It has been an uphill battle for the LA Kings over the last few years in facing and losing to the Oilers and now having to faceoff against the best team in the NHL in the Colorado Avalanche. Scott Wedgewood did not make it any easier by setting the tone early for the Avs, making his first career playoff start and looking completely composed from the jump. He turned aside 24 of 25 shots for a .923 save percentage, and while the workload was not overwhelming, the timing and efficiency of his saves stood out. LA pushed in spurts and had their moments, but Wedgewood didn't give them anything to build off, which is exactly what you need in a tight Game 1.

Colorado did not get a takeover performance from their stars either. Nathan MacKinnon did not explode offensively, but still chipped in with an assist and drove play whenever he was on the ice. The Avalanche controlled pace through his line, even if it didn't show up on the stat sheet.

Logan O'Connor scored what would be the eventual game winner.

LOGAN O'CONNOR… MORE LIKE LOGAN GOAL CONNOR! #STANLEYCUP

📺: @NHL_On_TNT, @Sportsnet, & @TVASports 2 pic.twitter.com/qnrIkb2NBY

— NHL (@NHL) April 19, 2026

Things started to get more interesting when Adrian Kempe was mixing things up with anyone that was coming in his way. He took a swipe a Cale Makar, and then shortly after he wasn't shying away when Landeskog stepped up to him, playoff hockey at its finest.

On the other side, Anton Forsberg deserved a better result. He stopped 28 shots and kept LA within striking distance, facing consistent pressure from Colorado's transition game and high-tempo attack.

Drew Doughty carried a heavy load, logging 25:21 and seeing usage in all situations, including top power-play time and shutdown minutes against Colorado's top players. Brandt Clarke was the lone defenseman to hit the scoresheet, picking up a power-play assist on the Kings' only goal by Aretmi Panarin.

Quinton Byfield came in hot with five points in his last four games but could not convert here despite playing 21:07 minutes, the highest among forwards. Alex Laferriere was one of the more noticeable Kings, picking up an assist while adding four shots, a block, and seven hits in a high-energy performance.

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Juraj Slafkovský completely took over Game 1, delivering a statement performance with a hat trick and the overtime winner, with all three goals coming on the power play. This was as dominant as it gets in a playoff setting, with Montreal's man advantage firing on all cylinders, finishing three for five on the night and driving the entire offense. Every time they got a chance with the extra man, Slafkovský was right in the middle of it, finding space and finishing chances with confidence.

JURAJ SLAFKOVSKY COMPLETES THE HAT TRICK TO WIN IT IN OVERTIME 🚨

HABS TAKE GAME 1‼️ pic.twitter.com/D2m1782wfP

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 20, 2026

He finished the game with three goals on seven shots and generated 10 total shot attempts, showing both volume and efficiency. At just 22 years old, Slafkovský becomes one of the youngest players in NHL postseason history to record a hat trick and an overtime winner in the same game. Montreal has also been nearly unbeatable when he scores during the regular season with a record of 22-3-1.

It was not just Slafkovský, the Canadiens' top line did the heavy lifting, driving almost all of the offensive production. Nick Suzuki continued his strong form coming out of the regular season, picking up two power-play assists.

Cole Caufield matched him with two assists of his own, also heavily involved on the power play and generating chances off his usual quick-strike looks.

Josh Anderson was the only other Montreal forward to find the scoresheet, adding a goal and providing some secondary scoring support.

Jakub Dobeš did not face an overwhelming shot total, but he delivered when called upon, finishing with 20 saves on 23 shots.

Brandon Hagel was Tampa's most dangerous forward, scoring twice and Darren Raddysh added a power-play goal.

Jake Guentzel contributed three assists and was heavily involved in chance creation, but couldn't finish himself. Nikita Kucherov also finished with two assists

If you are wondering, Brayden Point did not register a point and played 18.30 minutes of ice time with 7.28 minutes on the man advantage.

Andrei Vasilevskiy had a night he will want back, stopping just 15 of 19 shots for a sub-.800 SV % in a tough OT loss, with Montreal making the most of their opportunities.

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If you stepped away during the third period of this one, you missed everything. Boston looked firmly in control through two periods, but the game completely flipped late as Buffalo stormed back with four unanswered goals to steal Game 1.

David Pastrnak did everything he could to carry the Bruins offensively, finishing with a goal and two assists while factoring into all three of Boston's goals. He was generating chances all night and led the way with seven shots on goal, consistently looking like the most dangerous player on the ice. Morgan Geekie matched the production with a multi-point effort of his own, while Elias Lindholm added the third goal, giving Boston what looked like enough offense to close things out.

Jeremy Swayman was busy, turning aside 34 shots, but the third-period breakdowns left him exposed as Buffalo started to tilt the ice. Once the momentum shifted, there wasn't much he could do to stop it.

Tage Thompson was the catalyst in the comeback, scoring twice in the third and completely changing the pace and feel of the game. Buffalo leaned into a more physical style as well, outhitting Boston 53 to 38, with Alex Tuch leading the charge with 10 hits while also sealing the game with an empty-net goal.

TAGE THOMPSON'S GOT TWO GOALS AND TIED IT FOR THE SABRES! GET LOUD BUFFALO! 😆

🇺🇸: @espn
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet & @TVASports 2 pic.twitter.com/7CQFbkVw4j

— NHL (@NHL) April 20, 2026

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen did enough for the win stopping 17 shots, but he made the saves he needed late as Boston pushed. UPL has been on a timely win streak entering the playoffs with four wins and two quality starts in his last four games played including this game. You have to think the Sabres would ride the hot hand in UPL especially during the playoffs.

This marks Buffalo's first playoff win since the 2010–11 season, and one of their more impressive comeback efforts in decades, flipping a game that looked all but out of reach.

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It feels like we're seeing this script play out more and more, and this time it was the Golden Knights turning the game on its head. Vegas stormed back with a three-goal third period to take Game 1.

What made this one even more interesting was where the production came from. If you had Colton Sissons, Noah Hanifin, and Brayden McNabb as the leading point producers, you were way ahead of the curve. All three finished with two points apiece, highlighting just how much of this win was driven by depth rather than the usual top-end names.

The third-period push was fueled by Mark Stone, Ivan Barbashev, and Nic Dowd, who all played key roles in shifting momentum. Stone, in particular, continues to cement his playoff impact, setting a new franchise mark for most playoff goals by a Golden Knights player.

A new franchise record for Mark Stone and the @GoldenKnights! ⚔️ #StanleyCup

🇺🇸: @espn
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet & @TVASports pic.twitter.com/l99GdLYMvx

— NHL (@NHL) April 20, 2026

In goal, Carter Hart was a difference-maker, stopping 31 of 33 shots for a .939 save percentage. He held things together early and gave Vegas the chance to mount the comeback. On the other side, Karel Vejmelka turned aside 27 shots but could not hold off the late push as the game slipped away.

For Utah, Logan Cooley and Kevin Stenlund provided the offense but after than the offensive fizzled out for the Mammoth top-six. There was clearly some tension at the final whistle as well, with words exchanged between Dowd and Cooley, adding another layer to what's shaping up to be a physical and emotional series heading into Game 2.

"I'm coming for you, and i'm gonna f**king kill you."

Nic Dowd with some choice words for Logan Cooley after the game 😳🫣 pic.twitter.com/UU9r5OiIbU

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 20, 2026

Thanks for reading! See you next week! For more fantasy hockey content and analysis, follow me on X @Punters_hockey. If you have any questions about your team or a trade? My DMs are always open, happy to help!