Stanley Cup playoffs daily: Previews, stats, schedule, bracketplayHow the Canadiens defeated the Lightning to take 3-2 series lead (1:32)Arda Öcal reports on the Canadiens’ 3-2 win to move to one win away from moving on to the 2nd round. (1:32)ESPN staffApr 30, 2026, 07:00 AM ETMultiple Authors
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The most stressful contest in a seven-game series is obviously Game 7, when the fate of both teams — move on, or move out — is on the line.
But don’t sleep on Game 6s for a high-anxiety factor; one team playing with its back against the wall, while the other is hoping to avoid the panic of putting it all on the line in a Game 7.
Friday night, there are three Game 6s on the schedule, as the Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres and Vegas Golden Knights are hoping to move advance.
Can the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and Utah Mammoth force one more game?
Here are previews and a best bet for Friday’s games, scores and highlights from Thursday’s matchups, and updated playoff stat leaders.
Read more:
Full schedule
Playoff Central
Stanley Cup odds
Offseason guide for eliminated teams
Friday’s schedule
Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens
Game 6, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2) | MTL leads 3-2
When a series has been tied 2-2 in Stanley Cup playoff history, the winner of Game 5 — Montreal in this case — has gone on to win the series 79% of the time.
In their history, the Canadiens have won 90% of their best-of-seven series when leading 3-2 (27-3 series record) — that includes a 7-1 record when Game 6 is on home ice. The Lightning have rallied to win four of 10 series in their history when down 3-2.
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Montreal’s Lane Hutson has a five-game point streak, and is the third defenseman in Canadiens history to do so in the playoffs; he joins Larry Robinson (1978 and 1979) and Serge Savard (1977).
Teammate Jakub Dobes is the third Canadiens rookie goaltender with three playoff wins in a single postseason in the past 40 years, joining Patrick Roy (15 in 1986) and Carey Price (five in 2008).
Tampa Bay’s Jake Guentzel has eight points in five games, which is tied for the third-most points through five playoff games in franchise history, behind Nikita Kucherov in 2018 (10) and 2021 (eight).
Though he’ll end his career as one of the best goalies of his generation, Andrei Vasilevskiy has now gone 6-15 in the postseason since losing to the Avalanche in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.
Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins
Game 6, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) | BUF leads 3-2
The Sabres were up 3-1 in this series, and teams that have been up 3-1 have won 91% of their series in Stanley Cup playoff history. The Bruins have never rallied to win a series in which they were down 3-1.
Home ice has not been an advantage in this series; the home team has a 1-4 record, and has held a lead for just 35 minutes, 45 seconds of the 309:14 total game time, which is 12%.
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Buffalo’s Bowen Byram came into this postseason with zero goals in 27 games. He now has three goals in this series, tied for the most among blueliners this postseason.
After replacing Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in Game 2, Alex Lyon has generated the second-best marks in save percentage (.953) and goals-against average (1.18) among postseason goaltenders, behind Carolina’s Frederik Andersen in both categories.
David Pastrnak’s overtime goal in Game 5 made history on multiple fronts. He became the seventh player in Stanley Cup playoff history to score multiple OT goals while facing elimination, joining Dale Hunger, Joe Pavelski, Simon Gagne, Joe Sakic, Mike Gartner and Lanny McDonald. Plus, he now has 41 career playoff goals, which passes Johnny Bucyk for seventh in franchise history.
Revealed as a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender, Jeremy Swayman has not had the greatest time on home ice. He has given up eight goals on 58 shots in the two games, and his 4.58 home GAA is the highest of any goalie this postseason.
Vegas Golden Knights at Utah Mammoth
Game 6, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN) | VGK leads 3-2
The Golden Knights have a 7-1 series record when taking a 3-2 lead (including six straight series victories). They have also won seven of their past 10 games with the chance to clinch a playoff series.
On the other side, the Mammoth are looking to become the sixth team to overcome a deficit to win the franchise’s first playoff series. They would join the Minnesota North Stars (1968), San Jose Sharks (1994), Anaheim Ducks (1997), Minnesota Wild (2003) and Seattle Kraken (2023).
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With a hat trick in Game 5, Pavel Dorofeyev is the fourth different player in Golden Knights’ history to do so in the postseason, joining Mark Stone (2023, 2019), Jonathan Marchessault (2023, 2021) and Mattias Janmark (2021).
Teammate Jack Eichel reached 40 career playoff assists in 45 games, becoming the eighth-fastest player to reach that benchmark in Stanley Cup playoff history, behind Wayne Gretzky (27 games), Ken Linseman (35), Mario Lemieux (36), Leon Draisaitl (37), Peter Stastny (38), Connor McDavid (42) and Bobby Orr (44).
Utah’s Clayton Keller had five points in Games 3-5 after only one point in the first two games of the series. According to NHL Edge, Keller has five skating bursts of 22-plus mph this postseason, second most behind McDavid (eight).
Logan Cooley is trending in the opposite direction. After beginning the series with a three-game point streak, he had no points in Games 4 and 5.
1:27
How Vegas took control of the series in a 2OT thriller
Arda Öcal recaps a thriller between the Golden Knights and Mammoth in Game 5.
Thursday’s scoreboard
Minnesota Wild 5, Dallas Stars 2
Wild win 4-2
One of the more entertaining first-round series has come to an end. After Game 1, these two teams battled closely in each matchup — and for two periods, this one was just as close. The Wild took held an early lead thanks to Quinn Hughes’ first goal of the playoffs at 6:23 of the first period, before two second-period goals — from Wyatt Johnston and Mavrik Bourque — put the Stars ahead 2-1. But just under a minute after Bourque’s tally, Vladimir Tarasenko notched his first goal of the postseason, knotting the score at two after two.
The teams exchanged chances for the opening part of the third, but it was Hughes who struck twine again, scoring the go-ahead (and eventual game-winning) goal at 10:38 of the third. A pair of empty-net goals by Matt Boldy sent the crowd into a cathartic frenzy, as the Wild have advanced to the second round for the first time since 2015. They will face the Colorado Avalanche next, while the Stars figure out how to get better for 2026-27. Full recap.
Anaheim Ducks 5, Edmonton Oilers 2
Ducks win 4-2
As close as the Wild-Stars game was earlier in the evening, it quickly became clear who was winning the nightcap. The Ducks flew out to a 3-1 first-period lead thanks to goals from Ryan Poehling, Chris Kreider and Cutter Gauthier; the Oilers scored just once in the first, off the stick of Connor Murphy. Troy Terry added his third of the postseason in the second, and that was well more than enough.
Vasily Podkolzin scored his third of the playoffs in the third, cutting the lead to 4-2, but Leo Carlsson’s empty-netter sealed the deal. The Ducks are the first team through in the Pacific Division bracket, and will face the winner of the Vegas Golden Knights-Utah Mammoth series. On the Edmonton side, the offseason of Connor McDavid speculation officially begins now. Full recap.
Playoff scoring leaders
PlayerGPGAP1. 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.
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