Category: Ice Hockey

Just the Facts

• The Times
  • Game 1: @ Buffalo, 7:30pm. EST April 19
  • Game 2: @ Buffalo, 7:30pm. EST April 21
  • Game 3: @ Boston, 7pm EST April 23
  • Game 4: @ Boston, 2pm EST April 26
  • Game 5: @ Buffalo, TBD on April 28th
  • Game 6: @ Boston, TBD on May 1st
  • Game 7: @ Buffalo, TBD on May 3rd
    • *Games 5-7 will have times added if necessary
• The Places
  • TD Garden, Boston, MA
  • KeyBank Arena, Buffalo, NY
• Places to Watch:
  • All games of the 1st Round will be on NESN and Madison Square Garden Network – Buffalo, respectively.
  • Other Networks:
    • Games 1 and 2: ESPN
    • Games 3 and 4: HBO MAX, TNT, TRUTV

Final regular season results for both teams

Boston Bruins

• Record: 45-27-10
• Points: 100
• Goals-For: 272
• Goals-Against: 250
• Leading Goalscorer: Morgan Geekie, 39 in 81 games
• Leading Points-getter: David Pastrnak, 100 in 77 games
• Leading Goaltender by performance: Jeremy Swayman, .908 SV%

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• Corsi – Shot Attempts.
  • Corsi-For %: 48.92 (19th in the NHL)
  • Corsi-For per 60: 57.32 (16th in the NHL)
• Fenwick – Unblocked Shot Attempts
  • Fenwick-For %: 49.15 (19th in the NHL)
  • Fenwick-For per 60: 41.29 (17th in the NHL)
• Expected Goals – Shot Attempts weighted for their position on the ice. AKA “Shot Quality” AKA “Expected by you, dummy.”
  • Expected Goals-For %: 46.66 (28th in the NHL)
  • Expected Goals per 60: 2.56 (22nd in the NHL)
• High Danger
  • High Danger Corsi For per 60: 10.87 (24th in the NHL)
  • High Danger Goals For per 60: 1.33 (13th in the NHL)

Buffalo Sabres

• Record: 50-23-9
• Points: 109
• Goals-For: 288
• Goals-Against: 241
• Leading Goalscorer: Tage Thompson, 40 in 81 games
• Leading Points-getter: Also Tage Thompson, 81 in 81 games
• Leading Goaltender by performance: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, .910%

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• Corsi
  • Corsi-For %: 49.28 (16th in the NHL)
  • Corsi-For per 60: 56.41 (19th in the NHL)
• Fenwick
  • Fenwick-For %: 49.83 (15th in the NHL)
  • Fenwick-For per 60: 42.18 (10th in the NHL)
• Expected Goals
  • Expected Goals-For %: 49.95 (17th in the NHL)
  • Expected Goals per 60: 2.71 (14th in the NHL)
• High Danger
  • High Danger Corsi For per 60: 11.6 (15th in the NHL)
  • High Danger Goals For per 60: 1.47 (4th in the NHL)

Series Preview

Man. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen these two teams against one another in the playoffs.

Ever since 2010, the Sabres have embarked on an over decade long wander in the desert to become the NHL’s punching bag when it wasn’t Arizona or Ottawa, and have returned a much more determined and battle-hardened team than even I thought they would be at the beginning of the season. At long last, the Sabres are not just watchable…but successful. Somehow, the Sabres found themselves out of hell.

Meanwhile, Boston has found an extra step they can take on the road to retooling that has had them making one of the most dramatic turnarounds in franchise history in terms of final regular season point totals. Marco Sturm found a way to get the Boston Bruins into a place where they could once again compete for Lord Stanley. The work of David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha, Victor Arvidsson, and Morgan Geekie, combined with resurgent performances from Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman, combined with a Bruins power play that was, and get ready for this…good…gave them a leg up on their contemporaries to get to another 100 point season.

Don’t go looking for anything that could help you from the 2010 playoffs; The Sabres are another animal altogether from where they were in 2009. Neither Boston nor even this Sabres team know what they are for the 2026 playoffs; both teams are lightyears away from where they’d been since that time. The game has changed so much in such a short amount of time.

What we have now, is two teams with a lot to prove.

X-Factors for Round 1

How will injury impact the series?

If there is a major up the B’s have over the Sabres, it’s in health. Their lineup is arguably as healthy as it’s ever been, with the only recent absences to the team being because two players became fathers, leaving them their full compliment and roster of players including Jimmy Hagens hot off of signing his ELC and playing in his first couple of NHL games. This will give them a necessary flexibility in playing the Sabres game-to-game that Buffalo just does not have right now.

Compared to the Bruins, the Sabres are beaten pretty badly: two players on injured reserve, and a grand total of four players that are considered day-to-day; Noah Ostlund, Alex Lyon, Sam Carrick, and Colton Ellis. Naturally if asked all four of these men would say they would be ready to go, but players at less than 100% can become liabilities if their injuries are severe enough. Carrick at less than 100% is also a major blow to the Sabres as he was one of their better performers down the stretch.

Meanwhile, Boston has been…just kinda fine? They’ve had some man games lost like all teams, but they were in the middle of the season and now they have the full compliment. That does mean however…that certain players may not be at 100%, and could theoretically re-aggravate if things

Congrats to Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt, by the way! Dad strength before the playoffs is also a major X-Factor!

Can the Bruins’ Depth keep up?

One of the big surprises of the year was Morgan Geekie and Pavel Zacha becoming trigger men for the Bruins after years of David Pastrnak holding that position down. Pasta himself has diversified his game far more into being a playmaker this year, but he too still had a scorer’s touch when asked for it. This has of course filtered throughout the lineup with a bunch of pleasant surprises like Marat Khusnutdinov and Fraser Minten having excellent years, the return to form for Victor Arvidsson, who finished the year the highest goal total he’s had since 2022-23; in 25.

The Sabres are right there with Boston; obviously the big names of Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch stand out but they’ve gotten some excellent work out of Josh Doan, Jason Zucker, and Jack Quinn, just to name a few. Both teams have over 10 players in double digit goals and it contributed majorly to their respective ascents back to the postseason and respectability. Some more in one category than another.

The big question of course, is if the pleasant surprises can keep up going into the playoffs.

One of the great strengths of Sabres hockey this year is the manic puppy energy that pervades their play; Sabres do not care if the game becomes a goalscoring race, because just about everybody of note in their lineup, including their defense, can score goals if it comes down to it. It’s what gives their “River Hockey” style so much danger; even if it’s not exactly tight, it can develop shooting lanes from just about anywhere. Boston meanwhile has still largely allowed their principal names alongside Arvidsson to do the lion’s share of the scoring, even if they’re getting good efforts from guys like Mark Kastelic and Casey Mittelstadt.

The Bruins depth needs to be able to match that energy with not just physicality, but in scoring mentality. The Sabres cannot get into the thought process that there will be shifts they can just dominate at will.

Can Boston’s Defense hold the line?

This is the lynchpin for Boston’s success in this series. At least in my opinion.

As we discussed previously, Boston’s defensive core has sort of formed through McAvoy, Lindholm, and yes, Nikita Zadorov as the movers and shakers…but the drop off from Lindholm to McAvoy to Zadorov are some steep cliffs overlooking a very deep ravine. Guys like Aspirot have been okay if a little frustrating, Jordan Harris was a tantalizing player who got some playing time but was waylaid by injury…but we know what Andrew Peeke and Mason Lohrei are at this point. We know that they are going to be the millstones around this team’s neck and that Marco Sturm will simply continue to play them. They have no other options.

We also know that just about every defender on this team, when given too much time with the puck, can start to exhibit some strange behavior.

Like it or not, this net-front defense may be contributed to by every player in Black and Gold but it’s the blueliner’s problem 90% of the time. It has to change in order for this to be a win.

While the Sabres defense can look particularly shambolic, with some of their better talents being prone to some spectacular blown plays, but they can keep their net-front clear. That’s something that Boston has struggled consistently with.

If the Bruins want to get anywhere against them, especially knowing that they’re gonna have to show a little more than just muscle to put Tage Thompson down for the count, they need to effectively break a bunch of their worst habits before Game 1. That includes the players that are already doing well; they need to be more. Puck possession needs to be used well, zone exits need to be crisp and if it can’t be done by a forward then by the puck carrier, keep-ins need to be done with intention, and bad passes to nowhere needs to end.

Further…we need the return of Playoff Lohrei. The reason Lohrei has even survived this long, in spite of all of his many issues as a player, is because of his playoff performance; He wasn’t looking great coming out of his first taste of regular season hockey, but absolutely came alive when the playoffs started. All of his problems melted into strengths, all his concerns becoming afterthoughts as he became one of the brightest spots on the back-end throughout that playoff run.

They need another performance like that. Whatever that was for him, it needs to come back. One defenseman who isn’t all that great can be workable. Any more than that is absolutely not an option.

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Game 1 is on Sunday night.

Whatever you are in the light of a Best-of-7 Series is one that your fate in the regular season brought you to. All of your strengths and weaknesses.

This team has given us so many wonderful surprises. So many things to look forward to in their future.

So let’s see if they can give us one more fun surprise over the next couple of weeks.

Let’s go really stick it to a team in Blue this April.

The NHL playoffs will have a different look this season.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are out after an injury-plagued season and the Buffalo Sabres surged after a general manager change to end their 14-season playoff drought.

All told, six 2026 playoff teams had missed the postseason last year. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers, playing in the first round, have been out for a combined eight seasons.

So who will advance to the second round? USA TODAY's Mike Brehm, Jace Evans and Kevin Skiver offer their predictions and analysis on the eight first-round series of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Eastern Conference

Carolina Hurricanes vs Ottawa Senators predictions

Mike Brehm:Hurricanes in 5. Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour has never lost in the first round and the Senators aren't deep enough to end that run. Carolina goalie Brandon Bussi gave up some bad goals down the stretch, and he'll have to stop that if the Hurricanes are going to go far.

Jace Evans:Hurricanes in 5. It's kind of the same old story for Carolina. The 'Canes are deep. They possess the puck better than anyone in the NHL. And anything short of another conference finals appearance will be a big disappointment.

Kevin Skiver:Hurricanes in 5. Full credit to Ottawa for turning its season around, particularly after some wretched goalie play. But the Hurricanes have managed to fly under the radar as one of hockey's best teams. Now, however, there's nowhere to hide. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis lead Carolina to a win over Ottawa, which goes into the offseason with a spring in its step for surviving the Eastern gauntlet.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers predictions

Mike Brehm:Penguins in 7. Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby said in 2012 that he didn't "like any guy" on the Flyers. That intensity might not be as evident this year, but it's good to see these rivals back in the playoffs. Crosby is still at the top of his game, and he'll make the difference against an upstart Flyers team.

Jace Evans:Penguins in 6. Keeping it simple on this one: One team has Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and the other doesn't.

Kevin Skiver:Penguins in 7. What a blessing of a first-round series this is. A Pennsylvania Civil War between the veteran Penguins and the upstart Flyers? With newcomer Porter Martone leading the charge for Philly? Sidney Crosby in the playoffs for the first time in four seasons? It doesn't get better. Ultimately, this is going to be an absolute bar fight for seven games. But Pittsburgh manages to eke through.

Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins predictions

Mike Brehm: Sabres in 6. The Sabres' longtime core might not have playoff experience, but Alex Tuch, Luke Schenn and coach Lindy Ruff do. And Tage Thompson thrived at the Olympics, which dials up more pressure than the NHL playoffs. The Sabres also have more talent than the Bruins and will prevail.

Jace Evans: Sabres in 5. Boston's bounceback has been a nice story, but Buffalo is a cut above the Bruins. The Sabres being better than the Bruins feels impossible for anyone who has lived through the past 15 years, but it's true!

Kevin Skiver: Bruins in 6. Buffalo gets a brutal first-round draw after snapping its playoff drought, taking on a Bruins team with one of hockey's most experienced playoff goalies in Jeremy Swayman and Charlie McAvoy alongside David Pastrnak. While Buffalo took the Atlantic this year, Boston went 3-1 against the Sabres this season. That may not always translate to a seven-game series, but we'll see if Buffalo can shrug the bear off its back in the postseason.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens predictions

Mike Brehm: Lightning in 6. I have the Lightning reaching the final, though they could easily lose this series. But Montreal isn't the Florida Panthers, who knocked Tampa Bay out the past two years. Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy will be able to get out of the first round for the first time since 2022.

Jace Evans:Canadiens in 7. Few teams were hotter down the stretch than the Habs, who closed with an 11-3 flourish. They also play in the most raucous building in the NHL, which will give them an advantage in Games 3, 4 and 6. But the real reason they get the nod here is the questions about Vasilevskiy. The Lightning goaltender has been the most responsible for his team bowing out of the postseason in the first round the past three years. Now 31 years old, it's hard to trust he'll find his old form.

Kevin Skiver: Lightning in 6. In a series where one team is literally called the Lightning, the Canadiens are bringing the flash. With one of hockey's youngest teams and brightest futures, Montreal finds itself against a team that stonewalls opponents, sometimes almost literally, by way of Vasilevsky. Although Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are strikingly good, Kucherov is the player to beat here. Indeed, even overtime will look different for Montreal in the postseason.

Western Conference

Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings predictions

Mike Brehm: Avalanche in 5. The Kings will pull off one win to extend the career of retiring captain Anze Kopitar. But the Avalanche are far too deep for Los Angeles to do any more than that.

Jace Evans: Avalanche in 4. The Kings managed to make the playoffs, and credit to them for that. But, unfortunately, they stink. Only one team in the NHL had fewer regulation wins than them: the woebegone Vancouver Canucks. The Avalanche finished on the literal other side of the standings from the Canucks. Tough sledding for LA!

Kevin Skiver: Avalanche in 4. It's nice the Kings made it back for Kopitar's farewell tour, but the President's Cup-winning Avs are a staunch opponent. Los Angeles just doesn't have the firepower to match up with Colorado, which outstrips it at nearly every turn. For the Avalanche, there's a playoff bugaboo to shake off, having lost in the first round two of the past three seasons. This is a big first step.

Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild predictions

Mike Brehm:Stars in 7. This could be the best series of the playoffs and it's a shame it has to happen so early. Adding Quinn Hughes to high-scoring forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy makes the Wild a tough out. But Dallas' Mikko Rantanen is built for the playoffs as he showed last season.

Jace Evans:Stars in 6. Can Minnesota really lose a 10th consecutive playoff series? Yes! Dallas has been on the doorstep of the Stanley Cup Final three consecutive seasons and its playoff experience will prove to be the difference.

Kevin Skiver:Stars in 7. Another downright dogfight of a first-round matchup, in a different playoff format this could easily be a Western Conference final matchup. The Stars and Wild split the season series this year and will likely take seven games to decide it here. This series is a coin flip, but the Stars barely come out on top.

