Stanley Cup playoffs daily: Previews, stats, schedule, bracket

ByESPN Staff ESPN logo

Saturday, May 9, 2026 11:26AM

The final elimination of the first round occurred on Sunday, May 3, and the first elimination of the second round could occur on Saturday.

Life comes at you fast, hockey fans.

After dispatching their in-state rival Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in Round 1, the Philadelphia Flyers have not been able to find many answers against the Carolina Hurricanes, and enter Game 4 down 0-3.

In Saturday's nightcap, the Colorado Avalanche-Minnesota Wild series picks back up with Game 3 from the Twin Cities, as the Wild are looking to avoid falling into a similar 0-3 hole.

Here's what to watch -- and a best bet -- for Saturday's games, along with scores and highlights from Friday's contests, and updated playoff stat leaders.

Saturday's schedule

Carolina Hurricanes at Philadelphia Flyers

Game 4, 6 p.m. ET (TNT) | CAR leads 3-0

Teams to lead a best-of-seven series 3-0 in Stanley Cup playoff history have a 212-4 series record, and the Hurricanes have never lost after building such a lead. The Flyers are one of four teams to have come back from an 0-3 hole, which occurred in the 2010 conference semifinals against the Boston Bruins.

The Hurricanes are the 13th team overall -- and fifth since 1987 -- to open a postseason with seven straight wins. They are the fourth in history to start 7-0 while allowing fewer than 10 combined goals in those games, joining the 1952 Detroit Red Wings, 1969 St. Louis Blues and 1994 New York Rangers.

In Game 3, Jordan Staal became the first Hurricane with a power-play and short-handed point in the same postseason game; he also became the first player age 37 or older to do so since Daniel Alfredsson in the 2013 conference semifinals.

Jalen Chatfield and Andrei Svechnikov both tallied their first goals of the postseason in Game 3. Chatfield's was the first goal by a Carolina defenseman this playoff run; heading into the game, Svechnikov led all goalless players in shots on goal (20).

The story for the Canes has been Frederik Andersen in goal. He has allowed two or fewer goals in all seven of his wins, becoming the first goalie since Braden Holtby in 2016 to start a team's first seven playoff games and allow a total of eight goals or fewer.

On the other side, Dan Vladar was a revelation for the Flyers throughout the regular season and the first round against Pittsburgh. He allowed 10 total goals in the six-game series win for Philly over the Penguins. Unfortunately, he has allowed 10 goals in just three games against Carolina.

Simultaneously, the Flyers' young scorers have also gone cold. Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras have just one goal apiece through three games, while Porter Martone, Tyson Foerster, Denver Barkey and Matvei Michkov have yet to score; Owen Tippett has missed the entire series, while Noah Cates missed Game 3.

Colorado Avalanche at Minnesota Wild

Game 3, 9 p.m. ET (TNT) | COL leads 2-0

Teams that have gone up 2-0 in seven-game series in Stanley Cup playoff history have won the series 86% of the time. The Avs have an 18-4 series record after going up 2-0, while the Wild have a 1-8 series record when trailing 0-2. Their lone series win? The first round in 2014 against the Avalanche.

This is the fifth time in NHL history that two teams have started the postseason 6-0 or better. The others were the Blues and Montreal Canadiens (1969), New York Islanders and Canadiens (1977), Flyers and Edmonton Oilers (1985), and Red Wings and Dallas Stars (1999).

The 14 goals scored by the Avalanche in the first two games are the most in the first two games of a postseason series in Avs/Nordiques franchise history, and the most byany team in the opening two games of a series since the Calgary Flames scored 15 against the Los Angeles Kings in 1988. Colorado has scored at least one goal in 14 straight periods, the second-longest streak in franchise history (15 straight in 1997).

Nathan MacKinnon is on a three-game streak of scoring three-plus points, tying Joe Sakic (1997) for the longest such streak in franchise playoff history.

Scott Wedgewood is now 6-0 as a starting goalie in his postseason career, which is tied for the third-longest streak of consecutive starts won to begin a Stanley Cup playoff career. He's tied with Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2003), behind Tiny Thompson (seven starts over the 1929 and 1930 postseasons) and Cam Ward (seven, 2022).

Kirill Kaprizov scored career playoff goal No. 18 in Game 2, extending his lead on the franchise leaderboard. He remains second on the playoff points list (32), behind Zach Parise (37).

The Wild tapped Filip Gustavsson for his first start of the 2026 postseason in Game 2, and he allowed four goals on 22 shots (.818 SV%). Jesper Wallstedt started Game 1, allowing eight goals on 42 shots (.810 SV%). Who gets the nod in a pivotal Game 3?

Friday's scoreboard

Montreal Canadiens 5, Buffalo Sabres 1

Series tied 1-1

After a dominant win for Buffalo in Game 1, it went entirely the other way in Game 2. Alex Newhook and Mike Matheson started the scoring for the Habs in the first period, and Newhook added his second of the game at 4:47 of the second. A goal by Zach Benson got the Sabres on the board later that period, but Alexandre Carrier scored early in the third and Nick Suzuki added an empty-netter to seal the deal. Game 3 is in Montreal on Sunday. Full recap.

Vegas Golden Knights 6, Anaheim Ducks 2

Golden Knights lead 2-1

When the Golden Knights acquired Mitch Marner last summer, they hoped he'd come through in big moments. That was certainly the case in Game 3, as the former Maple Leaf scored his first playoff hat trick to lead a rout of the Ducks and give Vegas a 2-1 series lead. Shea Theodore, Brayden McNabb and Brett Howden also scored for the Golden Knights, while Beckett Sennecke and Chris Kreider had the tallies for Anaheim. Game 4 is Sunday in Anaheim. Full recap.