Stanley Cup playoffs daily: Previews, stats, schedule, bracketplayHow the Wild took control of the series vs. the Stars (0:53)Arda Öcal dives into the pivotal Game 5 between the Wild and Stars. (0:53)ESPN staffApr 30, 2026, 07:00 AM ETMultiple Authors
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With the potential for series-clinching victories — and eliminated teams — every night, the most tense portion of the first round has arrived.
After the Philadelphia Flyers knocked out the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday night, there are two more series that could conclude on Thursday, as the Minnesota Wild and Anaheim Ducks hold 3-2 leads over the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers, respectively.
Will the series continue to Game 7? Or will this be the final time for Dallas and Edmonton fans to watch their team this season?
Here are previews and a best bet for Thursday’s games, scores and highlights from Wednesday’s contests, and updated playoff stat leaders.
Read more:
Full schedule
Playoff Central
Stanley Cup odds
First-round overreactions
Thursday’s schedule
Dallas Stars at Minnesota Wild
Game 6, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT) | MIN leads 3-2
In Stanley Cup playoff history, the winner of Game 5 in a series that was 2-2 heading into that contest has a 239-62 series record (winning 79% of the time).
The Wild have led a 3-2 best-of-seven series just once in franchise history — 2015 first round vs. the Blues — and won the series.
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On the other side, the Stars have a 3-19 series record when trailing 2-3 in a best-of-seven series; their last win came in the 1999 conference finals.
Olympic hero Matt Boldy leads the Wild with four goals this series, and has two multipoint games through five contests.
Kirill Kaprizov’s empty-net goal sealed the deal in Game 5, and also broke a tie atop the franchise leaderboard for career playoff goals; Kaprizov’s 17 are now one ahead of Zach Parise.
Dallas’ Jason Robertson became the first player in Stars/North Stars franchise history to score a goal in each of the team’s first five games in a single postseason.
Teammate Miro Heiskanen now holds the franchise record for most multipoint playoff games among defensemen, with 14 (Sergei Zubov is now second). Heiskanen now has nine career postseason power-play goals, which is tied with Zubov for second most in franchise history, behind Craig Hartsburg’s 10.
Edmonton Oilers at Anaheim Ducks
Game 6, 10 p.m. (TNT) | ANA leads 3-2
The 2026 playoffs are the Ducks’ first appearance in the postseason since 2018, and they are looking to move on to the second round for the first time since 2017.
The last time the Oilers lost in the first round of the playoffs was 2021, when they were swept by the Winnipeg Jets.
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With two goals in Game 5, Leon Draisaitl now has 12 career multigoal games in the playoffs, which is the fourth most in Oilers history, behind Jari Kurri (18), Mark Messier (16) and Wayne Gretzky (16). The second goal was on the power play, giving him 23 for his career, tying Gretzky for the most in Oilers’ franchise history in the postseason.
Connor McDavid now has 25 career points in potential playoff elimination games, tying Patrick Kane for the most such points among active players.
McDavid has assisted Draisaitl on 16 power-play goals in the playoffs, tied for second most for an assister-scorer duo in NHL history. Denis Potvin-Mike Bossy hold the lead, with 18, while McDavid and Draisaitl are tied with Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin, Brayden Point-Nikita Kucherov and Bryan Trottier-Mike Bossy.
Anaheim’s Alex Killorn scored the Ducks’ lone goal in Game 5, and now has a four-point scoring streak. This is the second-longest streak of his career, after having a five-game point streak with the Lightning during the 2021 playoffs.
Jackson LaCombe didn’t hit the scoresheet in Game 5, but his eight points through five games is still the most among defensemen in the 2026 postseason.
1:18
Oilers keep their season alive with Game 5 win
Arda Öcal reports on how the Oilers avoid elimination in their 4-1 win to push the series to Anaheim.
Thursday’s best bet
The bet: Oilers-Ducks first period over 1.5 goals (-166)
We’re going to run this bet back from Tuesday’s preview. We hit this bet in Game 5 when Edmonton scored three first-period goals. That makes two-plus goals in the first period for all five games this series. It also means we have two-plus goals in 13 of the 15 regulation periods played in this series.
This specific bet has now hit in nine straight Ducks games going back to the regular season. With the Oilers trailing 3-2 in the series, and riding the momentum of the Game 5 win, I expect them to push the pace offensively and create scoring chances for both teams right from puck drop. — Tyler Fulghum
Wednesday’s scoreboard
Montreal Canadiens 3, Tampa Bay Lightning 2
Canadiens lead 3-2
Returning to the lineup after being a healthy scratch, veteran Canadien Brendan Gallagher quieted the crowd in Tampa with a goal three minutes in to the first period, and the Lightning offense appeared a bit out of sorts for the remainder of the frame. Dominic James finally got one past Jakub Dobes 6:49 into the second, but Montreal’s Kirby Dach gave the lead back to Montreal just 11 seconds later. The Habs held that lead until 17:23 of the frame, when Jake Guentzel scored his second tally of the playoffs to knot the score 2-2.
It took Montreal just 1:06 into the third to get the go-ahead goal — off the stick of Alexandre Texier — which ended up being the game-winning goal as well. Game 6 is Friday night back in Montreal. Read more.
Philadelphia Flyers 1, Pittsburgh Penguins 0 (OT)
Flyers win 4-2
While there have been some wild swings in both directions, this series had been evenly matched in totality — so Game 6’s scoreless tie through regulation was not a major surprise. And it wasn’t for a lack of trying either — the teams finished the entire game with a combined 74 shots on goal. Eventually a winner must be crowned, and on this night it was the Flyers, thanks to Cam York’s first career playoff goal. Philly will take on the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 2. Here’s more on the Penguins’ offseason, and here’s a full recap of this game.
Vegas Golden Knights 5,Utah Mammoth 4 (2OT)
Golden Knights lead 3-2
For the second straight game, the final score is Golden Knights 5, Mammoth 4; and for the second straight game, the contest required overtime. Defenseman John Marino got the party started with a goal at 17:11 of the first, but it was matched by Vegas’ Pavel Dorofeyev. Lawson Crouse gave the Mammoth a 2-1 lead, but then Dorofeyev and Shea Theodore scored for Vegas to give the Golden Knights a 3-2 lead after two.
The Mammoth rallied again in the third, with goals from Dylan Guenther and Michael Carcone to take a 4-3 lead, but Dorofeyev’s third goal of the game tied things up with less than a minute left. After a scoreless first OT, the game-winning goal came off the stick of Brett Howden 5:28 into the second extra session. Game 6 is Friday night in Salt Lake City. Full recap.
Playoff scoring leaders
PlayerGPGAPT-1. Leon Draisaitl, F, Oilers
Click here for full list of stats leaders.
Playoff goaltending leaders
PlayerGPWGAASV%1. Frederik Andersen, Hurricanes
Click here for the full list of goaltender stats.
Stanley Cup playoff bracket
Updated Stanley Cup Playoff Bracket ESPN
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