Past analysis of Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Our hockey writers shared observations throughout Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tap to return to the main story.

Friday, April 24

Dach gets redemption in Game 3

Kirby Dach deactivated his Instagram account following harassment from fans after he made a pair of errors in Game 2's overtime that led to the Tampa Bay Lightning's winning goal. Three days later, Dach got redemption as he played a major role in Montreal retaking the series lead.

The 25-year-old assisted on Alexandre Texier's opening goal before tying the game in the second with a tally of his own. Dach also helped provide the screen on Lane Hutson's overtime winner.

Dach's line with Texier and Zack Bolduc was excellent and rebounded from a tough start to the series. In seven minutes at five-on-five, the trio finished with a 3-0 advantage in goals and an 11-4 edge in shot attempts.

"The night after (Game 2), you kinda think about it, and you feel shitty," Dach told Sportsnet's Kyle Bukauskas after the Game 3 win. "You just move on. You have to move on. I don't think you have a choice; it's the playoffs. You gotta be ready for the next game. That was kinda my mentality. Get back at practice, just continue to work at it."

Over 20,000 fans at Bell Centre chanted "Kir-by" before the puck dropped. The Canadiens' faithful repeated the chant after Dach's assist in the first and then again following his second-period goal. As you'd expect in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it was a special night in Montreal. - Kyle Cushman

Thursday, April 23

Avalanche's offense ready to explode?

The Colorado Avalanche are certainly pleased being up 2-0 on the Los Angeles Kings entering Thursday's Game 3, but they've yet to win in the convincing fashion many expected out of the Presidents' Trophy winners, earning back-to-back 2-1 victories.

Yes, the Kings sit back and play an ultra-defensive game that can frustrate opponents, and journeyman Anton Forsberg has been a great story in net, but the dam will break sooner or later. An early goal or two from the Avalanche, which would force the Kings to open up their game, might be all it takes.

Colorado's been credited for 7.45 expected goals through two games, nearly double the amount they've actually converted, per Natural Stat Trick. Nathan MacKinnon has been limited to just one assist. Cale Makar has been held off the scoresheet entirely. Eventually, the big dogs are going to eat. - Josh Wegman

Sabres' goalie change shouldn't come as surprise

The Buffalo Sabres turning to Alex Lyon between the pipes for Game 3 is right on brand with what the club has done all season. The Sabres carried three goalies for most of the campaign, with Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen each making 34 starts, and Colten Ellis making 14. Luukkonen's struggles to open the series, highlighted by his embarrassing gaffe in Game 2, made this an easy call for head coach Lindy Ruff.

Lyon played well this season, posting a .906 save percentage while stopping 23.56 goals above expected, the 16th-best mark in the league, per Evolving-Hockey. The 33-year-old, who started three playoff games for the Florida Panthers in 2023, has earned this shot. And if he falters, Ruff can go right back to a rested UPL for Game 4. - Josh Wegman

Wednesday, April 22

McDavid still searching for 1st point

The pyramid of elite forwards in the Oilers-Ducks series looks like this:

Oiler Connor McDavid at the top. His teammate Leon Draisaitl on the second level. Three Ducks - Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, Beckett Sennecke - comprising the base.

Draisaitl put forth a superstar performance in Monday's opener, despite it being his first game in a month thanks to a knee injury. The German's skating looked hindered, but he assisted on two Kasperi Kapanen goals in a wild Oilers win.

Gauthier, who broke out for 40 goals in the regular season, stole the spotlight Wednesday. The 22-year-old center wired a long-range shot past Oilers goalie Connor Ingram in the first period, earned a primary assist in the second, and buried a loose puck near the crease with 4:52 left in the third for the victory.

Somehow, in a 1-1 series with 17 total goals, McDavid doesn't have a point.

Is the best player in the world's signature moment coming Friday in Anaheim?

The smart money is on "yes," given McDavid's otherworldly abilities and the Ducks' suspect defense. Then again, he left Game 2 for a stretch to attend to an apparent leg injury then didn't look quite himself upon returning to action. - John Matisz

Everybody contributing as Philly rolls on

It was a scene straight out of a "Mighty Ducks" movie.

Trevor Zegras scored a power-play goal early in the second period to tie Game 3 of the Battle of Pennsylvania, 1-1. He slammed his fist against the Flyers' penalty box window in celebration. There were five rowdy teammates inside. A few feet away, six Penguins players slumped inside the other sin bin.