Vegas Golden Knights vs Utah Mammoth predictions

Mike Brehm:Golden Knights in 7. John Tortorella has the Golden Knights playing the right way, and that and home-ice advantage should be enough to get Vegas past the Mammoth. It remains to be seen if they can go farther.

Jace Evans: Golden Knights in 7. Say what you will about John Tortorella, but the decision to fire one Stanley Cup winner (Bruce Cassidy) and replace him with another (Tortorella) seems to be working out. VGK has yet to lose in regulation with Torts behind the bench (7-0-1).

Kevin Skiver:Mammoth in 6. Utah is a grindy, difficult team that isn't going to make itself easy to get out. While John Tortorella has managed to turn things around for Vegas down the stretch and has it looking scorching hot coming into the postseason, Utah is able to hold it off as some of the fire dies in the playoffs.

Edmonton Oilers vs Anaheim Ducks predictions

Mike Brehm: Oilers in 5. The Ducks' core is young. The Oilers' core went to the Stanley Cup Final the past two years. Experience will win out.

Jace Evans: Oilers in 5. The Ducks stumbled into the playoffs and now have to face the best player in the NHL. I wish them a lot of luck!

Kevin Skiver: Oilers in 5. Talent wins out in the playoffs, and the Oilers are dripping in talent. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are obviously the headliners, and while the Ducks play a fast, fun game, there needs to be more physicality before they can be trusted as a playoff team. Edmonton has been here before, and though the road to return has been bumpy, it knows what to do now that it's back.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoff bracket picks, predictions for every first round series

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There isn’t a player on the Detroit Red Wings who has been with the organization longer, or borne more of its setbacks, than team captain Dylan Larkin, the lone remaining player from the club’s last Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance in 2016.

Despite setting a career high with 34 goals this season, Dylan Larkin suffered an injury at a critical point. Although he eventually gutted it out and played through it, he was unable to carry his team over the finish line.

The Red Wings now hold the unfortunate distinction of owning the NHL’s longest active postseason drought, after the Buffalo Sabres, who hadn’t qualified since 2011, finally ended theirs.

"It's been hard, not great. I think it's been a very difficult end to the season," Larkin said on Friday morning. "Never a fun time when you miss the playoffs, but especially in this fashion, and kind of being here again. So today is not a pleasant day around the rink, that's for sure."

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

During Detroit’s stretch run in March, they often found themselves trailing by multiple goals against opponents they were directly competing with in the standings.

Head coach Todd McLellan repeatedly called for a higher level of compete from his players, while questions also arose about “outside noise” potentially creeping into the locker room.

“I mean, that's a fair question, and I think, like I said, part of the tightness was kind of dipping your toe into a game, and when you're anxious for a game, there are tendencies as a player to go out there and see what it's going to be like,” Larkin said about Detroit's slow starts down the stretch. “Is it going to be a hard night or an easy night? Again, I don't think that was the story every night."

“It’s Their Right to Do So”: Moritz Seider Accepts Frustrated Red Wings Fans Reaction During locker room clean-out day, Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider addressed the frustrated reaction of fans during the team’s final home game this past Saturday evening, a loss that confirmed Detroit’s fate of missing the playoffs.

As the team captain, a position he's held since the beginning of the 2021-22 campaign, Larkin accepted responsibility for not, as he put it, driving the play more. 

"But especially at home, down the stretch, you have to know going into a game that you're going to go out there, and part of that is on me as captain of the team, a forward that plays a driving game," he said. 

“I should probably have been out there more, driving the play early in the games to set the tone early for our team, and that's a mindset that would go through the entire lineup.”

As a Metro Detroit native who grew up watching the Red Wings’ glory years, Larkin understands the weight of the moment better than others. He carries the burden of the captaincy once held by franchise legends such as Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Henrik Zetterberg.

Larkin signed an eight-year extension in 2023 to remain with the Red Wings and is committed to seeing the process through.

"I wanted to be here, and I want to be here to help this team in any way I can to win the Stanley Cup," he said. 

"We need to get the Detroit Red Wings back in the playoffs," he concluded. "Not just me." 

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Los Angeles Kings (35-27-20, in the Pacific Division) vs. Colorado Avalanche (55-16-11, in the Central Division)

Denver; Sunday, 3 p.m. EDT

LINE: Avalanche -264, Kings +214; over/under is 5.5

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Avalanche host series opener

BOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Avalanche host the Los Angeles Kings to begin the Western Conference first round. The teams meet Monday for the fourth time this season. The Avalanche went 3-0 against the Kings during the regular season. In their last regular season meeting on March 2, the Avalanche won 4-2.

Colorado is 55-16-11 overall and 26-9-6 in home games. The Avalanche have an 18-2-6 record when scoring a power-play goal.

Los Angeles has a 35-27-20 record overall and a 20-10-11 record on the road. The Kings are 26-4-11 in games they score at least three goals.

TOP PERFORMERS: Martin Necas has 38 goals and 61 assists for the Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon has five goals and five assists over the last 10 games.

