UPDATE: Added a goal scorer pick + who will win section.
Rasmus Dahlin is an elite playmaker for the Buffalo Sabres, leading the team in assists with 55.
My Sabres vs. Bruins predictions expect to see the defenseman set up another goal in Game 4 against Boston.
Let’s dive into my NHL picks for Sunday, April 26.
Sabres vs Bruins Game 4 prediction
Who will win Sabres vs Bruins Game 4?
Buffalo: The Buffalo Sabres lead 2-1 despite Jeremy Swayman posting save percentages of .919, .943, and .931. He has given the Boston Bruins elite netminding, and they still trail. If his numbers dip at all, the Sabres will almost certainly head home up 3-1.
Sabres vs Bruins best bet: Rasmus Dahlin Over 0.5 assists (-115)
The Buffalo Sabres have generated 106 shot attempts, 57 scoring chances, and 6.45 expected goals with Rasmus Dahlin on the ice in this series. That has translated to only three goals.
Dahlin’s on-ice shooting percentage sits at 5.56% – lowest among 13 Sabres with 40+ minutes played – compared to 13.01% in the regular season.
While it’s not abnormal for Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman to shave goals off the expected total, this kind of gap is not sustainable.
Given how many opportunities the Sabres are generating, and how involved Dahlin is in facilitating them, I like his chances of assisting in Game 4.
Sabres vs Bruins Game 4 same-game parlay
Jack Quinn is playing a key role for the Sabres, logging more than 37 minutes of ice over the last two games and getting run on PP1.
Fun fact: Quinn has averaged – yes, averaged – 4.1 shots on 7.3 attempts spanning the past 10 games in which he logged 16+ minutes and at least two on the power play. He piled up eight shots on 19 attempts over the last two games.
And who can forget Josh Doan? He recorded multiple shots on goal in all three games this series and six of seven against Boston this season.
Sabres vs Bruins SGP
Ramsus Dahlin Over 0.5 assists
Jack Quinn Over 2.5 shots
Josh Doan Over 1.5 shots
Sabres vs Bruins Game 4 goal scorer pick
Jack Quinn (+215)
Quinn found the back of the net in 32% of his games this season when generating at least six shot attempts, a number he has cleared in back-to-back games. He has an excellent shot and possesses the finishing ability needed to beat someone like Swayman.
Rasmus Dahlin has six assists over his last six away games. Find more NHL betting trends for Sabres vs. Bruins.
How to watch Sabres vs Bruins Game 4
Location
TD Garden, Boston, MA
Date
Sunday, April 26, 2026
Puck drop
2:00 p.m. ET
TV
TNT, truTV
Sabres vs Bruins latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Buffalo Sabres picked up an impressive 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Thursday. With it, they now have a 2-1 series lead over the Bruins.
Now, the Sabres are heading into Game 4 with momentum on their side, and they must take advantage of it. If they defeat the Bruins in Game 4, they would have a 3-1 series lead heading back to Buffalo for Game 5. This would be massive for the Sabres, as they would have three chances to knock out the Bruins from there.
However, if the Sabres drop Game 4, the Bruins would tie the series up at 2-2. This would certainly be a tough blow for the Sabres.
If the Sabres are going to win Game 4, they are going to need their top stars to show up in a big way for them. The Bruins are going to come out hungry, and this is especially so when noting that this is a must-win game for the on home ice.
It will now be interesting to see if the Sabres can defeat the Bruins in Game 4. If they do, they would have a real stranglehold on the series.
OTTAWA, CANADA - APRIL 23: Jackson Blake #53 of the Carolina Hurricanes scores a goal against Linus Ullmark #35 of the Ottawa Senators during the second period in Game Three of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Canadian Tire Centre on April 23, 2026 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Just like one week ago, the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators open Saturday’s slate of Stanley Cup Playoff action with a 3:00 PM EST puck drop.
In the week since, the Hurricanes have earned three consecutive tight wins over the Senators, taking a 3-0 series lead and giving themselves the opportunity to advance to the second round with another win in Kanata today.
The Game 3 victory came as a result of goals off of nice passing plays from Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake while Frederik Andersen largely shut the door against on Ottawa team that, frankly, looked nowhere near as dangerous offensively as they did in their two defeats in Raleigh.
When speaking with the media on Friday, Sens head coach Travis Green confirmed that his team would be without both of its top pairing defensemen today. Artem Zub will remain out after injuring himself in Game 1 when he hit Seth Jarvis, and Jake Sanderson is out with a concussion after he was on the receiving end of a hit from Taylor Hall that garnered a two-minute minor penalty for illegal contact to the head, but no supplemental discipline from the league.
That will mean an even heavier load for Ottawa’s stellar second pairing of Thomas Chabot and Jordan Spence, while we could see promising young defenseman Carter Yakemchuk make his playoff debut for Ottawa today.
On the Carolina side of things, it’s tough to see any lineup changes aside from possibly a switch in goal. It’s been less than 48 hours since Andersen’s last start, and with a 3-0 lead, it could be the time to get Brandon Bussi a look
Andersen has been so good, though, and a win would mean so much for rest, that it would make complete sense for him to get the nod once again.
Brind’Amour told The Athletic’s Cory Lavalette Friday that the team has not yet decided who will be in net for Saturday’s game.
If Carolina is going to close out this series today, it would be great for it to occur in a fashion that features contributions from the top line of Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, who have combined for just one point as the second line of Hall, Stankoven and Blake has carried the offense. Stankoven has scored the first goal in each of the three games to this point.
Here’s how to check out the action…
Time: 3:00 PM
TV: TBS and TruTV have the national broadcast. For FanDuel Sports Net in the Carolinas, Mike Maniscalco will handle play-by-play alongside Tripp Tracy doing color. Hanna Yates and Shane Willis will provide off-ice reports.
Streaming:HBO Max out-of-market, FanDuel Sports Network App for fans in the Carolinas. A very important note—the NHL Power Play feature isn’t available on ESPN during the playoffs, so the only way to hear Mike and Tripp on the TV will be through the FanDuel app.
Radio: The pregame on 99.9 The Fan starts at 6:30PM and runs for 60 minutes in the playoffs. At 7:30PM the Hurricanes Radio Network (consisting of 99.9, 730 The Game in Charlotte, ESPN New Bern 107.5/1490, and ESPN Greenville 107.5/1570) picks up the FDSN feed. You can also stream the call on the Hurricanes app.
The Utah Mammoth delivered the biggest win of their young postseason history Friday night, using a four-goal surge and a sharp performance from Karel Vejmelka to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round series at Delta Center.
With the victory, Utah claimed the first home playoff win in franchise history and moved ahead 2-1 in the best-of-seven matchup.
Lawson Crouse scored twice in the second period, helping turn a tense, physical contest into a statement night for the home side. MacKenzie Weegar added a goal and an assist, Dylan Guenther connected on the power play, and Clayton Keller contributed two assists as Utah’s top players repeatedly found openings against a veteran Vegas club.
The atmosphere inside Delta Center carried playoff urgency from puck drop, but Utah settled first.
Weegar opened the scoring late in the first period when he stepped into a loose puck high in the zone and drove a shot through Carter Hart after it glanced off the goaltender’s mask. Minutes later, Guenther doubled the lead on the power play, wiring a one-timer under the crossbar from the left circle.
That sequence shifted the game.
Crouse Breaks It Open
Vegas pressed early in the second, but Utah responded with speed and directness through the neutral zone. Crouse made it 3-0 by redirecting a centering pass on the rush, then struck again less than six minutes later with a clean wrist shot from the slot that beat Hart to the blocker side.
By then, the Golden Knights were chasing both the scoreboard and the pace.
Hart finished with eight saves as Utah capitalized on its best looks and forced Vegas into uncomfortable stretches defending off the rush.
Jack Eichel finally got Vegas on the board later in the second, cleaning up a rebound at the top of the crease to cut the deficit to 4-1. Nic Dowd added another in the third period, but the push came too late to erase Utah’s control over the first 40 minutes.
Vejmelka Holds Firm
While Utah’s finishing supplied the headlines, Vejmelka’s steadiness anchored the result. He turned aside 30 shots and weathered Vegas pressure in the opening period and again during a late third-period push.
The Golden Knights generated more volume than the final score suggested, but too many chances came after Utah had already established command.
Now the pressure shifts to Vegas, the Pacific Division’s top seed, which suddenly trails in a series many expected it to dictate.
Game 4 is set for Monday in Utah, where the Mammoth now have both momentum and belief.
Dan Vladar smiled as he fist-bumped staff members and left the ice after morning skate.
The Flyers’ most valuable player will be in net Saturday for Game 4 against the Penguins at Xfinity Mobile Arena (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP). With a 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round playoff series, the Flyers have a chance to close out Pittsburgh and avoid going back to PPG Paints Arena.
“To see him get in those kind of uncomfortable spots the last couple of games, you never want to see that for anybody, let alone him when he’s in the zone like that,” Owen Tippett said Saturday. “It’s a huge boost to see him out there, but none of us in this room doubted him.”
Dan Vladar at skate preparing ahead of Game 4. Flyers have chance to sweep Penguins. Coverage at 7:30 p.m. ET on @NBCSPhilly. pic.twitter.com/f0jeujmjYj
The Chicago Blackhawks' biggest objective this offseason when it comes to adding to their roster should be to bring in a top-six winger. While this is the case, they also should not be against improving their bottom six after trading away veterans like Jason Dickinson and Nick Foligno at the trade deadline.
When looking at this year's pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs), one player who stands out as a solid potential target for the Blackhawks is Pittsburgh Penguins forward Connor Dewar.
If the Blackhawks signed Dewar, he would have the potential to give their bottom six a nice boost. His stats from this regular season show this, as he set career highs with 14 goals, 16 assists, 30 points, and 144 hits in 78 games for the Penguins. This was all while in a bottom-six role for the Penguins.
With numbers like these, Dewar would give the Blackhawks a solid bottom-six forward who can provide solid secondary scoring and plenty of grit. He is also capable of playing both center and the wing, so he would give the Blackhawks another forward with good versatility. He is also an impactful penalty-killer due to his solid defensive play.
With this, if the Blackhawks want to add a proven NHL-caliber forward to their bottom six this summer, Dewar stands out as a good potential option. This is especially so when noting that he is currently 26 years old, so he is entering his prime years.
The Anaheim Ducks beat the Edmonton Oilers by a 7-4 final score in Game 3 of their first round matchup. With it, the Ducks now have a 2-1 series lead over Edmonton and are in a good spot heading into Game 4.
A former Pittsburgh Penguins forward certainly played a role in the Ducks' Game 3 win, as Mikael Granlund dominated. Granlund scored a goal and recorded three assists in the Ducks' victory over the Oilers. With this, he put together a four-point night in a playoff game, which is certainly impressive.
With this big performance, Granlund now has one goal, four assists, and five points in three playoff games so far this postseason for the Ducks. This is after the former Penguins forward recorded 19 goals, 22 assists, and 41 points in 58 games for the Ducks during the regular season.
Granlund played in 21 games for the Penguins during the 2022-23 season, where he had one goal, five points, and a plus-1 rating. He was traded to the San Jose Sharks during the 2023 NHL offseason in the deal that brought star defenseman Erik Karlsson to Pittsburgh.
With the series tied 1-1, the Montreal Canadiens were hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night at the Bell Centre. After coming some seven minutes away from taking a 2-0 lead in the series on Tuesday night, the Habs looked deflated in overtime and couldn’t even muster one shot on net after the Bolts survived Scott Sabourin’s brain cramp.
Despite Kirby Dach’s pair of gaffes on Tuesday night, Martin St-Louis elected not to make any changes to his lineup, despite the storm it caused in town. There was a lot of talk in town about what the coach would decide to do, but after he came out in a Zoom availability to defend his player, it became clear it was unlikely. St-Louis is not one to be swayed by popular opinion, either. Why would you care what someone thinks if you’d never ask them for advice?
As expected, the opening montage was something to behold, with the late great Ken Dryden narrating the opening before it moved on to a compilation of highlights from the season, including Pierre Houde’s marvelous call of Cole Caufield’s 50th goal. Unsurprisingly, it sent the Bell Center into a frenzy, and when Yvan Cournoyer appeared on the Jumbotron with the torch, the building erupted.
After being treated as public enemy number one by fans all week, Dach flew out of the gates. Even though he didn’t have a shot on net in the first, he showed combativity, went through traffic and didn’t hesitate to take the hit when necessary. The newly formed fourth line, comprising Dach, Zachary Bolduc and Alexandre Texier, scored the first goal less than five minutes into the game.
Dach was also called for a trip a bit later on, but there really wasn’t much to it. One would have thought that if they were going to call that, they’d call a corresponding embellishment, but it didn’t happen.
The Albertan wasn’t done, though. In the second frame, he scored to bring everyone back to square one after a great shift. He was set up all alone in front of the net and was stopped by Vasilevskiy, but seconds later, after battling to get the puck back, he beat him.
There’s no question that this was a great game for Dach, but he needs to do this when he doesn’t have anything to be forgiven about, not just when he got badly burned. The Dach who played on Friday is the one the Canadiens thought they were getting from the Chicago Blackhawks. It will be interesting to see if he can sustain that level of effort.
After the game, Dach declined to say what Martin St-Louis had said to him about Tuesday night’s game, but he still spoke about his coach:
I think Marty is a phenomenal coach and a great person. He’s able to level with you on a personal level and kind of understand what you, as a player, are going through. I think he’s also able to find how to get the best out of every one of us.
- Dach on St-Louis
As for the coach himself, he explained his decision to stick with Dach and not scratch him after Tuesday by saying he’s never going to give up on someone who hasn’t given up on themselves, calling Dach a great hockey player.
A Strange Second Frame
For the first half of the second frame, it looked like the Canadiens were handling a live grenade in their own zone. Unsurprisingly, it blew up in their faces when Jake Evans committed a turnover as he was exiting his zone. Hagel was allowed to walk in Montreal’s territory and take a shot that beat Jakub Dobes. It’s more than likely one that the Czech netminder would like to have back, but there’s no do-overs in hockey.
Still, after Ivan Demidov was sent to the box for a high stick, which Tampa couldn’t capitalize on, Dach tied the score, and the Bolts appeared shaken up, so much so that they took three penalties in a row, allowing the Canadiens three chances to take the lead. However, they did some good work on the penalty kill, giving the Canadiens no time to plan in the offensive zone or even to shoot much. After 40 minutes, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki didn’t have a single shot, while Juraj Slafkovsky only had one. Jon Cooper was doing a very good job at juggling in his lines to keep Cirelli on Suzuki despite not having the last change. He kept pulling guys off the ice to send Cirelli in whenever needed, and while St-Louis did see what he was doing, he decided not to be drawn into that, opting not to mess with his team’s rhythm.
First Line Troubles
If there’s one thing that has worked all year for the Canadiens, it’s their first line, but now, when it matters most and against a matchup master, they are struggling not only to score but even to get shots on goal. Still, on the bright side of things, the Canadiens are up 2-1 without their top line making much of an impact at even strength. Asked if it was a bit of a worry for him to be down 2-1 in the series, despite having shut down the opposition’s top line, Cooper explained:
I don’t know, we could be down 2-1, and they could be lighting it up, so we’ve got to take some positives out of what’s gone on. Sitting up here right now, choked because we just lost the game, but I think both teams would tell you that the series is far from over.
- Cooper on the Canadiens' first line
It was a particularly challenging night for Caufield; the sniper only managed one shot on goal and seemed to be fighting the puck all night long. Even his passes weren’t up to his usual standard. When he managed to take off on a breakaway, alone against Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Bell Centre crowd buzzed with excitement, but he ended up fanning on the shot. The Habs have three clear-cut breakaways on the night, that one, Demidov’s and Anderson’s, but failed to score on any of them.
Had the Canadiens lost the game, they would have only themselves to blame for so many missed opportunities, not just on those sequences, but also on the power play, where they were unsuccessful on five-man advantages.
Thankfully for them, though, Lane Hutson called the game early in the overtime period, scoring on a slapshot while Kirby Dach’s line was once again on the ice. The blueliner recognized the opportunities with plenty of big bodies in front of Tampa’s netminder. He elected to give it a shot, and the puck found its way in the back of the net. Funnily enough, before the overtime period, he had joked in the room that he was going to put the game away, and that he did.
The Chicago Blackhawks haven't been a playoff team in a long time, but their rebuild truly began towards the end of the 2021-22 season. They went into that season expecting to win, and were one of the worst teams in the NHL.
They started that year without a first-round pick because they traded it to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Seth Jones trade, which is a move a team trying to make the playoffs makes.
With Chicago's original pick, Columbus selected David Jiricek 6th overall. He's been traded twice, so it didn't hurt the Blackhawks all that much. That's especially true since the Blackhawks acquired three first-round picks in that 2022 Draft through three separate trades.
One of those picks came from the Blackhawks trading Kirby Dach to the Montreal Canadiens. In return for Dach, the Blackhawks received the 13th overall pick. The selection originally belonged to the New York Islanders before it landed with the Canadiens.
Chicago used that selection on Frank Nazar, who is now one of the players they believe is a part of the core. Nazar is someone who could play wing or center on any line, with exceptional skills in all three zones.
The tools are there for him to be a high-end offensive player, and he's already shown flashes of being a star in this league.
Nazar's skills and age fit the current state of the Chicago Blackhawks significantly more than Dach's, so this was an incredible trade in hindsight when evaluating the rebuild.
Since going to Montreal, things have been up and down for Dach. He is not one of their cornerstone stars, but he fits in with their younger core.
Just as the trade that sent Brandon Hagel to the Tampa Bay Lightning (the Blackhawks got Oliver Moore and Sacha Boisvert in return) has made the Blackhawks' future brighter, so has this deal involving Dach.
Hagel and Dach are currently facing off in a first-round playoff series between Montreal and Tampa Bay. On Friday, they each made a big impact in Game Three.
During regulation, Hagel had a go-ahead goal, then Dach tied it up (he also had an assist on their first goal). In overtime tied at two, the Canadiens won on a goal scored by Lane Hutson. Dach didn't collect a point on the goal, but he created the screen in front of Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.
This was a redeeming game for Dach, who did not play well in their game two loss (also in overtime). J.J. Moser's overtime winner in that one was mostly due to a bad defensive play by Dach.
There was a thought that Montreal coach Martin St. Louis would scratch Dach, but he stuck by his player. St. Louis was rewarded for this decision, as Dach and his 4th line mates were the best trio on the ice for most of the match.
After dealing with those aforementioned ups and downs throughout his tenure in Montreal, Dach was thrilled to have a game like that.
"I love playing here. I love the fans," Dach said after the win. "They've stuck with me through a lot of hard years".
“I love playing here, I love the fans. They’ve stuck with me through a lot of hard years.”
Hagel didn't have the same warm feelings after the win, but there is nobody debating that he has been the best forward on either team throughout the series. If the Lightning are going to get past the Canadiens, he will have to be a big part of the comeback. This series has been a treat to watch with two former Blackhawks playing key roles in outcomes.
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.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 22: Noel Acciari #55 of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Trevor Zegras #46 of the Philadelphia Flyers battle for the puck off the first period faceoff in Game Three of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (0-3) @ Philadelphia Flyers (3-0)
When: 8:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and NBC Sports Philadelphia, nationally on TBS and TruTV, streaming on HBO Max
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins need to win tonight to force Game 5, which would take place Monday in Pittsburgh at a time yet to be determined.
Opponent Track: The Flyers are up 3-0 after outscoring the Pens by a combined score of 11-4. They’re riding a six-game win streak dating back to the end of the regular season.
Hidden Stat: Teams that gain a 3-0 lead in an NHL playoff series have gone on to win 209 out of 213 times.
Hidden Stat II: Stuart Skinner is two years removed from coming close to a historic reverse sweep with the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers had fallen into an 0-3 hole to the Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final when he backstopped the team to three straight wins and forced a Game 7.
The biggest Game 4 question for the Flyers will be who is starting in net.
Rick Tocchet said Thursday that Dan Vladar is “a little banged up.” The Flyers goaltender had what Tocchet described as “maintenance days” on both Thursday and Friday, and he’s considered a game-time decision heading into Game 4.
"Another maintenance day for him, two days off is going to help him. … We'll see how he is tomorrow."
– Rick Tocchet on Dan Vladar's status a day before Saturday's Game 4
Vladar was in visible discomfort after taking contact from Bryan Rust in the third quarter of Wednesday’s Game 3. He at times appeared to be limited in his movements after that play.
Dan Vladar is in some discomfort following this play on the Penguins power play
If Vladar is unable to play Saturday, the Flyers will turn back to Samuel Ersson. Ersson has started just one game over the last few weeks, and it was the Flyers’ regular-season finale after they’d already clinched their playoff spot.
Ersson’s overall numbers for the season (.870 SV%, 3.12 GAA) aren’t great, but he picked up his game after the Olympic break in February (.912 SV% and 1.8 GAA in nine games since then, per Hockey Reference).
If Vladar is hurting, the Flyers have enough cushion with their three-game series lead to see if Ersson can build on that momentum in Game 4.
“I’m not really worried if he had to play,” Tocchet said about Ersson Friday, per NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman. “He’s locked in. Even in practice. If his number is called, he’ll be ready to go.”
Potential Scratches: Justin Brazeau, Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Jack St. Ivany, Connor Clifton
IR: Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones (season-ending shoulder surgery)
Chinakhov is back on a line with Malkin, reuniting what’s been a solid combo from the regular season.
Malkin, on Chinakhov: "We play, like, 10 or 15 games together (when he got here). He’s a great player. I try helping him tomorrow, hopefully we score, and just play simple. Give him chance to shoot. He has great speed, great shot. Just play together. Stay close." https://t.co/j3QGUxd6RQ
It looks like Elmer Soderblom is drawing back into the lineup and Justin Brazeau is back out, based on Friday’s practice lines.
Another change saw Ilya Solovyov slotting in on the bottom defense pairing alongside Ryan Shea in place of Connor Clifton.
The Penguins’ top power-play unit scored during a drill and all five skaters gathered in the crease for a mock celebration standing over Stuart Skinner.
Sidney Crosby: "I think being in this position, you can't look too far ahead. Just got to look at what's in front of you, and that's tomorrow, and making sure we put our best game on the ice."
Evgeni Malkin: "I just play my game tomorrow, and I hope it's not over and we're back to Pittsburgh, because we want to play in front of our fans, too. They deserve (for us to) play at home."
The Pens’ goalscoring through three postseason games have been limited to Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin (2). They’ll hope that list gets longer in Game 4.
The Penguins have controlled play for parts of this series, including late in Game 2 and early in Game 3. This team has yet to maintain that level of control for an entire playoff game. Whether or not Dan Muse and his players can figure out how to change that will determine whether the season ends tonight.
Part of those changes will involve avoiding retaliatory penalties. The Penguins acknowledged the scrums around the midway point of Game 3 seemingly energized the home team. Avoiding a repeat of that brawl, which swung the momentum of Wednesday’s loss, could be key to the Penguins finding a way to win for the first time this series.
Fans flocked to the Delta Center on Friday with plenty of reasons to be excited about the Utah Mammoth. In just their second year of franchise history, the Mammoth were about to host their first playoff game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Commissioner Gary Bettman was in attendance and had just announced pregame that the Mammoth would host a Winter Classic on New Year’s Eve.
Their team certainly gave them something to cheer about. The Mammoth took a commanding lead halfway through the second period and held off a late Golden Knights push to secure a 4-2 win in their first home playoff game.
It took exactly 12:59 for the Mammoth to give the people what they wanted. After the Golden Knights lost a board battle, Keegan Kolesar disrupted a dangerous pass meant for Liam O’Brien. The puck came loose, and MacKenzie Weegar activated from the point and fired a clapper that hit Carter Hart in the mask, off his right pad, and into the net.
MacKenzie Weegar activates from the point, rips one home, and this place ERUPTS.
The Mammoth doubled their lead on their only power play opportunity of the night at 17:45 in the first. Logan Cooley set Dylan Guenther up for a one-timer, which he blasted home from the far side.
The Utah power play has scored a goal. Really nice puck movement and Dylan Guenther unleashed a shot that actually might’ve been a bit slow for his standards.
Hockey is a game of momentum, and a two-goal deficit is nothing for the 2026 Golden Knights. But things got away from them in the second period, and Lawson Crouse scored twice in a 5:42 span to hammer the nail into the coffin.
The first came 4:06 into the second. The Mammoth won a defensive zone face-off, and MacKenzie Weegar took it the other way and found Lawson Crouse at center ice. Crouse fed Nick Schmaltz; Schmaltz entered the zone and set Crouse up for his first goal of the postseason.
Utah’s top line this time. Lawson Crouse with a really great deflection.
At 9:48 in the second, the Mammoth capitalized on another Golden Knights mistake. Clayton Keller intercepted a clearing attempt and found Lawson Crouse to keep the play alive. Crouse stepped into the slot and wristed a shot past Carter Hart for his second of the night.
That top line is really cooking now. Lawson Crouse with his second of the night.
The Golden Knights finally solved Karel Vejmelka at 13:20 in the second. Mark Stone found Ivan Barbashev in front of the net, and Jack Eichel cleaned up the change.
Golden Knights get one back. Eichel’s first of the playoffs.
The Golden Knights pushed in the third period, and, in addition to limiting the Mammoth to one shot on goal, scored again with 3:18 remaining in regulation. Cole Smith set up Nic Dowd for his second of the postseason to cut Utah’s lead to two.
Dowd’s goal gave them a new lease on life, and the Golden Knights pulled Carter Hart for the extra attacker. However, they didn’t register a shot on goal; despite an inability to hit the empty net, the Mammoth held on for a 4-2 win to take a 2-1 series lead.
Three Takeaways of the Knight
1. Despite Friday marking the first home playoff game for the Utah Mammoth in franchise history, head coach John Tortorella wasn’t afraid of an energetic Delta Center. Instead, he saw it as something for his Golden Knights to feed off of.
“We loved coming to [T-Mobile Arena], because I think it helps the visiting team,” said Tortorella on Friday morning. “I think it’s a wash point, honestly. I think our players are entertainers. They love playing in front of people, and I’m sure it’s going to be very exciting here tonight for both teams.”
To Tortorella’s credit, the Golden Knights didn’t seem intimidated by the raucous crowd. By the end of the second period, shots were 23-11 in favor of Vegas. But some demons are hard to exorcise– once again, despite recording 32 shots and generating38 total scoring chances, they simply couldn’t do the only thing that matters in hockey: actually score the goals.
2. Tortorella is quick to change his lines, but he’s not considering making a change in goal.
“I know Carter well enough; he wants to work through it. I have faith in him. There was no thought of taking him out [tonight],” Tortorella said postgame. “I don't look at his game [tonight] as being a real bad game; it was a weird game for him. But I know him so well. He has an attitude and a mental toughness about him at that position. He'll be fine.”
3. For better or worse, the players aren’t worried right now. This is a veteran group, and being down 2-1 in a series doesn’t frighten them. They believe in the process, and they believe that they’re on the right track.
“We’re not going to win every single game. You do the math– you could lose 12 and still win the Stanley Cup,” Nic Dowd said postgame. “If any team plays the right way, and they do it consistently, they’re going to come out on top eventually.”
The Golden Knights are doing— and saying— the right things. But if the last three years are anything to go by… Well, you know what they say about the road to hell.
Tampa Bay Lightning (50-26-6, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Montreal Canadiens (48-24-10, in the Atlantic Division)
Montreal, Quebec; Sunday, 7 p.m. EDT
LINE: Lightning -116, Canadiens -104; over/under is 6
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Canadiens lead series 2-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens host the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-1 lead in the series. The teams meet Friday for the eighth time this season. The Canadiens won the last matchup 3-2 in overtime.
Montreal is 18-9-2 against the Atlantic Division and 48-24-10 overall. The Canadiens have a 21-6-6 record in games decided by one goal.
Tampa Bay is 17-9-3 against the Atlantic Division and 50-26-6 overall. The Lightning have a 17-7-4 record when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nicholas Suzuki has scored 29 goals with 72 assists for the Canadiens. Juraj Slafkovsky has four goals and five assists over the last 10 games.
Brandon Hagel has 36 goals and 38 assists for the Lightning. Nikita Kucherov has four goals and six assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Canadiens: 6-3-1, averaging 2.5 goals, 4.6 assists, 5.7 penalties and 14.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.
Lightning: 4-4-2, averaging 2.4 goals, 4.1 assists, 6.7 penalties and 17.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.
INJURIES: Canadiens: Patrik Laine: out (abdomen), Noah Dobson: out (thumb).
Lightning: Charle-Edouard D'Astous: day to day (undisclosed), Victor Hedman: out (personal), Pontus Holmberg: out (upper-body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Buffalo Sabres (50-23-9, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Boston Bruins (45-27-10, in the Atlantic Division)
Boston; Sunday, 2 p.m. EDT
LINE: Bruins -115, Sabres -105; over/under is 6
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Sabres lead series 2-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres visit the Boston Bruins in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-1 lead in the series. The teams meet Thursday for the eighth time this season. The Sabres won 3-1 in the last meeting.
Boston has a 45-27-10 record overall and a 12-14-3 record in Atlantic Division games. The Bruins rank second in league play serving 11.9 penalty minutes per game.
Buffalo has a 50-23-9 record overall and an 18-7-4 record in Atlantic Division play. The Sabres have a 46-4-8 record when scoring three or more goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Morgan Geekie has 39 goals and 29 assists for the Bruins. Mark Kastelic has three goals and one assist over the last 10 games.
Rasmus Dahlin has 19 goals and 55 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has scored six goals and added four assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Bruins: 3-5-2, averaging 2.4 goals, 4.5 assists, 4.4 penalties and 10.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game.
Sabres: 6-3-1, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.7 assists, 5.3 penalties and 14.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
INJURIES: Bruins: None listed.
Sabres: Jiri Kulich: out for season (ear), Sam Carrick: out (arm), Josh Norris: day to day (undisclosed), Justin Danforth: out for season (kneecap).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
MONTREAL (AP) — What a difference 72 hours made for Kirby Dach.
On Tuesday, the Montreal forward drew the ire of fans after an ill-timed icing and a defensive lapse in overtime led to J.J. Moser’s winning goal in a 3—2 Game 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
By Friday night in front of a roaring Bell Centre crowd, Dach flipped the script, turning frustration into redemption with a goal and an assist in the Canadiens’ 3-2 overtime win that gave Montreal a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven matchup.
“I think you take that night (Tuesday) and you kind of sit on it, dwell on it and understand what you could have done better,” Dach said. “Come Wednesday morning, you’ve got to be able to move on and get ready for tonight’s game."
The vitriol spewed online toward the Dach following the Game 2 loss, forcing the 6-foot-4 center to delete his Instagram account.
Many Canadiens fans also took to social media and local sports talk radio phone lines, calling for coach Martin St. Louis to scratch the forward in favor of Joe Veleno or veteran Brendan Gallagher.
St. Louis wasn’t having any of it.
“I’m not going to give up on a player unless he gives up on himself,” St. Louis said. “Kirby Dach is a really good hockey player. Like any good player, they make mistakes sometimes at key moments. It happens to everyone. It happens to a lot of good players. For sure, he was upset but that’s not a reason to give up on a player.”
Canadiens fans in attendance on Friday were quick to shower the 25-year-old player with love from the get-go. Dach was given a hearty ovation when shown on the scoreboard during warm-ups, with fans chanting “Kir-by! Kir-by!” both before and throughout the game.
“I didn’t really expect it, so it was nice,” Dach said. “The fans have been unbelievable for us all year. For me, they’ve stuck by my side through a lot. It definitely meant a lot.”
Those chants only increased following Dach’s assist on linemate Alexandre Texier’s opening goal early in the first period.
The applause reached a crescendo following confirmation of Dach’s second-period tally, a shot from inside the faceoff circle that bounced off Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh and past goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to tie it at 2.
The newly-formed line of Dach, Texier and Zachary Bolduc, playing together for the first time all season, were on the ice for all three Canadiens goals, including Lane Hutson’s overtime score 2:09 into the extra session. The trio finished the game with a combined six points and six of Montreal’s 29 shots on goal on the night.
It has been a trying season for the oft-injured Dach, having scored just eight goals and 15 points across 37 games during the regular season. His offensive output Friday marked Dach’s first goal and first point at the Bell Centre since Feb. 28. It was also the forward’s first multi-point outing since Jan. 29.
“I’ve been through a lot on the injury front,” Dach said. “I’ve gone through the ups and downs of it and the learning lessons of what it takes and maybe what works and what doesn’t work. I’ve kind of found a recipe to be able to stay in game shape and sharp in the mind mentally and physically be ready to go when it’s time to go.”
