NHL News

Jake Sanderson • D • Senators

Jake Sanderson Records Two Assists in Losing Effort

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson completed Monday's 3-2 double-overtime defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes with two assists. After they were shut out in Game 1, the Senators again struggled to generate offense, but Sanderson's playmaking ability helped them grab a pair of goals in the second period. Sanderson has now recorded three multi-point games in his last five outings. Playing the Hurricanes seems to suit him. He has now faced them eight times since the start of the 2023-24 regular season, totaling eight points (one goal, seven assists). If Sanderson can maintain his point-per-game pace in this matchup, Ottawa will still have a chance to advance despite heading into Game 3 with a 2-0 deficit.

8 hours ago

Brock Faber • D • Wild

Brock Faber Bags Two Goals in Monday's Defeat

Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber was the team's lone goal-scorer in Monday's 4-2 Game 2 loss to the Dallas Stars. He tallied his first career postseason goals, finding the back of the net 11:33 into the first period and midway through the third. Jared Spurgeon was previously the only defenseman to score multiple goals in a playoff contest for the Wild. Faber's defensive partner, Quinn Hughes, had an assist on both of his goals. After finishing scoreless across 12 outings in his first two playoff runs, Faber has started the 2026 postseason action with two goals and one assist in two games.

8 hours ago

Wyatt Johnston • C • Stars

Wyatt Johnston Notches Two Goals in Game 2 Win

Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston produced two goals in Monday's Game 2 against the Minnesota Wild, helping his team to a 4-2 win. He opened the scoring with an even-strength tally and iced the game with an empty-netter. The 22-year-old rebounded well from his disappointing outing in the series opener, where Johnston had a minus-three rating. With Roope Hintz (lower body) sidelined, Johnston operates as Dallas' first-line center and has relished the opportunity. Dating back to the regular season, Johnston has tallied nine points (six goals, three assists) in his last seven outings.

8 hours ago

Troy Terry • RW • Ducks

Troy Terry Has Special Playoffs Debut

Anaheim Ducks right wing Troy Terry made a big impact in his first career Stanley Cup Playoffs game on Monday, recording two goals and one assist in a 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Terry did all of his damage in the third period, matching a franchise record for most points in a single playoff period. Additionally, he joined Paul Kariya as the only players in Ducks history to record three-point performances in their playoff debut. Terry was quiet late in the regular season, and the Ducks will be pleased to see him shine on the postseason stage.

8 hours ago

Dan Vladar • G • Flyers

Dan Vladar Leads Flyers to Victory With 27-Save Shutout

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar was excellent in Monday's Game 2 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, recording his first career postseason shutout with 27 saves in a 3-0 win. The Czechia netminder had an impressive regular season and has shown early in the playoffs that Philadelphia can also count on him under postseason pressure. The team now needs to see some big home performances from Vladar. During the regular season, he posted a 13-6-0 record on home ice, with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage.

8 hours ago

Yakov Trenin • C • Wild

Yakov Trenin Suffers Upper-Body Injury in Game 2

Minnesota Wild forward Yakov Trenin (upper body) didn't finish Monday's Game 2 loss to the Dallas Stars. He sustained an upper-body injury in the first period from a hit by Stars forward Colin Blackwell. Trenin himself had three hits in the game, despite logging only 3:02 of ice time. He was a runaway leader in the league with 413 hits in 82 games during the regular season. His physical presence will be a big miss for Minnesota if Trenin can't suit up for Game 3 on Wednesday. In a bottom-six role, Trenin also made a decent contribution on the offensive end during the regular season, finishing with 23 points (six goals, 17 assists).

8 hours ago

Rasmus Sandin • D • Capitals

Rasmus Sandin to Miss Start of 2026-27

Washington Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin (knee) is expected to miss the start of 2026-27. Sandin injured his right knee earlier this month, sitting out the last two regular-season games. On Monday, Capitals general manager Chris Patrick told reporters Sandin is "going to miss a decent amount of time." When asked whether his injury would impact next season, Patrick said, "Yes." Sandin finished the 2025-26 campaign with 29 points (five goals, 24 assists), 90 SOG, 127 blocks, 88 hits, and a plus-four rating in 73 contests. With John Carlson now in Anaheim, Sandin could enjoy a larger role next season, but he needs to get healthy first.

8 hours ago

Charle-Edouard D'Astous • D • Lightning

Charle-Edouard D'Astous Doubtful for Game 2

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Charle-Edouard D'Astous (undisclosed) is doubtful for Tuesday's Game 2 against the Montreal Canadiens, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports. He was injured in Sunday's series opener and didn't practice on Monday. According to Lightning head Jon Cooper, Maxwell Crozier and Declan Carlile are in contention to fill in for D'Astous in Tuesday's game. Carlile skated with D'Astous's partner Emil Lilleberg on Monday. Tuesday's game would be Carlile's Stanley Cup Playoffs debut. He appeared in 42 games during the regular season but didn't do much from a fantasy perspective. Carlile recorded three points (one goal, two assists), 33 SOG, 38 blocks, and 51 hits.

23 hours ago

Roope Hintz • C • Stars

Roope Hintz to Miss at Least Two More Games

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (lower body) will be unavailable for at least two more games, Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports. He will sit out Monday's Game 2 against the Minnesota Wild and isn't expected to be in the lineup for Wednesday's Game 3 either. Hintz last played on March 6 and isn't even skating on his own yet, which suggests he isn't close to returning. In Hintz's absence, Justin Hryckowian has gotten an opportunity on the first line at the start of the postseason. In Game 1, Hryckowian failed to register any attempts on the net but led his team with six hits in 13:00 of ice time.

23 hours ago

Ross Johnston • LW • Ducks

Ross Johnston Won't Play in Game 1 Against Oilers

Anaheim Ducks left wing Ross Johnston (lower body) isn't available for Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night, Derek Van Diest of NHL.com reports. Due to a lower-body injury, Johnston hasn't seen any action for close to six weeks. He was initially ruled out for 2-4 weeks. While Johnston's recovery has taken longer than expected, Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville believes he will play against Edmonton at some point during the first-round series. Johnston's return would beef up the Ducks' lineup, as he registered a team-high 192 hits in the regular season. Offensively, he contributed three goals and 11 assists in 64 games.

23 hours ago

Artem Zub • D • Senators

Artem Zub Considered a Game-Time Decision Monday

Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision on Monday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The versatile blue-liner sustained an undisclosed injury in the series opener on Saturday, and it's unclear whether he will feel well enough to play. Following the morning skate, Senators head coach Travis Green told reporters that Zub's availability will be determined after the pregame warmups. If Zub is out, Nikolas Matinpalo is set to have a larger role as a member of the top four. Lassi Thomson would step into the lineup as his replacement.

23 hours ago

Tyler Kleven • D • Senators

Tyler Kleven Remains Out Monday

Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven (upper body) won't play in Monday's Game 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes. He has been out for eight straight games after taking a puck to the face in a contest against Buffalo on April 2. The encouraging news for Ottawa is that Kleven skated wearing a regular jersey on Monday morning. This suggests he will be an option later in the series. In the meantime, Dennis Gilbert will skate on the third defensive pairing. He logged 8:26 of action in Game 1, recording one block, four hits, and four penalty minutes.

23 hours ago

Jason Dickinson • C • Oilers

Jason Dickinson a Game-Time Call Monday

Edmonton Oilers center Jason Dickinson (leg) is a game-time decision for Monday's tilt against the Anaheim Ducks, ESPN's Emily Kaplan reports. The 30-year-old sustained a leg injury late in the regular season and has missed three games. However, Dickinson was cleared for practice on Sunday and appears likely to return Monday night. If he's ready, Dickinson is expected to skate on the third line alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jack Roslovic. That line could find offensive success in a situation where the Ducks' defense must focus much of its attention on stopping Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl (lower-body). Dickinson has recorded nine points (five goals, four assists) in 40 career playoff appearances.

Yesterday

Leon Draisaitl • C • Oilers

Leon Draisaitl Expected to Return Monday

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (lower body) is expected to return to action on Monday against the Anaheim Ducks, ESPN's Emily Kaplan reports. On Monday morning, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said Draisaitl was a game-time call. The star forward has been out for 14 games with a lower-body injury. But he looks good to go for Game 1 against the Ducks after the team activated Draisaitl from long-term Injured Reserve ahead of Monday's contest. Draisaitl's return to the lineup will be a major boost for the Oilers, as he's averaged 1.47 points per game in 96 career postseason appearances -- only four players have a higher scoring rate in Stanley Cup Playoffs history.

Yesterday

Logan Cooley • C • Mammoth

Logan Cooley Scores Mammoth's First-Ever Playoff Goal

Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley became the franchise's first-ever playoff goal-scorer in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Mammoth enjoyed a strong start in Vegas, and Cooley put the visitors up with 11 ticks left in the opening frame. Having also factored on Utah's first-ever regular-season goal, Cooley is now one of only six players in NHL history to contribute to a franchise's first regular-season and playoff goal. Cooley's team is a clear underdog in the matchup against the Golden Knights, so he'll need to stay productive throughout the series for the Mammoth to have a chance of surviving the first round.

Yesterday

David Pastrnak • RW • Bruins

David Pastrnak Finishes Game 1 Loss With Three Points

Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak opened his 2026 postseason campaign with a three-point effort in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. With two assists, Pastrnak helped Boston build a 2-0 lead, but the Sabres responded with four unanswered goals in the third period. Pastrnak also had a power-play goal in the final seconds. Combined with the regular season, Pastrnak has now produced four goals and five assists in five meetings with the Sabres this term. Buffalo doesn't seem to have answers for him, but the Czechia star will need more support from his teammates for Boston to get past the opening round.

Yesterday

Tage Thompson • C • Sabres

Tage Thompson Bags Three Points in Postseason Debut

Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson made a big impact in his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut on Sunday against the Boston Bruins, registering three points in a 4-3 win. The Olympic champion led Buffalo's comeback charge in the third period, tying the game at two with a pair of goals. He also had an assist on Alex Tuch's empty-net goal, becoming only the second player in franchise history to pick up three points in their postseason debut. At the same time, Thompson matched Buffalo's record for most points scored in a playoff period. This could be a special series for Thompson, who was one of only 10 players with at least 40 goals and 40 assists during the regular season.

Yesterday

Jake Guentzel • LW • Lightning

Jake Guentzel Records Three Assists Sunday

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.

Yesterday

Juraj Slafkovsky • LW • Canadiens

Juraj Slafkovsky Nets Unique Hat Trick in Playoff Opener

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.

Yesterday

Charle-Edouard D'Astous • D • Lightning

Charle-Edouard D'Astous Hurt in Game 1 Loss

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.

Yesterday

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