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.