Artemi Panarin has 28 goals and 56 assists for the Kings. Adrian Kempe has scored 10 goals with three assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Avalanche: 7-2-1, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.7 assists, 2.8 penalties and 5.6 penalty minutes while giving up 1.9 goals per game.

Kings: 6-2-2, averaging 3.1 goals, 4.5 assists, 3.1 penalties and 7.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.

INJURIES: Avalanche: Nazem Kadri: day to day (finger), Josh Manson: day to day (upper body).

Kings: Kevin Fiala: out for season (leg), Alex Turcotte: day to day (undisclosed), Jeff Malott: day to day (undisclosed), Andrei Kuzmenko: day to day (knee).

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

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

Pittsburgh; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT

LINE: Penguins -147, Flyers +123; over/under is 6

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Penguins host series opener

BOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Philadelphia Flyers in game one of the Eastern Conference first round. The teams meet Saturday for the fifth time this season. The teams tied the regular season series 2-2. In their last regular season meeting on March 7, the Flyers won 4-3 in a shootout.

Pittsburgh has a 41-25-16 record overall and a 13-4-9 record in Metropolitan Division play. The Penguins have a 41-8-9 record when scoring three or more goals.

Philadelphia is 43-27-12 overall with a 12-9-5 record against the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers rank ninth in league play serving 9.6 penalty minutes per game.

TOP PERFORMERS: Sidney Crosby has scored 29 goals with 45 assists for the Penguins. Erik Karlsson has three goals and six assists over the past 10 games.

Trevor Zegras has 26 goals and 41 assists for the Flyers. Matvei Michkov has four goals and eight assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Penguins: 5-5-0, averaging 4.6 goals, 7.7 assists, 3.3 penalties and 7.8 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game.

Flyers: 7-3-0, averaging 3.5 goals, 5.5 assists, 3.2 penalties and 6.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.

INJURIES: Penguins: Filip Hallander: out (leg), Caleb Jones: out for season (shoulder).

Flyers: Rodrigo Abols: out (ankle), Nikita Grebenkin: out (upper body).

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

Utah Mammoth (43-33-6, in the Central Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division)

Paradise, Nevada; Sunday, 10 p.m. EDT

LINE: Golden Knights -153, Mammoth +127; over/under is 6

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Golden Knights host series opener

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Utah Mammoth to open the Western Conference first round. The teams meet Thursday for the fourth time this season. The Mammoth went 2-1 against the Golden Knights during the regular season. In their last regular season meeting on March 19, the Mammoth won 4-0.

Vegas has a 39-26-17 record overall and a 20-12-9 record in home games. The Golden Knights have allowed 242 goals while scoring 264 for a +22 scoring differential.

Utah has a 43-33-6 record overall and a 21-17-3 record on the road. The Mammoth are 10th in league play serving 9.5 penalty minutes per game.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Eichel has 27 goals and 63 assists for the Golden Knights. Mark Stone has seven goals and four assists over the past 10 games.

Clayton Keller has 26 goals and 62 assists for the Mammoth. Logan Cooley has scored seven goals and added six assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 7-0-3, averaging four goals, 6.4 assists, 3.2 penalties and seven penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game.

Mammoth: 6-4-0, averaging 4.3 goals, 7.5 assists, four penalties and 11.3 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game.

INJURIES: Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body).

Mammoth: Barrett Hayton: out (upper-body), Sean Durzi: day to day (upper-body), Jack McBain: out (lower-body), Dylan Guenther: day to day (undisclosed).

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

Boston Bruins (45-27-10, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Buffalo Sabres (50-23-9, in the Atlantic Division)

Buffalo, New York; Sunday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Sabres -158, Bruins +133; over/under is 6

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Sabres host series opener

BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres host the Boston Bruins to start the Eastern Conference first round. The teams meet Wednesday for the fifth time this season. The Bruins went 3-1 against the Sabres during the regular season. In their last regular season matchup on March 25, the Bruins won 4-3 in overtime. Mark Kastelic led the Bruins with two goals.

Buffalo has a 16-6-4 record in Atlantic Division games and a 50-23-9 record overall. The Sabres rank fifth in league play with 283 total goals (averaging 3.4 per game).

Boston is 11-12-3 against the Atlantic Division and 45-27-10 overall. The Bruins serve 11.9 penalty minutes per game to rank second in the league.

TOP PERFORMERS: Josh Doan has scored 26 goals with 26 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has four goals and three assists over the last 10 games.

Morgan Geekie has 39 goals and 29 assists for the Bruins. Pavel Zacha has six goals and five assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Sabres: 6-3-1, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.6 assists, 4.5 penalties and 11.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.

Bruins: 5-3-2, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.5 assists, 3.1 penalties and 7.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.

INJURIES: Sabres: Jiri Kulich: out for season (ear), Sam Carrick: out (arm), Alex Lyon: day to day (lower body), Justin Danforth: day to day (lower body), Noah Ostlund: day to day (upper-body).

Bruins: None listed.

