The Stanley Cup playoffs kicked off on Saturday with three games. For predictions on each series and for the Stanley Cup Final, check out our writers' picks here.

Carolina 2, Ottawa 0 (Hurricanes lead series 1-0)

Frederik Andersen was perhaps a surprise starter for Game 1, but he turned out to be the right choice for the Hurricanes. Andersen stopped all 22 shots he faced, including this one in the third period that was called a goal on the ice.

The Sens THOUGHT they tied the game, the ref ruled it a goal on the ice, but after video review, it was ruled the puck never fully crossed the line…

No goal 🫣 pic.twitter.com/CtLlhYupFv

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 18, 2026

Even though Brandon Bussi might have been the expected starter because of a stronger record (31-6-2) than Andersen (16-14-5), Andersen has been the hotter goalie recently. Since the start of April, Andersen has a 2.26 GAA and .902 SV%, while Bussi has a 2.68 GAA and .876 SV%. Both goalies have played four games this month (not including Game 1 on Saturday). I know this because I rostered both Canes' goalies on one of my teams during my fantasy playoffs, and Andersen seemed to be a bit more reliable.

Andersen should continue to start, although he may not be able to handle a long playoff run on his own given his recent injury history. His 35 games played in 2025-26 is his highest total in four seasons. The 36-year-old Andersen is also playing for his next contract, as he will be a UFA after the season. He won't likely be back with the Canes, as both Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov (who was recently activated from IR) are under contract next season.

Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven each scored a goal and added an assist, while Jackson Blake assisted on both goals. This line was responsible for all the points in this game. In addition, this trio played the Carolina system to a tee with an 85.0 CF%.

These two teams allowed the fewest shots per game of all teams this season (Carolina 23.7 SA/GP, Ottawa 24.2 SA/GP). However, these two teams were also in the bottom third of the league in team save percentage (Carolina .886 SV%, Ottawa .882 SV%). How did that translate in terms of goals allowed? Carolina finished fourth with a 2.93 GAA, while Ottawa finished 11th with a 3.00 GAA.

Do we refer to a fight during the opening faceoff as a Tkachuk Opening Draw from now on?

BRADY TKACHUK AND JORDAN STAAL DROP THE GLOVES AT CENTER ICE TO OPEN THE PLAYOFFS 😱👊 pic.twitter.com/6M6XxfIM80

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 18, 2026

The physical play continued from there. The Senators and Hurricanes combined for 58 hits in the first period, which was the most combined hits in any period this season. Carolina won the hit battle with 57 hits compared to Ottawa's 39. Andrei Svechnikov led the Canes with eight hits, Jordan Martinook finished with seven hits, and Stankoven (not usually a big hitter) was credited with six hits. This game was a spirited battle. Game 2 should be much the same.

Svechnikov and Stankoven also led Carolina with six shots each.

Artem Zub left this game early in the second period with a possible knee/leg injury after taking a hit from Seth Jarvis. After the game, Travis Green said he had no update on Zub. With Zub out for over half of this game, Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson logged 26:39 and 27:25 respectively.

Interesting observation from the most recent 32 Thoughts:

Drake Batherson tied a unique NHL record, with his seventh consecutive season featuring an increased point total (nine-10-34-44-62-66-68-71).

All you can ask for is growth from a player on your keeper team, and that's what Batherson has provided. So has Nick Suzuki (from the same thought):

Lurking is Nick Suzuki, at six (41-61-66-77-89-101).

#FantasyHockey glory just a click away#NHLPlayoffs player list for your hockey pool draft

✅Latest injury notes
✅Immediate Downloadhttps://t.co/wZyDzwg8WO pic.twitter.com/V8i8DnDQiL

— Dobber (@DobberHockey) April 17, 2026

Minnesota 6, Dallas 1 (Wild lead series 1-0)

This series was projected as too close to call in our writers' predictions, but Game 1 wasn't close at all.

