Even though the first round hasn't quite finished yet, the second round began on Saturday. The Carolina Hurricanes, who had a one-week break, showed no rust in picking up right where they left off.

Carolina 3, Philadelphia 0 (Hurricanes lead series 1-0)

Logan Stankoven is becoming a story of the 2026 playoffs. With two goals in Game 1, Stankoven has stacked up six goals in five playoff games with a goal in each playoff game. His hot streak has actually dated back to the regular season, as he has points in 13 consecutive combined regular season and playoff games, while he finished the season with 10 goals and 16 points over his last 19 games. Stankoven also took five shots in Game 1, which pushes up his average to 4.6 SOG/GP in his five playoff games.

STANK SUPREMACY CONTINUES AS HE SCORES HIS SECOND OF THE GAME!!!! 🔥🚨 pic.twitter.com/c3qr7QaWTk

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 3, 2026

Stankoven's line with Jackson Blake and Taylor Hall has been absolutely dominant with a 71.4 CF% (shot attempts for percentage) in Game 1 and a 66.4 CF% during the playoffs. Blake scored the other Canes' goal and assisted on one of Stankoven's goals, while Hall assisted on Blake's goal. Blake has six points in five playoff games, while Hall has eight points in five playoff games. No one else on the Canes has more than three points during the playoffs, so this line is carrying the team offensively.

It's debatable whether we should put a ton of stock into playoff performance translating into regular-season fantasy value. Stankoven will reach 200 regular-season games next season and is 23 years old, but he has a smaller body (5-8, 165 lbs) and may need another season or two for a true breakout. Still, he has piled up points in both the WHL and AHL levels. His name will be one to remember for next season's drafts.

Frederik Andersen continues to get the job done in net. Andersen only faced 19 shots, his lowest total of the playoffs. Andersen has allowed a combined five goals over five games, with all five of his games resulting in quality starts. The week off probably helped him as well. Andersen won't have the same impact in next season's fantasy leagues as he is having in this season's playoffs. He will most likely be a timeshare goalie somewhere next season.

The Carolina Hurricanes are the first team to not trail for a single second in their first five games of a playoff run since the Washington Capitals in 1986.

Pure. Dominance. pic.twitter.com/o2kKaS2p5k

— PuckEmpire (@puckempire) May 3, 2026

Because of the dominance of the Stankoven line, the Canes haven't needed to rely on Andrei Svechnikov as much. That's fine, because Svechnikov recorded his first point of the playoffs by assisting on Stankoven's second goal.

In five playoff games, Shayne Gostisbehere has yet to record a point. Despite the lack of production, Gostisbehere remains on the top power play.

Nikolaj Ehlers returned to the Canes' lineup after missing Game 4 of the Ottawa series with a lower-body injury.

Alexander Nikishin missed Game 1 on Saturday, as he is still dealing with a concussion from Game 4 of the Ottawa series.

Owen Tippett was out of the Flyers' lineup for Game 1 with an undisclosed injury. He is considered day-to-day.

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Charlie McAvoy has been offered an in-person hearing for his slash on Zach Benson on Friday. That means the NHL has the option of suspending McAvoy for at least six games to begin the 2026-27 season. That doesn't necessarily mean McAvoy will be suspended for that long, but it seems probable that he will be suspended for at least a few games to start next season. Advice to keep in the back of your mind for September if you draft or already roster McAvoy: grab an extra defenseman for the first week.

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As much as it's easy to pile on the Oilers right now, injuries seem to be one major reason that they could not advance past the first round. The team has reported that Connor McDavid played through the first round with a fracture to his foot and ankle area. McDavid finished the playoffs with one goal and six points, but he was also a very un-McDavid-like minus-8.

Leon Draisaitl admitted on Saturday that he wasn't 100 percent during the playoffs. Draisaitl missed the last five weeks of the regular season with a knee injury. McDavid and Draisaitl will have a longer offseason than they had the previous two seasons, which should allow them to be fresher to start the 2026-27 season.

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Look for our Experts Panel second-round picks coming soon – shortly after the conclusion of Game 7 between Montreal and Tampa Bay. You can see how we fared (so far) with our Round 1 picks. My picks could have been better, but at least I've reached .500.

While we wait, I'll give you a sneak peek into my own picks for the second round.

Carolina vs. Philadelphia

We already have a head start with Game 1 being played on Saturday. The writers will get that potential freebee as well. Carolina is the favorite already, and they didn't really expose anything on Saturday that would convince me otherwise. I had some doubts about the Canes entering the playoffs based on their past playoff record, similar to Dallas in the Western Conference. However, their speed and puck possession game give them the clear advantage over the Flyers. Dan Vladar might be able to steal a game with Rick Tocchet keeping games low event, but I'm not sold at all on Philadelphia being able to pull off an upset.  

My pick: Carolina in 5

Colorado vs. Minnesota

The Avalanche barely broke a sweat in the first round, sweeping the Kings in four games. Meanwhile, the Wild didn't have to go the distance to defeat the Stars, but that series probably took a bit more of a toll on them than Colorado's series. Will the Avalanche be well-rested or more rusted? Who will prevail between Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes? The winner of this series could very well be the Western Conference representative in the Stanley Cup Final. This might be the best Wild team in the history of the franchise. Yet Colorado has been absolutely dominant for stretches this season. This series will probably be the one to watch.

My pick: Colorado in 7

Vegas vs. Anaheim

The Ducks are coming off an impressive series win – perhaps even an upset – over McDavid and the Oilers. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights took a few games to hit their stride, but in the end their playoff experience prevailed over the up-and-coming Mammoth. Anaheim has the speed and the offense, which made me really think about this one. This could be a high-scoring series, as both Lukas Dostal and Carter Hart struggled at times during the first round. I think Dostal is the more likely goalie to find his game, and Anaheim did sweep the season series between the two teams. The Ducks' scoring is also dangerous enough to expose an aging Vegas team.

My pick: Anaheim in 6

Buffalo vs. Tampa Bay OR Buffalo vs. Montreal

The Lightning were my Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Final pick. However, they've looked slow at times against Montreal. As their core has gotten older, the Bolts have changed their game to one that emphasizes toughness over skill. I'd put them at 51% to win Game 7 over Montreal, and that is because of the home-ice advantage (last change, fan support, etc.) This could be a changing-of-the-guard kind of season with the likes of Edmonton and Dallas already knocked out, with Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay showing their age. If Tampa Bay wins Game 7, Buffalo will be too much for them to handle. I also wonder how much of a factor Victor Hedman would have been.

On the other hand, Montreal seems to be clicking right now. Their power play looks like it could strike at any time. I don't know if Jakub Dobes is the long-term answer in net, but he is the answer right now. Don't forget that Noah Dobson could also return at some point. A Montreal/Buffalo series would be exciting with two young teams. A winner would be harder to pick, but my gut tells me that the top line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky could edge out Tage Thompson and company.

My pick: Buffalo in 6 over Tampa Bay / Montreal in 7 over Buffalo

How close will my picks be to the rest of the Dobber writers? Find out soon.

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Enjoy Game 7! Follow me on X @Ian_Gooding and Bluesky @goodsfantasyhockey.bsky.social