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

The first NHL playoff tournament without a local club since the Devils moved to New Jersey in 1982 opens Saturday afternoon with the Senators and Hurricanes kicking off the two-month sprint to the Stanley Cup.

As has become the norm under the current format, the first round is packed with stories, and the bracket will inevitably thin out early.

There is Buffalo’s return to the postseason for the first time since 2011.

There is an intriguing Wild-Stars series, with the winner likely facing the Avalanche in a bare-knuckles Round 2 showdown.

There is Sidney Crosby back in the postseason after a three-year drought, leading the Penguins in a Battle of Pennsylvania, and there is a young Habs team running straight into the grizzled, experienced Lightning.

The Eastern Conference is wide open after the mighty Panthers, reigning two-time Cup champs and three-time conference champs, suffered an injury-plagued regular season and missed the tournament.

This could be the year Rod Brind’Amour’s Hurricanes make it over the conference finals hump. The Canadiens, Lightning and Sabres all have real Cup aspirations as well.

The Central Division trio in the West — Minnesota, Dallas, Colorado — guarantees the current issues with the format will continue. Whoever makes it through that gauntlet and into the conference finals, though, will have the victor of the Pacific Division’s pillow fight to contend with.

Even though it was Connor McDavid who used just that phrase, his Oilers loom as an obstacle, if only they can get their goaltending sorted.

It is as good a postseason as we’ve had in recent years, and New York will experience it from afar, on television.

Every year, the NHL Players' Association releases a league-wide poll that asks players around the league various questions that they are prompted to answer with their peers in mind. 

And this time around, several Pittsburgh Penguins' players came up in the results.

Captain Sidney Crosby was the players' No. 1 selection for "Which player would make a great coach once they retire?", while he slotted in at No. 3 for an NHL forward who would also excel as a defenseman. Blueliner Erik Karlsson was voted opposite Crosby, getting picked at No. 3 as far as defensemen who would excel as a forward. 

And, finally, Kris Letang was voted as having the third-most intense training regimen of all NHL players, behind only Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid.

The @NHLPA player poll is in, and Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, and Kris Letang showed out 📝

Read more: https://t.co/j7Y89dDYREpic.twitter.com/OJQhdwoa54

— x - Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 17, 2026

In addition to the individual player voting, the rivalry between the Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers - which will come to a head in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season - was voted as the NHL's third-best behind only the rivalries between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs and between the Canadiens and Boston Bruins. 

Other questions included which goaltender had the best puckhandling skills, which player was the best-dressed, and which player was the NHL's best golfer. It was a bit of a diversion from the traditional player poll, which usually included items such as who the NHL's best forward, best defenseman, and best all-around player is - the third of which Crosby was voted six years in a row prior to this season. 

The full results of this year's NHLPA Player Poll can be found here. 

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

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After a short adjustment period, Porter Martone was one of the best players for the Philadelphia Flyers during their playoff push, and head coach Rick Tocchet quickly took notice.

Martone, 19, scored only one point--an assist--in his first three NHL games, though he did fire off 15 shots on goal. The 2025 No. 6 overall pick was due for positive offensive scoring regression, and it was all up from there.

The prized Flyers prospect scored all four of his first NHL goals and added another five assists in the final six games of the season, and during that six-game point streak, the Flyers went 5-1-0, securing their first playoff berth since 2020.

Suffice to say, Martone has impressed Tocchet early on.

"He's just a hockey player, right? Yeah, he's got some things to improve on or whatever, and he's really worked on his skating. You can tell he's improved over the year. He knocks pucks down, he goes to the dirty areas, he's got a hell of a shot. He's got a hell of a hockey IQ," Tocchet said of Martone on the NHL Network's "NHL Now" segment.

Flyers' Porter Martone Explains Viral Hat PhotoBy now, you may have seen the photo, now effectively a meme, of <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> rookie Porter Martone rocking a suit and large fedora. According to Martone, there is a story behind it all.

"We were playing Carolina the other night. Their PK's really good. It's a pressure PK where they just fly out everywhere. We practiced it in the morning, we talked about 'Hey, you gotta be ready'. If you look at the tying goal, he knew. He beat pressure, he knew where [Trevor Zegras] was, he threw it, great pass, and we end up getting the goal.

"That's his hockey IQ. Him taking the information that day and applying it in a pressure situation. So, for a 19-year-old, gotta give him a lot of credit."

The stakes were high for Martone, Tocchet, and the Flyers on Monday night; it was a win-and-in situation against a Carolina Hurricanes team resting several of their top players.

Of course, it wasn't an easy game, and the Flyers went down 2-0 early, but Matvei Michkov started the comeback, and then Martone and Trevor Zegras combined to tie the game.

A pivotal moment, too, as the Flyers required a shootout to seal the deal and reach the postseason.

Now, just imagine the next level Martone can hit for the Flyers once he gains more NHL experience and comes into a season fresh.

The Chicago Blackhawks had a lot of great playoff moments with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. During most of their true prime, they were a lock for a postseason berth every year. 

