• Charlie McAvoy Over 0.5 points
• Morgan Geekie Over 1.5 shots on goal
• Josh Doan Over 1.5 shots on goal

Bruins vs Sabres Game 2 goal scorer pick

Josh Doan (+310)

Doan was a threat in the series opener, generating five shot attempts and a couple of scoring chances on the doorstep. His expected goal output of 0.91 was actually second-highest among all skaters. Jeremy Swayman is very tough to beat from range, so it's best to target players who live in high-danger areas.

Bruins vs Sabres odds for Game 2

• Moneyline: Boston +130 | Buffalo -150
• Puck line: Boston +1.5 (-190) | Buffalo -1.5 (+160)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+120) | Under 6.5 (-140)

Bruins vs Sabres trend

Charlie McAvoy has six points over his last six games in Buffalo. Find more NHL betting trends for Bruins vs. Sabres.

How to watch Bruins vs Sabres Game 2

Bruins vs Sabres latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

It wouldn’t be the Stanley Cup Playoffs without the Florida Panthers showing up on TV, right?

That is the reality that we’re living in, and people should just get used to it.

Despite the Panthers missing out on qualifying for the postseason this year due to the injury issue we’ve mentioned once or twice, fans tuning in to the opening weekend of the playoffs were treated to a new commercial featuring two of the most popular Panthers players around!

Mutual life insurance and financial services company MassMutual has done an excellent job in recent years putting out some very entertaining ads starring NHL players.

There was the “and why is he always here for breakfast” spot with Washington Capitals’ Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Ovechkin and his wife, Anastasia, the “no goals” ad with Juuse Saros and Ryan O’Reilly of the Nashville Predators, or the “Baby Skates” commercial featuring Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman talking about saving for their kids’ college funds.

This year, a couple new spots hit the airwaves.

One of them has Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen and goalie Jake Oettinger playing bubble hockey, and the other…well, that’s why you’re here.

The commercial features Panthers forwards Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett, with the two providing some sound investment advice to a young autograph-seeking fan.

You can check out the video below:

For those Cats fans with sharp eyes, they may have noticed the spot took place inside Florida’s new practice facility, the Baptist Health IcePlex, in Fort Lauderdale, where it was filmed earlier this season.

Let us know in the comments what you think of the new spot, which is titled, “It’s Never Too Soon to Think About Your Future,” and where it ranks among the MassMutual hierarchy of ads featuring NHL players.

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Photo caption: Dec 29, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) and center Sam Bennett (9) celebrate his goal against the Washington Capitals during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jeff Romance-Imagn Images)

The Ottawa Senators can’t seem to catch a break in the injury department, particularly on their blue line.

As they prepared for Game 2 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, NC, they learned that Tyler Kleven would not be available. It was hoped he might be ready to play in the event Artem Zub cannot.

Zub was injured in Game 1 after delivering a big hit on Carolina forward Seth Jarvis and did not return. He wasn't at practice on Monday and the Senators have described him as a game-time decision.

Kleven has been skating in recent days while wearing a full face shield at practice. He hasn’t played since April 2, when he took a puck to the face in a 4–1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.

Dennis Gilbert was also rattled in Game 1 after taking a hit from behind into the boards. The initial concern was that he had aggravated the shoulder injury he suffered back in March, but he managed to stay in the game and finish.

It’s also likely that Thomas Chabot is far less than 100 percent after his early return from the forearm surgery he had last month.

If Zub cannot go on Monday night, Nikolas Matinpalo will likely move into the top four, alongside Jake Sanderson, and Lassi Thomson would likely draw back into the lineup after appearing in five games for Ottawa between April 7 and 15.

But the Senators also have the option of using their 2024 seventh-overall pick, Carter Yakemchuk, who was called up on Sunday after the Belleville Senators’ season came to a close. 

Yakemchuk finished the year with 40 points in 54 games, second-best among AHL rookie defencemen. He made his NHL debut in Detroit last month, recording a goal and an assist in a big win over the Red Wings that may have marked a turning point in Ottawa’s season.

But Carolina's smothering forecheck, putting the heat on Thomas Chabot and Jordan Spence, helped lead to the only two goals in the game. So this may not be the time or place for the 20-year-old.

Yakemchuk was called up on Sunday alongside forwards Tyler Boucher, Xavier Bourgault, Graeme Clarke, Arthur Kaliyev and Oscar Pettersson, a group that will serve as the club’s black aces.

