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Mats Zuccarello Extends Point Streak to Five Games
Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello extended his personal point streak to five games with an assist in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. The veteran forward became only the third player in Wild history to record a point in each of his first five appearances of a postseason campaign. He has tallied two goals and five assists in five games. Zuccarello was unavailable for three contests during Round 1 against Dallas due to an upper-body injury. Since returning to the lineup, Zuccarello has formed a prolific trio with Kirill Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman. He is also a threat on the first power-play unit.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kirill Kaprizov Nets Third Playoff Goal
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov scored his third goal of the 2026 postseason in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. The Russian star needed just six seconds to respond to Martin Necas' opening goal in the first period. Unfortunately for the Wild, they were second-best again in the matchup and will take a 2-0 series deficit back home. On Tuesday night, Kaprizov caught teammate Quinn Hughes atop the postseason scoring charts. He has tallied 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in eight games. Including the regular season, Kaprizov has posted four goals and eight points in six meetings with the Avalanche this season. Colorado is struggling to contain him, but Kaprizov clearly needs more help in the series.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Scott Wedgewood Returns to Form in Game 2 Against Wild
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood stopped 29 of 31 pucks in Tuesday's 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild. While Wedgewood finished with one fewer save than in Game 1 of the series, his performance was much better. His save percentage went from .833 to .935. The 33-year-old looked unbeatable at times during the regular season and has also been brilliant for the Avalanche in the playoffs. Wedgewood has won all six starts, allowing 2.12 goals with a .923 save percentage. Cam Ward and Tiny Thompson are the only netminders in NHL history to win each of their first seven career postseason starts. Wedgewood can join them in Game 3 against Minnesota.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Gabriel Landeskog Picks Up Two Power-Play Points Tuesday
Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog made the difference with the man advantage in Game 2 against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night, recording two power-play points in a 5-2 win. The Avalanche captain netted his team's second goal and assisted Nathan MacKinnon on the fourth. After being limited to 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists) in 60 regular-season outings, Landeskog has elevated his performance in the playoffs. He is riding a five-game point streak and has seven points (three goals, four assists) in six games overall. The Wild have a horrible 59.8 percent penalty kill in the playoffs, setting Landeskog up for further success in the second-round matchup.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Martin Necas Has Second Straight Multi-Point Outing
Colorado Avalanche right wing Martin Necas contributed a goal and an assist in Tuesday's 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild, giving him back-to-back multi-point games. The Czech star opened the scoring at even strength in Game 2 of the second-round series and added a power-play assist. Despite a slow start in the playoffs, Necas is averaging more than a point per game. He's had five points in the first two contests against Minnesota, bringing his total to seven points (one goal, six assists) in six games. While Necas' goal-scoring numbers have been disappointing in the postseason, he's getting plenty of scoring chances, averaging three SOG per game. His puck luck should eventually turn around.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Nathan MacKinnon Joins Exclusive List With Another Three-Point Performance
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon notched one goal and two assists in Tuesday's 5-2 Game 2 victory over the Minnesota Wild. He recorded two points on the power play, including his goal. The 2024 MVP became only the sixth player in the past 40 years to post three consecutive three-point games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. MacKinnon has truly come to life after recording only one point through his first three playoff outings. With six games played, MacKinnon boasts four goals and six assists. This could be a highly productive series for the Avalanche superstar, as Minnesota's defense is struggling badly, allowing 14 goals in two games.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Maple Leafs Win Draft Lottery
The Toronto Maple Leafs won the NHL draft lottery on Tuesday night, putting the team in pole position to select highly rated forward Gavin McKenna with the first pick, ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reports. McKenna, who will turn 19 in December, has long been considered a generational talent. He will enter the draft after finishing as the Big Ten top scorer with Penn State, amassing 51 points (15 goals, 38 assists) in 35 appearances. Adding him to the mix should give a big boost to the Maple Leafs, who ended up at the bottom of the Atlantic Division in 2025-26. Toronto is selecting first in the draft for the third time in franchise history, following 2016 (Auston Matthews) and 1985 (Wendel Clark).
Source: Greg Wyshynski
Source: Greg Wyshynski
Radko Gudas to Remain Sidelined Wednesday
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (lower body) won't play in Game 2 against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports. The Czech veteran will sit out a seventh consecutive contest. However, Gudas has resumed skating, and Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville expects him to return to action "at some point in this series." Due to Gudas' lingering lower-body injury, Drew Helleson has become a regular in the lineup. Yet he hasn't earned much trust from Quenneville, averaging just 8:30 of ice time in the playoffs.
Source: Derek Lee
Source: Derek Lee
Sam Carrick Upgraded to Day-to-Day
Buffalo Sabres center Sam Carrick (arm) has been upgraded to day-to-day, head coach Lindy Ruff revealed on Tuesday. Carrick practiced on Tuesday and could be an option to make his 2026 postseason debut in Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. Initially, Carrick was believed not to be an option for Round 2 due to an arm injury sustained in a fight with New York Islanders forward Anders Lee on March 31. Carrick could be a useful addition to the Sabres' lineup, having recorded five goals, one assist, and 20 hits in 13 regular-season outings with the team.
Source: Sportsnet
Source: Sportsnet
Noah Cates Considered Day-to-Day
Philadelphia Flyers center Noah Cates (lower body) is day-to-day, Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Cates was hurt in Monday's overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes and was seen holding a walking boot for his right foot after the game. Another absence up front would be a bitter blow for the Flyers, who have already been without Owen Tippett (undisclosed) at the start of the series. Tippett is also considered day-to-day ahead of Game 3 on Thursday. Cates has been among Philadelphia's highest scorers in the playoffs, with four points (one goal, three assists) in eight games. He finished the regular season with a career-high 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) in 82 outings.
Source: Jackie Spiegel
Source: Jackie Spiegel
Alexander Nikishin Cleared to Play in Game 3 Against Flyers
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin (concussion) has been cleared to return to the lineup, Kurt Dusterberg of NHL.com reports. He will be an option to play in Game 3 against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. Nikishin missed the first two games of the series due to a concussion sustained in a matchup with Ottawa on April 25. Mike Reilly has played in Nikishin's place, making a positive impact with two assists in two games. Nikishin has yet to score any points this postseason after having 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 81 regular-season contests.
Source: Kurt Dusterberg
Source: Kurt Dusterberg
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