The Flyers have toyed with the Penguins in just about every way in what's evolved into a highly entertaining yet lopsided series. Philadelphia took Wednesday's messy, penalty-filled contest by a 5-2 final score to go up 3-0.

Nine Flyers have recorded two or more points against the Pens. The most notable: sensational 19-year-old rookie Porter Martone. He scored the winning goals in Games 1 and 2, pitched in an assist in Game 3, leads the team in shot attempts (16), and co-leads in shots on goal (nine). Martone, seemingly made in a lab to be a Flyer, is enjoying one of the finest starts to a career in recent memory. He's amassed 13 hard-earned points in 12 games since leaving Michigan State to sign his entry-level deal with the Flyers in March.

Philly's power play ranked 32nd in the regular season, failed to capitalize on eight PP opportunities to start the playoffs, then bagged two goals on three opportunities Wednesday. It was that kind of night for Pittsburgh's psyche.

The Flyers' top defense pairing of Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen has been tasked with minimizing Penguins captain Sidney Crosby during five-on-five action. A frustrated Crosby is still looking for his first point, period.

Fourth-line center Sean Couturier (three points, excellent defensive work) and goalie Dan Vladar (71 saves on 75 shots) round out the top of a very long list of impressive performances on a dialed-in Philly squad. - John Matisz

Waiting on Sid's arrival

One of the most prominent storylines leading into this year's postseason was Sidney Crosby's return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a three-year absence. Two games in, the hockey world is still waiting for the most accomplished player of his generation to create a signature moment.

Crosby has been held off the scoresheet. He needs to find a way to give Pittsburgh's offense life against what's been a suffocating defensive effort from the Flyers. Crosby's metrics are positive so far in the series; the Penguins are controlling 62.75% of shot attempts and 60.1% of expected goals with the captain on the ice at five-on-five. But at this point, the Penguins can't afford another night of puck possession that doesn't translate to the scoreboard.

Crosby traditionally feasts on the Flyers and has especially dominated on the road, recording 62 points in 45 games in Philadelphia. Maybe a change of scenery and a must-win game is all the motivation Crosby needs. - Sean O'Leary

Utah's young guns overwhelming Vegas

Welcome to the Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther show.

Utah's most lethal offensive players have dazzled in their first playoff series. In 17 five-on-five minutes spread across two games, the Cooley line (which also features Kailer Yamamoto) is up 24-13 in shot attempts, 13-5 in shots on goal, 1.71-0.31 in expected goals, and 2-0 in actual goals against the Golden Knights, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Utah has generated 54 total scoring chances against Vegas. Cooley and Guenther have combined for 21 chances, or 39% of the Mammoth's entire offense, according to data tracked by hockey analyst Dimitri Filipovic.

Cooley, a 21-year-old center with sublime skating, has potted a pair of goals. He logged 17:20 a night during the regular season to rank fourth among Mammoth forwards. He's now pacing the group at 20:49 in the postseason.

Guenther, a 23-year-old right winger with one of the quickest releases in the sport, scored on a one-timer and then earned an assist on Cooley's game-winning goal by exposing Vegas off the rush Tuesday night. Guenther averaged 17:24 in the regular season. He's been upgraded to 19 minutes even in the playoffs.

The Mammoth-Knights series is tied 1-1. Game 3 goes Friday in Utah. - John Matisz

Tuesday, April 21

Star players unafraid to drop the mitts

NHLers tend to narrow their focus in the postseason and put all their energy into beating the opposition on the scoreboard, not in the alley. The objective is to win the Stanley Cup, after all. Last year's action reflected this ethos: Only four fighting majors were doled out in 86 playoff games - that's two fights.

The start of the 2026 postseason has been the polar opposite. Six fighting majors have been handed out in the first four days, and the combatants haven't been exclusively enforcers. In fact, four of six are high-impact players.

Brady Tkachuk and Jordan Staal fought off the opening faceoff in Game 1 of Ottawa-Carolina. Brandon Hagel and Juraj Slafkovsky threw down in the middle of Game 2 of Tampa Bay-Montreal (with Hagel taunting the Canadiens with a "too small" gesture following a decisive win). And Logan Stanley and Mark Kastelic engaged in a heavyweight tilt late in Game 2 of Buffalo-Boston.

Interestingly, the nastiness extends beyond the three official fights. I can't recall seeing so many post-whistle scrums in such a short amount of time. Maybe everybody will calm down. Maybe the shenanigans will continue. Who knows.

