After what seemed like a never-ending wait, the puck will drop on game 1 of the Montreal Canadiens’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This is only the fifth series between the two sides, and Martin St-Louis’ men have a 1-3 record against their host in playoff series (2004, 2014, 2015, 2021). The Canadiens’ sole series win over the Bolts came in 2014, when Montreal swept Tampa, which was without its number one goaltender at the time, Ben Bishop.

Of course, everyone remembers the last series between the two sides, the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, which the Bolts won 4-1, outscoring the Habs 17-8. They certainly weren’t without their number one goaltender then, as Andrei Vasilevskiy won the Conn Smythe Trophy that year. In their four-series matchup, the Bolts have outscored the Canadiens 58-42, but this will be the first playoff series for this new iteration of the Canadiens, built first and foremost around the offensive talent of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson.

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The teams have split the honors of their 4-game season series, with Tampa winning the first two games in December and Montreal winning the last two in March and April. Tampa outscored the Canadiens 12-11 in the season series (the sixth goal in their 6-5 win doesn’t count as it was a shootout win). Interestingly, the Bolts have scored four goals in each period while the Canadiens have scored seven of their 11 goals in the third frame.

Overall, Tampa has a 16-23 record in Game 1 for a .410-win percentage, but their home record in the first game of a series stands at 8-13 for a .381-win percentage. Meanwhile, the Canadiens have a 75-50 record in Game 1 for a .600-win percentage, but when Game 1 is on the road, it’s a lot more complicated for the Habs, who have a 13-32 record for a lowly .289 win percentage.

The young Canadiens obviously do not have much experience in the playoffs, Brendan Gallagher is the most experienced player at Martin St-Louis’ disposal with 76 postseason games to his name, in which he gathered 33 points. 15 of those games were played against Tampa, during which he picked up nine points. Phillip Danault has played in 62 playoff games, scoring 28 points in the process, which includes only five games against the Bolts in which he could only muster one point. Josh Anderson wraps up the Canadiens’ top-three in playoff experience with 48 games across which he picked up 15 points. Only 9 of those games were against Tampa, but he still scored 4 points against them.

As for Suzuki, he has 37 games of playoff experience in which he gathered 25 points. He’s obviously only faced Tampa five times in the postseason, and had three points in those five duels. As for Caufield, he has played in 25 playoff games, picking up 16 points, including seven goals. However, none of his seven goals came against the Lightning; in five duels, he could only muster three assists.

Prêts pour la première ronde 👊

Round one ready#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/JKOggob8Cm

— x - Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 19, 2026

Meanwhile, the Bolts have a wealth of experience. Corey Perry has 237 playoff games to his name, the fourth-highest total in NHL history. He’s also picked up 141 points in the postseason. This will, however, be his first time playing against the Canadiens in the playoffs. Ryan McDonagh has played 196 playoff games and picked up 68 points in the process. Unlike Perry, he has plenty of postseason experience against Montreal. He has faced the Canadiens 17 times, picking up 15 points in the process. Victor Hedman, who’s currently not playing but should still be around the team according to Cooper, has played 170 playoff games and picked up 120 points in the process. 15 of those games were against Montreal, and he gathered eight points.

As for Nikita Kucherov, he has appeared in 152 playoff games, putting up 171 points; he’s the Bolts’ highest postseason scorer. In 13 playoff games against the Habs, he’s put up 13 points. Montreal will also need to keep a close eye on Jake Guentzel, who has 73 points in 74 playoff games and three points in four postseason duels with the Habs.

In net, Vasilevskiy is hands-down the most experienced masked man in the series with 120 playoff appearances, including 67 wins with a 2.45 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. Six of those games were against Montreal, and his stats are even better against the Habs; he’s got a 1.95 GAA and a .934 SV.

Meanwhile, Jakub Dobes has only played parts of three postseason games, winning one. He has a 2.91 GAA and a .881 SV. None of those games were against the Bolts, since he only faced the Washington Capitals in the playoffs. As for Jacob Fowler, this will be his first NHL playoff series, but last season in the AHL, he played eight postseason games, went 3-3, posted a 2.48 GAA, and a .902 SV%.

Clearly, the Canadiens are the underdogs in this meeting, but they are still much more prepared to face this challenge than they were last year against Washington. The game is set for 5:45 PM, and you can catch it on The Spot, HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, and CBC. Jake Brenk and Francois St-Laurent are set to officiate, while Shandor Alphonso and Julien Fournier will be the linemen.

Jour de match! It’s game day!

📍 Benchmark International Arena
🕖 17 h 45 / 5:45 p.m.
📺 TVAS / SN / CBC
📻 98,5 FM / TSN 690#GoHabsGo | @AirCanadapic.twitter.com/ZoKWa1zn4V

— x - Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 19, 2026

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

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

Colorado Avalanche

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

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

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

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

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

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

Projected Lineup

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

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

Between the Pipes:
Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood

Los Angeles Kings

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

Some break.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Projected Lineup

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

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

Between the Pipes:
Anton Forsberg
Darcy Kuemper

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

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

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

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

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

1. They Shrunk the Ice Deliberately and Repeatedly

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

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

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

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

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

2. The Game Was Played Inside the Dots By Design

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

Philadelphia bypassed that phase.

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

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

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

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

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

3. Their Composure Was Structural Instead Of Emotional 

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

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

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

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

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

— Siobhan Nolan (@SGNolan) April 19, 2026

4. Physicality Was On Point

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

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

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

Sit down. pic.twitter.com/OLSsDNuYnc

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

5. Contributions Followed a Pattern, Not a Script

The names on the scoresheet varied.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Lingers After Game 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Failing to take advantage of a quick start

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

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

The line configurations didn’t work

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That’s where things start to look different.

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

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

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

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

How Ducks GM Pat Verbeek Built Roster with Playoffs in Mind

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

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

Joel Quenneville Returns to the Postseason

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

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

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

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

Backing into the Playoffs

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

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

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

Playoff Terry

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

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

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

Feet Wet or Make Noise

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

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

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

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

An Allegory for the Passage of Time

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

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

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

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

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

Ducks Extend Gulls Head Coach Matt McIlvane

Anaheim Ducks Clinch Playoffs for First Time in Eight Years

Cutter Gauthier Becomes Fourth Anaheim Ducks Player in History to Record 40 Goals in a Season

Anaheim Ducks Goaltender Lukas Dostal Nominated for King Clancy Memorial Trophy

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

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

With this goal, Martone also made Flyers history. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Canadiens St-Louis’ Thinks Xhekaj Has Shown Enough

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

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

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

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Just the facts

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

Know your enemy

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

*Stats listed above are from the regular season

Game notes

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

See ya tonight!