RADIO
Josh Manson Expected to Remain Out Tuesday
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (upper body) is expected to miss a third consecutive game on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, Tracey Myers of NHL.com reports. The veteran continues to nurse an upper-body injury sustained during Colorado's first-round matchup against the Los Angeles Kings. Nick Blankenburg has played in Manson's absence, but the Avalanche may have different plans for Tuesday night. The team brought up Jack Ahcan from the minors ahead of Game 2, and he could get a chance to play. Ahcan had a great year in the AHL this season, ranking second among defensemen with 50 points (11 goals, 39 assists) in 61 games.
Source: Tracey Myers
Source: Tracey Myers
Filip Gustavsson Starting Game 2 Against Avalanche
Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson will make his 2026 postseason debut in Game 2 against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night. Wild head coach John Hynes has decided to make a change in the blue paint after seeing Jesper Wallstedt allow eight goals in a 9-6 loss to Colorado on Sunday. Gustavsson had more starts than Wallstedt during the regular season, but he lost his starting spot for the playoffs due to poor late-season form. The 27-year-old allowed four or more goals in five of his last six regular-season starts. Overall, Gustavsson posted a 28-15-6 record, a 2.69 goals-against average, a .904 save percentage, and four shutouts. He won his only meeting with the Avalanche 5-2 on Feb. 26.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Victor Hedman Reveals Reason for Absence
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (personal) revealed on Tuesday that he missed the end of the season to focus on his mental health. The Lightning captain didn't play in the playoffs and sat out the final 15 regular-season games. "I've always believed that being a leader means doing what's best for the team," Hedman said in a social media statement. "In this case, it also meant doing what was necessary to take care of myself, so I can be the best player, teammate, husband and father I expect to be." In his statement, Hedman noted he's "in a much better place today." Hedman played in a career-low 33 games in 2025-26, posting 17 points (one goal, 16 assists). This was the first season of Hedman's four-year, $32 million contract.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Jackson LaCombe Sets New Record With Another Assist
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe continued his debut postseason campaign with another productive outing on Monday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, recording an assist in a 3-1 loss. He set up Mikael Granlund for the game-tying tally in the third period, but the Golden Knights quickly responded with a controversial Ivan Barbashev goal, and Anaheim couldn't recover from a second deficit. It was a record-setting performance for LaCombe, who became the fastest player in franchise history to reach 10 postseason points. With one goal and nine assists in seven games, the 25-year-old has also tied a league record for the fewest games needed by a defenseman to register 10 career playoff points.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Mikael Granlund Continues Postseason Success With Third Goal
Anaheim Ducks forward Mikael Granlund scored his third goal of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Monday's 3-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Finnish forward tied the game 13:57 into the third period, giving him seven points in seven games this postseason. Last season, Granlund amassed a career-high 10 playoff points with the Dallas Stars and has a good chance to set a new scoring record for the second consecutive year. However, three of his seven points, including two goals, have come on the power play, and among the remaining teams, Vegas has the strongest penalty kill at 95.8 percent.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Mitchell Marner Notches Two Points in Series-Opening Win
Vegas Golden Knights forward Mitchell Marner tallied a goal and an assist as the team kicked off its second-round series against the Anaheim Ducks with a 3-1 victory on Monday night. Marner's work helped Brett Howden open the scoring early in the second period, and the former Maple Leaf wrapped up Vegas' fourth consecutive win in the playoffs with an empty-net goal. Marner has produced three goals and four assists during the Golden Knights' winning run. Seven games into the postseason, he has been scoreless only once, sitting on nine points (three goals, six assists). Marner has been Vegas' leading scorer alongside Jack Eichel. In Game 2 against the Ducks, Marner will seek his first five-game playoff point streak since 2023.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Taylor Hall Makes History With Overtime Winner
Carolina Hurricanes left wing Taylor Hall sent fans into raptures with the game-winning goal in Monday's 3-2 overtime victory against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Hurricanes had to rally from a 2-0 deficit to keep a perfect playoff record. Hall established a new franchise record with a six-game postseason-opening point streak. The 2018 MVP has turned back the clock, amassing nine points (three goals, six assists) in six games this postseason. Another major milestone is on the horizon for Hall, as he can match the fourth-longest playoff point streak in Hurricanes history in Game 3 on Thursday.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Nikolaj Ehlers Collects Two Points in Comeback Win
Carolina Hurricanes winger Nikolaj Ehlers had a big role in Monday's 3-2 comeback win against the Philadelphia Flyers, finishing with a goal and an assist. With Carolina 2-0 down on home ice in Game 2 of the second-round series, Ehlers scored a power-play goal and assisted Seth Jarvis on the game-tying goal during even-strength play. Then Taylor Hall completed the comeback in overtime. This was Ehlers' fifth multi-point game in 50 career playoff outings. Postseason hockey hasn't suited him well, and his numbers aren't looking great this year either. In five appearances, Ehlers has recorded one goal and two assists. Game 3 presents Ehlers with a chance to score multiple points in consecutive playoff games for the first time in his 11-year NHL career.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Cale Makar Good to Go for Game 2 Against Wild
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (undisclosed) will play in Game 2 against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now reports. In the series opener, Makar was injured early in the game and missed most of the first period. However, he finished the game and had a big impact, scoring two goals and adding an assist in a 9-6 victory. After a slow start in the playoffs, Makar has put together a three-game point streak. Overall, he has notched four goals and one assist in five games. On Tuesday, he will aim to record his first four-game postseason point streak since the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Source: Aarif Deen
Source: Aarif Deen
Ridly Greig Suspended for Two Games
Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig won't be available for a couple of games at the start of the 2026-27 season after receiving a suspension. He was handed a two-game suspension for roughing Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker in Game 4 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs first-round series on April 25. Graig contributed one assist in four games against Carolina. He posted a career-high 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists) in 77 regular-season appearances. While Greig has been effective in his role with the Senators, he doesn't offer much fantasy value.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Owen Tippett Remains Out Monday
Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett (undisclosed) won't play on Monday in Game 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes, Adam Kimelman of NHL.com reports. Despite dealing with an undisclosed health issue, the 27-year-old managed to play in all six games of Philadelphia's first-round matchup with Pittsburgh. But Tippett has exited the lineup at the start of Round 2. "He's a possibility for (Game 3 in Philadelphia on) Thursday," Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said ahead of Game 2. "It'll be a game-time (decision) again." Alex Bump has a chance to make a bigger impact with Tippett sidelined.
Source: Adam Kimelman
Source: Adam Kimelman
Roope Hintz Recovering From Hamstring Injury
Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz revealed he dealt with a hamstring injury late in the season, Taylor Baird of NHL.com reports. The Finnish forward dropped out of the lineup in early March and didn't play in Dallas' first-round defeat to the Minnesota Wild. "I just kind of over-stretched it or something and it just kind of popped; I don't know what really happened there," Hintz said Monday. He feels he could have been ready to play in Game 2 or Game 3 of the second round if Dallas had advanced. This suggests Hintz shouldn't have any trouble getting 100 percent healthy for next season. He remains a core piece for the Stars, averaging 0.91 points per game since 2020-21.
Source: Taylor Baird
Source: Taylor Baird
Tyler Seguin Expects to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin (knee) expects to be healthy for the start of training camp in the fall, Taylor Baird of NHL.com reports. The 34-year-old saw his 2025-26 campaign end in early December after an ACL tear in his right knee. Seguin made only 27 appearances, finishing with 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists). Unfortunately, this marked the second consecutive year Seguin's season was cut short by injury. He was limited to 20 outings in 2024-25 due to hip surgery. These have been tough injury setbacks for Seguin, but he feels he'll be "as strong as ever" when he returns next season. The 2026-27 campaign will be the final season of Seguin's eight-year, $78.8 million contract.
Source: Taylor Baird
Source: Taylor Baird
Sam Carrick Could Practice Tuesday
Buffalo Sabres center Sam Carrick (arm) could return to practice on Tuesday. Over the weekend, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters that Carrick likely won't be available for the team's second-round matchup against the Montreal Canadiens, but he is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a left arm injury. "(He's) going to see our doctors today and thinks he's further along than maybe I portrayed yesterday," Ruff said Monday. "So, with good news, he could join our team back in practice tomorrow, which is great news. That would put him a little bit ahead of schedule." Carrick injured his left arm in a fight with New York Islanders forward Anders Lee on March 31. He was a trade deadline acquisition for the Sabres, recording six points (five goals, one assist) and 20 hits in 13 games.
Source: Reuters
Source: Reuters
Alexander Nikishin Won't Play Monday
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin (concussion) will miss a second consecutive game on Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers, according to Walt Ruff & Peter Dewar of the Hurricanes' official site. The Russian blue-liner suffered a concussion during Carolina's series clincher against Ottawa. He wasn't quite ready to play in Game 1 against Philadelphia, allowing Mike Reilly to make his 2026 postseason debut. Reilly recorded two assists in a 3-0 win and will retain his spot on Monday night. "He's been solid," Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour said about Reilly Monday morning. "That's a tough role, really, to be in, when you're not in there every night. But that's what being a pro is, and he's demonstrated that all year."
Source: Walt Ruff
Source: Walt Ruff