If it keeps up, 2026 is primed to have more fighting majors than 2024 (eight), according to HockeyFights.com. Can the mayhem reach 2020-23 levels, when each year featured at least 18 fighting majors? - John Matisz

Goalie gaffe crushes Sabres' Game 2 hopes

Will we see Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen again in this Sabres-Bruins series?

Fresh off a solid playoff debut Sunday, the 27-year-old goalie struggled in Game 2 to the point of being replaced by partner Alex Lyon after Boston buried its fourth goal on its 19th shot early in the third period. That fourth tally, scored by Viktor Arvidsson on an odd-man rush, wasn't the core problem.

The raucous KeyBank Center crowd had been silenced late in the second period when Bruins sniper Morgan Geekie scored on a harmless chip shot into the Sabres' zone. Luukkonen, out of his crease to meet the backhanded dump-in, misjudged the airborne puck, and it bounced past his glove.

The facepalm-worthy gaffe was deflating for Luukkonen, the Sabres' skater group, and the Bills Mafia-inspired home crowd. The Bruins drew even in the series with a 4-2 victory.

To Luukkonen's credit, he didn't duck reporters postgame.

"It's my fault, there's no way around it," the netminder said.

Luukkonen's lowlight came in the second game of the first round, so the timing was bad but not the absolute worst. There's levels to this. Remember when Oilers goalie Mike Smith let a 132-foot slap shot from Rasmus Andersson rocket past him in Game 4 of the second round in 2022? - John Matisz

Wedgewood's path to No. 1 job long, winding

Scott Wedgewood, who until recently was the definition of a journeyman goalie, will likely finish in the top five in 2025-26 Vezina Trophy voting. He posted a league-leading .921 save percentage while saving 38.8 goals above expected in 45 games for the Presidents' Trophy-winning Avalanche.

Coach Jared Bednar tapped Wedgewood as Colorado's Game 1 starter against the Kings despite also having Mackenzie Blackwood to call upon. Wedgewood, 33, turned aside 24 of Los Angeles' 25 shots in Sunday's opener and is expected to return to the Avs' crease for Game 2 on Tuesday.

Wedgewood, a 14-year veteran of pro hockey, is one of the best stories in the postseason. "What is it, eight different franchises I've played for now at this point?" he said with a chuckle during a late March interview with theScore.

The 2010 Devils third-round draft pick started in the ECHL, then spent the better part of a decade playing for AHL affiliates of New Jersey, L.A., Buffalo, and Tampa Bay. He dressed for four NHL teams - the Devils (two stints), Coyotes (two stints), Stars, and Predators - prior to being traded to the Avs in fall 2024. Wedgewood's been signed to multiple two-way contracts, claimed off waivers once, and traded four times on the way to 199 regular-season games.

As Wedgewood explains, his big break came in 2022-23, when he started 21 contests for the Stars as the trusty No. 2 behind young star Jake Oettinger.

"It all comes with time and growth and understanding. You realize you just have to ride out the ups and downs," Wedgewood said of his journey.

"You're in the AHL battling for a chance. You quickly get a chance, then an injury, then setbacks the whole year. And then you get into a logjam on the depth chart, right? And then the roller coaster starts of trades and claims and all that stuff. On the way, I don't think I burned any bridges. I always worked. Managers, coaches, teammates - they always knew what they were going to get with me. That reputation kept my career going. Then I got my first real chance at significant playing time in Dallas. That's when I turned the corner." - John Matisz

Sabres' power play needs to wake up

Playoff teams have recorded 15 power-play goals on 75 power-play opportunities heading into Tuesday's slate of games. That's a 20% success rate, which more or less matches the league average from the regular season.

Another trend is continuing at the team level: The Sabres failed to capitalize on the man advantage in their final 22 opportunities of the regular season and then went scoreless in four chances in Sunday's come-from-behind win over the Bruins.

The vibes in Buffalo are immaculate following Game 1 - rightfully so, considering the first Sabres playoff game in 15 years ended up being an instant classic. But let's not gloss over the fact that Boston has the edge in net. It feels likely that starter Jeremy Swayman will steal at least one game.

One way to avoid that fate is to make power-play minutes count. The Bruins have been undisciplined all year, so those opportunities will come. And there's no reason why a top unit revolving around Tage Thompson's one-timer, Rasmus Dahlin's playmaking, and Jason Zucker's netfront presence can't be a net positive over a best-of-seven series. - John Matisz

What happened to Playoff Vasi?

