Past analysis of Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Our hockey writers are sharing observations throughout Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Here's an archive of our analysis from previous days. Click to return to the main story.

Wednesday, April 23

Oilers unite nuclear top line

The Oilers desperately need to bring a split back to Edmonton, and they are sending out a much different top-six for Wednesday's Game 2 in Los Angeles. After combining for six points in Game 1, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will be together on the top line with Corey Perry completing the trio. Although McDavid and Draisaitl played fewer minutes together in 2024-25 than in past seasons, they absolutely dominated when united by outscoring opponents 31-18 at five-on-five while controlling 66.7% of expected goals.

Evander Kane will suit up for his first contest since Game 2 of last year's Stanley Cup Final. He's slated to occupy the left wing spot with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman, and the Oilers are hopeful he can make the impact he used to as a physical goal-scorer after recovering from multiple surgeries.

There's no doubt the Oilers' new-look lineup will be difficult to slow down, but after surrendering six goals in the series opener, is extra offensive punch enough to fix what ails them? - Sean O'Leary

Kings show killer instinct

A year ago, the lethal Oilers power play shelled the Kings for nine goals on 20 opportunities in a brisk five-game triumph.

Zach Hyman's tap-ins, Evan Bouchard's clappers, and Leon Draisaitl's rips from sharp angles all found the net. Eight of Connor McDavid's 11 assists in the series came on the man advantage. Los Angeles couldn't contain that many threats for two minutes at a time. Even when a valiant defensive stand limited Edmonton to 13 shots, that power play made the difference in a 1-0 game.

L.A. can afford to lose the special teams battle in the teams' fourth straight meeting, but it can't be lost decisively. Mission accomplished in Game 1. A subtle subplot of the Kings' frenzied 6-5 win was the fact they earned three more power-play attempts (5-2), struck twice with the extra man, and blanked Edmonton's unit.

Those Kings goals came at good times - 2:49 into the game and 4 seconds into a late five-on-three. They were penalized for cross-checking Mattias Janmark and hooking Viktor Arvidsson but otherwise avoided the box. By keeping five guys on the ice, they didn't hand gimmes to McDavid and forced him to spur a comeback with a ridiculous degree of difficulty. When McDavid achieved that, equalizing Game 1 after Edmonton trailed by four goals, L.A. survived anyway.

The Kings' 81.4% kill rate ranked eighth in the regular season. Stoning power plays was Darcy Kuemper's specialty. Kuemper's .892 penalty-kill save percentage ranked fourth among qualified goaltenders, and he allowed two more goals than backup David Rittich in twice as many PK minutes, per Natural Stat Trick. He needs to stay square to the puck and stand tall in vulnerable situations throughout the series. - Nick Faris

Laine factor in full effect

The Capitals were a handful against the Canadiens in Monday's Game 1, generating a whopping 12 scoring chances off the rush and 26 shots from the slot. Many of Washington's forwards are both big and skilled, and they attacked Montreal in waves.

This imbalance puts extra emphasis on the Canadiens' top offensive weapons. Coach Martin St. Louis doesn't have to worry about Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Lane Hutson contributing. All three showed up in the opener and can be relied upon to do the same in Wednesday's Game 2.

Expectations should be relatively low for Ivan Demidov, who's 19 and has played three total NHL games. Ditto for Juraj Slafkovsky, who goes as his linemates Caufield and Suzuki go at this point in his development. The Habs' only other true game-breaker? Patrik Laine.

Laine, 27, is 500-plus games into his career as a one-shot sniper. He posted 20 goals in 52 games this season, his first in Montreal, to trail only Caufield in goals per game, despite dealing with multiple injuries and illnesses. Laine was busy in Game 1, posting 10 shot attempts (five on goal) and three hits while adding an assist. He took one penalty and drew another.

Laine is the Habs' top triggerman on the power play. At five-on-five, he receives favorable deployment alongside Demidov and center Alex Newhook, almost always starting his shifts in the offensive zone. The $8.7-million man is paid to score goals, and he needs to if Montreal is going to push Washington in a series between 111- and 91-point teams. - John Matisz

Tkachuk, Kaprizov provide jolts

The last time we saw Matthew Tkachuk, he was hurt and stapled to the bench as the United States lost narrowly to Canada in the thrilling 4 Nations Face-Off final. Tkachuk jacked up the intensity of the event with goals and punches, and he tried to play through pain, but he injured his groin and missed the next two months on LTIR.

He returned with a vengeance Tuesday night to humiliate another hated foe, the Lightning, on their home ice. Tkachuk's three power-play points - two goals and a primary assist - in a 6-2 rout helped the Panthers run away with the Battle of Florida opener. He scored on a dipsy-doodle to punish a complete defensive breakdown. He was quick to capitalize five minutes later when he realized Andrei Vasilevskiy lost sight of the puck.

Only Connor McDavid has more multi-point playoff games than Tkachuk's 16 since the Panthers acquired him from the Flames in 2022. His scoring ability and ruthless competitive streak changed the franchise. Tkachuk can push it too far - dressing for the 4 Nations final when he could barely skate hurt Team USA - but he generally thrives when animosity, emotion, and pressure ratchet up.

Tkachuk played the equivalent of fourth-line minutes at even strength in Game 1 as Florida eased him into action. He rediscovered his momentum, extending a personal seven-game goal streak that dates to Jan. 29. He has 19 points in his past nine appearances. When the Panthers limped to the finish with a .540 points percentage after the 4 Nations, believers countered they'd be scary with a healthy lineup.

Similar logic applied to the Wild. They lost Kirill Kaprizov to a lower-body injury for half the season and would have slid below the playoff cutline if he was out longer. But Kaprizov produced like an Art Ross contender when he was healthy, played four tuneup games in April, and made three special plays to knot Minnesota's series with the Golden Knights.

