Seven of 8 first-round sequence within the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs have got underway right through the primary two days of motion, with some important surprises.
Monday brings an opportunity for retribution for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators and Dallas Stars, whilst the Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild glance to take commanding 2-0 leads.
Plus, the Anaheim Geese and Edmonton Oilers in any case sign up for the postseason celebration!
Learn on for previews of every of Monday’s video games, ratings and highlights from Sunday’s video games, and up to date playoff stat leaders.
Learn extra:
Complete agenda
Playoff Central
Stanley Cup odds
Most sensible 50 participant ratings
Lapsed fan’s information
Monday’s video games
Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins
Recreation 2 | 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The animosity used to be on complete show between the contributors within the Fight of Pennsylvania in Recreation 1, and we would be expecting a equivalent show in Recreation 2. There have been 81 mixed hits in Recreation 1, smartly over each groups’ regular-season averages (23.0 for Philly and 17.6 for Pittsburgh).
The early development isn’t a just right one for Pittsburgh, as groups that win Recreation 1 of a seven-game sequence have long gone directly to win 68% of the time. One development we do not be expecting to proceed for much longer: Sidney Crosby being stored off the scoresheet. Crosby has essentially the most targets (60), assists (79) and issues (139) of any participant towards the Flyers, together with 36 issues in 24 profession playoff video games.
The Flyers are led via a gaggle of younger gamers, together with Porter Martone, who used to be credited with the game-winning function in Recreation 1. At 19 years, 174 days previous, he was the youngest Flyer to attain a function in his playoff debut, prior to now held via Simon Gagne (twenty years, 44 days) set in 2000.
Pittsburgh now should dig out of a hollow, and it does not have a very good observe file for doing so. The Pens are 15-17 in seven-game sequence when dropping Recreation 1, and that comes with 3 directly sequence losses in that situation.
Ottawa Senators at Carolina Hurricanes
Recreation 2 | 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
One of the vital primary query marks heading into the postseason for Carolina used to be the goaltending.
Frederik Andersen replied the bell in Recreation 1, with a 22-save shutout. That used to be his 6th profession postseason shutout and 1/3 with the Canes, breaking a tie with Kevin Weeks and Petr Mrazek for the second one maximum in Whalers/Hurricanes franchise historical past. (Cam Ward is first, with 4.)
The Hurricanes are not any strangers to profitable Recreation 1 at house in a playoff sequence, and it is a just right omen: They’re 10-2 in seven-game sequence when profitable the primary contest on house ice. This used to be the primary time the Senators were close out in a playoff sport since Would possibly 21, 2017, within the Jap Convention finals towards the Penguins.
Carolina’s line of Taylor Corridor–Jackson Blake–Logan Stankoven scored either one of its targets and used to be at the ice for 19 shot makes an attempt at 5-on-5 vs. simply two shot makes an attempt towards.
A technique for the Senators to get again within the swing of items: reigniting their chronic play. Ottawa completed the steady season on a streak of six video games with no less than one power-play function however went 0-4 in Recreation 1.
Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars
Recreation 2 | 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The Wild’s 6-1 win in Recreation 1 used to be simply the 1/3 time prior to now twenty years {that a} highway workforce gained Recreation 1 of a playoff sequence via 5 or extra targets (becoming a member of the Rangers within the 2014 Jap Convention finals and the Canadiens within the 2006 convention quarterfinals).
Then again, the Wild have only a 2-2 file in seven-game sequence when profitable Recreation 1 — and a kind of losses got here to the Stars in 2023.
The superstars confirmed up for Minny in Recreation 1: Kirill Kaprizov scored his sixteenth profession playoff function, tying Zach Parise for essentially the most in franchise historical past, and Quinn Hughes now has 25 profession playoff assists in 31 playoff video games, tying Brian Leetch for the third-fewest video games to succeed in that benchmark in playoff historical past, in the back of Adam Fox and Al MacInnis (each 29 GP).
The Stars have an 11-22 sequence file in seven-game sequence when dropping Recreation 1 at house. Then again, a kind of 11 wins used to be towards the Avalanche within the first around ultimate season.
Dallas will want the ability play to stay clicking. Jason Robertson scored with the person benefit in Recreation 1, and the Stars are actually 5-for-13 (38.5%) towards the Wild at the PP this season.
Anaheim Geese at Edmonton Oilers
Recreation 1 | 10 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Those two Pacific Department foes had been probably the most ultimate to clinch their postseason tickets — and it wasn’t till the season’s ultimate night that they locked of their first-round matchup with one some other.
The 2 groups’ most up-to-date playoff matchup got here in 2017, a seven-game sequence win for the Geese forward of Anaheim’s loss to the Nashville Predators within the Western Convention finals. The Oilers are not any strangers to the convention finals lately, having gained the previous two of them sooner than falling within the Cup Ultimate in 2024 and 2025.
The Oilers gained the season sequence between the golf equipment, 2-1, with 28 general targets scored between the groups within the 3 video games. Connor McDavid paced the Oilers in scoring this season with 134 issues, whilst Cutter Gauthier used to be atop the Geese’ leaderboard with 69.
Sunday’s scoreboard
Colorado Avalanche 2, Los Angeles Kings 1
Avalanche lead sequence 1-0
The ESPN hockey circle of relatives didn’t have a lot religion within the Kings on this sequence; each one who made predictions selected the Avs on this sequence, with a handful considering it could be a sweep. So Recreation 1 used to be a little nearer than many anticipated, and the Kings had some scoring probabilities all the way through along with Artemi Panarin‘s power-play function overdue within the 1/3. However regardless of seeing all of its large weapons stored off the scoresheet, Colorado earned its first W of the postseason. Recreation 2 is again in Denver on Tuesday. Complete recap.
Montreal Canadiens 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 3 (OT)
Canadiens lead sequence 1-0
Given how shut those two groups completed within the standings, there used to be no longer a large number of love for the Canadiens within the hockey punditry. The Habs no longer handiest hung with the Lightning in Recreation 1, they gave the look of the easier workforce at many issues, and rode a power-play hat trick via Juraj Slafkovsky to victory in Recreation 1. The Lightning had two power-play targets of their very own (from Darren Raddysh and Brandon Hagel). Recreation 2 is Tuesday night time. Complete recap.
Buffalo Sabres 4, Boston Bruins 3
Sabres lead sequence 1-0
The primary playoff sport in Buffalo in 15 years used to be an match, and the KeyBank Heart crowd used to be further loud for this one. Boston’s Morgan Geekie quieted the gang rather with a first-period function, and tensions rose when Elias Lindholm put the B’s up 2-0 early within the 1/3. However in a span of four:34, the Sabres scored 3 targets (two from Tage Thompson, and the go-ahead function via Mattias Samuelsson). Alex Tuch added an insurance coverage tally into an empty web — which used to be wanted, as David Pastrnak netted a power-play function with 8 seconds left. Recreation 2 for those two groups is Tuesday. Complete recap.
Vegas Golden Knights 4, Utah Mammoth 2
Golden Knights lead sequence 1-0
The Mammoth, like many different underdogs, didn’t obtain a large number of backing from our analysts predicting this sequence. However they confirmed really extensive combat in Recreation 1, taking leads of 1-0 (by means of Logan Cooley) and 2-1 (by means of Kevin Stenlund). Sooner or later, the Knights overpowered the guests, with third-period targets from Mark Stone, Nic Dowd and Ivan Barbashev to seal the deal. The 2 groups sq. off once more on Tuesday night time. Complete recap.
Playoff scoring leaders
Click on right here for complete record of stats leaders.
Playoff goaltending leaders
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Stanley Cup playoff bracket