The Tampa Bay Lightning wouldn't have won back-to-back Stanley Cups - or made a third straight final - without Andrei Vasilevskiy, but the star goaltender has struggled mightily in the postseason ever since. Vasilevskiy is 4-13 with a dreadful .878 save percentage since the start of the 2023 playoffs. The Lightning have lost in Round 1 in each of the past three years and find themselves in an 0-1 series hole after Vasilevskiy allowed four goals on 19 shots against the Montreal Canadiens.

There's an extraordinary amount of pressure on Vasilevskiy entering Tuesday's Game 2. Tampa Bay can ill afford to head to Montreal down 0-2, and Vasilevskiy versus the inexperienced Jakub Dobes in the opposite crease is supposed to be the Lightning's biggest matchup advantage in this series. If the goaltending is a wash, you can bet the Canadiens will come out on top. - Josh Wegman

Monday, April 20

Ducks keep McDavid off scoresheet but still lose

The Edmonton Oilers hadn't won a game all season (0-12-2) when Connor McDavid was held without a point until Tuesday's Game 1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks.

It's a massive missed opportunity for the Ducks, who let a 3-2 lead slip away in the third period. The silver lining is that Anaheim was able to keep McDavid off the scoresheet, led by the defensive pairing of Jackson LaCombe and Jacob Trouba. But there's a real chance this will be the only game that McDavid doesn't register a point in all series, and Edmonton still managed to come away with the win.

Kasperi Kapanen and Jason Dickinson each came through with two goals, a great start for Edmonton's secondary scoring. Leon Draisaitl returning from injury with two assists is a positive sign as well.

Anaheim had a chance to generate momentum with a win in Edmonton to begin the series. Instead, it's the Oilers who lead courtesy of a scenario that hadn't previously resulted in any success. - Kyle Cushman

Some wonky stats from Canes' 2OT triumph

Longtime Hurricanes glue guy Jordan Martinook played hero late Monday, ending a double-overtime Game 2 against the Senators with a high-slot snipe.

Martinook beat screened Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark 14 minutes into the second overtime period to cap an epic 3-2 victory for Carolina. Martinook, a 33-year-old bottom-six winger, is now up to nine goals in 79 career playoff games. Fittingly, he had failed to convert on a rare playoff overtime penalty shot a period earlier.

Here are six crazy stats from a truly wild affair at Raleigh's Lenovo Center:

• 2: Number of OT goals scored by Carolina, with the initial winner getting called back due to a debatable offside in the first overtime period
• 5: Number of posts and crossbars officially hit by the Senators (though it feels like the total should be closer to 10)
• 7: Number of penalties assessed to Carolina through two games and also the number of penalties killed by the Canes
• 10: Number of scoring chances the Canes generated with Jordan Staal, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Martinook on the ice at five-on-five, versus five for the opposition, according to Natural Stat Trick
• 43: Number of saves credited to Ullmark in defeat
• 43: Number of minutes, including 40 at even strength, logged by Jake Sanderson, the leader of Ottawa's injury-plagued blue line

A bonus bit of trivia: Carolina is the first team in NHL history to earn a 2-0 lead in the opening best-of-seven series in six straight postseasons. - John Matisz

Road-warrior Flyers put on defensive clinic

The Battle of Pennsylvania has been a slog through two contests thanks to the Flyers executing coach Rick Tocchet's defensive game plan to a tee.

Much like the series opener, Philadelphia's skaters left no inch uncovered Monday in a decisive 3-0 Game 2 victory over Pittsburgh. Tocchet's guys tracked well in all three zones, rarely missing a defensive assignment. They laid the body on Penguins attackers, dominated the neutral-zone battle, and put sticks and bodies in seemingly every shooting lane in the defensive zone.

In Game 1, the Penguins attempted 46 shots, but only 17 of them (37%) actually made it to Flyers goalie Dan Vladar. In Game 2, the Pens attempted 75 shots but only 27 (36%) made it to Vladar. Pittsburgh's other attempts either missed the target completely or were blocked by a defender.

The Pens' power play has failed to capitalize on seven opportunities in the series. All-timer Sidney Crosby is without a point in 40 all-situation minutes.

Philly itself hasn't been a buzzsaw offensively. However, supremely impressive 19-year-old winger Porter Martone scored in both games and speedy veteran Owen Tippett has been the series' most dangerous player.

The Flyers, the underdogs based on regular season performance, have accomplished all this on the road. Game 3 goes Wednesday in Philly. - John Matisz

Oilers-Ducks primed to be series of chaos

If you like goals, Edmonton-Anaheim is the series for you.

Both teams are flawed - the Oilers' roster is poorly constructed and the Ducks' playing style is far too risky. Edmonton finished the regular season ranked 19th in expected goals against, 22nd in slot shots against, and 27th in team save percentage, according to Sportlogiq. Anaheim fared even worse defensively, ranking 30th in xG against, 28th in slot shots against, and 30th in team SV%.

Both teams are also extremely dangerous offensively.

Nobody generates more high-leverage looks for himself or his teammates than Connor McDavid. Running mate Leon Draisaitl, sidelined by injury since March 15, isn't far behind in individual player impact. The German center hasn't been officially cleared to return to the Oilers' lineup as of this writing. However, Draisaitl didn't participate in the team's optional morning skate Monday, which hints that he will indeed be in the lineup for Game 1.

Meanwhile, the Ducks are armed with 40-goal scorer Cutter Gauthier, two of the top 21-and-under forwards in the world in Leo Carlsson and Beckett Sennecke, and a mobile back end led by two-way stud Jackson LaCombe. - John Matisz

Golden Knights keep rolling under Tortorella

The Golden Knights trailed the Mammoth twice in Sunday's entertaining Game 1, but they ultimately improved to 8-0-1 since naming John Tortorella their head coach thanks to perfectly executing the hard-nosed brand of hockey he's demanded over the past two decades.

In the eight regular-season games Tortorella coached the Golden Knights, Vegas ranked second in expected goals against per 60 minutes at 1.98. They then effectively stifled Utah's dangerous offense from generating Grade-A looks in the series opener. The Mammoth's first goal was an impressive cross-seam play, but their second was a fluke bounce. The Golden Knights hardly gave up anything after that.

Add in a 52-30 hit advantage, a perfect penalty kill, a power-play tally from Mark Stone, and a game-winning goal from deadline acquisition Nic Dowd, and you have a dream start for a Golden Knights team that looks much more like a contender than it did a month ago. - Sean O'Leary

Sunday, April 19

Game 1 comeback reflects Sabres' evolution

When coach Lindy Ruff addressed the Sabres after Sunday night's exhilarating come-from-behind victory over the Bruins, he leaned into a popular narrative swirling around one of the youngest teams in the playoff field.

"You want experience?" Ruff told his players. "You got it now."

The Sabres got a crash course in playoff hockey in Game 1, the franchise's first postseason contest since 2011. There was the electricity in a deafeningly loud arena. The first-period jitters. The precision needed to execute plays. The physicality required to win puck battles. Momentum swings. Lead changes.

All-world sniper Tage Thompson scored twice over a three-minute span in the third period to tie the game, 2-2. Two-way defenseman Mattias Samuelsson buried the 3-2 marker a minute later. The two clubs then traded goals in the final two minutes to wrap a process-oriented 4-3 victory for Buffalo.

The Sabres dictated play for the vast majority of the game. However, they failed to break through the Bruins' defensive structure early. It didn't help that Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman was easily Game 1 MVP through 40 minutes.

Ruff's squad stuck to the script, won more puck battles deep in Boston's zone as the night wore on, and eventually all of the doggedness paid off.

"Those two goals," Thompson said of his own tallies, "are exactly what we wanted to do all night: Put pucks behind them, pound their (defensemen), make it a tough night on them, and just hit the 'repeat' button on that."

Ruff added: "Sometimes you just have to flat-out win more battles." Buffalo, of course, is best known for its rush attack, not a demanding forecheck.

One of the trademarks of this group is that, unlike previous versions of the Sabres, they have a spine. They push back midgame and after tough losses. They use a (now-former) 14-year playoff drought to fuel them, not haunt them.

"We've been in situations all season that have prepared us for games like this," Thompson said. - John Matisz

Bruins can't wallow in demoralizing loss

Boston suffered a demoralizing loss Sunday. There's no other way to sum up a game in which it got outscored 4-1 in the final eight minutes to lose 4-3.

It's the type of defeat that can send a team into a tailspin, then out of the playoffs. Rookie head coach Marco Sturm has his work cut out for himself ahead of Tuesday's Game 2. Priority No. 1: Figure out a way to tame Buffalo's top line of Tage Thompson, Peyton Krebs, and Alex Tuch.

If Sturm is grasping for positivity of any kind, Game 1 did offer some hope.

For one, it's abundantly clear that goalie Jeremy Swayman is the series' ultimate X-factor, and he played very well in the opener. Also, the Bruins' main offensive weapons - wingers David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie - factored in on all three of the team's goals. Pastrnak, who logged 21:15, was especially dangerous, shaking loose in the neutral zone for two clear-cut breakaways.

Buffalo plays an uptempo style that tends to lead to odd-man rushes against. The chances of it continuing to happen are very high. Pastrnak and Geekie have the elite finishing ability to punish the Sabres on quick strikes. - John Matisz

Slafkovsky pads reputation as big-game player

Have yourself a game, Juraj Slafkovsky. The Montreal Canadiens forward scored three power-play goals, including the OT winner, to propel the Habs past the Tampa Bay Lightning in a legendary Game 1 performance.

Sunday was the latest example of Slafkovsky showing a remarkable ability to elevate his game when the stakes are highest. He played an integral role in Slovakia's surprising fourth-place finish at the 2026 Olympics, ranking tied for second in tournament goals (four) and fourth in points (eight). Slafkovsky was the Olympic MVP in 2022 when he scored seven goals in as many games as a 17-year-old, albeit against non-NHL competition.

But Sunday was the first time Slafkovsky delivered his big-game magic on the Stanley Cup Playoff stage, and he did so against a future Hall of Fame goalie in Andrei Vasilevskiy. It's clear the 22-year-old has a knack for shining when the lights are brightest. - Josh Wegman

Matchup to watch: Suzuki line vs. Gourde line

There are a ton of juicy storylines percolating ahead of Sunday evening's highly anticipated opening game between the Lightning and Canadiens.

Led by incredible top forward lines, both clubs recorded 106 points in the regular season. One is the longtime Atlantic Division titan; the other is attempting to become the next powerhouse. The head coaches have history, with Montreal's Martin St. Louis spending parts of two early-2010s seasons on the wing for Jon Cooper-led Lightning squads. Tampa Bay has a clear advantage between the pipes. Montreal's young core keeps leveling up.

What's really grabbing my attention: the Lightning's depth and how it will create matchup nightmares for the Canadiens, especially to start the series.

Tampa's armed with last change in Games 1 and 2, which will allow Cooper to sic a full defensive unit on Montreal's best forwards. Yanni Gourde, Pontus Holmberg, and Zemgus Girgensons form a stingy bottom-six trio, while JJ Moser and Darren Raddysh make up a mobile and responsible blue-line pairing. There aren't many better five-man shutdown options across the NHL.

If the Lightning can limit the damage caused by Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky in this manner, Cooper can try to exploit the Canadiens' inferior skater depth when his own offensive stars (Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel, and Jake Guentzel) are on the ice at five-on-five. - John Matisz

Kings need a miracle against Avalanche

The Kings have managed to avoid Connor McDavid and the Oilers in Round 1 for the first time in five years. Their prize? A date with the NHL's best team.

Los Angeles versus Colorado is by far the most lopsided matchup of the first round. While the Avalanche finished atop the standings with 121 points, the Kings wouldn't have even sniffed a playoff spot without the existence of the loser point (20 losses in 33 overtime games). An incredible stat: L.A. earned only 22 regulation wins in 82 games to tie lowly Chicago for 31st in the league.

We're probably looking at a sweep here. Game 1 goes Sunday in Denver.

For L.A. to make the series merely competitive, a few things must happen.

Anze Kopitar, the future Hall of Famer retiring at season's end, needs to turn back the clock. The two-time Selke Trophy winner will most likely be tasked with shutting down the Avs' top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, and Artturi Lehkonen, and the Kings can't afford to get blown out in his minutes.

L.A. needs offensive contributions beyond catalysts Artemi Panarin, Adrian Kempe, and Brandt Clarke. Quinton Byfield, Andrei Kuzmenko (activated off injured reserve), and Alex Laferriere can't have quiet series. Coach D.J. Smith sure could use Kevin Fiala's dynamism right now, but the winger's season ended months ago after breaking his leg at the Olympics.