Matt Boldy was a force for the Wild, scoring two goals along with an assist with eight shots on goal. Kirill Kaprizov added a goal and two assists, while Mats Zuccarello chipped in three assists.

In his first career playoff start, Jesper Wallstedt was up to the task, stopping 27 of 28 shots he faced. Given how teams usually use goalies in the playoffs, Wallstedt should be starting again in Game 2. If Wallstedt struggles in any particular game, Filip Gustavsson should be back between the pipes for the next game. Some teams will likely ride the hot hand for however long their playoff run lasts.

These two teams were in the top 5 in power-play goals this season – the Stars led the league with 71 PPG, while the Wild finished third with 65 PPG. From what I've been reading, power plays could decide this series. Minnesota went 2-for-4 with the man advantage in Game 1, while Dallas was 1-for-4. Joel Eriksson Ek scored both of the Wild's power-play goals.

In what might be the most interesting stat of the day, Yakov Trenin finished the game with 13 hits. Trenin was the league leader with 404 hits during the regular season, finishing 65 hits ahead of second-place Kiefer Sherwood. Prior to this season, Trenin's career high was 238 hits, so he has exceeded expectations in that one category. Trenin should only be rostered in leagues that count hits, as he has never reached the 25-point mark in his career.

Jake Oettinger played the entire game, allowing five goals on 28 shots (the sixth goal was an empty netter). His last playoff game last season was the one where former coach Pete DeBoer pulled him in the first period after Oettinger allowed two goals on two shots. Current coach Glen Gulutzan probably didn't want his goalie thinking about whether he would get pulled, instead allowing him to work through his issues. If Oettinger's Game 2 unravels the way Game 1 did (three goals allowed in the first 6:30 of the second period), then Gulutzan might not be as patient.

After missing the last three games of the regular season with a lower-body injury, Miro Heiskanen was in the lineup for Game 1. He finished with an assist and four shots while leading the Stars with 23:55 of icetime.

Join DobberHockey's bracket in the NHL Bracket Challenge!https://t.co/U76Wgzfept pic.twitter.com/t9Om98ShCE

— Dobber (@DobberHockey) April 17, 2026

Philadelphia 3, Pittsburgh 2 (Flyers lead series 1-0)

Jamie Drysdale, Travis Sanheim, and Porter Martone each scored for the Flyers in their 3-2 win. Drysdale and Martone were each making their playoff debuts, although Drysdale has had to wait much longer to make his debut.

Making his NHL debut once the NCAA season finished, the 19-year-old Martone had already accumulated 10 points in the nine regular-season games he had played. Add in his goal in the first game of the playoffs and he is scoring at over a point per game in the NHL. Martone's addition has boosted the Flyers, as they won six of their last seven regular-season games to secure a playoff spot. Martone is an obvious keeper as a high first-round pick in the last draft, but also don't forget about him in single-season fantasy leagues next season.

PORTER MARTONE SCORES A BEAUTY IN HIS STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS DEBUT 🚨🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/c1pNCauJkj

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 19, 2026

Even with the close score, this was not the most exciting game to watch. I was left wanting more from the Penguins' veteran stars, as the Flyers did a great job clogging up the neutral zone for much of the game. The Penguins were limited to just 17 shots in the entire game, while the Flyers took 20 shots. This seems like exactly the type of game that Rick Tocchet wanted from his team.

In his first playoff game since 2021-22, Evgeni Malkin scored a goal and added an assist in over 20 minutes of icetime.

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In other news, Victor Hedman is "not available right now" for the Lightning as they begin Game 1 against Montreal. Hedman has been limited to 33 games this season with 17 points. The Lightning have fared well without Hedman, finishing with the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. Darren Raddysh should continue to have a strong impact on the Bolts on the top power-play and also scoring at even strength.

Today (Sunday) features four games starting at 3 pm ET/noon PT. By the end of the day, only Anaheim and Edmonton will not have started their series yet. Enjoy the games!

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