STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS – APRIL 20, 2026 – MARTINOOK NETS WINNER IN 2OT AS HURRICANES ACHIEVE NHL-FIRST

In a contest that featured the Senators rally from a 2-0 deficit to force overtime and saw 93:53 of Stanley Cup Playoffs hockey – the longest game of the postseason so far – it was the Hurricanes who prevailed to take a 2-0 series lead thanks to Jordan Martinook’s first career playoff overtime goal. It marked the first double overtime contest of the postseason and the second straight playoff year in which Carolina skated in a First Round series with contests requiring multiple overtime rounds (also 2 double OT games during 2025 R1).

• Martinook became the third player in franchise history to score the winning goal in a playoff game that required multiple overtimes, alongside Sebastian Aho (Game 5 of 2025 R1) and Brock McGinn (Game 7 of 2019 R1). He helped improve the franchise’s win percentage in playoff overtime games to .589, which is the fourth best among all teams behind the Kraken (1.00; 2 GP), Islanders (.631) and Ducks (.615).

MARTONE CONTINUES UNPRECEDENTED START TO STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS CAREER

Porter Martone scored the game-winning goal for the second consecutive game and made NHL history in the process as the Flyers shut out the state-rival Penguins to take a 2-0 series lead back to the “City of Brotherly Love.” Philadelphia won each of its first two road games of a postseason for the eighth time in franchise history and first since the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs (5 GP).

• Overall, Martone became the third rookie in NHL history to score the game-winning goals in consecutive games to start a postseason, alongside Brett Hull (2 GP in 1988 w/ STL) and Cooney Weiland (2 GP in 1929 w/ BOS).
• Martone, the second teenager in franchise history to score in consecutive postseason contests, also became the first to score in back-to-back road games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Just two games into his postseason career, the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft also joined Danius Zubrus (5 in 1997; 3 on the road) and Sean Couturier (3 in 2012; 3 on the road) as the third teenager in Flyers history with multiple goals in a single playoff year.

STARS, OILERS CLOSE OUT TIGHT GAMES WITH VICTORY

The Stars and Oilers both earned wins Monday in tightly contested games – a trend so far in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs which has featured eight of 11 contests decided by one-goal or two including an empty net.

• Wyatt Johnston (2-0—2) climbed up multiple franchise lists and Miro Heiskanen (0-1—1) reached the 50-assist plateau to propel the Stars to victory as they evened the series against the Wild before heading to Minnesota for Game 3. Heiskanen became the third-fastest defenseman born outside North America to reach 50 career playoff assists (95 GP), behind only Sergei Zubov (80 GP) and Sandis Ozolinsh (81 GP).
• Johnston moved into a tie with Jere Lehtinen (8) for the second-most game-opening goals in the playoffs in franchise history behind Mike Modano (13). He also became the second Stars/North Stars player age 22 or younger to record 20 career playoff goals, joining Steve Payne (24) and required the sixth-fewest contests to reach that plateau among players to debut with the franchise.
• Troy Terry (2-1—3) matched the Ducks record for points in a playoff period to give Anaheim a lead through 40 minutes after falling behind 2-0, but Leon Draisaitl (0-2—2) – in his first game back in Edmonton’s lineup since March 15 – collected his second assist of the evening on Kasperi Kapanen’s go-ahead goal with 1:54 remaining in regulation as Edmonton staged a rally of its own to capture Game 1 at Rogers Place.
• Draisaitl (52-91—143 in 97 GP) eclipsed the 90-assist mark in his postseason career. His 0.94 assists per game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs ranks third in NHL history (min. 20 GP), behind Wayne Gretzky (1.25) and teammate Connor McDavid (1.09).

QUARTET OF CLUBS LOOK TO EVEN SERIES TUESDAY

A doubleheader broadcast nationally in Canada on Sportsnet opens with the Lightning aiming to even their series at home against the Canadiens and closes with the Mammoth attempting to secure their first-ever playoff win. The Bruins open a two-pack on ESPN looking to bounce back in Game 2 against the Sabres while the Kings look to return to Los Angeles with a series stalemate.

• Nikita Kucherov and the Lightning are no strangers to overcoming a 1-0 series deficit – Tampa Bay owns a 12-11 (.522) all-time record when trailing 1-0 in a best-of-seven and even overcame that exact deficit in both the 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs en route to consecutive championships. Kucherov (0-2—2) and Jake Guentzel (0-3—3) each had multiple assists in Game 1 and can become the second and/or third Lightning players to record multiple assists in the team’s first two games of a postseason, following Tyler Johnson (2 GP in 2016).
• David Pastrnak and the Bruins look to erase the 1-0 series deficit and head home on equal footing – Boston owns an all-time record of 16-35 (.313) when trailing 1-0 in a best-of-seven but has won seven of its past 10 series after facing that deficit (dating to 2009). Pastrnak, who had 1-2—3 in Game 1, needs one goal to pass Johnny Bucyk (40) for seventh place on the Bruins’ all-time list, and two points to tie Bobby Orr (92) for eighth place.
• Logan Cooley and the Mammoth aim to return home with an even series – Utah can become the sixth team to overcome a deficit to win their first-ever playoff series, following the Kraken (2023 R1), Wild (2003 CQF), Ducks (1997 CQF), Sharks (1994 CQF) and North Stars (1968 QF). Cooley, who scored the franchise’s first-ever playoff goal, can become the youngest American player in NHL history to score in each of their first two career playoff games (21 years, 352 days).
• Anze Kopitar and the Kings look to even their series at one apiece – Los Angeles holds an 8-18 (.308) record when trailing 1-0 in a best-of-seven series, with its most recent such win coming in the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs versus Edmonton. Kopitar has 27-62—89 in 104 career playoff games and can climb the franchise’s all-time points and assists list.

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STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS APRIL 19, 2026 – SLAFKOVSKÝ COMPLETES HAT TRICK WITH OVERTIME GOAL AS CANADIENS TAKE GAME 1

Juraj Slafkovský scored his third power-play goal of the contest at 1:22 of overtime to complete his first career postseason hat trick and propel Montreal to a 1-0 lead in its First Round series.

• Slafkovský became the third player in franchise playoff history with a hat trick that included an overtime goal, following Eric Desjardins (Game 2 of 1993 SCF) and Gerry Plamondon (Game 2 of 1949 SF). Slafkovský was the first on any team to achieve the feat during the postseason since Joel Kiviranta (Game 7 of 2020 R2).
• Slafkovský (22 years, 20 days) became the third-youngest player in franchise playoff history with a hat trick behind Bernie Geoffrion (21 years, 40 days in Game 2 of 1952 SF) and Howie Morenz (21 years, 183 days in Game 1 of 1924 SCF). Slafkovský was the youngest with one during the postseason NHL-wide since Andrei Svechnikov (20 years, 130 days in Game 2 of 2020 SCQ).
• Slafkovský became the Canadiens’ first player on record (since 1934 when goals by type were officially tracked) with three power-play goals in a playoff game. He was the League’s 12th different skater to achieve the feat and first since Jonathan Toews (Game 4 of 2010 CSF).

SABRES STUN BRUINS WITH MULTI-GOAL COMEBACK IN FINAL EIGHT MINUTES

A stunning final eight minutes in Buffalo saw the Sabres overcome a multi-goal, third period deficit after Tage Thompson (2-1—3), Mattias Samuelsson (1-0—1) and Alex Tuch (1-1—2) combined for four goals in the span of 6:46, sending the fans inside KeyBank Center and outside at the Sabrehood Blockparty into a frenzy as the club took a 1-0 series lead. Buffalo won its first postseason game in nearly 15 years to the day (last April 22, 2011), its second-ever multi-goal, third-period comeback win in the playoffs (also Game 4 of 1993 DSF) and recorded the second-latest multi-goal come-from-behind regulation victory in NHL history.

• Thompson, who has led the Sabres in goals in each of the past five seasons, became just the second player in franchise history to record three points in their playoff debut, following Pierre Turgeon (2-1—3 in Game 1 of 1988 DSF). Only two players in NHL history have posted more in their first-ever postseason contest: Dominik Kubalik (2-3—5 in Game 1 of 2020 SCQ) and Daryl Evans (2-2—4 in Game 1 of 1982 DSF). Thompson also tied the Sabres record for most points in a playoff period.
• The Sabres became the eighth team in NHL history to record a two-goal, third-period comeback win in the final 10 minutes of a game and win in regulation. The last team to do so was the Hurricanes (April 22, 2024).

