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Hurricanes Keep Faith in Frederik Andersen
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen struggled in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Montreal Canadiens, but the team will keep faith in him. "This game wasn't on him at all," Hurricanes head coach Brind'Amour said. "Freddie is pretty calm. One of his strengths is that he's able to just move on." Before Thursday's Game 1, Andersen was 8-0 this postseason, with a 1.12 goals-against average, a .950 save percentage, and two shutouts. He was beaten four times in the first period and finished with a .762 save percentage in a 6-2 loss. The Canadiens made Andersen look human again, but the veteran netminder rarely loses back-to-back games -- it's happened just twice in 2026.
Source: Kurt Dusterberg
Source: Kurt Dusterberg
Devon Levi Attracting Interest From Senators
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Devon Levi has many admirers among rival teams, including the Ottawa Senators, ESPN's Kevin Weekes reports. Goaltending was a problem for Ottawa this season, as the team ranked 31st in the league with a .882 save percentage. Former Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark missed 35 games for mental health reasons and lacked a serviceable backup. The highly rated Levi could address that issue. He might also be looking for a change of scenery after seeing action in only nine NHL games this season. Levi made his debut in the league a couple of campaigns ago and carries a 17-17-2 career record. He has registered a 3.29 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage. Levi has one season remaining on a two-year, $1.63 million contract.
Source: Kevin Weekes
Source: Kevin Weekes
Scott Wedgewood Starting Game 2 Against Golden Knights
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood will remain in the crease for Friday night's action against the Vegas Golden Knights, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports. Colorado has used both goalies in recent games, and there were questions about Wedgewood after he posted a .899 save percentage in a 4-2 Game 1 loss to Vegas. However, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar has decided to stick with Wedgewood for now. The 33-year-old has made nine postseason outings, going 7-2. He has a 2.32 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage. Throughout the season, Wedgewood has responded well to setbacks, losing consecutive starts only four times. Another strong bounce-back performance from him on Friday would be critical for Colorado.
Source: Evan Rawal
Source: Evan Rawal
Ben Hutton Scratched for Game 2 Against Avalanche
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Ben Hutton will sit out Game 2 against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday as a healthy scratch, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports. Hutton has been in the lineup since the start of the second round, making seven consecutive appearances. However, Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella has decided to give Kaedan Korczak another look. Korczak has made nine postseason appearances, recording one assist, three SOG, six blocks, and 19 hits. He will bring more physicality to the Vegas defense but is unlikely to make a fantasy impact.
Source: Jesse Granger
Source: Jesse Granger
Mark Stone Won't Play Friday
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (lower body) will remain sidelined on Friday against the Colorado Avalanche, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports. Stone skated on Friday morning, but his absence will stretch to five games. As a result, Brandon Saad is poised to remain in the lineup and will have a chance to record a point in a second consecutive game after contributing an assist in Wednesday's 4-2 win in Game 1 against Colorado. Meanwhile, Brett Howden will continue in a second-line role, aiming to set a new franchise record with a seven-game postseason road point streak.
Source: Jesse Granger
Source: Jesse Granger
Cale Makar Remains Out Friday
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (upper body) won't play in Game 2 against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday, ESPN's Ryan S. Clark reports. He will be out of the lineup for a second consecutive game due to an upper-body injury. Makar's absence leaves a gaping hole in Colorado's blue line, one that is nearly impossible to fill. The two-time Norris Trophy winner plays a major role on both ends of the ice. With Makar sidelined, Devon Toews led the team with 27:32 of ice time in Game 1, including 4:29 on the power play. Sam Malinski and Brent Burns also saw power-play time, while Brett Kulak was second among defensemen with 23:06 of ice time.
Source: Ryan S. Clark
Source: Ryan S. Clark
Sebastian Aho Picks Up an Assist in Series-Opening Loss
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho delivered one assist in Thursday's 6-2 Game 1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Finals. Coming off an 11-day break, the Hurricanes' top line showed no rust at the start of the game as Aho and Andrei Svechnikov set up Seth Jarvis for the opening goal. However, eight minutes later, the Hurricanes were already down 3-1 and couldn't avoid their first postseason loss of the year. Despite the team's dominance, Aho has not been very productive in the playoffs. He has five points (three goals, two assists) in nine games, going scoreless five times. Based on what we saw in Game 1, Carolina will be in major trouble in the series if the team's top centerman can't improve his offensive production.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Seth Jarvis Needs 33 Seconds to Score in Game 1 Loss
Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis scored only his second postseason goal of the year on Thursday, opening the scoring 33 seconds into Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens. This is the third-fastest postseason goal in franchise history. Unfortunately for Jarvis and the Hurricanes, Montreal answered with four goals in the first period and won 6-2. While Carolina cruised into the Conference Finals with back-to-back sweeps, Jarvis has not had much fun in these playoffs. He has been limited to five points (two goals, three assists) in nine games. The Canadiens look ready to go toe-to-toe with Carolina, so Jarvis' improved play would be a welcome boost to the team.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jaccob Slavin Struggles in Game 1 Against Canadiens
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin had a nightmare in Thursday's Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens, finishing a 6-2 home loss with a minus-four rating. He was on the ice for three of Montreal's four first-period goals. "Personally, I think I handed them the game," Slavin said postgame. "I've got to be better." This was only the second time the 11-year veteran finished a game at minus-three or worse. Slavin is widely regarded as one of the best defensive defensemen in the NHL and holds a plus-175 rating through 784 career regular-season games. He is plus-40 in 95 playoff outings. For this postseason, Slavin had an even rating before Thursday's game. He's averaged 2.11 blocks per game, but his offensive output has been limited to one assist in nine contests.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jakub Dobes Sharp in Game 1 Victory
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes kicked off the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes with a strong performance, recording 25 saves with a .926 save percentage in a 6-2 win. Seth Jarvis beat Dobes with just 33 seconds played in the first period, but he rebounded well from the early setback. Montreal's offense, which erupted for four first-period goals, also played a major role in the series opener. Dobes is now 9-6 this postseason -- only 10 rookie netminders have had more wins in a playoff year. The 24-year-old holds a 2.48 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Cole Caufield Bags Two Points in Impressive Road Win
Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield posted his third multi-point game of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday, tallying a goal and an assist in a 6-2 road win over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes scored just 33 seconds into the game, but Caufield answered right back at the 1:00 mark. He later assisted Juraj Slafkovsky on Montreal's fifth goal in the third period. This game saw Caufield notch twice as many even-strength points as he had in all previous postseason games combined. The Hurricanes have allowed only two power-play goals in the playoffs, so Caufield's even-strength play will be critical for Montreal in the Conference Finals. After a huge 51-goal, 88-point regular season, Caufield has struggled to generate offense in the postseason. With 15 games played, he has contributed five goals and six assists.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Juraj Slafkovsky Opens Conference Finals With Three-Point Performance
Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky made his mark with two goals and one assist in a 6-2 Game 1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. He set up Cole Caufield in the first period and produced two third-period goals, including an empty-netter. Finally, Slafkovsky didn't need the power play to make an impact. Entering Thursday's action, the 22-year-old had only one even-strength point this postseason. With Carolina's penalty kill at 95.2%, getting Slafkovsky to score at even strength is huge for Montreal. He has tallied six goals and six assists in 15 games during the team's playoff run.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Nick Suzuki Notches Three Assists in Game 1 Win Over Hurricanes
Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki collected three assists in Thursday's big 6-2 road win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes. He had his first helper just a minute into the game and added two more in the final frame. This was a historic outing for Suzuki, who now holds the longest postseason-opening road point streak in franchise history at nine games. The Canadiens captain will have a chance to match the league record in Game 2. With Suzuki picking up points for fun on the road, he has taken over the postseason scoring lead on his team, bagging 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in 15 games.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Alex Tuch Hopes to Remain in Buffalo
Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch hopes to stay with the team, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports. Tuch is a pending unrestricted free agent and is likely to have several suitors if he hits the open market. The 30-year-old has been eligible to sign an extension with Buffalo since last summer, but talks on a new deal haven't progressed yet. In 2025-25, Tuch was second on his team in goals (33) and third in points (66) in 79 regular-season games. However, he hit a wall during the playoffs, going scoreless in the entire seven-game Round 2 series against Montreal. Tuch finished the postseason with seven points (three goals, four assists) in 13 games. He's still in his prime at 30 years old and should be good for 60-70 points again next season.
Source: Heather Engel
Source: Heather Engel
Sidney Crosby Wants to Play for "as Many Years as Possible"
Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby is not thinking about retirement after his 21st NHL campaign, Josh Yohe of the Athletic reports. "I definitely want to keep playing for as many years as possible," Crosby told Yohe. He even said it "would be nice" to play for five more years. Crosby has a contract with the Penguins through the 2027 offseason. When it ends, he's ready to take one-year deals to give the team more flexibility in building the roster. Crosby will turn 39 a couple of months before the 2026-27 season kicks off. His game has aged exceptionally well, as he averaged 1.09 points this season, keeping him among the NHL's most productive players.
Source: Josh Yohe
Source: Josh Yohe
