April 20, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning winger Jake Guentzel contributed on offense with three assists in Sunday's 4-3 overtime defeat against the Montreal Canadiens. He helped Darren Raddysh bag a power-play goal and set up Brandon Hagel twice, with his second goal also coming on the power play. Guentzel became the second player in Lightning history to record a hat trick of assists in a playoff opener. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, the 31-year-old star forward also had a negative impact in the game. With 21 seconds remaining in regulation, Guentzel received a high-sticking penalty, and Montreal scored on the ensuing power play early in overtime. In total, there were five power-play goals in this contest, so it appears special teams will play a crucial role in this matchup.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 20, 2026
Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky led his team to Game 1 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday, contributing three power-play goals in a 4-3 overtime win. The 22-year-old became only the 12th player in NHL history to record a playoff hat trick consisting solely of power-play goals. Additionally, he's now the third Montreal player to complete a three-goal game in the postseason with an overtime winner. Slafkovsky, Slovakia's Olympic star, seems to thrive on big occasions, and it's a matchup that has brought him success throughout the campaign. In four regular-season meetings with the Lightning, Slafkovsky tallied four goals and three assists.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 20, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Charle-Edouard D'Astous (undisclosed) exited Sunday's Game 1 loss against the Montreal Canadiens midway through the second period, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The 27-year-old rookie couldn't finish the contest after drawing a charging penalty from Canadiens forward Josh Anderson. With Tampa Bay's blue line battling all sorts of injuries, D'Astous has stepped up this season, recording 29 points (six goals, 23 assists), 80 SOG, 74 blocks, and 96 hits in 70 regular-season games. In an ideal world, the Lightning would love to get Victor Hedman (personal) back in the lineup for Game 2, but Declan Carlile is the likely replacement for D'Astous if needed.
--Taavi PailkSource: Eduardo A. Encina
April 20, 2026
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (lower body) could return to action on Monday night against the Anaheim Ducks, Derek Van Diest of NHL reports. The German superstar didn't play in the final 14 regular-season games due to a lower-body injury. "The way the Edmonton Oilers forward was skating in practice Sunday seemed to indicate he'll be in the lineup for Game 1," Van Diest writes. It was initially feared that Draisaitl would not be healthy for the start of the playoffs. However, he's had a week's worth of practices under his belt and seems to have a strong chance to return on Monday. In two regular-season contests against the Ducks, Draisaitl recorded four assists.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
April 19, 2026
Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub (undisclosed) is questionable for Game 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday. The Russian veteran suffered an undisclosed injury in Saturday's series opener. According to Graeme Nichols of The Hockey News, Senators head coach Travis Green didn't have an update on Zub when he spoke to reporters on Sunday. Zub's absence would be a significant blow for Ottawa, as he's had a career year in 2025-26. Across 81 regular-season outings, Zub picked up 30 points (five goals, 25 assists) and had 120 blocks. He also finished with a team-best plus-22 rating. Lassi Thomson is the likeliest candidate to step in for Zub should he be unable to go,
--Taavi PailkSource: Graeme Nichols
April 19, 2026
Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka will start on Sunday in Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights, Brogan Houston of the Deseret News reports. This will be Vejmelka's first career game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He enters the postseason after a good regular-season campaign. Vejmelka had the second-most wins among all goalies, finishing with a 38-20-3 record. In addition, he registered a 2.75 goals-against average, a .897 save percentage, and two shutouts. Vejmelka's last shutout came against the Golden Knights on March 19 in a 4-0 win. He went 2-1-0 in this matchup during the regular season, allowing only five goals on 95 SOG.
--Taavi PailkSource: Brogan Houston
April 19, 2026
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart will be between the pipes in Sunday's Game 1 against the Utah Mammoth, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Hart had a very strong finish to the regular season and is also getting the trust for the playoff opener. In April, Hart has won all six starts, registering a 1.66 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage. Overall, the 27-year-old finished with an 11-3-3 regular-season record. He didn't pick up any shutouts but produced a solid 2.71 goals-against average with a .891 save percentage. Hart and the Golden Knights are heavy favorites in the opening round, but there may be some hiccups against a Utah team that is tied for the third-best offensive record this month, averaging 4.13 goals per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: Danny Webster
April 19, 2026
Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman will start Sunday's Game 1 against the Buffalo Sabres, Scott McLaughlin of WEEI reports. The 2026 Olympic champion will begin his fifth postseason campaign in the NHL. Swayman has a 9-10 record in the playoffs with the Bruins, allowing 2.38 goals with a .922 save percentage. He was also very reliable for the team during the regular season, reaching the 30-win plateau for the first time in his career. Swayman finished with a 31-18-4 record and had a 2.71 goals-against average, a .908 save percentage, and two shutouts. When he's on his game, it's very difficult to get pucks past Swayman, and Buffalo knows it all too well. Swayman made 21 saves in his lone regular-season appearance against the Sabres in a 3-1 win on Oct. 11.
--Taavi PailkSource: Scott McLaughlin
April 19, 2026
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (lower body) will dress for Sunday's Game 1 against the Boston Bruins, Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com reports. It was initially believed that Lyon might not be available at the start of the postseason due to a lower-body injury. However, the 33-year-old will be ready to jump into action if needed. The Sabres are expected to start with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on Sunday night. Lyon recorded just two fewer wins than Luukkonen during the regular season, and the Finnish netminder must be sharp to avoid losing his No. 1 status in the playoffs.
--Taavi PailkSource: Amalie Benjamin
April 19, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning center Dominic James (lower body) has been activated from Injured Reserve, Diandra Loux of The Hockey News reports. The 23-year-old is set to return to action in Sunday's Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens. James last played on Feb. 28, when he suffered a lower-body injury in a loss to Buffalo. He was expected to miss at least eight weeks after surgery, but the speedy forward is ready to return sooner. James finished his rookie campaign with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 43 games. On Saturday, James practiced on the fourth line and also worked with the second power-play unit.
--Taavi PailkSource: Diandra Loux
April 19, 2026
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.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: Ryan Bowlin
April 19, 2026
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.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: Ryan Henkel
April 19, 2026
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.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: Adam Kimelman
April 19, 2026
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.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: Cory Lavalette
April 19, 2026
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.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: Alex Micheletti
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