Kaprizov's unreal two-line saucer pass sprung linemate Matt Boldy for Tuesday's opening goal. His no-look shot on an odd-man rush deceived Adin Hill. And he hit the empty net from 200 feet away to seal a 5-2 win. The Wild lack imposing depth, but Vegas is struggling to contain the Kaprizov-Boldy-Joel Eriksson Ek line (61% expected goals percentage through two games). - Nick Faris

Vasilevskiy's playoff woes continue

Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped just 10 of 16 shots Tuesday night in the Lightning's 6-2 loss to the Panthers in Game 1. Not all six goals were his fault, but he'd certainly like to have a couple back. Perhaps more worrisome is that poor playoff outings have become a trend for Vasilevskiy - something that would've been unfathomable a few years ago.

Vasilevskiy was arguably the most important piece of Tampa Bay's three consecutive Cup Final appearances from 2020-22. He owned a .928 save percentage across those three runs and won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2021 when he amazingly recorded four series-clinching shutouts.

But it's been a completely different story in the postseason ever since for Vasilevskiy. In 2023 he posted an .875 save percentage in a six-game series loss to the Maple Leafs in Round 1. Let's chalk that up to wear and tear from the prior three runs. In 2024 he had an .897 save percentage in a five-game series loss to the Panthers in Round 1. He missed the first two months of the 2023-24 season after back surgery and never quite returned to form, so we'll cut him some slack for that one, too.

But after a long, healthy offseason, Vasilevskiy turned in a vintage regular season with a .921 save percentage in 63 games that earned him a second-place Vezina Trophy finish in theScore's hypothetical awards ballot. It clearly didn't carry over into Tuesday's Game 1, though. - Josh Wegman

Younger Domi makes his mark

Tie Domi antagonized the Senators with his fists, but the feared enforcer and Maple Leafs fan favorite only scored once in four heated Battle of Ontario playoff series. His son, Max Domi, took command of the fifth matchup for Toronto.

Domi's first goal since March 30, and only his sixth in 46 games in 2025, eluded Linus Ullmark's blocker and rang in off the post at 3:09 of overtime Tuesday. The Leafs won 3-2 and lead the series 2-0 as it shifts to Ottawa.

Domi turned a low-percentage play - four Senators surrounded him and Simon Benoit - into a game-ending snipe with a slick offensive move. He poked Benoit's back pass away from Dylan Cozens and deftly sidestepped Drake Batherson, whose turnover to Benoit at the other end proved damning.

Poor puck management and limp defending in that moment reminded the Sens of the cruelty of playoff overtime. Mistakes wind up in the net. Based on historical outcomes tracked by Hockey Reference, Ottawa's odds of eliminating Toronto as the lower seed veered from 48.3% had it leveled the series to 13.7% with the Game 2 loss. - Nick Faris

Tuesday, April 22

Leafs' Rielly redeeming himself

The "What's wrong with Morgan Rielly?" storyline kept popping up in Toronto throughout most of the regular season. The Leafs' longest-tenured player and highest-paid defenseman wasn't reliable defensively (typical) or offensively (atypical) in his 12th campaign. He even lost his spot on the top power-play unit.

The storyline fizzled after the March acquisition of former Bruin Brandon Carlo. Rielly and Carlo jelled almost immediately, controlling play and outscoring the opposition 12-8 at five-on-five over 20 games.

The 31-year-old Rielly's continued to redeem himself this postseason. He has potted a goal in both of Toronto's home victories to open the Battle of Ontario, including a third-period Game 1 point shot and a back-door tap-in less than four minutes into Tuesday's Game 2.

The Game 2 goal was vintage Playoff Rielly. He snuck past Senators forward Drake Batherson and offered teammate William Nylander a clear passing target. Rielly then perfectly timed a swipe at the puck with his stick on the ice and skates pointed at the net. The puck hit his left skate and went in.

The Leafs have famously won one playoff series in Rielly's career. That happened in 2023 when he contributed four goals and eight assists in 11 games. His defense wasn't perfect in that run - it never is. But similar to the first two games this year against Ottawa, he was assertive offensively. - John Matisz

Sens get stapled to perimeter

Shot quality tends to outweigh shot quantity in the modern NHL. Ottawa's performance Tuesday night was a prime example.

The Senators recorded 75 shot attempts against the Leafs in a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime Game 2 loss. That seems like a ton of offense. However, only 28 of those attempts counted as a shot on goal. The remaining 47 either missed the net (15) or were blocked (32).

It's good to have the puck on your stick more than the other team, which the Sens did Tuesday. It's also good to rack up offensive-zone time - again, gold star for Ottawa. But goals will still be hard to come by if you can't convert puck possession into high-quality scoring chances. And the best way to generate high-quality chances is to infiltrate the middle of the ice.

Tim Stutzle is a case in point. He earned an assist in Game 2 and has played OK overall this series. Yet the Sens' most electric player has a grand total of two high-danger attempts and has been largely ineffective off the rush, where he usually excels. That's not good enough.

The Leafs deserve credit. Ottawa's attackers are being forced to grind through layers of defenders in Toronto's zone, with Leafs skaters clogging passing and shooting lanes with their sticks and bodies. Goalie Anthony Stolarz has been phenomenal, too, stopping 57 of 61 Ottawa shots so far. - John Matisz

Bolts equipped for big test

Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy have nothing to prove. They're two-time Stanley Cup champions with growing trophy cases and ironclad legacies. But the latest installment of the Battle of Florida, which gets underway Tuesday night, offers a chance at redemption.

Neither Lightning linchpin was his best self in last year's hasty Round 1 exit. Kucherov produced seven assists in five games against the archrival Panthers but coughed up the puck in tough spots and mostly looked dejected, not dominant. Florida, the eventual Cup winner, made Vasilevskiy seem pedestrian. His save percentage was .880 from Games 3-5 and .897 over the full series.

Last year's matchup wasn't an even fight. Those Panthers were the NHL's best defensive team (allowed 2.41 goals per game) and won the Atlantic Division with 12 more points than their state foe. The Lightning's defense (3.26 goals against) was the leakiest it's been during Jon Cooper's long, distinguished coaching tenure. Vasilevskiy was creaky in his return from back surgery and received insufficient support.

Tampa Bay manhandled Florida in two previous playoff showdowns. The Lightning went on to defend their championship in 2021 and reached another Cup Final in 2022. This year's lineup - which ranked first in scoring, fourth in defense, and second to only the Jets in goal differential - comes closer to resembling those dynastic juggernauts.

These Lightning ice four of the league's top 30 point producers: the electrifying Kucherov, relentless Brandon Hagel, steady Brayden Point, and stellar addition Jake Guentzel. Like Florida, they have a few lines that can score, skate, and crash and bang. Ryan McDonagh's reacquisition strengthened the Victor Hedman-led blue line. Vasilevskiy led the league in goalie ice time and shut the door over 63 Vezina Trophy-caliber starts.

The Bolts were great on special teams and consistent over the course of games, outscoring opponents by more than 20 goals in all three periods. They had the fourth-best home points percentage (.756) and the second-most convincing wins by at least three goals (30). They tended to lose close, suggesting that better bounces could have allowed them to push the Maple Leafs for the Atlantic crown.

Tampa hasn't advanced in the postseason since 2022. That drought would feel like a blip for most franchises. In the Bolts' case, they're itching to re-establish themselves as contenders and give Panthers pest Brad Marchand a rough introduction to the rivalry. - Nick Faris

11 p.m. isn’t a misprint

Tuesday night's Wild at Golden Knights matchup is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. local time in Las Vegas. That's 11 p.m. ET, long after children and early risers will be tucked into bed along the East Coast.

The unusual timing stems from broadcast needs. ESPN's airing a tripleheader: Devils-Hurricanes at 6 p.m. ET, Panthers-Lightning at 8:30 p.m. ET, and Wild-Golden Knights at 11 p.m. ET. As a result, this is the only game of the week slated to begin after 10 p.m. ET.

Tuesday's nightcap has ample historical precedent, though almost none of it is recent. It's the 51st game in playoff history with an 11 p.m. ET listed start time, the NHL stats department confirmed to theScore over email. But it's only the third of the past 45 years, following showdowns between the Wild and Canucks in 2003 and the Flames and Ducks in 2006.

Here are some facts about 11 p.m. ET games through the decades, with the caveat that Western viewers obviously didn't have to wait that long for puck drop.

• In the distant past, back when rival leagues squared off for the Stanley Cup, 18 games from 1919-25 involved the NHL champion traveling to face the top team from out west - either the Seattle Metropolitans, Vancouver Millionaires/Maroons, or Victoria Cougars.

• Following NHL expansion, 30 games from 1968-80 were hosted by the Kings, Canucks, or defunct Oakland Seals.

• 11 p.m. ET starts in the modern era produced five overtime finishes. Each involved the Kings. L.A. had the good sense to score 19 seconds into OT to win the 1969 edition. Three others were settled within 10 minutes, and Kings star Butch Goring ended the longest affair with a goal at 18:28.

These days, the shortest overtime games take about three hours to complete. Night owls and die-hard neutral fans can plan accordingly. - Nick Faris

Leafs stick with Game 1 tweak

It's been a revolving door at left wing on Toronto's second line this season. Max Domi began Game 1 alongside John Tavares and William Nylander, but head coach Craig Berube swapped him out during the game for Pontus Holmberg, who started the contest as the third-line center. Berube confirmed Tuesday he'll stick with that change ahead of Game 2, leaving Toronto's middle six looking as follows:

Several other players were given opportunities alongside Tavares and Nylander throughout the regular season, including McMann, Max Pacioretty, and Calle Jarnkrok, but none of them seemed to click more than Holmberg. The Maple Leafs controlled 65.4% of the expected goals and 68.2% of the actual goals in 120 five-on-five minutes with that trio during the regular season, per Evolving-Hockey, and they controlled 75% of the expected goals in three minutes in Game 1.

Holmberg has severe offensive limitations - he has just seven goals and 12 assists in 68 games this season - but he brings defensive reliability, underrated puck protection, and the ability to draw penalties. While he'll get the lion's share of the minutes on the second line, Berube can still give someone with more offensive ability - McMann or Domi - the occasional spin if one of them is really skating or if the Leafs are in need of a goal.

The McMann-Domi-Robertson trio was Toronto's most-used third line throughout the regular season, and while it's not the most sound defensive option, Domi's playmaking can shine in easier matchups alongside two shoot-first wingers. The line outperformed its 44.3% expected goals share with a 58.8% share of the actual goals in 219 minutes.

The offensive-minded third line only works because Berube has a trustworthy fourth line of Steven Lorentz, Scott Laughton, and Jarnkrok that can be buried in the defensive zone. - Josh Wegman

Devils in deeper trouble

Injuries continue to ravage the Devils, who will be down two regular blue-liners for a crucial Game 2 against Carolina. Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon were hurt in quick succession in the series opener and will be replaced by Simon Nemec and Dennis Cholowski.

The Hurricanes had their way with the Devils in Game 1, owning 59.1% of shots and 54.5% of expected goals at five-on-five. Adding two inexperienced defenders to the lineup against Carolina's firepower makes the prospect of a series split feel nearly impossible. - Sean O'Leary

Oilers undermine McDavid - again

Edmonton's record in Connor McDavid's strongest playoff outings is surprisingly mediocre.

McDavid tallied at least three points - four in this case - for the 19th time in his playoff career in Monday's feverish 6-5 defeat to the Kings. The Oilers managed to lose seven of those 19 games by hemorrhaging chances and allowing somewhere between five and nine goals.

They got down 4-0 in Game 1's second period when Evan Bouchard's blind pass to no one found Phillip Danault in open ice. McDavid spun around defenders and stickhandled through thickets to create space to dish three primary assists. But his crafty finish between Darcy Kuemper's legs with 1:28 to go - a vintage McDavid highlight - was instantly negated by another defensive lapse and a misread from Stuart Skinner.

In total, the Oilers have lost nine playoff games since 2020 when McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, or both superstars recorded at least three points. They wasted Draisaitl's four-assist effort against the 2022 Avalanche and his four-goal masterwork against the 2023 Golden Knights, then predictably dropped both series. Monday's failed comeback revived a worrisome trend. - Nick Faris

Strome delivering on early promise

For most of Alex Ovechkin's career, it was Nicklas Backstrom setting him up. At times during his prime, it was Evgeny Kuznetsov. But in Ovi's second act, Dylan Strome's been playing the role of supporting actor at an Oscar-worthy level. He assisted on all three Capitals goals in their overtime win versus the Canadiens in Monday's Game 1.

At some points, it might've been difficult to imagine Strome centering the first line for a conference's top seed. He was prematurely labeled a bust, unable to find his footing in Arizona after the Coyotes drafted him third overall in 2015. He broke out at age 21 after a trade to Chicago, but the Blackhawks, egregiously, decided to non-tender him in 2022.

Strome recorded back-to-back seasons of at least 65 points after signing in Washington as a free agent, then erupted for a career-high 82 in 2024-25. Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery told theScore in December that Strome had made "leaps and bounds" in his development.

"He's really trying to take that next step to be in the conversation with other first-line centers in the NHL. The Auston Matthews, the Brayden Points of the world," Carbery said.

Strome might not be in that tier just yet, but Monday's performance proved he can deliver when the lights are brightest - just as everyone thought on draft day a decade ago. - Josh Wegman

Clutch scorers steal the show

Monday night's frantic slate treated fans to four one-goal nail-biters. We witnessed overtime winners from the greatest sniper of all time and a veteran grinder. The cherry on the sundae: Phillip Danault's late strike in Los Angeles foiled Edmonton's monumental comeback attempt.

Alex Ovechkin scored 897 goals in the regular season, including a record 27 in overtime, without bagging a single playoff OT winner. That changed Monday when the Capitals captain crashed the crease and batted a feed past the glove of Montreal goalie Sam Montembeault.

Washington is 20-25 in playoff overtime games during Ovechkin's incredible career. He's the 17th Capital in the span to light the lamp in OT and still has a ways to go to catch longtime sidekick Nicklas Backstrom (four career OT winners).

Colin Blackwell's clutch finish for the Stars rewarded his quickness and determination. The fourth-line forward, an unlikely hero, carried the puck through the neutral zone with speed and beat two Avalanche defenders to his own rebound at 17:46 of overtime. Dallas held Colorado scoreless for the final 38 minutes, erased a deficit in the third period, and evened the series despite the continued absence of defensive cornerstone Miro Heiskanen.

The Kings have a knack for netting big winners. Their record against the Oilers during the ongoing string of first-round matchups improved to 7-12 with Monday's thrilling result. L.A. sealed four of those wins in overtime, and Danault broke deadlocks in the waning minutes of the 2022 and 2025 openers.

Delivering the latest dagger was a great moment for Danault. The workhorse center signed with L.A. in 2021 - just in time to fall to the Oilers every year. Game 1 was tied 5-5 in the final minute when he hustled into the rush, beat the backtracking Leon Draisaitl to the slot, presented himself as a shooting threat, and inadvertently fooled Stuart Skinner when he whiffed on a one-timer. - Nick Faris

Monday, April 21

Jets living in high-danger areas

The Jets own a 2-0 series lead over the Blues for a handful of reasons. Top-line forwards Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor are off to blazing starts offensively (nine points combined!), captain Adam Lowry is making his presence known each shift, and goalie Connor Hellebuyck is doing just fine.

Perhaps most importantly, the Jets are consistently getting to the dirty areas of the ice and peppering Blues goalie Jordan Binnington with pucks. They've accumulated 20 high-danger shot attempts in 95 five-on-five minutes for a per-60 rate of 12.70. (The best rate in the regular season was 12.72.)

Here's a Natural Stat Trick heat map highlighting the onslaught.

Peep all the tiny "G" icons between the Jets logo and the net. Those represent the club's four high-danger goals. The Blues have scored four goals total in the series, three of them during five-on-four play, one at five-on-five.

Last change will shift to the home-team Blues as the series moves to St. Louis for Thursday's Game 3. Head coach Jim Montgomery will no doubt try to optimize his matchups in order to flip the script in the two net-front areas. - John Matisz

Resilient Habs can't contain 'Great 8'

Alex Ovechkin is not the same explosive player he was back in 2010, the last time the Capitals and Canadiens met in the playoffs. At 39 years old and 897 regular-season goals, 2025 Ovi is slower, less physical, and more cerebral.

But Ovi's still Ovi. He's inevitable - a stone-cold killer with the puck.

Ovechkin earned a primary point on all three of Washington's goals in a 3-2 overtime victory in Monday night's Game 1. First, he sniped from the top of the left circle (of course). Then he fired a point shot that linemate Anthony Beauvillier knocked down and punched in. And, early in OT, Ovechkin jammed a pass from Beauvillier past Montreal goalie Sam Montembeault to end it.

Ovechkin's ability to get pucks through the Habs' defensive structure reflected one of the game's central themes. While Montreal admirably kept up with Washington throughout the contest, trading scoring chances at a fairly even rate, the Capitals did a far better job sustaining offensive zone time. A bigger-bodied squad with speed, they won key boards battles to keep plays alive.

Props to Montreal overall. The youngest team in the playoffs put in a valiant effort. The Canadiens were led by Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov have taken up a lot of oxygen around the 2024-25 Habs, but this is Suzuki and Caufield's team. It was nice to see each franchise pillar deliver a goal during a dramatic, albeit short-lived, third-period comeback. - John Matisz

Florida's edge: Marchand and 2 Finns

The Panthers are dealing with uncertainty ahead of the Battle of Florida. How does the absence of Aaron Ekblad, who's suspended until Game 3, affect the blue line's performance to start the series? If Matthew Tkachuk is cleared to play after Tuesday's morning skate - a likely scenario - how does the star winger look in Game 1, his first action since the 4 Nations Face-Off final?

Counterbalancing the uncertainty is the absolute certainty of Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, and Brad Marchand providing quality top-nine minutes. The last thing head coach Paul Maurice has to worry about right now is the Lundell-centered line. It will show up and contribute at both ends of the ice.

Marchand has found his groove in Florida following a transition period that involved recovering from a long-term injury and adjusting to a new system and city after 15-plus years in Boston. The 36-year-old winger is past his prime but still boasts good hands, high hockey IQ, and a rat-like playing style.

Luostarinen and Lundell, longtime linemates and close friends off the ice, are incredibly detailed players. The Finns never cheat for offense and have enough offensive juice to author the odd moment of brilliance with the puck.

Lundell, who's been referred to over the years as "Baby Barkov" for his Aleksander Barkov-esque defensive prowess, has 54 playoff games under his belt at 23 years old. The 6-foot-1, 196-pounder is fresh off a regular season in which he set career highs in average time on ice (16:43) and points (45).

"I don't really care who we play against," a confident Lundell told reporters Monday of his line regularly facing off against skilled opponents. - John Matisz

Vegas still has 'misfit' element

The Golden Knights have become known as big-game hunters, routinely making splashy trades or free-agent signings to bolster their roster. But their ability to pluck players off the scrap heap and turn them into meaningful contributors is a major reason for the organization's success. Brett Howden is one of the latest examples.

Acquired for a fourth-round pick in 2021, Howden exploded for a career-high 23 goals this season - not bad for a player counting for $1.9 million against the cap. Howden scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner, Sunday in Vegas' 4-2 victory over the Wild in Game 1.

He's one of several castoffs who've rehabilitated their careers in Vegas following the original "Golden Misfits" of 2017-18. Think of Adin Hill (acquired for a fourth-rounder in 2022), Nicolas Roy (acquired for Erik Haula in 2019), or the now-departed Chandler Stephenson (acquired for a fifth-rounder in 2019). The Golden Knights' pro scouting and player development departments deserve a lot of credit. - Josh Wegman

Marner matches prior postseason total

Mitch Marner recorded three points (a goal and two assists) Sunday in the Maple Leafs' Game 1 drubbing of the Senators. That ties his total from the entire 2024 playoffs, when the Bruins ousted the Maple Leafs in seven games. In his last playoff series before that, Marner notched just three points in a five-game series loss to the Florida Panthers in 2023.

The strong start is definitely encouraging for Marner, who's become a whipping boy of sorts in Toronto for his inability to step up in big moments. But he still needs to finish strong. In 12 games during Marner's playoff career where the Maple Leafs have had a chance to eliminate opponents, he's managed zero goals and four assists. - Josh Wegman

Heavy hitters

Tim Stutzle raised eyebrows by throwing a game-high nine hits in the lopsided Battle of Ontario opener. The Senators are a physical team: Their collective hit count (25.7 per night in the regular season) ranked fourth league-wide. Stutzle tied Dylan Cozens in his Sens debut March 8 for the most hits in one game by an Ottawa player.

The notion that being physical distracts Stutzle from his main focus - setting up goals - overlooks that it's part of his game. His 130 hits this season were a career high. He joined Filip Forsberg and Sam Reinhart as the only 75-point forwards with more than 100 hits, per Stathead. No top center inflicted more punishment.

Stutzle was overzealous and didn't hold back enough when he boarded Chris Tanev to trigger the Maple Leafs' power-play onslaught. But at five-on-five, he combined with Brady Tkachuk and Claude Giroux to menace Toronto's top line and defense pair (18-3 edge in shot attempts and 65.1% expected goals percentage, per Natural Stat Trick). What Stutzle's trio needs to do differently in Game 2 is finish those chances.

Pent-up energy and the desire to leave a mark prompts hitters to explode out of the gate in the playoffs. Wild forwards Marcus Foligno (11 hits) and Yakov Trenin (eight) bashed the Golden Knights on the opening weekend. Blues captain Brayden Schenn had seven hits through one period and totaled nine in Game 1 against the Jets.

For reference, Kiefer Sherwood's 12 hits for the Canucks on Oct. 22 and March 22 were the most by one player in a single game this season.

Over the past 20 postseasons, 17 players rattled the glass with a dozen or more hits in one game. The runaway playoff record is Brenden Morrow's 19 hits for the 2008 Stars in their second-round series clincher against the Sharks. Morrow skated for 51 minutes and redirected the winning goal in the fourth overtime. - Nick Faris

Hyman eyes his resurgence

Zach Hyman played 105 games for last season's powerful Oilers team and potted a staggering 70 goals - 54 in the regular season and 16 in the playoffs, an NHL postseason high dating back to the early '90s.

Hyman's frigid start to 2024-25 - he had three goals through 20 games, then missed time with an injury - cost him a spot on Canada's golden 4 Nations Face-Off roster. Compared to last season, he put 80 fewer shots on net and barely bagged half as many goals at even strength (21, down from 39). Edmonton's dynamite offense slipped from fourth to 11th in scoring.

The postseason is a new beginning. Hyman and Connor Brown are expected to join Connor McDavid on the top line to open the fourth consecutive Kings-Oilers confrontation. That specific trio played six uneventful minutes together in the regular season, but Hyman and McDavid helped the Oilers bully teams (46-33 edge in goals, 445-280 edge in shots) in their shared shifts.

Built down the middle, Los Angeles ices three capable shutdown centers in Anze Kopitar, Quinton Byfield, and Philip Danault. Each of their lines got a shot to shadow McDavid during the season series. Mikey Anderson and Vladislav Gavrikov anchor their own defense pairs but could unite to thwart Edmonton's star talent in important moments. - Nick Faris

Jets' top trio is dangerous

Continuity strengthens the Presidents' Trophy winner. Six pivotal Jets players - Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Adam Lowry, Josh Morrissey, and Connor Hellebuyck - were part of the 2018 lineup that reached the Western Conference Final and raised expectations for what their group could accomplish.

Winnipeg won one round in the next six years. Pundits knocked the Jets for lacking the sort of superstar forward talent that drove other Western powerhouses - the Avalanche and Golden Knights - to Stanley Cups.

That criticism may underrate Connor and Scheifele. They combined for 80 goals and 184 points this season. Their chemistry with worker bee Alex Iafallo fueled the Jets' dramatic Game 1 comeback win.

Connor-Scheifele-Gabe Vilardi was the NHL's most-used forward line (907 minutes of ice time) during the regular season by an enormous margin. The Jets iced three of the 13 trios around the league that spent more than 500 minutes together, according to MoneyPuck. Head coach Scott Arniel prizes familiarity. But when Ehlers and Vilardi got hurt, his top scorers adapted to the necessary shakeup.

Third-period goals by Iafallo and Connor in the 5-3 opening win over the Blues showcased the line's skill, intelligence, spacing, faceoff prowess, board play, willingness to get to the net, and ability to snipe. Scheifele had two primary assists to complement his earlier power-play tally. All played around 22 minutes as Arniel leaned on his big guns to cement the victory.

The Jets are savvy and structured, and with Hellebuyck in net, no team is better at preventing goals. They build insurmountable leads and went 41-0-1 this season when they were ahead through 40 minutes. When they trail, there's no reason to panic. Connor and Scheifele can reiterate in Monday's Game 2 that they're one of the most dangerous scoring duos in the Cup bracket. - Nick Faris

Caps' Leonard about to pop off?

Every spring, a handful of top prospects join the NHL toward the end of the regular season. The most common case is an American college kid playing out the string on a non-playoff team to burn a year off his entry-level contract.

The 2024-25 campaign was unique, as the high-profile prospects landed almost exclusively on playoff teams. Jimmy Snuggerud, Ryan Leonard, and Zeev Buium left college for the Blues, Capitals, and Wild, respectively, while Ivan Demidov and Alexander Nikishin departed the KHL for the Canadiens and Hurricanes. (Nikishin, a much-hyped defenseman, is the only one still waiting to debut.)

Leonard and Demidov will go head-to-head in the Capitals-Canadiens series, which starts Monday night. They're arguably the two April adds most capable of swinging the result of a series. Leonard, 20, is built for playoff hockey.

Leonard, the eighth pick in the 2023 draft, is ultra competitive and physical. His forechecking energy will create headaches for defensemen on retrievals.

The former Boston College star's regular-season stat line (one empty-net goal and no assists in nine games) undersells his relatively smooth transition to the NHL and well-rounded skill set. He's looked comfortable in the heat of action and sits second on Washington in shots on goal (16) and shot attempts (29) since April 1. He's also tied for the team lead with five penalties drawn.

Leonard has been lining up at right wing alongside center Lars Eller and Andrew Mangiapane. In 40 five-on-five minutes together, the trio has been outscored 2-0 but owns 57% of the shot attempts and 62% of the expected goals. The line, and Leonard specifically, are due. - John Matisz

Sunday, April 20

Ullmark not Sens' biggest issue

The Senators looked overmatched and overwhelmed in Game 1 against the Maple Leafs. It was glaringly obvious from puck drop which team was in the playoffs for a ninth straight season and which hadn't been in the dance in eight years. It was also obvious which team boasted more talent top to bottom.

Goalie Linus Ullmark, one of Ottawa's leaders and an all-around X-factor in this series, didn't meet the moment. He allowed six goals on just 24 shots and finished with a goals saved above expected of minus-1.99, according to Evolving Hockey. (For context, Toronto's Anthony Stolarz was plus-1.46.)

That said, there's no denying Ullmark was consistently left out to dry.

The Sens let Oliver Ekman-Larsson waltz right down main street on the 1-0 goal. All three Leafs power-play goals were low-percentage save attempts for a goalie. Mitch Marner scored on a breakaway. Even the worst goal Ullmark allowed - Morgan Rielly's point shot to bring the score to 5-2 - was redirected off teammate Matthew Highmore's glove.

Part of the goalie role is bailing skaters out, so, yes, Ullmark needs to be better in Tuesday's Game 2. But he isn't the Sens' only problem right now. - John Matisz

Tavares, Leafs' PP wildly efficient

A popular narrative coming into the Battle of Ontario revolved around underdog Ottawa needing to drag Toronto into the fight to pull off an upset.

Technically, the Senators accomplished the first part of the equation in Game 1. Ottawa initiated the majority of physical confrontations (and generally kept up with the Leafs during five-on-five action) all night. One problem: The overly aggressive style too often led to a penalty.

A second problem: The Leafs' five-forward power play decided to go nuclear, scoring three times in 7:33 of PP time. Each goal sequence began with an offensive-zone faceoff win by John Tavares. The former Leafs captain's 58.3% faceoff win rate ranked fifth in the NHL in the regular season. The guy he beat in the circle on all three goals was Claude Giroux, the league leader at 61.5%.

