RADIO
Joel Eriksson Ek Powers Minnesota Past Dallas in Opening Game
Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek did not hesitate; he simply kept shooting the puck. Eriksson Ek had five shots on goal in Game 1 against the Dallas Stars. Two of those shots went in the net on the power play as Minnesota routed Dallas 6-1. The first goal came as Eriksson Ek cruised into the slot. He beat Jake Oettinger off a brilliant feed from Matt Boldy. His second goal came from a Kirill Kaprizov pass, where Oettinger had zero chance of stopping the puck. The key part is that the forward was willing to get into a position in the slot where he might take punishment but would get chances. Eriksson Ek did not miss as the top line racked up 15 of Minnesota's 28 shots in Game 1.
Source: Ryan Bowlin
Source: Ryan Bowlin
Logan Stankoven Makes Big Impact in Carolina's Game 1 Victory
Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven had a nice scoring run before the Stanley Cup Playoffs started. Stankoven scored seven goals and 11 points over his final eight regular-season contests. He began Game 1 against Ottawa with three shots in the opening 20 minutes, including a few high-quality opportunities. Stankoven ended with a pivotal goal and an assist, along with six shots on goal. Lost in the gaudy numbers may be the six hits the forward delivered. He was the physical centerpiece on a second line, along with Jackson Blake and Taylor Hall, that caused problems for Ottawa's defense.
Source: Ryan Henkel
Source: Ryan Henkel
Porter Martone Nets Game-Winning Goal to Defeat Pittsburgh
Philadelphia Flyers right winger Porter Martone started out his first taste of the NHL with a bang. He scored four goals and 10 points in nine games. Naturally, Martone made a difference when it counted most on Saturday night. Though he missed a couple of scoring chances early in the contest, Martone made a late third-period chance count. That goal made the score 3-1, and the Flyers would hold on to win 3-2. Martone silenced the entire crowd in Pittsburgh with a move that stunned everyone as he fired a quick shot past Stuart Skinner. As Martone put it, he found an opportunity and took it.
Source: Adam Kimelman
Source: Adam Kimelman
Frederik Andersen Shuts Out Ottawa in Game 1
Frederik Andersen went into the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with some doubt. Andersen endured the worst season of his 13-year career. However, he only gave up three goals on 52 shots in his final two starts of the regular season. When Rod Brind'Amour gave Andersen the starting nod for Game 1, some were surprised. Andersen made 22 saves against Ottawa including a shot some thought was a goal by Drake Batherson. It turned into a key moment as the Senators never got one past Andersen. The Danish goaltender picked quite a time to get his first shutout of the season to open the playoffs.
Source: Cory Lavalette
Source: Cory Lavalette
Matt Boldy Delivers Huge Game 1 Performance in Win
Matt Boldy led the Minnesota Wild in a resounding 6-1 Game 1 victory. Boldy wound up with a game-high eight shots on goal. He followed that up with two goals and an assist. That included a bunch of scoring chances and an empty net tally too. Boldy found Joel Eriksson Ek in the slot for the first of Eriksson Ek's two power play goals. The duo combined for 13 shots and six points against the Dallas Stars. Overall, the top line ended up with nine points including Kirill Kaprizov. Boldy and the trio could not be stopped by Dallas' team defense. His ability to create space and chances changed the entire tenor of Game 1.
Source: Alex Micheletti
Source: Alex Micheletti
Stuart Skinner Starting Game 1 Against Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner will guard the crease in Saturday's Game 1 against the Philadelphia Flyers, Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins' official site reports. Skinner had a 2-1-0 record against the Flyers during the regular season and is looking to make a positive start to his fourth postseason campaign. The 27-year-old has 50 NHL playoff games under his belt, but his postseason performances tend to be inconsistent. With the Edmonton Oilers, Skinner gave up nearly three goals per game during the playoffs (2.88) with a .893 save percentage.
Source: Michelle Crechiolo
Source: Michelle Crechiolo
Alexandre Carrier Back at Practice
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier (upper body) practiced on Saturday, Sean Farrell of NHL.com reports. He missed the last nine regular-season games due to an upper-body injury. Montreal ruled Carrier out for 2-4 weeks, and he now appears on the cusp of returning to the action. After being paired with Lane Hutson during Friday's practice session, Carrier worked with his usual partner, Mike Matheson, on Saturday. With Noah Dobson (upper body) out for the start of the postseason, that pairing could play a massive role in the Canadiens' first-round tilt against the Tampa Bay Lightning. During the regular season, Carrier made his presence felt on both ends of the ice, recording 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists), 56 SOG, and 155 blocks in 73 games.