Despite the injury concern, the bigger issue at hand is scoring. After being shut out 2–0 in Game 1, generating more chances will be paramount in Game 2 against a stifling, well-coached Carolina D.

Quick update, hot off the presses: if you can't score, nothing else matters.

Game time is 7:30 p.m.
TV: Sportsnet, CBC and TVAS.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

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

First Blood: Senators Fall To Carolina 2-0 In Stanley Cup Playoff Opener
The Farm System Everyone Doubted Helped Save The Senators Season
Rick Bowness Clarifies That Only Some Of His Players "Don't Care"
Rod Brind'Amour Describes Senators As 'A Huge Challenge' In Round One
Through All The Noise, The Playoff-Bound Senators Held Their Ground
Brady Tkachuk Describes Brief Vision Loss During Game As 'Weird And Scary'

BRIDGEPORT, CT -- On Oct. 22, New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche relieved goaltending coach Piero Greco of his duties with Ilya Sorokin struggling out of the gate. 

Darche then elevated Bridgeport Islanders goaltending coach Sergei Naumov to the NHL squad, someone who Sorokin had known quite well from their days in the KHL.

Naumov joined Bridgeport for the 2024-25 season with an NHL gig more of a when, not an if, given his experience with Sorokin. 

After the goalie coach change, the Islanders said that Chris Terreri, the organization's Director of Goaltending, would take Sergei's Bridgeport responsibilities. 

However, when on hand for Bridgeport's practice on Monday, I saw a familiar face working with their goaltenders: Cory Schneider.

The now 40-year-old former NHL goaltender, who finished his 13-year playing career with the Islanders before moving into media with MSG Networks and the NHL Network, has been serving as Bridgeport's goalie coach since Naumovs promotion, per the team. It's not an official title, but that's the job he's serving. 

Cory Schneider is Bridgeport’s goalie coach, filling Sergei Naumovs role after Sergei was elevated to #Isles.

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) April 20, 2026

Terreri still holds his role with the organization.

It's not uncommon to see former Islanders players remain with the organization. 

Johnny Boychuk and Dennis Seidenberg both work in player development -- so does Marty Reasoner -- with Eric Cairns the organization's Director of Player Development. 

Schneider was a workhorse during his career, playing 410 regular-season games, going 171-159-58, with a 2.43 GAA and a .918 SV%. He also knows what it takes to reach the NHL level and stick, and what it's like to overcome a major injury — hip surgery — to get back to living the dream.

Schneider had to wait 758 days before getting back to the NHL, playing his first and final game with the Islanders, the final game of his career, stopping 24 of 27 in a 4-3 win over his former team, the New Jersey Devils, on Apr. 3, 2022. 

It must have been a cool experience for Schneider to be on the ice with Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who is working his way back from two knee procedures.

Bridgeport has veteran backstop, Marcus Hogberg, along with youngsters Henrik Tikkanen and Josh Kotai. There's no question that Schneider will have a positive impact on their development, regardless of how long he holds this position.

The Buffalo Sabres seemed stymied by the Boston Bruins defensive game plan in Game 1 of their first-round series for two-and-a-half periods, but with time running out, the Sabres urgency increased, the Bruins retreated into a defensive shell around goalie Jeremy Swayman, and that allowed Buffalo to wrest control of the game. Tage Thompson tied the game on a pair of tallies, Mattias Samuelsson put the Sabres into the lead, and Alex Tuch scored the game-winner into an empty net, all within 6:46 in a 4-3 victory at KeyBank Center on Sunday night. 

The crowd was extremely loud and boisterous even during warmups for the first playoff game in 15 years, and the rafters shook with a deafening crescendo of cheers during the Sabres late rally. Less than 24 hours later, the club did not practice and is attempting to maintain their level of excitement, while at the same time trying to stay composed.

"We met this morning, and we went through the game and areas we thought we're pretty good at and a couple areas we'd like to improve. (We) talked about putting this game away and moving on to the next one, knowing that it's a desperate situation for (Boston), Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said. "No team really wants to go down two games to none, and we'd like to put them in that situation."

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The Bruins played the game they need to play to beat a more offensively talented Buffalo squad, positionally disciplined defensively, and relying on goalie Jeremy Swayman to make the big saves. That was the case through two periods, as the Sabres outshot Boston 27-13. The Bruins failed to take advantage of some early shakiness from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in his first playoff start, and failed on some of their best scoring chances, as David Pastrnak was stymied by UPL on two breakaways. 

“We understand how they play. They've had a lot of success with it. We understand how we play," Ruff said.  "I thought maybe the first two periods, we were just a little bit slow getting there, but we really want to focus on our game. We know what the strength of their game is, and they know what the strength of ours is. And we feel that the longer we can stay with our game, the better the chances we can win a hockey game."

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

As a kid growing up in Windsor, Canada, just across the river from Detroit, D.J. Smith would look forward to the Stanley Cup playoffs the way other kids looked forward to Christmas.

“It's special as a kid growing up, just watching that first game of the NHL playoffs,” he said. “As a Red Wings fan, me and my brother [would] get it on Channel 50 back home, watch [Steve] Yzerman and the boys and it was exciting.”

Now Smith is coaching in those same playoffs after guiding the Kings on a mad dash to a wild-card berth. And while the games haven’t lost that special feeling they had when he was a kid, now they’re all business.

“To be up here is special,” he said. “But you’ve got to turn the page on that. I’ve got a job to do.”

Read more:Kings keep it close but fall to potent Avalanche to open playoffs

He did that job well in Game 1 of the Kings’ opening-round series with the Colorado Avalanche, pushing the NHL’s best team to the final horn in a 2-1 loss. The Kings have a chance to even the series Tuesday before returning to Crypto.com Arena for Game 3 on Thursday and Game 4 on Sunday.

Sunday’s game wasn’t the first time Smith stood behind the bench in a Stanley Cup playoff game. As an assistant, he coached the Maple Leafs in the postseason three times and he was also an assistant on Jim Hiller’s staff last spring when the Kings reached the playoffs.

None of those teams made it past the first round, but Smith said he learned a lot from the experience.

“You’ve got to slow it down in your mind. Things happen quick,” he said. “Big moments happen quick. Decisions have to be made quick. But they have to be made calmly. And the players need to know you're under control at all times.

“We know the task at hand. We have [a] game plan and then I’ve got to continue to make tweaks to it to give us the best chance to win.”

The game plan worked well enough in Game 1, where a mishandled puck led to Logan O’Connor’s breakaway goal early in the third period, a score that proved to be the difference. The Kings held the highest-scoring team in the NHL to just two goals, held the highest-scoring line in the league to just one point and won the battle of the special teams.

“We fall short. But there's a lot of good things,” Smith said after Sunday’s loss.

He hadn’t even left Ball Arena before beginning work on the tweaks for Game 2.

“I think we could be on the net more. We’ve got to be more physical. We’ve got to hit their [defense] more. And I expect that in the next game.”

There could also be a roster change if Smith decides to have Andrei Kuzmenko, a good puck-handler and offensive-zone presence, dress for the first time since undergoing surgery to repair torn meniscus in late April.

“In order to beat this team, we’re going to have to be better than good,” Smith said Monday. “We need more zone time. We have to hold on to pucks. We can forecheck harder. We have to do a better job of creating.”

If being a head coach in the Stanley Cup playoffs is a dream come true for Smith, a hockey lifer, it may be a bittersweet one. He got the opportunity only after Hiller, a friend and colleague in Toronto, was fired with 23 games left in the regular season, but he made the most of it, guiding the Kings to points in 17 of their final 24 games to climb over two teams and into the postseason.

Smith, 48, was a head coach for parts of five seasons in Ottawa, where he posted just one winning record and never made the playoffs. However, that previous head coaching experience was one reason he was brought to Los Angeles as the Kings’ top assistant in 2024 since it made him an ideal fallback candidate should Hiller falter.

When Hiller did, general manager Ken Holland promoted his understudy.

“I made the decision because I feel like our team hasn’t played consistent enough. We’ve underperformed,” Holland, who hoped the move would jolt the team, said at the time of the change.

And it worked. Under Smith, the Kings have played with added aggression and urgency and have become far more physical.

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

“Once Smithy came in, he just changed the energy a little bit and we’re trying to be a little more aggressive versus sitting back,” captain Anze Kopitar said.

They’ve also bonded.

“We’ve really come together as a group,” forward Quinton Byfield said.

Now the challenge becomes doing something no Kings coach has done in more than a decade: getting the team past the first round of the postseason. If Smith can do that he might lose the interim tag in his title, which would make these Stanley Cup playoffs really special.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.