The first PP goal, which made it 3-1 Toronto, featured Tavares tipping a William Nylander shot-pass, picking up his own rebound, and quickly depositing the puck into the net. Just nine seconds between faceoff and goal.

The second marker, which made it 4-1, was even quicker - three seconds for Nylander to move off the wall, grab the puck, and go short-side from the slot.

The third took a whopping eight seconds. Mitch Marner fired a shot from the point, Auston Matthews tried and failed to bang in a rebound, and crease-crashing Matthew Knies cleaned up the garbage. Goal 6 in a 6-2 Leafs victory.

The Leafs scored once on 21 power-play opportunities against Boston in last year's first round. They've tripled their output on the man advantage in one game against Ottawa and looked unstoppable in the process. - John Matisz

Canes tilt the ice

Out of affection or ridicule, the Hurricanes are sometimes called the "Corsi Canes" for their ability to rack up offensive-zone time and fire pucks on net without always burying them. Their NHL ranks in shot attempts (first by a mile), share of shot attempts (distant first), and share of dangerous scoring chances (sixth) outpaced the team's 8.7% shooting percentage at five-on-five (19th), according to Natural Stat Trick.

Game 1 against New Jersey, a 4-1 Carolina win, explained the strategy's appeal. Deadline pickup Logan Stankoven struck twice as the Canes overwhelmed the visiting Devils by relentlessly pelting Jakob Markstrom. Shots on target favored the Hurricanes 45-24. Attempts were 78-59. The Devils need smoother breakouts, more possession, more impact from their third-ranked power play and a resilient response from a banged-up blue line that finished the game without Brenden Dillon. - Nick Faris

Leafs-Senators forward combos

Max Domi enters his first Battle of Ontario as the Maple Leafs' second-line left-winger. He beat out such candidates as Bobby McMann, the younger, larger, purer finisher who bagged 20 goals to Domi's eight and will be asked to juice a defensively inclined bottom six. Toronto iced Domi with William Nylander and John Tavares for 58 minutes at five-on-five this season. They outscored opponents 3-0 together despite being caved in with a 26.5% expected goals percentage, per Natural Stat Trick.

Brady Tkachuk and Claude Giroux flank Tim Stutzle on the Senators' top line. That trio won't be set in stone. Though he produced just five points in 20 games, deadline acquisition Fabian Zetterlund created chances and havoc as Stutzle's occasional linemate. He could be elevated from the fourth line to provide speed and dogged forechecking, while Giroux will take big faceoffs and play on special teams even if his minutes diminish at even strength. - Nick Faris

Compelling goalie duels

Shooters upstaged Jordan Binnington and Connor Hellebuyck in the Blues-Jets series opener. The goalies' combined save percentage in Winnipeg's 5-3 win was .833. Hellebuyck drew scrutiny for being deep in the blue paint - his preferred positioning to maximize lateral movement - which left room for Jordan Kyrou, Oskar Sundqvist, and Robert Thomas to beat him over the shoulder with absolute rips.

Game 1 starkly contrasted their clash in the tight 4 Nations Face-Off final when Hellebuyck was characteristically solid, and the victorious Binnington stood on his head. Whoever steals a game in the coming days will shorten or prolong this series. Binnington faces slightly more pressure to deliver.

Other interesting goalie battles get underway soon.

Anthony Stolarz vs. Linus Ullmark: Ottawa's masked man, Ullmark, is aiming to improve his spotty playoff record (.887 save percentage, six losses in nine starts). Toronto's go-to guy, Stolarz, boasts 35 minutes of career postseason experience and received a 2024 Stanley Cup ring for his modest effort. Stolarz made 38 stops, while Ullmark produced a 27-save shutout in their first of two head-to-head matchups this season.

Adin Hill vs. Filip Gustavsson: Hill was an overlooked fourth-stringer who climbed the depth chart due to injuries and proceeded to backstop the Golden Knights to their 2023 championship breakthrough. Gustavsson sparkled with five shutouts and a .914 save rate in 2024-25, his first season as the Wild's clear-cut, undisputed starter. Vegas has a deep, vastly superior forward corps that Gustavsson needs to stifle.

Logan Thompson vs. Sam Montembeault: Dominant for much of the campaign, Thompson cooled significantly in the Capitals' crease (.877 SV% since Feb. 1) right after he signed a lucrative extension and missed the last few weeks with an upper-body injury. Montembeault's .902 denial rate looks pretty good given that Montreal's leaky defense allowed the third-most dangerous chances (13 per game) around the NHL, per Natural Stat Trick.

Darcy Kuemper vs. Stuart Skinner: By the numbers, this is a glaring mismatch. Kuemper's been excellent (.922 SV%, ranked fourth in Evolving-Hockey's goals saved above expected metric) for the defensive juggernaut Kings. Only one playoff goalie - Montembeault - endured more "really bad starts" (SV% below .850) than Skinner, who had 12 in 50 starts for the Oilers. That said, Skinner's already knocked off Los Angeles in two postseasons.

Andrei Vasilevskiy vs. Sergei Bobrovsky: Early Battles of Florida and showdowns between these Russian countrymen favored Vasilevskiy. The Lightning legend rocked a .950 cumulative save percentage when his club ousted the Panthers in 2021 and 2022. Bobrovsky put up some stinkers during Florida's '24 Cup run but was nearly unbeatable in elimination games against Tampa Bay and other vanquished opponents. - Nick Faris

Colorado loves blowouts

No team blitzes a talented playoff opponent with the same pitiless frequency as the Colorado Avalanche. Game 1 against the Dallas Stars was the latest example.

The Stars killed an early 5-on-3, held Colorado scoreless for almost 30 minutes, pulled within a goal in the third period, and genuinely liked their effort. But they lost 5-1 and got scored on via an inadvertent kick, a deflected knuckler, a pinching defenseman's tip-in, and a nifty passing sequence immediately following an empty-netter. Nathan MacKinnon recorded his 13th career three-point playoff game (and first since May 2022).

Since starting its playoff streak in 2018, Colorado has paced the NHL in convincing wins by at least three goals (26 over 11 different postseason opponents), per Stathead. Saturday's blowout - the Avalanche's 14th win by four or more in the span - was one of their most efficient offensive performances, with five goals on a mere 24 shots.

Their largest playoff triumph, a 7-0 spanking of the dynastic Tampa Bay Lightning, came in Game 2 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. Mikko Rantanen dished three primary assists for the Avs on that electric night in Denver. It must have been disorienting for Rantanen, the Stars' huge trade acquisition, to be on the other side of the bombardment. - Nick Faris

Squads on a roll

The NHL's best teams since the 4 Nations Face-Off break were the St. Louis Blues (.788 points percentage), Toronto Maple Leafs (.741), and Vegas Golden Knights (.731). The rebuilding Montreal Canadiens (.692) snuck into the playoffs ahead of schedule by catching fire over the past two months.

The league's top scorer in the span was Blues playmaker Robert Thomas (eight goals, 40 points in 26 games). The individual tear that fueled the Habs came courtesy of Nick Suzuki (15 goals, 37 points). Their heroic efforts turned around a pair of scuffling teams that paused for the 4 Nations with identical 25-26-5 records. On a personal level, these 25-year-old top centers are crushing their auditions for Canada's 2026 Olympic lineup.

As the eighth seed in each conference, St. Louis and Montreal hope their recent results lead to deep, stirring runs. The Blues startled the Winnipeg Jets' penalty kill in Saturday's playoff opener with symmetrical snipes from Thomas and Jordan Kyrou to the top corners. But they stopped generating offense, fizzled in the third period, and fell behind in the series.

Some scorching squads win multiple rounds on the strength of the momentum they build in March and April. The 2024 New York Rangers and Dallas Stars, the '23 Stars and Golden Knights, and the '22 Colorado Avalanche all tallied points percentages above .700 from Feb. 22 onward. Those Rangers and Stars teams were conference finalists. Vegas and Colorado hoisted the Cup.

There are limits to a great finish's predictive power. The hottest team in each of the past three stretch runs lost as an underdog in Round 1 (2024 Nashville Predators), suffered a historic first-round upset ('23 Boston Bruins), and was humbled and swept in the Battle of Florida ('22 Panthers). Can Thomas help St. Louis buck the trend? - Nick Faris

International standouts

The other big hockey thing happening Sunday is the final of the IIHF Women's World Championship in Czechia. Canada - the defending champion - faces the archrival United States for gold for the 23rd time in 24 editions of the tournament.

NHL fans went wild in February for the ferocious 4 Nations Face-Off. The best-on-best showcase in Montreal and Boston, where Canada clinched gold in overtime, springboarded some players to newfound prominence.

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk and young No. 1 defenseman Jake Sanderson scored for the U.S. in the tense, gripping final. Tkachuk, an animal with his blend of physicality and finishing (three goals at the tournament), is one of a few breakout stars around the league seeking a taste of playoff glory. He's about to debut in the postseason after 512 NHL games, exactly as many as Thomas Chabot logged during Ottawa's extensive drought.

Many of the 4 Nations' top scorers were established superstars such as Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Jack Eichel. Matt Boldy, who supported the American big guns with a tipped goal and two assists, is an example of a young player who could ride that momentum to greater heights. His sophomore Minnesota Wild teammate Brock Faber played shutdown defense at the event.

Jake Guentzel - a point-per-game forward at the 4 Nations and throughout a decorated playoff career - has a chance to tilt the Battle of Florida as a newcomer to the Tampa Bay Lightning. And the talented but maligned Mitch Marner, who set up McDavid's triumphant snipe in Boston, will need to be clutch again for the Toronto Maple Leafs to finally win an elimination game. - Nick Faris

This Gretzky record is safe

The defining storyline of the regular season was Alex Ovechkin's pursuit of the all-time goals record held for decades by Wayne Gretzky. The chase spellbound viewers, and Ovi rewrote history with his 895th career snipe at the beginning of April against the New York Islanders.

Fans might be less aware of Ovechkin's standing on the playoff career leaderboard. He has 72 goals in 151 games over 15 postseason appearances with the Washington Capitals. Ovechkin is dominant and durable, but he won't threaten Gretzky's benchmark of 122 goals in 208 playoff outings.

Ovechkin is tied for 15th in career playoff tallies. He assumed the lead among active players when Joe Pavelski (74 goals) retired last summer. With a big individual showing over a deep Capitals run, The Great 8 could become the 10th NHL star to reach 80 goals.

Generational icons headline the current top 10, shown below. The list features postseason mainstays like Glenn Anderson and Claude Lemieux, whose longevity and clutch efforts - both bagged at least 17 game-winners in the playoffs, not far back of Gretzky's 24 - helped them climb the ranks.

Wayne Gretzky (122 goals), Mark Messier (109), Jari Kurri (106), Brett Hull (103), Glenn Anderson (93), Mike Bossy (85), Joe Sakic (84), Maurice Richard (82), Claude Lemieux (80), Jean Beliveau (79)

The active leaders as of Sunday are:

Alex Ovechkin (72), Sidney Crosby (71), Evgeni Malkin (67), Brad Marchand (56), Corey Perry (54), Patrick Kane (53), Nikita Kucherov (53), Ondrej Palat (51), Steven Stamkos (50), Vladimir Tarasenko (49)

Washington's first-round clash with the Montreal Canadiens starts Monday at 7 p.m. ET. - Nick Faris