One win down, three more to go.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs is all about being the first team to 16 wins, and taking it one game at a time.

The Colorado Avalanche has been taking a lot of things day by day. One of which has been the potential return of their captain, Gabriel Landeskog.

*See update at the bottom of this story.

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The pillar of the Avalanche team played two games of a conditioning loan with the Colorado Eagles, where he recorded two points.

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A Round One Schedule for the Stanley Cup Playoffs is HereNHL Public Relations announced the full schedule for games 1-4 of round one for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday morning. Dates for games 5-7 were also announced with times listed as TBD, meaning they will be announced once or if they become necessary.

Landeskog hasn’t played a game since June 26th, 2022, when the Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Six of the Stanley Cup Final, winning the Stanley Cup.

Now, all that waiting might turn around on Monday night.

Gabriel Landeskog Returns Tonight?

Head coach Jared Bednar did not confirm or deny that Landeskog would be in the lineup for Game Two. However, that hand might have already been shown.

According to a few media outlets present at the Morning Skate, Landeskog was one of the first skaters to exit the ice for the optional skate. This is important to note because Landeskog has usually stayed out with the extras.

Landeskog is one of the first players off the ice for the optional skate. He’s been staying on with the extras normally.

Do with that what you will.

— Jesse Montano (@jessemontano_) April 21, 2025

Landeskog's return would be massive for the Avalanche. The team has been fantastic without their captain. However, the morale boost of having him in the lineup after almost three calendar years without him would skyrocket through the roof.

Unfortunately, Avalanche fans will have to wait until warmups to see if Landeskog will play or not.

Gabriel Landeskog has been activated from Injured Reserve. pic.twitter.com/TNQ8Mphago

— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 21, 2025

*Update: The Avalanche announced that they have activated Landeskog from Injured Reserve. This all but confirms that he will play in Monday night's game against the Dallas Stars.

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How long is the Maple Leafs' NHL-record Stanley Cup drought? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Toronto Maple Leafs own the second-most Stanley Cup titles in NHL history. But it’s been well over a half-century since their last championship triumph.

The Leafs saw their record Stanley Cup drought extended with a second-round loss to the defending champion Florida Panthers in the 2025 NHL playoffs.

Toronto, the Atlantic Division’s No. 1 seed, eliminated the wild-card Ottawa Senators in six games this postseason before jumping out to a 2-0 series lead over Florida. The Panthers then responded with three straight wins, but the Leafs won Game 6 on the road to keep their season alive.

But, in a decisive Game 7 at home, the Leafs were booed off the ice as an ugly 6-1 defeat pushed the storied franchise’s championship drought even closer to six decades.

When was the last time the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup?

The Leafs’ most recent Stanley Cup championship came in the 1966-67 season.

What’s the longest Stanley Cup drought in NHL history?

Toronto’s current championship drought is the longest in NHL history at 58 years.

The Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks both are mired in title droughts of 50-plus years, as well. Buffalo and Vancouver joined the NHL in the 1970-71 season and neither has won a Stanley Cup in the 54 years since. The Canucks have reached three Stanley Cup Finals (1982, 1994, 2011) and the Sabres have reached two (1975, 1999).

When was the last time the Maple Leafs made the Stanley Cup Final?

The Leafs’ 1966-67 championship campaign also stands as their last appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. That means the Original Six franchise hasn’t reached the Cup Final in the expansion era (since the 1967-68 season).

The Leafs last appeared in the conference final in the 2002 postseason.

How many Stanley Cup Finals have the Maple Leafs made?

Toronto has reached the Cup Final 21 times, trailing only the Montreal Canadiens (33 appearances) and Detroit Red Wings (24 appearances) for the most in NHL history.

How many Stanley Cups have the Maple Leafs won?

The Leafs were victorious in 13 of those 21 Cup Finals. Only the 23-time champion Canadiens have won more Stanley Cups than Toronto.

Here’s a full look at Toronto’s Stanley Cup Final history (years listed are when Cup Finals were played):

• 1967: Beat Montreal Canadiens
• 1964: Beat Detroit Red Wings
• 1963: Beat Detroit Red Wings
• 1962: Beat Chicago Blackhawks
• 1960: Lost to Montreal Canadiens
• 1959: Lost to Montreal Canadiens
• 1951: Beat Montreal Canadiens
• 1949: Beat Detroit Red Wings
• 1948: Beat Detroit Red Wings
• 1947: Beat Montreal Canadiens
• 1945: Beat Detroit Red Wings
• 1942: Beat Detroit Red Wings
• 1940: Lost to New York Rangers
• 1939: Lost to Boston Bruins
• 1938: Lost to Chicago Blackhawks
• 1936: Lost to Detroit Red Wings
• 1935: Lost to Montreal Maroons
• 1933: Lost to New York Rangers
• 1932: Beat New York Rangers
• 1922: Beat Vancouver Millionaires
• 1918: Beat Vancouver Millionaires

Editor’s note: This story was first published on April 21.

How long is the Maple Leafs' NHL-record Stanley Cup drought? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Toronto Maple Leafs own the second-most Stanley Cup titles in NHL history. But it’s been well over a half-century since their last championship triumph.

The Leafs saw their record Stanley Cup drought extended with a second-round loss to the defending champion Florida Panthers in the 2025 NHL playoffs.

Toronto, the Atlantic Division’s No. 1 seed, eliminated the wild-card Ottawa Senators in six games this postseason before jumping out to a 2-0 series lead over Florida. The Panthers then responded with three straight wins, but the Leafs won Game 6 on the road to keep their season alive.

But, in a decisive Game 7 at home, the Leafs were booed off the ice as an ugly 6-1 defeat pushed the storied franchise’s championship drought even closer to six decades.

When was the last time the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup?

The Leafs’ most recent Stanley Cup championship came in the 1966-67 season.

What’s the longest Stanley Cup drought in NHL history?

Toronto’s current championship drought is the longest in NHL history at 58 years.

The Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks both are mired in title droughts of 50-plus years, as well. Buffalo and Vancouver joined the NHL in the 1970-71 season and neither has won a Stanley Cup in the 54 years since. The Canucks have reached three Stanley Cup Finals (1982, 1994, 2011) and the Sabres have reached two (1975, 1999).

When was the last time the Maple Leafs made the Stanley Cup Final?

The Leafs’ 1966-67 championship campaign also stands as their last appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. That means the Original Six franchise hasn’t reached the Cup Final in the expansion era (since the 1967-68 season).

The Leafs last appeared in the conference final in the 2002 postseason.

How many Stanley Cup Finals have the Maple Leafs made?

Toronto has reached the Cup Final 21 times, trailing only the Montreal Canadiens (33 appearances) and Detroit Red Wings (24 appearances) for the most in NHL history.

How many Stanley Cups have the Maple Leafs won?

The Leafs were victorious in 13 of those 21 Cup Finals. Only the 23-time champion Canadiens have won more Stanley Cups than Toronto.

Here’s a full look at Toronto’s Stanley Cup Final history (years listed are when Cup Finals were played):

• 1967: Beat Montreal Canadiens
• 1964: Beat Detroit Red Wings
• 1963: Beat Detroit Red Wings
• 1962: Beat Chicago Blackhawks
• 1960: Lost to Montreal Canadiens
• 1959: Lost to Montreal Canadiens
• 1951: Beat Montreal Canadiens
• 1949: Beat Detroit Red Wings
• 1948: Beat Detroit Red Wings
• 1947: Beat Montreal Canadiens
• 1945: Beat Detroit Red Wings
• 1942: Beat Detroit Red Wings
• 1940: Lost to New York Rangers
• 1939: Lost to Boston Bruins
• 1938: Lost to Chicago Blackhawks
• 1936: Lost to Detroit Red Wings
• 1935: Lost to Montreal Maroons
• 1933: Lost to New York Rangers
• 1932: Beat New York Rangers
• 1922: Beat Vancouver Millionaires
• 1918: Beat Vancouver Millionaires

Editor’s note: This story was first published on April 21.

After being informed he’ll be let go this summer, San Jose Sharks goalie Alexandar Georgiev is now available to the Philadelphia Flyers in free agency. But should the Flyers even have any interest?

Georgiev, 29, has seen better days in his NHL career. The formerly undrafted Bulgarian has posted a save percentage north of .900 just once since the 2020-21 season.

And that one time was in the 2022-23 season, when Georgiev was 40-16-6 with the high-flying Colorado Avalanche, doing his part with a 2.53 GAA, a stellar .919 save percentage, and a career-high five shutouts.

Notably, Georgiev also had save percentages of .910 or higher in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons with the New York Rangers, appearing in 33 and 34 games, respectively, in those seasons.

The Flyers, in search of any kind of goaltending help, are actually a strong fit for Georgiev.

It’s no secret that Georgiev has the ability to play at a high level throughout a full season; he’s done so multiple times in his eight-year NHL career.

The former NHL All-Star has a career save percentage of .903, which is neither great nor terrible, but an upgrade for the Flyers by all accounts.

If the Flyers were to take a chance on Georgiev for one year, for example, and he rebounds from the form that saw him post a .875 save percentage this season, they would have rehabbed his trade value to the point where they could get an asset for him at the NHL trade deadline.

Or, Georgiev could simply stay in Philadelphia to platoon with Sam Ersson and/or a Flyers goalie prospect until a true heir apparent emerges.

Naturally, the Flyers and fans will have a great deal of concern about Georgiev’s propensity to self-immolate and meltdown to lose games.

If Georgiev reprises his role as the pumpkin he turned out to be the 2024-25 season, it’s tantamount to the Flyers keeping Ersson, Ivan Fedotov, and Aleksei Kolosov as their bloc of goalies.

And in that case, the Flyers would be, whether they wanted to or not, positioning themselves well for the 2026 NHL Draft, which is loaded with potentially franchise-altering talents like Gavin McKenna, Keaton Verhoeff, Ivar Stenberg, Dylan Roobroeck, and Viggo Bjorck.

The Flyers would still be heading back to square one at the goalie position if that is how things played out with Georgiev, but it wouldn’t be for nought. McKenna, Stenberg, Roobroeck, and Bjorck all have the potential to set Matvei Michkov up with a running mate for the next two decades with a proper development plan and supporting cast.

Georgiev won’t be the only external goalie option available to the Flyers this summer, but this year’s free agent goalie class is a thin one, and Georgiev is one of the most unlikely to receive a contract offer from a Stanley Cup contender.

His implosion in Colorado nearly upended the Avalanche’s season before GM Chris MacFarland intervened with haste.

Without Georgiev, the Sharks will turn the keys over to top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov, someone who represents what the Flyers should be looking at with respect to the future at the position.

That someone is not readily apparent within the Flyers’ organization, but signing Georgiev could buy the Flyers some time to figure that all out in the end.

Breaking down the best value bets, futures to take and strategies to look out for ahead of the first round matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals

The Montreal Canadiens scratched and clawed their way into the postseason only to be greeted by the top team in the East in the Washington Capitals. Unlike the Battle of Ontario or round four of the Oilers and Kings, this is a matchup we don't get to see too often. 

Washington has met Montreal just once in the first round of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, where the Habs overcame a 3-1 deficit to win the series in seven games.

This series could go seven games once again as the Caps have lost four of their final six games since Alex Ovechkin became the NHL's all-time leading scorer. 

This series promises to be a thrilling showdown, headlined by the clash between the Canadiens’ rising Russian star, Ivan Demidov, and the greatest Russian hockey player of all time, Alex Ovechkin, leading the Capitals.

More NHL:Predicting Which Wild Card Team Can Upset Top Divisional Seed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs

All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

Nick Suzuki - Series Leading Goal Scorer (+1000)

If you've kept up with the Habs hot streak since the Four Nations Face-Off, you would be aware of how prolific Montreal captain Nick Suzuki has been.

After being snubbed from Team Canada, the London, Ontario native has been red hot with the fourth-most points during that span with 37 through 26 games. His 15 goals during this time had his name among the likes of David Pastrnak, Artemi Panarin and Jason Robertson. 

Suzuki finished the season with eight goals over his final ten games and could easily continue scoring against a slumping Capitals defence. Since Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky's record, Washington has struggled to find the same motivation going into every game especially on the defensive end. 

The Capitals once-top three defence has now managed a 4.25 goals against average in their final 12 games and could struggle against a blazing hot Habs team.

Suzuki has the second-most career playoff points of anyone on Montreal with 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points through 32 postseason games. 

More NHL:The Battle of Ontario Betting Guide: Best Bets, Strategies and Futures for Maple Leafs versus Senators

Habs +1.5 - Series Spread (+106) or Habs +2.5 (-250)

Washington has a notable history of struggling in the playoffs with a long standing rivalry with the Pittsburgh Penguins that they eventually overcame to win their franchise's first Stanley Cup in 2019. 

However, since then they've found themselves in a similar problem as the Toronto Maple Leafs with severe troubles making it out of the first round. Since their Stanley Cup win, the Capitals haven't won a series in fact with five straight losses in the first round. 

This bolds well for a Montreal team that looks to extend the history of a wild card team advancing. Since introducing the current playoff format, a wild card team has advanced to the second round in seven of the last ten seasons.

The Blues, Wild and Senators are all behind in their respective series with the Habs looking like the best available option.

More NHL:Edmonton Oilers vs LA Kings Round 4 Betting Guide: Best Bets, Strategies and Future Options

We must not forget that this Montreal team has more experience than we expect as they went to the Stanley Cup finals just a few years ago in 2021.

Suzuki and other young players gained valuable experience then and it should help propel them to keeping this series closer than people may expect.

I like the idea of adding the Habs series spread at +2.5 and parlaying it with the Carolina Hurricanes to down the New Jersey Devils in five or six games at -370 odds.

The Canes have won at least one playoff series in six straight seasons and when added with Montreal, gives us a very solid parlay with -129 odds.

More NHL:Top NHL Prospect Expected to Join Michigan Wolverines Next Season

Matchup Trends: Potential Player Prop Targets

Washington Capitals:

• Alex Ovechkin has 19 goals and 15 assists for 34 points over his last 25 games against the Canadiens. The Capitals captain old age has shown in recent years as he rides a five-game point drought in the postseason.
• Dylan Strome has five goals and eight assists for 13 points over his last ten games against the Canadiens. The Mississauga native has been red hot with six goals and eight assists for 14 points in his last ten games entering the postseason.
• John Carlson has the second-most playoff points on the Capitals with 20 goals and 55 assists for 75 points through 127 games. He finished the season strong with four assists in as many games.
• Tom Wilson is red hot with 29 points and a team-best 84 hits over his last 30 games. He enters a playoff atmosphere that he excels in with 34 points and 347 hits in 87 career playoff games. 

Montreal Canadiens: