The quest for the Cup began with a bang on Saturday as the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs officially got underway.
Carolina Hurricanes 2, Ottawa Senators 0
Carolina Leads Series 1-0
The Carolina Hurricanes relied on their veteran core to stifle the Ottawa Senators in a 2-0 Game 1 victory. Captain Jordan Staal and Senators Captain Brady Tkachuk dropped the gloves at the opening faceoff. Logan Stankoven opened the scoring early in the second period, burying a quick shot that redirected off a Senators stick and into the net. Taylor Hall provided the insurance late in the third, sniping a shot off the rush to silence the Ottawa bench. Goaltender Frederik Andersen was the story of the night, turning aside all 22 shots he faced to record the shutout.
Minnesota Wild 6, Dallas Stars 1
Minnesota Leads Series 1-0
In the most lopsided result of the night, the Minnesota Wild made a massive statement with a 6-1 thrashing of the Dallas Stars. Joel Eriksson Ek got the party started in the first period before the second opened up, seeing tallies from Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and Ryan Hartman. Eriksson Ek and Boldy each had a two-goal performance and a three-point night, while goaltender Jesper Wallstedt stayed hot between the pipes.
Philadelphia Flyers 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 2
Philadelphia Leads Series 1-0
The "City of Brotherly Love" took the early advantage in the Battle of Pennsylvania with a gritty 3-2 road victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The game remained deadlocked until late in the third period when rookie Porter Martone played the hero, shielding the puck in the high slot before firing a shot past Stuart Skinner for the game-winner. Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale also added goals, while the Penguins saw markers from Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust.