NHL PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE
FLORIDA PANTHERS (1A) VS. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (WC1)
FLORIDA LEADS SERIES 2-0
GAME 1: PANTHERS 3, LIGHTNING 2
GAME 2: PANTHERS 3, LIGHTNING 2 (OT)
GAME 3: PANTHERS AT LIGHTNING — APRIL 25, 7 P.M. ET (TBS, MAX, SN, TVAS)
GAME 4: PANTHERS AT LIGHTNING — APRIL 27, 5 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, TVAS, SNE, SNW, SNP)
GAME 5: LIGHTNING AT PANTHERS — APRIL 29, TBD
GAME 6: PANTHERS AT LIGHTNING — MAY 1, TBD
GAME 7: LIGHTNING AT PANTHERS — MAY 4, TBD
COMPLETE PANTHERS-LIGHTNING SERIES COVERAGE
BOSTON BRUINS (2A) VS. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (3A)
SERIES TIED 1-1
GAME 1: BRUINS 5, MAPLE LEAFS 1
GAME 2: MAPLE LEAFS 3, BRUINS 2
GAME 3: BRUINS AT MAPLE LEAFS — APRIL 24, 7 P.M. ET (ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC)
GAME 4: BRUINS AT MAPLE LEAFS — APRIL 27, 8 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN, TVAS, CBC)
GAME 5: MAPLE LEAFS AT BRUINS — APRIL 30, TBD
GAME 6: BRUINS AT MAPLE LEAFS — MAY 2, TBD
GAME 7: MAPLE LEAFS AT BRUINS — MAY 4, TBD
COMPLETE BRUINS-MAPLE LEAFS SERIES COVERAGE
NEW YORK RANGERS (1M) VS. WASHINGTON CAPITALS (WC2)
NEW YORK LEADS SERIES 2-0
GAME 1: RANGERS 4, CAPITALS 1
GAME 2: RANGERS 4, CAPITALS 3
GAME 3: RANGERS AT CAPITALS — APRIL 26, 7 P.M. ET (TNT, TRUTV, MAX, SN360, TVAS)
GAME 4: RANGERS AT CAPITALS — APRIL 28, 8 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN360, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNP)
GAME 5: CAPITALS AT RANGERS — MAY 1, TBD
GAME 6: RANGERS AT CAPITALS — MAY 3, TBD
GAME 7: CAPITALS AT RANGERS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE RANGERS-CAPITALS SERIES COVERAGE
CAROLINA HURRICANES (2M) VS. NEW YORK ISLANDERS (3M)
CAROLINA LEADS SERIES 2-0
GAME 1: HURRICANES 3, ISLANDERS 1
GAME 2: HURRICANES 5, ISLANDERS 3
GAME 3: HURRICANES AT ISLANDERS — APRIL 25, 7:30 P.M. ET (ESPN2, SN360, TVAS)
GAME 4: HURRICANES AT ISLANDERS — APRIL 27, 2 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN, TVAS)
GAME 5: ISLANDERS AT HURRICANES — APRIL 30, TBD
GAME 6: HURRICANES AT ISLANDERS — MAY 2, TBD
GAME 7: ISLANDERS AT HURRICANES — MAY 4, TBD
COMPLETE HURRICANES-ISLANDERS SERIES COVERAGE
WESTERN CONFERENCE
DALLAS STARS (1C) VS. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (WC2)
VEGAS LEADS SERIES 1-0
GAME 1: GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4, STARS 3
GAME 2: GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT STARS — APRIL 24, 9:30 P.M. ET (ESPN, SN360, TVAS)
GAME 3: STARS AT GOLDEN KNIGHTS — APRIL 27, 10:30 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN, SN360, TVAS)
GAME 4: STARS AT GOLDEN KNIGHTS — APRIL 29, TBD
GAME 5: GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT STARS — MAY 1, TBD
GAME 6: STARS AT GOLDEN KNIGHTS — MAY 3, TBD
GAME 7: GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT STARS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE STARS-GOLDEN KNIGHTS SERIES COVERAGE
WINNIPEG JETS (2C) VS. COLORADO AVALANCHE (3C)
SERIES TIED 1-1
GAME 1: JETS 7, AVALANCHE 6
GAME 2: AVALANCHE 5, JETS 2
GAME 3: JETS AT AVALANCHE — APRIL 26, 10 P.M. ET (TNT, TRUTV, MAX, CBC, TVAS)
GAME 4: JETS AT AVALANCHE — APRIL 28, 2:30 P.M. ET (TNT, TRUTV, MAX, SN, TVAS)
GAME 5: AVALANCHE AT JETS — APRIL 30, TBD
GAME 6: JETS AT AVALANCHE — MAY 2, TBD
GAME 7: AVALANCHE AT JETS — MAY 4, TBD
COMPLETE JETS-AVALANCHE SERIES COVERAGE
VANCOUVER CANUCKS (1P) VS. NASHVILLE PREDATORS (WC1)
SERIES TIED 1-1
GAME 1: CANUCKS 4, PREDATORS 2
GAME 2: PREDATORS 4, CANUCKS 1
GAME 3: CANUCKS AT PREDATORS — APRIL 26, 7:30 P.M. ET (TBS, MAX, SN, TVAS)
GAME 4: CANUCKS AT PREDATORS — APRIL 28, 5 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN, TVAS)
GAME 5: PREDATORS AT CANUCKS — APRIL 30, TBD
GAME 6: CANUCKS AT PREDATORS — MAY 3, TBD
GAME 7: PREDATORS AT CANUCKS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE CANUCKS-PREDATORS SERIES COVERAGE
EDMONTON OILERS (2P) VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS (3P)
EDMONTON LEADS SERIES 1-0
GAME 1: OILERS 7, KINGS 4
GAME 2: KINGS AT OILERS — APRIL 24, 10 P.M. ET (TBS, MAX, SN, TVAS, CBC)
GAME 3: OILERS AT KINGS — APRIL 26, 10:30 P.M. ET (TBS, MAX, SN, TVAS)
GAME 4: OILERS AT KINGS — APRIL 28, 10:30 P.M. ET (TBS, TRUTV, MAX, SN, SN1, TVAS)
GAME 5: KINGS AT OILERS — MAY 1, TBD
GAME 6: OILERS AT KINGS — MAY 3, TBD
GAME 7: KINGS AT OILERS — MAY 5, TBD
COMPLETE OILERS-KINGS SERIES COVERAGE
NHL ROUNDUP: PANTHERS TOP LIGHTNING IN OT FOR 2-0 SERIES LEAD
Carter Verhaeghe scored on a backhander 2:59 into overtime as the Florida Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Tuesday in Game 2 of a first-round Eastern Conference playoff series at Sunrise, Fla.
Florida won its 11th consecutive playoff overtime game, eight of those since the start of the 2023 postseason. The Panthers lead the best-of-seven series 2-0.
Sam Bennett and Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored for the Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky made 21 saves for the victory.
Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos scored for Tampa Bay, and Victor Hedman added two assists. Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 34 saves.
Rangers 4, Capitals 3
Jack Roslovic and K’Andre Miller scored on special teams 4:26 apart in the second period and host New York hung on for a victory over Washington in Game 2 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
New York’s Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad netted goals in the first period. Alexis Lafreniere and Erik Gustafsson collected two assists apiece. Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin made 22 saves.
Tom Wilson finished with a goal and an assist while Connor McMichael and Dylan Strome also scored for the Capitals. Charlie Lindgren allowed four goals on 27 shots.
Avalanche 5, Jets 2
Alexandar Georgiev made 28 saves and visiting Colorado beat Winnipeg in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series.
Artturi Lehkonen had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who rallied from a 2-1 deficit with three goals in the final 5:44 of the second period. Georgiev bounced back after allowing seven goals on 23 shots in a Game 1 loss.
David Gustafsson and Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets, and Connor Hellebuyck made 27 saves.
Predators 4, Canucks 1
Anthony Beauvillier and Filip Forsberg each collected one goal and one assist to pace visiting Nashville to a victory over Vancouver, evening their Western Conference first-round playoff series at one win apiece.
Colton Sissons and Kiefer Sherwood also scored for the Predators. Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros made 17 saves, including a few highlight-reel efforts while the Canucks pushed frantically in the third period to try and draw even.
Nikita Zadorov had the Canucks’ lone goal. Casey DeSmith, who was in net with No. 1 goalie Thatcher Demko out due to an injury, stopped 12 of the 15 shots he faced.
DEFENSEMEN INJURIES ARE ALREADY PILING UP EARLY IN THE NHL PLAYOFFS
Deep NHL playoff runs Jason Demers went on during his playing career usually ended the same way.
“The injuries just accumulated too much,” he said. “And then you’re just not playing at 100%.”
That attrition is already showing early in the first round this spring at Demers’ old position, as defenses have been depleted by existing and new injuries, from Tampa Bay’s Mikhail Sergachev and Colorado’s Samuel Girard being out long term to Carolina’s Brett Pesce going down Monday night and Washington being down to minor leaguers to fill its many voids.
There were 70 goals scored over the first 10 games in the first round, a product of not just hot offense sparked by some of the league’s top players but team-wide struggles to keep the puck out of the net.
Pesce’s injury is the latest potentially significant one to crop up, leaving Game 2 against the New York Islanders hobbled following a noncontact play. Coach Rod Brind’Amour said afterward the situation was “not looking good,” and it’s the first major test of depth for the slight Stanley Cup favorite Hurricanes.
Tony DeAngelo would be the next veteran defenseman up.
“We’re in kind of wait-and-see mode right now,” Brind’Amour said Tuesday, acknowledging there’s some extra time before his team goes for a 3-0 series lead Thursday night on Long Island. “Don’t want to really jump the gun yet.”
The Metropolitan Division-rival Capitals have been dealing with blue line losses for weeks now, finishing the regular season without injured Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen, as well as Ethan Bear, who’s in the player assistance program. Rookie Vincent Iorio was injured in their Game 1 defeat Sunday at the New York Rangers, pressing Lucas Johansen in for his NHL playoff debut.
Johansen joined fellow American Hockey League call-up Dylan McIlrath in Washington’s lineup. If nothing else, the team is accustomed to drawing from AHL Hershey.
“The same way we have with other injuries, departures that we’ve had all year: It’s going to be opportunity for other players to step up and then also not putting that on one person’s shoulders,” coach Spencer Carbery said recently. “The group — D corps, forwards — doing a little bit more to help alleviate (the absences).”
Tampa Bay has been dealing with life without Sergachev since the 25-year-old broke his left leg in early February. He has been ruled out for the first round against Florida, but has been skating and could return if the Lightning beat the defending Eastern Conference champions and advance to face Boston or Toronto.
To do so, coach Jon Cooper said Max Crozier, summoned from the minors on Monday, “might have to play” because Nick Perbix is banged up. The Lightning got eliminated in the first round last year only after experienced D-man Erik Cernak was concussed.
Girard, who was sidelined for much of the Avalanche’s 2022 Cup run that finished by beating Tampa Bay because of a broken sternum, has been out and in of concussion protocol since injuring his head April 13 against Winnipeg. Colorado lost its playoff opener to the Jets 7-6 on Sunday night, the third time in six games the Avs have allowed seven goals.
Coach Jared Bednar said Girard is skating and “progressing,” positive news that he could return when the series shifts to Denver later this week.