Lastly, Anton Forsberg, L.A.'s presumed starting goalie, must stand on his head. We're talking Dominik-Hasek-in-his-prime caliber of netminding. - John Matisz

Saturday, April 18

Flyers execute game plan to perfection

Game 1 of the Battle of Pennsylvania went exactly how Philadelphia Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet likely wanted it to go. The Flyers had more energy from the drop of the puck and made life difficult for Pittsburgh's No. 3-ranked offense by clogging up the neutral zone, forcing 15 turnovers, and keeping the Penguins to the outside. Pittsburgh had just 10 shots through the first 40 minutes of the game. While it may seem obvious, that's Philadelphia's recipe for winning.

If this series becomes high-flying, back-and-forth hockey, that benefits Pittsburgh. But an ugly, defensive battle greatly benefits Philadelphia. The Flyers went 6-1-0 down the stretch, allowing two goals or fewer in each of those wins.

Tocchet has four lines he can trust: no forward played fewer than 11:25 or more than 18 minutes in Game 1. That's crucial to win playoff games on the road. Philly's No. 1 defense pair of Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen were up to the task of shutting down Sidney Crosby, keeping the Penguins captain off the scoresheet entirely and largely invisible for most of the night. Can they do it again in Game 2? - Josh Wegman

Minnesota's stars pick apart Dallas' defense

Minnesota isn't the NHL's deepest team. But its group of high-end skaters - Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, Quinn Hughes, Brock Faber - is truly elite and on par with what Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado offers.

The Wild's star class tore Dallas' defense to shreds in a 6-1 Game 1 victory.

• Kaprizov: one goal, two primary assists
• Boldy: two goals, one primary assist, game-high eight shots on goal
• Eriksson Ek: two goals, 12 of 21 in faceoff circle, Wild forward-high 19:05

Hughes and Faber were also excellent as a pair, consistently controlling the flow of play from the back end while logging 24.5 minutes each. Ryan Hartman and Mats Zuccarello, two forwards who typically drive secondary scoring for the Wild, got in on the fun by recording a combined five points.

Dallas missed two-way center Roope Hintz, who could be sidelined the entire series. No. 1 defenseman Miro Heiskanen drew into the lineup after sitting for the Stars' final three regular season games. But he's clearly not at full health. - John Matisz

Hurricanes 'big-brother' Senators in Game 1

The Senators morphed into some version of the Hurricanes over the course of the regular season, ranking in the top three in all key team defense metrics.

On Saturday, the always-stingy Canes reminded the Sens who's in charge in a 2-0 Game 1 victory that was more lopsided than the score suggests. Carolina put forth what I can only describe as a "big-brother" showing on home ice.

You want to play our brand of hockey? Aw, that's cute. We'll do it better.

The Hurricanes allowed basically nothing in 43 five-on-five minutes - just 30 shot attempts, 13 shots on goal, and seven scoring chances, according to HockeyStats.com and hockey analyst Dimitri Filipovic. Defenders swarmed Ottawa's attackers upon entry into the offensive zone and then again whenever the Senators happened to gain possession of the puck near the net.

Logan Stankoven between Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake was the best forward line on either side. The trio's been terrific all season and the chemistry was on full display through clever forechecking sequences in the offensive zone. Stankoven opened the scoring and Hall bagged the insurance goal.

Jaccob Slavin and Jalen Chatfield was the best defense pair on either team.

The more disciplined team was - yep, you guessed it - Carolina. - John Matisz

Brind'Amour's gutsy goalie decision pays off

Frederik Andersen made his head coach look like a genius, stopping all 22 shots he faced in the Carolina Hurricanes' 2-0 Game 1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Even in a game Carolina controlled, Andersen came up with multiple key stops, including a 10-bell glove robbery on Drake Batherson early in the third period that kept the Canes ahead by a goal. It was arguably the turning point of the game.

Brind'Amour's decision to go with the 36-year-old certainly raised some eyebrows. After all, Andersen struggled this season, ranking 55th out of 59 qualified goalies with an .874 save percentage. Nobody would've batted an eye if Brandon Bussi got the call after going 31-6-2 with an .894 save percentage in his first NHL campaign. But Brind'Amour clearly valued Andersen's experience, and it proved to be the right move. - Josh Wegman

Hurricanes go with the veteran for Game 1

Frederik Andersen split starts with Brandon Bussi down the stretch, and head coach Rod Brind'Amour is opting for the 36-year-old to begin the series against the Ottawa Senators.

For much of the season, it looked like Bussi would be the guy for the Hurricanes once the playoffs rolled around. He impressed early, winning 11 of his first 12 starts and entering the Olympic break 23-3-1 with a .906 save percentage. However, Bussi's play has dipped, sporting an .865 SV% in 12 games since returning to action at the end of February. Andersen has been marginally better with an .879 SV% in 13 contests in that span.

Both goalies head into the postseason coming off quality starts. Andersen stopped 26 of 27 against Utah last Saturday, and Bussi made 29 saves on 30 shots versus the Islanders on Tuesday.

We'll likely see both in this series. Maybe even Pyotr Kochetkov, too. This is Carolina's eighth straight playoff appearance, and they've had two goalies start at least one game every postseason during this streak. - Kyle Cushman

Late-arriving rookies could be X-factors

Five highly touted prospects left the NCAA for the NHL in the final month of the regular season: Cole Hutson (Capitals), Cole Eiserman (Islanders), Porter Martone (Flyers), Charlie Stramel (Wild), and James Hagens (Bruins).

The two about to make their playoff debuts have an X-factor vibe to them.

Martone, a 6-foot-3, 214-pound right winger built for the grinding nature of playoff hockey, has made an immediate impact in Philadelphia. He racked up 10 points (four goals, six primary assists) and a team-high 32 shots in nine games down the stretch. Logging 17:02 a night, the former Michigan State freshman has been playing alongside veterans Travis Konecny and Christian Dvorak. The trio's outscored the opposition 5-1 in 83 five-on-five minutes.

No Eastern Conference playoff team scored fewer goals in the regular season than Philadelphia. Martone offers the Flyers some much-needed juice.

Hagens is eight games into his pro career - six in the AHL and two for the Bruins. The speedy and creative left winger out of Boston College picked up an assist off a strong forecheck against Columbus and looked the part of a top-nine forward in 16 minutes versus New Jersey in the Bruins' regular-season finale. Hagens, 19 years old like Martone, is excellent in transition, both as a distributor off the wall and puck carrier through the neutral zone.

Boston's testing out an all-youngster third line of Hagens, 21-year-old Fraser Minten, and 23-year-old Marat Khusnutdinov. The addition of Hagens helps the rest of the forward group to click into place a little bit better. - John Matisz

Who's in trouble if Round 1 goes sideways?

Four presidents/general managers and three head coaches have been fired by NHL teams since March 1. Who's next? It depends on how the next two weeks unfold, but there are a couple of situations worth monitoring.

Rod Brind'Amour: The Hurricanes' bench boss is a fantastic coach. If made a free agent by Carolina, he would be snapped up by another franchise within days. Still, if Carolina loses in the first round, a change makes some sense. Brind'Amour, the third-longest-tenured NHL coach, is in his eighth year. The goal since Day 1 has been to win a Stanley Cup, and the team hasn't made a Cup Final to this point while playing a distinct style under Brind'Amour.

Kris Knoblauch: General manager Stan Bowman's seat should be as hot, if not hotter than the Oilers coach's. Bowman's done a terrible job trying to construct a championship-caliber roster around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. However, Bowman hasn't made a coaching change since getting hired in July 2024. GMs usually get at least one. Also, Knoblauch's coaching was critiqued by McDavid in late March. Not a good omen. - John Matisz

Bandwagon teams, players to root for

Half the league's teams won't be playing a meaningful game until October, which means millions of fans are looking for a bandwagon to jump on.

Buffalo (14-year playoff drought is over!), Pittsburgh (former powerhouse is unexpectedly back in contention!), and Utah (first playoff appearance since moving from Arizona!) are all appropriate picks. Each team is fun to watch.

Then there are individual players. Most fans, especially in Canada, will naturally gravitate toward rooting for generational talents Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. But what about the old dudes who've dedicated their entire lives to pursuing the Stanley Cup but fallen short time and time again for whatever reason?

Colorado's Brent Burns (1,579), Ottawa's Claude Giroux (1,345), Minnesota's Nick Foligno (1,287), and Dallas' Jamie Benn (1,252) enter the playoffs with the most regular-season games played without a Cup. Burns, the oldest skater in the NHL this season, is one of the sport's most colorful characters.

Rasmus Ristolainen is set to make his playoff debut. The Flyers defenseman's 820 regular-season games - 542 in Buffalo, 278 in Philadelphia - are tops among active players who've yet to take a postseason shift. - John Matisz