Running analysis of Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Our hockey writers share their observations and insights throughout Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Thursday, April 24

Avalanche 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

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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

Past analysis

Check out all our archived items from previous days here.

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