Source: Sean Farrell
Source: Sean Farrell
Jared McCann Undergoes Lower-Body Procedure
Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann (lower body) underwent a procedure on Friday to address a nagging injury. He missed the last three regular-season games and battled a lower-body issue throughout the campaign. Despite his ongoing health issues, McCann managed a respectable 40 points (20 goals, 20 assists) in 52 outings. He has been among Seattle's scoring leaders for several seasons and is likely to remain among the team's top offensive contributors in 2026-27. McCann will enter a career year, potentially increasing his fantasy productivity.
Source: Emerald City Hockey
Source: Emerald City Hockey
Andrei Kuzmenko Activated From Injured Reserve
Los Angeles Kings winger Andrei Kuzmenko (knee) was activated from Injured Reserve on Saturday, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports. The Russian forward underwent meniscus surgery in late February, missing 25 games. However, he will be an option to return to the lineup for Sunday's postseason opener against the Colorado Avalanche. Kuzmenko finished the regular season with 13 goals and 25 points in 52 appearances. He would add scoring punch to a team that averaged the fewest goals per game during the regular season among those who qualified for the playoffs. The Kings are also expected to have Alex Turcotte (undisclosed) and Jeff Malott (undisclosed) available on Sunday, providing additional offensive options.
Source: Zach Dooley
Source: Zach Dooley
Victor Hedman Out for Game 1 on Sunday
Victor Hedman is skating for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The bad news is that the defenseman is not close to ready yet to play. Hedman has been out for basically a month now. First, there was an injury and then Hedman was out for personal reasons. It has been a tough season for the 35-year old. He is a team captain but missed 49 games in 2025-26. The normal point leader from the blueline had a mere 17 points (one goal) in 33 appearances. Right now, Hedman will not play until he is in shape to play. That means, he will be out for Game 1 on Sunday against Montreal. More than likely, the fact that Hedman has been skating appears to signal he is closer to returning than May 3rd potentially.
Source: Benjamin Pierce
Source: Benjamin Pierce
William Karlsson Unavailable for Start of First-Round Series
Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson (lower body) won't be available for the start of the team's first-round playoff series against the Utah Mammoth, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. It's also unclear whether Karlsson will play at all against Utah after Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said the team must have "some success in the playoffs for him to play again." The Swedish veteran has been out of action since early November due to a lower-body injury. He appeared in only 14 regular-season games, recording four goals and three assists.
Source: Danny Webster
Source: Danny Webster
Quinn Hughes Available Saturday
Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes (illness) will be in action on Saturday against the Dallas Stars, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports. Zach Bogosian (lower body) has also been cleared to play, giving Minnesota's defense a boost. Hughes has been dealing with an illness lately and didn't suit up for the Wild's last two regular-season contests. The Olympic champion had 76 points (seven goals, 69 assists) in 74 games during the regular season, ranking as the league's fifth-highest scoring defenseman. Hughes notched 53 points (five goals, 48 assists) in 48 contests, playing an integral role for the team on both ends of the ice.
Source: Elliotte Friedman
Source: Elliotte Friedman
Miro Heiskanen Cleared for Game 1
Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (lower body) will play in Game 1 against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports. The Finnish defensive star was unavailable for the last three regular-season games due to a lower-body injury. Heiskanen finished the campaign as the NHL's ninth-highest scoring defenseman, posting 63 points (nine goals, 54 assists) in 77 contests. He averaged a point per game in four meetings with the Wild. As a member of the first defensive pairing and the top power-play unit, Heiskanen is set to have a huge workload in the playoffs and will be a popular pick among DFS managers.
Source: Elliotte Friedman
Source: Elliotte Friedman
Jesper Wallstedt to Start in Goal for Minnesota on Saturday
Jesper Wallstedt gets the start in goal for the Minnesota Wild on Saturday evening against the Dallas Stars. Wallstedt has been the better of the two Wild goaltenders during the 2025-26 season. In 33 games started, the 23-year-old has a record of 18-9-6. He has four shutouts with a 2.61 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. Wallstedt allowed two goals or fewer in eight of his final nine starts while posting a .930 save percentage since the trade deadline. The goaltender has a solid .830 high danger save percentage and Dallas scores more high danger goals than anyone in the league.
Source: Michael Russo
Source: Michael Russo
Logan Stankoven Presumed Ready for Game 1
Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven (illness) practiced on Friday. He was situated between his usual linemates, Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake. Walt Ruff noted that nothing appeared out of the ordinary with Stankoven during practice. The 23-year-old was missing from Thursday's practice due to a minor illness. The center moved around the middle six a bit but found a home on the second line during the season. Stankoven is one of Carolina's hottest players going into Round 1 with 11 points in his previous eight contests. This means the second line and power play unit will be 100% for Saturday afternoon against the Ottawa Senators.
Source: Walt Ruff
Source: Walt Ruff
