LAS VEGAS -- It takes 16 wins to hoist Lord's Stanley Cup.

One down, 15 to go.

The Golden Knights opened their 2025 postseason campaign with 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday night to take a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-seven set.

Brett Howden scored twice and Adin Hill made 18 saves for the Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev also scored for Vegas, his first career playoff goal, while Tomas Hertl found the slimmest of margins for his 26th career playoff score.

Matt Boldy scored both of Minnesota's goals while Filip Gustavsson made 23 saves.

Vegas opened the scoring late in the first period when Hertl simply outmuscled Minnesota's Brock Faber to grab the puck and lift it short side and beat Gustavsson.

WHO WANTS IT MORE THAN TOMAS HERTL????? pic.twitter.com/BH0wkCxQae

— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 21, 2025

Boldy tied the game a little more than two minutes later when he one-timed Kirill Kaprizov's cross-ice pass to the doorstep past Hill.

The Knights retook the lead late in the second period, just five seconds into a power play, when Shea Theodore dragged the puck down the line, faked a shot and fed Dorofeyev, who fired a missile into a wide-open net to make it 2-1.

Howden pushed the lead to two goals early in the third period when he took a pass from Nic Roy inside the blue line during an odd-man rush and lasered a wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle.

The Wild closed the gap again when Kaprizov's shot caromed behind the net, and Boldy was there to gather the puck on one side and deliver a nifty wraparound to the other and make it a one-goal game.

Howden's second of the evening, into an empty net as time expired, provided the final margin.

Here are three takeaways from Sunday's game:

NO PRESSURE: Dorofeyev, who led the Golden Knights with 35 goals during the regular season, may have done himself a favor by notching his first-ever playoff goal in his second career playoff game. One, the jitters are out after getting on the stat sheet, and two, any confidence that poured in from the regular season was exemplified when his blast beat Gustavsson.

"I think it's important to get that out of the way, so good for him," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "Real good play by Hertl all around, wins the draw, picks, releases, screens a goalie. He's done that a number of times this year, opened up plays for the guys. And Pav, I mean, he didn't miss. Even if the goalie does track the puck and get across, it might still go in. ... Happy for Pav as a young guy that has scored a lot, you don't want that to have to answer those questions as a playoff goes along, if you can help it."

THE FIRST #StanleyCup PLAYOFF GOAL OF HIS CAREER!!!!! 🚪 pic.twitter.com/RGLgJtR0x7

— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 21, 2025

MINNY MUSCLE: The Wild played an exceptionally physical game, looking to establish their presence immediately while hoping to bully the Knights. Minnesota outhit Vegas, 54-29, marking the Wild's second-highest postseason total in franchise history. The highest? That came on May 16, 2021, also against Vegas, with 71.

"Yeah, obviously, I think they were pretty physical today," Vegas forward Nic Roy said. "But we got a big team. We're not just gonna look for a number of hits. I think we're always gonna be a physical team. We're gonna win our battles. That's the most important thing. And I think the guys that have that in them to be physical are gonna be physical. And the guys that are going to make plays, are going to make plays and obviously raise their the intensity and winning their battles. It's just the way we approach it."

PLAYOFF ADIN: In his 20th career playoff appearance, and 18th start, Hill faced his second-fewest shots (20). The only time he faced fewer shots was his first-ever appearance, when he relieved Laurent Brossoit on May 6, 2023, and played just the third period. Hill has now allowed two or fewer goals in 12 of his 20 playoff games. He has a career goals-against average of 2.08 and a save percentage of .931.

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Monday is day three of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It’s been a fun start to the best postseason in all of sports, and now we’ll start getting into the drama of a seven-game series as we’ve already got a pair of Game 2’s.

By the time the night is over, only the series between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning will have yet to begin.

When the puck finally does drop on Game 1 between the Cats and Bolts, it’ll kick off one of the more anticipated matchups of the opening round.

While the longer wait can be frustrating for a fanbase frothing at the mouth to defend their Stanley Cup title from a season ago, the Panthers are embracing the additional time before the madness begins.

Remember, Florida was far from full strength down the stretch of the regular season.

Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice regularly rested his players over the past few weeks, and made no secret about his intention to have the Cats as healthy as possible for the start of the playoffs.

Among the players given nights off to allow extra healing and rest time were Sam Bennett, Sasha Barkov, Gus Forsling, Sam Reinhart and several others.

Maurice has since said that every player on the active roster should be good to go for Game 1 against Tampa Bay, but that does not include Florida’s All-Star who remains on LTIR.

Matthew Tkachuk practiced with the Panthers on Saturday for the first time since he suffered an apparent groin injury during the 4 Nations Face-off in February.

He should be back on the ice with Florida on Monday, barring any setbacks following Saturday’s skate.

If all goes well, thanks to this late series start date, there is still hope that Tkachuk will be ready in time for Game 1 on Tuesday.

As Maurice explained earlier this week, the team is doing their best to use the extra days to their advantage.

“We’ll get an extra day skate, and it lets us accomplish both things: we’ll get the right amount of rest and also be on the ice enough that we can stay sharp,” he said. “To balance those two things, the extra days allow us to accomplish both.”

The Panthers will head up to Tampa after their practice in Fort Lauderdale on Monday.

Before they leave, we’ll likely get an update on Tkachuk, as Maurice also previously said that Monday would be a decision day regarding his status for Game 1.

Stay tuned.

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At the NHL trade deadline in 2024, the Pittsburgh Penguins took their first major step in shifting toward a rebuild when they dealt their best winger, Jake Guentzel, to the Carolina Hurricanes.

It was a decision that weighed heavily at the time, and there was a lot of pushback once the final trade details were announced.

But one year later, things might not be looking so bad after all.

So, let's revisit the trade - and whether or not the Penguins may actually come out on top of it.

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The full trade

Carolina Hurricanes get:
-  F Jake Guentzel
-  D Ty Smith

Pittsburgh Penguins get:
-  F Michael Bunting
-  F Ville Koivunen
-  F Vasily Ponomarev
-  F Cruz Lucius
-  Conditional 2024 first-round pick
-  Conditional 2024 fifth-round pick

Bunting was traded to the Nashville Predators at the 2025 trade deadline for defenseman Luke Schenn and forward Tommy Novak. Schenn was then flipped to the Winnipeg Jets for a second-round pick.

The conditions were not met for the 2024 fifth-round pick.

TRADE: Penguins Flip Luke Schenn to Winnipeg following Trade with PredatorsFormer Nashville Predators defenseman Luke Schenn is on the move for the second time this week, with multiple reports indicating that the Pittsburgh Penguins have traded him to the Winnipeg Jets for a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

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Will the Penguins end up winners in the trade?

More than one year later, it's interesting to see how this trade has panned out. Guentzel did not end up remaining with the Hurricanes, as his UFA rights were traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he signed a seven-year, $63 million contract extension. The 30-year-old winger registered 41 goals and 80 points in 80 games this season with the Lightning.

Yes, Guentzel is one of the game's elite wingers, and there are many who posit that he should have returned a sure first-rounder when the Penguins dealt him. 

Maybe that's true to an extent. But given what both Koivunen and Brunicke - who, by several different accounts, may have gone in the first round if not for an injury during his draft year - have shown in short sample sizes over the course of this season, it's hard not to have some hindsight bias and like the early returns on the trade. 

Koivunen, 21, was one of the AHL's top rookies this season, recording 21 goals and 56 points in 63 games to finish third in rookie scoring. At the time of his call-up, Koivunen led all rookies in scoring and was top-three in goals.

And his call-up proved impressive, too. Seeing playing time alongside both Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, Koivunen ended the season on a five-game point streak and had seven points in his first eight NHL games - which is the most points by a Penguins' rookie in their first eight games since Guentzel in 2017.

But Koivunen's hockey sense, offensive zone smarts, and playmaking acumen were what stood out most, as the details in his game are more advanced than expected at this point. He meshed beautifully with Crosby, especially, and his smarts are a bit remniscent of Guentzel in some ways.

'I Have No Doubt This Thing's Going To Be Turned Around Quickly': After Lost Season, Penguins Optimistic About FutureFor one final time this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins gathered at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. - this, time, for locker cleanout day.

As far as Brunicke, he had an impressive training camp with the Penguins that nearly earned him a nine-game trial run as an 18-year-old. He fractured his hand during his junior season with the Kamloops Blazers and missed two months of action, but he still managed to produce five goals and 30 points in 41 games. 

Brunicke got the call to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - a few weeks ago. And while there was a bit of a learning curve in terms of getting up-to-speed and decision-making, he has seen a lot of growth over the course of his 10 games at the AHL level. 

He has spent most of his time on a second pairing with Filip Kral, and he has two points and 18 penalty minutes and is a minus-4 in those 10 games. He is starting to make better reads, his decision-making is improving, and he's using his biggest strength - his skating - to his advantage to beat opponents in all three zones. 

Even when looking at just Koivunen and Brunicke, the Penguins have legitimate top-six and top-four potential in them - perhaps even top-line and top-pairing potential. Of course, that's the ceiling for those players, but it's looking more and more like a tangible possibility because they are ahead of the development curve and haven't looked a step out of place against NHL competition. 

When watching those two players, it's easy to separate them from their peers. The fact that Koivunen was nearly point-per-game in his first taste of the NHL and that Brunicke has well-exceeded expectations already, it's fair to wonder whether or not the Penguins might actually come out on top of this one. 

If Koivunen does hit his peak potential as a top-line winger? If Brunicke does reach his ceiling as a top-pairing defenseman? If Novak can be a serviceable third-line center? If Ponomarev can be a really solid fourth-line center? If Lucius can even be an option as an AHL call-up for the Penguins?

'He's Grown A Ton': Ponomarev Looks To Build On Learning Experience With PenguinsIt has been a whirlwind year for Pittsburgh Penguins' prospect Vasily Ponomarev.

Yes, that's a lot of "ifs," but the picture is coming more into focus. And it's looking more and more like the Penguins may have, at least, two crucial parts of their future because of this trade, and, at most, two stars in the making.

If either ends up happening? That's not so bad. Not bad at all, actually.

Guentzel is one of the best wingers in Penguins' history, and he was probably Crosby's greatest winger. Nothing can replace that. But the decision to trade him may just end up turning out far more than okay for the Penguins.

Time will only tell how these prospects - and Novak - pan out. But, as of now, the future looks a whole lot brighter than it did just one year ago on March 8.

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Anthony Stolarz showed up and showed out against the Ottawa Senators in Game 1 of the Battle of Ontario, which the Toronto Maple Leafs won commandingly, 6-2.

The 31-year-old stopped 31 of 33 shots from the Senators, winning his first-ever NHL playoff game. It wasn't an easy game, though, as Stolarz had to battle through a lot of physicality throughout.

He'd like to have the first goal allowed back, which hopped over his stick before landing on Drake Batherson's stick, who, at the time, cut Toronto's 2-0 lead in half.

Drake Batherson cuts the lead in half pic.twitter.com/SiDBTtmye3

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 20, 2025

"It kind of hops over your stick, right? That’s part of being a goalie, it’s short-term memory, and you gotta worry about that next shot," Stolarz said after Toronto took a 1-0 series lead.

"Guys did a really good job for me, keeping them to the outside, and when my number was called to make a big save, I just tried my best to do that. Like I said, though, our commitment to playing a 200-foot game, blocking shots, having good sticks in lanes, I think, was key to our success tonight."

There were countless moments in Sunday's game where Stolarz had to battle through physicality. At one point late in the third period, Ottawa's Ridly Greig drove the net hard, colliding with Stolarz, who said his knee hit the post.

luckily nothing came from this pic.twitter.com/foOusyIgnm

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 21, 2025

"Yeah, I’m fine. He just kind of came in and caught me in a little awkward spot," said Stolarz. "It was something that just happened, he blew a tire. It is what it is, and I felt fine and was able to finish the game."

Despite the conditions in front of him, Stolarz backstopped the Maple Leafs when they needed it most. He stopped Brady Tkachuk on a breakaway early in the second period before making some timely stops later in the frame.

He comes up big in key moments, and that's why Toronto brought him into the fold last summer on a deal that keeps him with the Maple Leafs for another season after this one.

Stolarz robbed Pinto and its been all uphill from there pic.twitter.com/DkbDMR0Sn3

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 21, 2025

"Well, he had to make some huge saves, I thought, in the second period after we had the five-on-three. They had three really good opportunities after that, when it became five-on-five, he made big saves. I thought he was solid, very solid tonight."

At the other end of the rink, however, was Linus Ullmark, who had a difficult night.

He allowed two goals on Toronto's first four shots and gave up six total, leaving Scotiabank Arena on Sunday evening with a .750 save percentage, well below his .910 season total.

"It's just one game," Ullmark told reporters after the loss.

"That's the view of it. It doesn't matter how you play one game and you lose it. You can lose 1-0, and it's still going to be a loss. It's just have the mind of a goldfish and go out there and play a game two with a little bit of a chip on your shoulder."

'I Can't Say Enough About Matthew Knies and JT In Those Areas': Maple Leafs Explode For 3 Power-Play Goals To Down Senators In Game 1The Toronto Maple Leafs exploded for three power-play goals against the Ottawa Senators in a 6-2 victory in Game 1 of their first-round series in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Ullmark is right: there are more games in this series. However, if Ottawa allows Toronto to keep firing on all cylinders, it will be a quick first round for both teams. Either way, Stolarz clearly has the upper hand on the goaltending after Game 1.

But don't count out Vezina Trophy-winner Ullmark just yet.

"I like our goaltending. I like our goalie a lot," Senators head coach Travis Green said post-game. "He's a good goalie. He's won a Vezina. He's pretty good. There's no elephant in our room."

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