In 2025-26, Kane plays for the Detroit Red Wings, and Jonathan Toews is with the Winnipeg Jets. Neither of them disappointingly made the playoffs, and they have uncertain futures in the NHL. 

Kane just wrapped up his third season in Detroit. He scored 16 goals and had 41 assists for 57 points in 67 games played. The Red Wings held a playoff spot for most of the season, including a double-digit points cushion, but fell off in March. 

Since leaving the Blackhawks, Kane has been signing one-year deals, making him a free agent once again this summer. He wants to go back to the Detroit Red Wings, but nothing is certain following a bad ending as they had. 

“I’d love to be part of the solution that helps us get over the hump," Kane said in his locker clean-out media session. "I think there is mutual interest.”

Although Patrick Kane doesn't bring much on the defensive side of the puck, he is still a high-level playmaker who can skate on a line with anybody. He has especially good chemistry with another former Blackhawk, Alex DeBrincat. 

If Kane goes back to the Red Wings, they will take another run at making the playoffs together. If they decide to go in a different direction, however, Kane may be looking for a new hockey residency. There is still a lot more hockey left in him, so it's fair to wonder what's truly next for his career. 

As for Toews, he came back to the NHL after two seasons off. Winnipeg was coming off a President's Trophy season, so their missing the playoffs is pretty shocking.

After missing all of that time, Toews played in all 82 games, which is an incredible feat for someone in his shoes. He had 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points in those 82 games.

It wasn't the offensive production he was looking for, but he was a solid two-way depth piece. Toews finished second in the NHL (by one percent) with a faceoff winning percentage of 62.1. He clearly still brings winning attributes to a team. 

Now, will Toews retire after proving he can make a comeback, or does he want more? He has an even more uncertain NHL future than Kane. 

"If I decide to play next year, I’d love to be a part of this group," Toews said in his exit presser. It sounds like it's Winnipeg or nothing, if he even decides to play. 

Once these two former superstars retire, they will go to the Hall of Fame, have their numbers retired, and see statues of themselves at the United Center. For now, however, they have decisions to make as to their current hockey future in other markets. 

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For the first time since 2011, the Buffalo Sabres are set to play postseason hockey. The Sabres kick off their first round series against the Boston Bruins on Sunday and will be looking to start the series by picking up a victory in Game 1. 

When looking at the Sabres' roster, it is clear that as long as he has the crease, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonnen is the team's biggest X-factor. 

The Sabres are going to need Luukkonen to be on his A-game during the playoffs, much like he was during the regular season. The 27-year-old goaltender was a major reason for the Sabres' turnaround this campaign, as he had a 22-9-3 record, a .910 save percentage, a 2.52 goals-against average, and one shutout.

With numbers like these, it is clear that Luukkonen has the potential to be a major difference-maker for the Sabres during the playoffs. If he can replicate his regular-season form during the postseason, the Sabres will be an incredibly tough team to beat. 

It will be fascinating to see how Luukkonen performs during his first career postseason. The Sabres undoubtedly need him to be playing at his highest level. 

The 2025-26 season was an incredibly up-and-down ride of the Los Angeles Kings, but somehow, for the fifth straight year they are headed to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

There have been several major storylines that came out of Los Angele this season. from Anze Kopitar's farewell tour and Adrian Kempe's contract negotiations to the arrival of Artemi Panarin and a record breaking 20 overtime losses. It has certainly been a season Kings fans will remember for a long time.

To wrap up the regular season, we figured that it would be a good idea to hand out some awards for the Kings top performers this year.

*Note: The Kings shared their own team awards on X (formerly known as twitter) Ours were picked in advance and had no intention on copying the team

Most Valuable Player: Adrian Kempe

Honorable Mentions: Quinton Byfield, Kevin Fiala

After entering the season in the midst of contract extension drama, Adrian Kempe eventually signed a monster eight-year extension worth $85M ($10.625M) putting the drama in the rear view mirror.

Kempe appeared in all but one of the Kings 82 games, scoring 36 goals along with 37 assists for 73 points. This is the 29-year-old's 4th career 30+ goal season, as well as his 3rd straight season with 70+ points. 

Like always, the Swedish sniper came up clutch when it mattered most with his team-leading eight game winning goals. Four of which came in 3-on-3 overtime which was good for second in the NHL behind just Cole Caufield's five total OT game winners.

With Kopitar retiring, Kempe has done a great job preparing to be the face of the franchise when the future Hall-of-Famer hangs up the skates.

Best Defenseman and Most Improved: Brandt Clarke

Best Defenseman Honorable Mentions: Joel Edmundson, Drew Doughty

Most Improved Honorable Mentions: Taylor Ward, Anton Forsberg

Brandt Clarke deserves a tremendous amount of credit for his play this season. The 23-year-old entered the season under a large amount of pressure as he was expected to take his play to another level.

For the first time in his young career, Clarke appeared in all 82 games while scoring eight goals and 32 assists for 40 points, reaching career highs in all three statistics. His +11 rating was also a positive note as he is on a team that doesn't score a lot of goals.

Of his 40 points, 13 of them came on the power play which is positive in two ways. One, that he has shown he can succeed as a quarterback on the power play, and the other is that he doesn't solely rely on it as a source of production. 

Kings fans should be very excited for Brandt Clarke's continued progress as the former 8th overall pick will continue to get better.

How Do The Los Angeles Kings Match Up Against The Colorado Avalanche?The Los Angeles Kings clinched a playoff berth, but are currently in line to face the NHL's best team, the Colorado Avalanche. How can the Kings match up against the Presidents' Trophy winners?

Best Addition: Artemi Panarin

Honorable Mentions: Scott Laughton, Anton Forsberg

Entering the season, if you were to tell a Kings fan that Artemi Panarin would be leading them to a playoff berth, they likely would have called you crazy. But here we are.

After he was acquired in February, Panarin came in and produced exactly how he was expected. As an over point-per-game player, the 'Breadman' found chemistry with Kempe and Kopitar. 

In 26 games as a member of the Kings, the 34-year-old scored nine goals and 18 assists for 27 points. His goal scoring could improve but for a team that hasn't had a point-per-game player since Kevin Fiala in 2023, there are no complaints here.

Not only will Panarin be exciting to watch in the postseason, but it will be intriguing to see the numbers he can put up in his first full season in L.A. in 2026-27.

Most Underrated Player: Anton Forsberg

When the Kings signed Forsberg last summer they brought him in to be a solid backup to Darcy Kuemper, but he has proved to be much more than that.

As the season went on and Kuemper dealt with multiple injuries, Forsberg stepped in and kept the Kings afloat. He even played some of the best hockey of his career down the stretch as he was one of, if not the biggest reason that Kings clawed their way into the postseason.

In 31 starts and 36 appearances this season, the 33-year-old netminder went 16-12-5 while posting a 2.57 GAA and .910 SV%. He also tied a career high with three shutouts. Forsberg ranked 18th among all goaltenders with a 9.4 GSAx (Goals Saved Above Expected) on the year.

The Swedish veteran may be an option to start in net for game one against the Colorado Avalanche due to his recent play.

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TORONTO (AP) — Sidney Crosby is seen by his peers as the NHL player most likely to become a head coach, according to the National Hockey League Players’ Association’s annual player poll released Friday.

The 38-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins captain topped the category with 10.3% of the vote, followed by Minnesota’s Nick Foligno at 5% and Detroit’s David Perron, Toronto’s John Tavares and Calgary’s Ryan Strome at 2.6% or lower.

The 11th annual poll surveyed 348 players anonymously from all 32 teams during the first half of the season.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon was named the player with the most intense training regimen at 20.7%, followed by Edmonton’s Connor McDavid at 5.5% and Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang at 4%.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander led a pair of off-ice categories, ranking first as the most fashionable player at 32.9% and for the best social media presence at 17.4%.

Nylander also featured among the league’s best nicknames with “Willy Styles,” but trailed Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak, whose “Pasta” nickname topped the list at 13.5%. Other notable entries included Detroit’s Patrick Kane (“Showtime”) and Nashville’s Ryan O’Reilly (“Factor”).

Florida’s Aleksander Barkov topped forwards who could also excel as defensemen at 18%, while Colorado’s Cale Makar led defensemen who could also excel as forwards at 36.3%.

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington was voted the league’s best puck handler at 22.4%, ahead of the New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin at 14%.

Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller was named the league’s best golfer at 15.9%, while Montreal’s Bell Centre was voted to have the league’s best ice at 46.8%. Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena topped the list for best visiting dressing room.

Players also pointed to Houston as the preferred expansion market at 34.3%, followed by Quebec City at 16.9%, while 68.1% opposed a switch to white jerseys at home.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The Vancouver Canucks fired general manager Patrik Allvin on Friday after missing the playoffs for a third time in four seasons with him in the position.

President of hockey operations Jim Rutherford is keeping his job. Rutherford acknowledged he has to shoulder some of the blame for how the Canucks tumbled to the bottom of the NHL standings.

Allvin made his own decisions as GM, Rutherford said.

“He was in charge of most of the things in hockey, making the trades, deciding who was getting called up and down and working with the coach and all those things,” Rutherford said. “I take full responsibility for the season. I head up the hockey department. But I don’t make decisions for other people. And Patrik had the opportunity to make his own decisions.”

Allvin’s dismissal came a day after Vancouver ended its season with a 6-1 loss to the Oilers in Edmonton. The result punctuated a season where the Canucks finished last overall with a 25-49-8 record.

“It’s unfortunate. He’s a friend of mine. I think Patrik’s a great hockey guy,” Rutherford said. “But we felt it was time to make a change and let someone else sit in that chair, that GM’s chair, and make the decisions going forward.”

The Canucks will conduct a wide search for Allvin’s replacement, he added, and already have a “very good” candidate in Ryan Johnson, currently general manager of the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks and an assistant GM with the NHL club.

Vancouver’s next general manager will have a lot of responsibility, Rutherford said, including making a decision on whether Adam Foote will stay on as the team’s coach.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl