Stanley Cup playoffs daily: Previews, stats, schedule, bracketESPN staffApr 26, 2026, 08:00 AM ETMultiple Authors
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The Carolina Hurricanes became the first team to secure its place in the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, finishing a sweep of the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
Will the Colorado Avalanche join them, heading into Game 4 against the Los Angeles Kings with a 3-0 lead?
Meanwhile, three other series being contested on Sunday feature teams looking to go up 3-1 — or will there be three more series knotted at 2-2 by the end of the slate?
Read on for previews and a best bet for Sunday’s games, scores and highlights from Saturday’s contests, and updated playoff stat leaders.
Read more:
Full schedule
Playoff Central
Stanley Cup odds
First-round overreactions
Top 50 player rankings
Sunday’s schedule
Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins
2 p.m. ET (TNT) | BUF leads 2-1
Any team taking a 2-1 lead has an advantage, and that applies to the Sabres from a historical perspective. Buffalo has a 10-3 record in best-of-seven series in its history when leading 2-1, including wins in its last two instances.
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The Sabres’ win in Game 3 snapped a four-game playoff losing streak in Boston, and was the team’s first win there since May 9, 1999.
On the other hand, the Sabres’ power-play woes continue; they are now 0-14 in the series, and 0-36 since April 1.
Bowen Byram had zero playoff goals prior to this year, and he scored in both Game 2 and Game 3. He became the seventh defensemen in Sabres history to score in consecutive playoff games, joining Mike Ramsey (1983), Phil Housely (1985), Ken Sutton (1993), Doug Bodger (1993), Alexei Zhitnik (1999), and Henrik Tallinder (2006).
The Bruins have a 10-28 series record when down 1-2 in a seven-game series, with their last win in such a scenario being in 2019 against the Blue Jackets.
Boston’s power play went cold in Game 3, after scoring a power-play goal in Games 1 and 2. Which direction will it swing in Game 4?
Colorado Avalanche at Los Angeles Kings
4:30 p.m. ET (TNT) | COL leads 3-0
The Avalanche have completed a sweep in each of their previous three opportunities, and have a 7-0 series record all-time when leading 3-0 in a best-of-seven series.
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However, if there is a franchise that can stage an epic comeback, it’s the Kings — one of only four teams to have pulled off the “reverse sweep.” The Kings overcame an 0-3 hole to win a series against the Sharks in the 2014 playoffs; Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty were on that roster.
With a goal in Game 3, Cale Makar tied Kris Letang and Victor Hedman for second-most playoff goals (23) among active defensemen … behind teammate Brent Burns (24).
Gabriel Landeskog netted career playoff goal No. 30, becoming the seventh player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to hit that mark.
Speaking of franchise history, Scott Wedgewood became the first goalie to earn a win in his first three playoff starts.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens
7 p.m. ET (ESPN) | MTL leads 2-1
When up 2-1 in best-of-seven series, the Canadiens have a 39-11 series record; when trailing 1-2 in a seven-game series, the Lightning have a 6-8 series record.
Kirby Dach was moved to a line with Alexandre Texier and Zachary Bolduc for Game 3. The Canadiens outscored the Lightning 3-0 at 5-on-5 when that line was on the ice, including being on the ice for Lane Hutson’s overtime winner.
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Hutson has a goal in consecutive games. Only three Canadiens defensemen in history have scored a goal in three straight: Guy Lapointe (1973), Jim Roberts (1977) and Shea Weber (2020).
Jakub Dobes is looking to become the third Canadiens rookie goalie with three or more playoff wins in a single year in the last 40 seasons, joining Patrick Roy (15 en route to the Cup in 1986) and Carey Price (five in 2008).
Nikita Kucherov enters this game with 175 career playoff points; his next point will tie him with Jean Beliveau and Sergei Fedorov for 16th on the all-time list.
The Lightning have scored eight goals in this series and Brandon Hagel has been on the ice for all eight. He’s the fourth Lightning player to score in each of the team’s first three games of a single postseason, joining Vincent Lecavalier (2007), Alex Killorn (2017), and Steven Stamkos (2024).
Andrei Vasilevskiy has made 117 straight playoff starts for the Lightning, the fourth-longest streak a team in Stanley Cup playoff history, behind Martin Brodeur (Devils, 194), Patrick Roy (Avalanche, 133) and Henrik Lundqvist (Rangers, 129).
Edmonton Oilers at Anaheim Ducks
9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) | ANA leads 2-1
The Ducks have a 7-3 series record when going up 2-1 in a best-of-seven series; the Oilers have an 8-10 series record when starting a series down 1-2.
With his game-winning goal in Game 3, Leo Carlsson became the third youngest player (21 years, 119 days) in franchise history to score a playoff game-winning goal, behind Stanislav Chistov (19 years, 362 days in 2003) and Ryan Getzlaf (20 years, 362 days in 2006).
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Jackson LaCombe scored an empty-netter in Game 3, becoming the seventh American defenseman (and first since Scott Perunovich in 2022) to record a point in each of his first three playoff games.
The win was No. 123 for coach Joel Quenneville, tying Al Arbour for second-most among coaches in Stanley Cup playoff history, behind Scotty Bowman’s 223.
Connor McDavid finally scored a goal in Game 3, snapping a three-game playoff drought that went back to Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.
Teammate Kasperi Kapanen notched his third playoff goal of this postseason, which ties his career mark for most in a single playoff run (set in 12 games last postseason).
With two assists in Game 3, Evan Bouchard now has 63 playoff helpers in his career, passing Charlie Huddy (61) for second-most by a defenseman in Oilers history. Paul Coffey (67) is tops on the list.
Sunday’s best bet
The bet: Bowen Byram two-plus shots on goal (+100)
Paired with Owen Power, Byram rifled twice on net in the series opener, four times in Game 2, and twice again in the Sabres’ Game 3 win. Averaging more than 22 minutes of ice time per game, the defenseman also has two goals and an assist to show for his postseason efforts.
Failing to prevent netminder Jeremy Swayman from getting peppered, the Bruins have allowed more shots (34.3) through three games than any other team besides the Carolina Hurricanes, despite resolving each contest within 60 minutes. Also, this relatively tight game could conceivably result in Game 4 reaching overtime, further bolstering Byram’s chances at going over two shots on goal. — Victoria Matiash
Saturday’s scoreboard
Carolina Hurricanes 4, Ottawa Senators 2
Hurricanes win 4-0
The Hurricanes and Senators both came out looking to set an aggressive tone, and the clubs were scoreless through the first period. At 15:15 of the second, Carolina’s Taylor Hall — public enemy No. 1 in Ottawa after he concussed Jake Sanderson in Game 3 — opened the scoring, but the Sens tied it less than two minutes later with a power-play goal off the stick of Drake Batherson. The third belonged to the Canes, as Logan Stankoven scored on a power-play goal, and Carolina mostly suffocated Ottawa from there on out — save for a pair of Sebastian Aho empty-net goals sandwiched around a Dylan Cozens tally. Carolina will face the winner of the Penguins-Flyers series in Round 2. Full recap.
Minnesota Wild 3, Dallas Stars 2 (OT)
Series tied 2-2
The series that many pundits believed would go the full seven games appears to be headed in that direction. The Stars and Wild battled back and forth, with Dallas taking a lead of 1-0 on Jason Robertson’s goal, which was matched by Brock Faber’s, then a Miro Heiskanen tally that was eventually equaled by Marcus Foligno. In overtime, each team had several Grade-A opportunities, and it was looking like the teams would need a double OT to settle things. However, Matt Boldy niftily deflected a Jared Spurgeon shot past Jake Oettinger, sending the home fans into a frenzy, and the series back to Dallas knotted at 2-2. Game 4 is Tuesday on ESPN2. Full recap.
Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Philadelphia Flyers 2
Flyers lead 3-1
With their backs proverbially against the wall, Sidney Crosby and the Penguins delivered their most complete effort of the series to date. Pittsburgh’s captain scored his first goal of the postseason to kick things off at 14:24 of the first period, and Rickard Rakell added another Penguins goal just over a minute into the second, taking some air out of the crowd in Philly. A goal by Denver Barkey later in the second woke the fans back up. The third period included ramped-up physical intensity from both sides. A goal from Kris Letang pushed the Penguins’ lead to 3-1, before Travis Konecny’s first of the postseason brought the deficit down to 3-2. That was a close as the Flyers would get, however, and Connor Dewar sealed the deal with an empty-netter. The Flyers’ next chance to win the series is Game 5 on Monday in Pittsburgh. Full recap.
Playoff scoring leaders
PlayerGPGAPT-1. Matt Duchene, F, Stars
Click here for full list of stats leaders.
Playoff goaltending leaders
PlayerGPWGAASV%1. Alex Lyon, Sabres
Click here for the full list of goaltender stats.
Stanley Cup playoff bracket
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