Stanley Cup playoffs daily: Previews, stats, schedule, bracketESPN staffMay 26, 2026, 07:00 AM ETMultiple Authors
tamil yogi
If nothing else, the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs have been unpredictable. That might be true for nothing more than the Western Conference finals, as the Vegas Golden Knights have opened up a 3-0 lead on the heavily favored Colorado Avalanche.
Game 4 of the series is Tuesday night (9 ET, ESPN), and it’s now or never for Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar & Co.
Can the Presidents’ Trophy winners avoid a sweep? Or will the Golden Knights continue to have answers for everything the Avs throw at them?
Here’s a look at key stats to know ahead of Tuesday’s matchup, as well as highlights from Monday and updated playoff stats leaders.
Read more:
Full schedule
Playoff Central
Stanley Cup odds
Experts’ picks
Offseason guide for eliminated teams
Tuesday’s schedule
Colorado Avalanche at Vegas Golden Knights
Game 4, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN) | Golden Knights lead 3-0
Teams that have gone up 3-0 in a best-of-seven have a 213-4 series record in Stanley Cup playoff history. The only four teams to pull off the reverse sweep are the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs (vs. Detroit Red Wings), 1975 New York Islanders (vs. Pittsburgh Penguins), 2010 Philadelphia Flyers (vs. Boston Bruins) and 2014 Los Angeles Kings (vs. San Jose Sharks).
The Golden Knights are the 10th team in NHL history to take a 3-0 series lead on the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs, and third over the past eight postseasons, joining the Tampa Bay Lightning (against the Florida Panthers in 2022) and the Columbus Blue Jackets (against the Lightning in 2019).
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Tomas Hertl scored the winning goal in Game 3, his third in six games after a 29-game goalless drought. It was his first winner in the playoffs since 2019 (when he was with the Sharks).
Teammate Mitch Marner had two assists, giving him a league-leading 21 points this postseason. He is the fastest Golden Knight to 20 points in a single postseason in franchise history (15 games played).
With a goal and an assist, original Golden Misfit William Karlsson now has 76 playoff points with Vegas, second most in franchise history behind Mark Stone (81).
Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog scored his 33rd career playoff goal, putting him one shy of Michel Goulet, Milan Hejduk and Mikko Rantanen for fourth most in Nordiques/Avalanche franchise history.
Jack Drury notched a short-handed goal to put the Avs up 3-0, and it was his first career short-handed goal (regular season or playoffs) in his 311th NHL game.
Nathan MacKinnon had an assist in Game 3, but he was severely limited after blocking a shot with his right leg in the second period, playing only sporadically for the remainder of the game. He is now on a three-game goalless drought after a six-game goal-scoring streak this postseason.
Monday’s scoreboard
Carolina Hurricanes 3, Montreal Canadiens 2 (OT)
Hurricanes lead 2-1
For those who watched Game 2 of this series, Game 3 might’ve looked quite familiar. The teams traded goals in the first period and early second, with Shayne Gostisbehere and Taylor Hall scoring for the Canes, while Mike Matheson and Lane Hutson got on the board for the Canadiens. That 2-2 score lasted for the final 35 minutes of regulation, pushing the contest to overtime for the second straight game.
Unlike Game 2, however, which was decided in the first four minutes of OT, it took more than 14 minutes to decide a victor on this night. The winning goal was courtesy of Andrei Svechnikov — just his second of the postseason — giving the Canes a 2-1 edge in the series. Game 4 is Wednesday in Montreal. Full recap | Grades
Playoff scoring leaders
PlayerGPGAP1. Mitch Marner, F, Golden Knights
Click here for full list of stats leaders.
Playoff goaltending leaders
PlayerGPWGAASV%1. Arturs Silovs, Penguins
Click here for the full list of goaltender stats.
Stanley Cup playoff bracket
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