Stanley Cup playoffs daily: Previews, stats, schedule, bracketplayHurricanes sweep the Senators (1:09)Arda Ocal breaks down how the Hurricanes are advancing to the next round of the playoffs. (1:09)ESPN staffMay 2, 2026, 07:00 AM ETMultiple Authors
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The first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs isn’t quite over yet, but we’re already on to Round 2.
Saturday night, the Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers will begin their hostilities for the Metropolitan Division crown, with the winner moving on to the Eastern Conference finals.
Here is a preview and a best bet for Saturday’s game, scores and highlights from Friday’s matchups, and updated playoff stat leaders.
Read more:
Full schedule
Playoff Central
Stanley Cup odds
Offseason guide for eliminated teams
Saturday’s schedule
Philadelphia Flyers at Carolina Hurricanes
Game 1, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
The Flyers and the Hurricanes/Whalers franchise have never faced off in a playoff series, so the team that wins this matchup will automatically have bragging rights until at least next year.
However, these teams are quite familiar with one another, and that’s doubly true this season; Nicolas Deslauriers was traded from the Flyers to the Hurricanes ahead of the deadline, and he’ll make his return to Philly in Game 3.
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Looking back to the first round, Dan Vladar’s series-clinching shutout made him the fifth goalie in Flyers history to do so, joining Bernie Parent (1974 and 1975), Pelle Lindbergh (twice in 1985), Ron Hextall (1987) and Brian Boucher (2010).
Three of the Flyers’ four leading scorers in the 2026 playoffs — Rasmus Ristolainen, Trevor Zegras and Noah Cates — are playing in their first NHL postseason. The fourth, Travis Konecny, entered the 2026 playoffs with seven points in 22 career postseason games.
The Hurricanes never trailed in their first-round defeat of the Ottawa Senators, becoming the second team in the past 10 years to pull off that feat — the other was the 2021 Montreal Canadiens in the second round against the Winnipeg Jets.
Logan Stankoven enters this round with an active four-game playoff goal-scoring streak. That’s tied for the longest such streak in Canes/Whalers history with Bates Battaglia (2002) and Ray Sheppard (1999).
Frederik Andersen leads all playoff goaltenders in goals-against average (1.10) and save percentage (.955) heading into the second round. Both are significantly better marks than his regular-season rates: 3.05 in GAA and .874 in SV%.
1:09
Hurricanes sweep the Senators
Arda Ocal breaks down how the Hurricanes are advancing to the next round of the playoffs.
Saturday’s best bet
The bet: Trevor Zegras anytime goalscorer (+330)
With double the points of any other player from either team in the four-game season series between the Hurricanes and Flyers, Zegras has three goals on 10 shots and six total points against Carolina already this season. For the Flyers to hang with a smothering Hurricanes defense that just swept Ottawa, they will need to capitalize on a man advantage led by Zegras, who paced Philadelphia with 10 power-play goals this season.
If you see a parlay option added for a Porter Martone assist, consider it. Martone picked up two helpers on Zegras power-play goals in only 13:49 during the regular season and also picked up an assist on Zegras’ power-play goal in Game 3 against the Penguins. — Sean Allen
1:15
Impact of Flyers’ series-clinching win over Penguins
Arda Öcal breaks down the thrilling finish that ended the series between the Flyers and Penguins.
Friday’s scoreboard
Tampa Bay Lightning 1, Montreal Canadiens 0 (OT)
Series tied 3-3
The fans who packed Bell Centre (and the streets areas outside the arena) came for a celebration of their team moving on to the next round. What they got instead was one of the best games of the postseason — although they would’ve preferred their own side winning. Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy and Montreal’s Jakub Dobes were under heavy assault throughout the game — and both were helped out by shots hitting the post in the first period — but neither gave an inch.
It wasn’t until Gage Goncalves scored his first goal of the postseason via a hard-fought rebound at 9:03 of OT that the contest was decided. The two teams will meet again Sunday for Game 7 in Tampa Bay with everything on the line. Full recap.
Buffalo Sabres 4, Boston Bruins 1
Sabres win 4-2
For whatever reason, the Sabres seemed to play better in Boston this series — and the Bruins seemed to play worse. That trend continued in Game 6, as Buffalo jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Alex Tuch and Mattias Samuelsson. David Pastrnak got the hometown crowd back into it with his tally at 1:54 of the second, but that was as close as the game would get. Zach Benson scored his second of the postseason at 5:58 of the third to put the Sabres up 3-1, and Josh Norris scored an empty-net goal for the final dagger.
The Bruins now turn the page to the offseason, while the Sabres will play the winner of Lightning-Canadiens in Round 2. Full recap.
Vegas Golden Knights 5, Utah Mammoth 1
Golden Knights win 4-2
With two very different types of games in the early window on Friday, one wondered if the nightcap would be a tightly contested thriller, or a coronation. It wound up being the latter, as the Knights scored a goal apiece in the first (Brett Howden) and second (Mitch Marner), and parried the Mammoth’s attacks from then onwards.
Kailer Yamamoto scored the lone tally for Utah at 7:41 of the third, but that was followed by three more from the Knights, via Colton Sissons, another from Marner and Cole Smith’s empty-netter. The Mammoth will now go back to the drawing board to push further in 2026-27, while the Knights will start their Round 2 series against the Ducks at home on a secret date. 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.
Stanley Cup playoff bracket
Stanley Cup playoff bracket if Knights advance ESPN
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