STONE GRABS GOLDEN KNIGHTS RECORD EN ROUTE TO 1-0 SERIES LEAD

Trailing 2-1 to start the third period, Mark Stone (1-0—1) pulled the Golden Knights even – setting a franchise record in the process – and Nic Dowd (1-0—1) netted the game winner as Vegas rallied to defeat Utah and take a 1-0 series lead. The Golden Knights earned their 63rd playoff win – tied with the Lightning for the most among all teams since they entered the League in 2017-18.

• Stone scored his 37th playoff goal with the Golden Knights and surpassed Jonathan Marchessault (36) for the most in franchise history. Stone’s goal was a timely one: it marked the fourth time that he factored on a tying goal in the third period of a playoff game with Vegas, which is tied with William Karlsson for the second most behind Marchessault (5).

MacKINNON, WEDGEWOOD HELP AVALANCHE EARN 1-0 SERIES LEAD

Nathan MacKinnon (0-1—1) continued his offensive production from the regular season in Game 1, while Scott Wedgewood stopped 24 of 25 shots faced in his first career playoff start to help the Avalanche take a 1-0 series lead against the Kings.

• MacKinnon boosted his career Game 1 totals to 13-19—32 and passed Peter Forsberg (31) for the second most in franchise history, trailing only Joe Sakic (42). Those two aforementioned Avalanche legends are the only two players ahead of MacKinnon on the franchise’s all-time playoff goals, assists and points lists.
• Wedgewood (33 years, 248 days) became the 10th goaltender in Avalanche/Nordiques history to record a win in his first career playoff start with the club and is the eldest among that group, besting Darcy Kuemper (31 years, 363 days in Game 1 of 2022 R1).

COOLEY SCORES MAMMOTH’S FIRST PLAYOFF GOAL

Logan Cooley scored Utah’s first Stanley Cup Playoffs goal after factoring on the franchise’s first-ever regular-season goal scored by Dylan Guenther on Oct. 8, 2024.

Monday has Oilers dueling Ducks in Anaheim’s first playoff game since 2018

Monday’s schedule features Connor McDavid and the Oilers hosting Leo Carlsson and the Ducks in Anaheim’s first postseason contest since Game 4 of the 2018 First Round as well as the Penguins, Senators and Stars looking to even their series.

• The Ducks will officially snap their seven-season playoff drought when the puck drops against the Oilers, who begin their quest for a third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance and first championship since 1990. Anaheim’s last series victory was versus Edmonton in the 2017 Second Round, which followed McDavid’s first career Art Ross Trophy and brought an end to his first playoff run.
• McDavid won five more regular-season scoring titles since then and looks to add a championship to his trophy case which features 15 individual NHL Awards. Carlsson and fellow young stars Cutter Gauthier and Beckett Sennecke are set to make their postseason debut after contributing to several late-game rallies by the Ducks, whose last series against the Oilers featured the latest three-goal comeback win in Stanley Cup Playoffs history.
• Sidney Crosby has 76 career points in games immediately following a playoff loss by his team and can tie Nicklas Lidstrom (77) for the sixth-highest total in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky (111), Doug Gilmour (93), Mark Messier (83), Ray Bourque (79) and Nikita Kucherov (78). Bourque’s total includes two assists in Game 5 of the 1988 Stanley Cup Final after Game 4 was suspended due to power failure following the Bruins’ loss in Game 3.
• Crosby and Claude Giroux have 39 points apiece in games where their club faced a series deficit, while Brady Tkachuk tallied a team-leading four goals and seven points in five of those contests last year. Wyatt Johnston and the Stars dropped their postseason-opening game against the Avalanche in the 2025 First Round but bounced back with consecutive overtime wins before earning a seven-game victory capped by Johnston’s franchise record-tying third series clincher.

Mammoth’s Durzi Fined for Head-Butting

Utah Mammoth defenseman Sean Durzi has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for head-butting Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Rasmus Andersson during Game 1 of the teams’ First Round series in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 19. The incident occurred at 16:32 of the first period. Durzi was assessed a minor penalty for roughing. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

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STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS – APRIL 18, 2026 – WILD ACHIEVE FRANCHISE FIRST AS FOURSOME PILE UP THE POINTS IN DALLAS

In a First Round series that featured multiple 40-goal scorers on each side, it was the Wild offense that struck early and often in Game 1: Kirill Kaprizov (1-2—3) tied the Wild record for career postseason goals (16), Mats Zuccarello (0-3—3) matched the franchise record for assists in a playoff game and Matt Boldy (2-1—3) as well as Joel Eriksson Ek (2-1—3) also posted three points each as Minnesota produced the highest-scoring game to start any postseason in team history with a 6-1 win over Dallas.

• Minnesota, in search of its first series win since the 2015 First Round, opened the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a victory for the fifth time – all of which have come on the road (also Game 1 of 2023 R1, 2021 R1, 2015 R1 & 2003 CQF). The Wild now own the opportunity to win each of their first two games of a playoff year for the first time in franchise history.
• The Wild had four players post three points in the same playoff game for the first time in franchise history and became the first team to achieve the feat since the Lightning in Game 4 of the 2024 First Round.
• Kaprizov, who scored the first of three Wild goals in a span of 5:34 to start the second period, finished the outing with his third career game-winning goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and tied Nino Niederreiter for the most in franchise history. Kaprizov’s performance boosted his career totals to 16-8—24 (26 GP) and sits among the highest goals-per-game producers in NHL history.

MARTONE CONTINUES TO MAKE HIS MARK AS FLYERS TAKE GAME 1 IN PITTSBURGH

Game 1 of the latest rendition of the “Battle of Pennsylvania” began with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang appearing in their 13th postseason together, tied for the second most by a trio of teammates in NHL history, and ended with five Flyers players finding the score sheet in their Stanley Cup Playoffs debut – including 19-year-old Porter Martone, who scored the game-winning goal and lifted Philadelphia to a 1-0 series lead.

• In a regular season that concluded with Gen Z accounting for 60% of NHL players and 23 players who competed as a teenager, Martone continued his goal-scoring ways after entering the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with the most tallies among all Flyers players (tied) since making his League debut on March 31. Overall, Martone became the youngest Flyers player to score in his postseason debut, ahead of Simon Gagne (20 years, 44 days, Game 1 of 2000 CQF).
• Scoring in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is just the latest achievement Martone added to his hockey resume in 2025-26: he was the only freshman named to the All-Big Ten First Team, he was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team and he served as captain for Team Canada at the 2026 World Junior Championship – where he finished with a tournament-best six goals in seven games.

Stankoven, Hurricanes continue to shine in postseason-opening games

Logan Stankoven (1-1—2) scored the winner and Frederik Andersen made 22 saves as the Hurricanes blanked the Senators to take a 1-0 lead in their First Round series. Carolina improved to 7-0 in its last seven postseason-opening contests dating to Game 1 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers.

• Stankoven tallied twice during the Hurricanes’ opener against the Devils in Game 1 of the 2025 First Round. He became the third player in franchise history with three career goals in postseason-opening contests, following Andrei Svechnikov (5) and Whalers forward Dean Evason (3).
• Andersen became the first goaltender in Hurricanes/Whalers history with a shutout during a postseason-opening contest and the fourth to blank an opponent in any Game 1, following Petr Mrazek (2019 R2), Cam Ward (2006 CSF) and Kevin Weekes (2002 CSF).

Schedule features TNT, ESPN doubleheaders as four more Game 1s go Sunday

Eight more teams embark on their quest for a championship as four other First Round series start Sunday. NHL on TNT will make its 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs debut during the games in Denver and Tampa, while ESPN is set to carry the contests in Buffalo and Las Vegas.

BUFFALO, “SabrehoOD” SET TO CELEBRATE PLAYOFFS Returning TO “QUEEN CITY”

Tage Thompson and the Sabres host David Pastrnak and the Bruins during the first postseason contest at KeyBank Center since Game 6 of the 2011 Conference Quarterfinals. Buffalo will officially end its 14-season playoff drought when the puck drops against Boston as the Sabres seek their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

• Thompson won a gold medal alongside Jeremy Swayman with Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and 2025 World Championship, where Thompson tallied the overtime clincher and Swayman secured a shutout to give the Americans their first tournament win since 1933. They can become the first U.S. members of the “Triple Gold Club,” while Swayman can become the first goaltender of any nationality to join the exclusive group.

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

UTAH VIES FOR VICTORY VERSUS vegas IN FRANCHISE’S Postseason DEBUT

Clayton Keller and the Mammoth visit Mark Stone and the Golden Knights as Utah plays its first playoff game in club history. NHL franchises own an all-time record of 13-22-2 in their first-ever postseason contest, including wins by Seattle (Game 1 of 2023 R1) and Vegas (Game 1 of 2018 R1) during each of the last two instances.

• Brandon Tanev played for the Kraken in their playoff debut, while Nate Schmidt did so with the Golden Knights whose first postseason contest featured Shea Theodore tallying the winning goal. Tanev and Schmidt can become the first players to play in a franchise’s first playoff game multiple times in their career since Pascal Dupuis and Scott Mellanby, who were with the Atlanta Thrashers (Game 1 of 2007 CQF) after Dupuis did so with the Wild (Game 1 of 2003 CQF) and Mellanby with the Panthers (Game 1 of 1996 CQF).

Lightning, Canadiens to renew playoff acquaintances in 2021 Final rematch

Nikita Kucherov and the Lightning host Nick Suzuki and the Canadiens in their first head-to-head postseason contest since Game 5 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, when Andrei Vasilevskiy had one of his NHL-record six career series-clinching shutouts to give Tampa Bay its second straight championship.

• Kucherov added two more Art Ross Trophy wins to his resume since the 2021 Final, while Suzuki was named the youngest captain in franchise history and is coming off his first career 100-point season. Cole Caufield made his NHL debut just before the 2021 playoffs and is one of a few players from the run that remain with the Canadiens, who re-tooled their roster over the following five seasons and added Lightning icon Martin St. Louis as head coach.

KINGS to play PRESIDENTS’ TROPHY WINNERS, “ROCKET” RECIPIENT MacKinnon

Adrian Kempe and the Kings visit Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche to open their third head-to-head playoff series following seven-game wins by Colorado in the 2002 Conference Quarterfinals and 2001 Conference Semifinals. The Avalanche enter the postseason as Presidents’ Trophy winners for the fourth time in franchise history, which includes 2001 when they ousted the Kings en route to capturing the Stanley Cup.

• Anze Kopitar is set to skate during the playoffs for the final time in his decorated career and will do so against Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner MacKinnon as well as Brent Burns, who has played three series versus the Kings (2016 R1, 2014 R1 & 2013 CSF). MacKinnon can add a second Cup to his trophy case on the heels of his first “Rocket” win, while Burns can capture his first championship after 22 campaigns and more than 1,700 career games between the regular season and playoffs.

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2026 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS START TONIGHT

Storylines are aplenty as a handful of stars are set to compete in the postseason for the first time, but the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket features 11 of 16 teams looking to either hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time in their history or end a lengthy championship drought. Only one thing is guaranteed when the puck drops on Saturday: a new champion will be crowned in June.

PENGUINS AND FLYERS READY TO RENEW “BATTLE OF PENNSYLVANIA”

The iconic trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang begin their quest for a fourth Stanley Cup championship and will do so against a familiar foe when Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny and Trevor Zegras visit PPG Paints Arena for Game 1 of their First Round series – the eighth rendition of the “Battle of Pennsylvania” and first since the 2018 First Round. The winner of the previous seven all-time series between the rivals has gone on to reach the Stanley Cup Final on three occasions.

• Crosby (71-130—201 in 180 GP), whose 1.57 career points per game against the Flyers in the postseason are his highest vs. one franchise (min. 5 GP), sits tied with Jaromir Jagr (201) for fifth place on the NHL’s all-time points list and fifth overall on the League’s all-time assists list. However, he needs to find the score sheet just once to tie Jari Kurri (92-110—202 w/ EDM) for the third most by one player with a single franchise.
• Porter Martone, the sixth-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, has co-led the Flyers in goals since making his League debut on March 31 (4-6—10) and is one of 13 players on Philadelphia’s active roster that could appear in their first-ever outing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He can become the fifth teenager in franchise history to score a playoff goal alongside Dainius Zubrus (5 in 24 GP), Couturier (3 in 11 GP), Nolan Patrick (1 in 6 GP) and Peter Zezel (1 in 5 GP).

40-GOAL SCORERS ON FULL DISPLAY IN STARS-WILD SHOWDOWN

The NHL’s first 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup to be confirmed will finally come to fruition when a pair of 40-goal teammates go head-to-head as Jason Robertson (45), Wyatt Johnston (45) and the Stars host Kirill Kaprizov (45), Matt Boldy (42) and the Wild for Game 1 of their First Round series at American Airlines Center.

• Johnston (18-14—32 in 56 GP), with a double-digit point total in each of the past two postseasons, sits two goals shy of becoming the 13th player in NHL history with 20 career playoff goals before age 23 – a list that includes Sidney Crosby (30), Evgeni Malkin (24), Nikita Kucherov (22) and Patrick Kane (20). Overall, Johnston can also join Mike Modano (3) and Dennis Maruk (3 w/ MNS) as the third player in franchise history to register 10 or more points in three consecutive postseasons.
• Kaprizov (15-6—21 in 25 GP) and the Wild begin their pursuit of the franchise’s first playoff series win since the 2015 First Round, as the forward sits two goals shy of overtaking Zach Parise (16 in 44 GP) for the most playoff goals in franchise history. In a regular-season campaign that featured Kaprizov also become Minnesota’s all-time leader in regular season goals, he can become the fourth active player to sit atop a franchise’s all-time goals list in both the regular season and playoffs (NSH: Filip Forsberg, VGK: Jonathan Marchessault, WSH: Alex Ovechkin & WPG/ATL: Mark Scheifele).

HURRICANES AND SENATORS READY FOR FIRST-EVER PLAYOFF CLASH

Sebastian Aho and the top-seeded Hurricanes open the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center when Brady Tkachuk and the Senators visit Raleigh for Game 1 of the first-ever postseason meeting between the clubs – the 288th unique playoff series between NHL franchises (1 of 2 in 2026 R1). Carolina owns an all-time record of 8-7 in its first series against a franchise, while Ottawa is 7-5.

• Aho, among three others set to tie Ron Francis (8) for the most career years in the playoffs in franchise history, has been a staple of postseason point production for a Hurricanes team that leads all clubs in home wins since first debuting in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2019. Aho is already the first player in NHL history to register 10-plus points in each of his first seven postseasons and can become the fifth to record eight consecutive at any point in their career: Wayne Gretzky (11 from 1981-91), Mark Messier (10 from 1983-92), Brad Marchand (8 from 2018-25) and Bernie Geoffrion (8 from 1953-60).
• Tkachuk (4-3—7 in 6 GP) approaches his 10th career playoff game in a postseason where the Senators eye their first series win since the 2017 Second Round. The Ottawa captain, with an opportunity to register the franchise’s most goals through their first 10 career playoff games (6), has already tied his father, Keith (4-0—4 in 10 GP) in goals through the benchmark outing and outproduced his brother, Matthew (2-1—3 in 10 GP).

LOOKING BACK AT THE FIRST ROUND SINCE 2014

Here are some of the NHL’s top performers in the First Round under the Wild Card format (since 2014):

Goals

8 – Jake Guentzel (2022 R1 vs. NYR)

7-

• Nathan MacKinnon (2025 R1 vs. DAL)
• Zach Hyman (2024 R1 vs. LAK)
• Valeri Nichushkin (2024 R1 vs. WPG)
• Mikko Rantanen (2023 R1 vs. SEA)
• Leon Draisaitl (2023 R1 vs. LAK)
• Evander Kane (2022 R1 vs. LAK)
• Kiril Kaprizov (2022 R1 vs. STL)

Assists

11 – Connor McDavid (2024 R1 vs. LAK)

10 – Connor McDavid (2022 R1 vs. LAK)

9 –

• Connor McDavid (2025 R1 vs. LAK)
• Mitch Marner (2023 R1 vs. TBL)
• Jaccob Slavin (2019 R1 vs. WSH)
• Erik Karlsson (2019 R1 vs. VGK)
• Evgeni Malkin (2017 R1 vs. CBJ)

Points

14 – Connor McDavid (2022 R1 vs. LAK)

13 –

• David Pastrnak (2018 R1 vs. TOR)
• Sidney Crosby (2018 R1 vs. PHI)
• Jake Guentzel (2018 R1 vs. PHI)

Points by Rookies

10 – Nathan MacKinnon (2014 R1 vs. MIN)

7 –

• Denis Gurianov (2020 R1 vs. CGY)
• Jake DeBrusk (2018 R1 vs. TOR)
• Artemi Panarin (2016 R1 vs. STL)

Shutouts

Ten different goaltenders have posted multiple shutouts in the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2014 (last: Akira Schmid, 2 SO in 2023 R1 vs. NYR).

The post 2026 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS START TONIGHT appeared first on In Play! magazine.

NHL April 16, 2026 – McDavid, MacKinnon and Avalanche’s goaltending tandem win NHL Awards

Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon won the Art Ross and Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, respectively, while MacKinnon’s teammates Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood captured the William M. Jennings Trophy.

Oilers’ McDavid, Avalanche Trio Win 2025-26 Regular Season Awards

• McDavid concluded the campaign with an NHL-leading 138 points to win his sixth career Art Ross Trophy. He passed Phil Esposito as well as Jaromir Jagr (both w/ 5) and tied Gordie Howe as well as Mario Lemieux for the second most in League history behind Wayne Gretzky (10).
• MacKinnon had a career-high 53 goals and became the second player in franchise history to capture the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, following Milan Hejduk (2002-03). MacKinnon and Hejduk are the only Avalanche/Nordiques players to top the League in tallies including the club’s 19 seasons before the “Rocket” was introduced in 1998-99.
• Wedgewood and Blackwood backstopped Colorado to a League-low 203 goals against (including 6 shootout deciders) and became the second and third goaltenders in franchise history to win the William M. Jennings Trophy after Patrick Roy (2001-02). Wedgewood and Blackwood were recently featured in the latest Skates Off where they discussed their chemistry and explored goalie mask artistry.

2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket gets locked in at the eleventh hour

Matt Savoie’s first-period hat trick helped the Oilers (41-30-11, 93 points) clinch the Pacific Division’s No. 2 seed and home-ice advantage in their First Round series against the third-place Ducks (43-33-6, 92 points), which was confirmed after Anaheim’s NHL-best 12th third-period comeback win Thursday. The Kings (35-27-20, 90 points) concluded the campaign with the Western Conference’s final Wild Card spot and will play the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche during the opening round.

• The Oilers and Ducks will play their third head-to-head playoff series, following Anaheim’s seven-game win in the 2017 Second Round and Edmonton’s five-game victory during the 2006 Conference Finals. Their last meeting marked the Ducks’ most-recent series win and included Anaheim overcoming a 3-0 deficit during the final 3:16 of regulation in Game 5, which remains the latest three-goal comeback victory in Stanley Cup Playoffs history.
• The Avalanche and Kings will play their third head-to-head playoff series following seven-game wins by Colorado in the 2002 Conference Quarterfinals and 2001 Conference Semifinals. They are among five pairs of franchises that required a Game 7 in each of their first two series – the others are the Lightning and Penguins (2016 CF & 2011 CQF), Blues and Canucks (2003 & 1995 CQF), Avalanche and Stars (2000 & 1999 CF) as well as the Devils and Rangers (1994 CF & 1992 DSF).

SENNECKE’S STANDOUT SEASON, OTHER YOUNG STARS FEATURED

Thursday featured a six-game regular season finale, including Beckett Sennecke concluding the campaign with 23 goals to tie Matthew Schaefer for the most among rookies.

• Sennecke became the third player in franchise history to lead all rookies in goals at the end of a regular season (outright or tied), following Bobby Ryan (2008-09) and Paul Kariya (1994-95). Schaefer was the first defenseman in more than 90 years to top all rookies in tallies as well as the fourth in League history after Doug Young (1931-32), Leo Reise Sr. (1920-21) and Billy Stuart (1920-21).
• Macklin Celebrini (45-70—115 in 82 GP) concluded his stand-out 2025-26 with a three-point performance and by moving up a number of franchise single-season lists – he surpassed Joe Thornton (22-92—114 in 2006-07) for the most points, tied Thornton (18 in 2006-07) for the most three-point games, and moved into sole possession of second place for multi-point outings and goals.
• Celebrini completed his final campaign before turning 20 with career totals of 70-108—178 (152 GP). He became the fifth teenager in NHL history with 100-plus career assists and owns the third-most points by a teenager through 150 career outings in League history behind Sidney Crosby (210) and Dale Hawerchuk (180).
• Ivan Demidov became the Canadiens’ second player in as many seasons to lead all rookies in points, following teammate Lane Hutson (2024-25). Jakub Dobes delivered 29 of Montreal’s 48 wins to conclude the campaign with eight more than the next-closest rookie goaltender.

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