{"id":628283,"date":"2026-04-24T17:18:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T17:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/628283\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T17:18:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T17:18:11","slug":"nhl-playoffs-elimination-watch-senators-kings-penguins-staring-down-first-round-sweeps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/628283\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL playoffs elimination watch: Senators, Kings, Penguins staring down first-round sweeps"},"content":{"rendered":"

Red Light newsletter\u00a0\ud83c\udfd2\u00a0| This is\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s\u00a0hockey\u00a0newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to receive Red Light directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

Good morning, hockey folks. The three tied series go to Game 3 tonight in Montreal, Salt Lake City and Anaheim. The other five head to Game 4 on Saturday and Sunday.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a spin around the league to get you caught up on where everyone stands \u2014 including the three teams that could be eliminated \ud83e\uddf9as soon as this weekend.<\/p>\n

Full schedule here<\/a>. Off we go.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n The Sabres\u2019 Bowen Byram and Owen Power. (Maddie Meyer \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Catch UpBig wins<\/p>\n

We had three more tight games last night, but for the first time since Day 1 of the playoffs, there was no overtime. With the favorites all winning, two series moved to 3-0 \ud83e\uddf9and one shifted to 2-1.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the big battle of the B-teams in Beantown:<\/p>\n

Sabres 3, Bruins 1
(Buffalo leads series 2-1)<\/p>\n

After Tanner Jeannot scored early for Boston, it was all Sabres, as Buffalo rang up three unanswered goals \u2014 including Alex Tuch\u2019s winner<\/a> early in the third.
\nThe Sabres\u2019 goalie swap<\/a> was one big story, with Alex Lyon nearly perfect as Buffalo\u2019s tandem strategy paid off again. Matt Fairburn has more on rookie Noah \u00d6stlund\u2019s impressive debut<\/a>, while Fluto Shinzawa digs into what went wrong<\/a> for the Bruins.<\/p>\n

Hurricanes 2, Senators 1
(Carolina leads series 3-0 \ud83e\uddf9)<\/p>\n

When you chatted with execs around the league as the regular season wound down, it seemed like no one wanted to play Ottawa, which ended the year as one of the NHL\u2019s hottest teams. Now, the Senators have lost three straight, top defenseman Jake Sanderson is hurt and they\u2019ll be the first team facing elimination on Saturday afternoon.
\nAll of these games have been tight, but the story is how Ottawa has been completely stifled offensively, with just three goals<\/a> all series. Julian McKenzie writes that its best players need to step up<\/a> to keep its season alive.<\/p>\n

Avalanche 4, Kings 2
(Colorado leads series 3-0 \ud83e\uddf9)<\/p>\n

The Kings put up a real fight in this one, keeping it close until the third. But Artturi Lehkonen\u2019s shorty<\/a> with 12 minutes left in the game was the backbreaker.
\nWhat most predicted would be a short series certainly feels over already. Peter Baugh explains what\u2019s at stake in the rest of Round 1\u2019s least compelling matchup, including the abrupt end<\/a> of one future Hall of Famer\u2019s career.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcca Here are our latest Stanley Cup probabilities and projections<\/a>, which update every night after the games conclude.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n (Mike Carlson \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Up NextAppointment TV<\/p>\n

Expect a ton of drama in tonight\u2019s matchups, with every series tied 1-1 and three young, up-and-coming teams getting a chance to steal home-ice advantage away from three longstanding contenders. It\u2019s the NHL\u2019s changing of the guard on display in a big way.<\/p>\n

I could see all three of these series going seven games, tbh.<\/p>\n

1\ufe0f\u20e3 Lightning at Canadiens, 7 p.m. ET
TNT, truTV, HBO Max | CBC, SN, TVAS<\/p>\n

2\ufe0f\u20e3 Golden Knights at Mammoth, 9:30 p.m. ET
TBS, HBO Max | SN360, TVAS2<\/p>\n

The first-ever NHL playoff game in Salt Lake City is sure to make for an incredible atmosphere at Delta Center.
\nJesse Granger will be there, and he has the story on the continued rise<\/a> of Mammoth star Logan Cooley, who has two goals so far in the series.<\/p>\n

3\ufe0f\u20e3 Oilers at Ducks, 10 p.m. ET
TNT, truTV, HBO Max | CBC, SN, TVAS<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n (Bruce Bennett \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

StarsFalling and rising<\/p>\n

The Penguins have been one of the NHL\u2019s feel-good stories all year, what with a projected lottery roster unexpectedly making the playoffs, in part thanks to heroics from graybeards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and OGWAC Erik Karlsson<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But the good vibes have evaporated quickly in this series, with the Flyers\u2019 hard-nosed defensive style<\/a> stymying one of the NHL\u2019s highest-scoring teams en route to a 3-0 series lead. \ud83e\uddf9<\/p>\n

Josh Yohe writes on how the old and slow Penguins clearly need to continue their youth movement<\/a> after a rough showing. And Kevin Kurz says Flyers GM Danny Bri\u00e8re deserves some credit for a few underrated moves<\/a> as the architect of this plucky Flyers team.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia goes for the sweep tomorrow at home, as it looks to move onto the second round for only the second time in the past 14 years (?!). But the Flyers might have to do it without netminder Dan Vladar<\/a> \u2014 a potentially huge loss, given the gap between him and Sam Ersson.<\/p>\n

Still, the Flyers are feeling good. Kurz has a deeper look at the situation:<\/p>\n

The only series we didn\u2019t mention yet? The Stars-Wild Central Division barnburner, which heads to Game 4 tomorrow after a wild Dallas double-OT win<\/a> on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udca1 MirTrivia Question<\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to include one that\u2019s more of a riddle than a true trivia question this week. \ud83e\uddee And there\u2019s some math involved, so get out your abacus.<\/p>\n

Question 1: Given the NHL\u2019s controversial playoff format<\/a>, where three teams from each division are guaranteed a berth, what\u2019s the fewest points a team could theoretically need to make the postseason in an 84-game season?
\nQuestion 2: Which team in the NHL\u2019s modern era made the playoffs with the fewest points, and how few did it have? Non-shortened seasons only. (Hint: This was during the division-heavy format of the 21-team era. And this franchise had a tough season this year.)<\/p>\n

Answers at the bottom.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n (Kelsea Petersen \/ The Athletic; Josh Lavelle \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Coast to Coast<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udde3\ufe0f NHL teams are increasingly filming and uploading fly-on-the-wall footage of coaches\u2019 victory speeches, which is great for fans but leaves bench bosses a little uneasy<\/a>. \u201cThe messages get tamer, and you\u2019ve got to watch what you say,\u201d the Hurricanes\u2019 Rod Brind\u2019Amour said. Good read.<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd16 What could the NHL learn from MLB\u2019s new Automated Ball-Strike challenge system<\/a>?<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd14 Eight early takeaways from the playoffs, with a closer look<\/a> at why some teams (Flyers) are succeeding and others (Senators) are struggling.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\ude31 Pressure watcher: Which teams can\u2019t afford to lose<\/a> this postseason?<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc40 Six players are opening eyes with breakout playoff performances, and Porter Martone headlines the group<\/a>. What a marvel he\u2019s been for Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 Make sure to follow \u201cThe Athletic Hockey Show\u201d<\/a> wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube for full episodes, clips and livestreams throughout the playoffs.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Leafs defenseman Todd Gill. (Rick Stewart \/ Allsport \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd2f MirTrivia Answer<\/p>\n

Incredibly, the minimum number of points a team needs to make the NHL playoffs *in an extreme scenario* is only 20.<\/p>\n

Obviously, this isn\u2019t likely, but it does illustrate how the league\u2019s format functions under duress in unusual seasons. Such a low point total is technically possible for a playoff team if (a) you assume there\u2019s one division where the top two teams win every game against the bottom six clubs in regulation and (b) the only games the bottom six teams win all season are against each other.<\/p>\n

In an 84-game schedule that will be perfectly balanced next year \u2014 with everyone playing four games against in-division opponents \u2014 there are 60 wins to distribute among those bottom six teams, or 10 apiece. Without any other wins (or any overtime losses), the third-place team in a division (and 27th-best team in the NHL) could make the playoffs with a 10-74-0 record if it has the tiebreaker over the other five clubs.<\/p>\n

Something to keep in mind for the Pacific Division pillow fight<\/a> in 2026-27!<\/p>\n

The 1987-88 Maple Leafs, meanwhile, hold the record for fewest points for a modern-era playoff team. They made it with just 52 (21-49-10) in a terrible Norris Division. That is Toronto\u2019s second-worst record in franchise history.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udceb Love Red Light? Check out The Athletic\u2019s other newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Red Light newsletter\u00a0\ud83c\udfd2\u00a0| This is\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s\u00a0hockey\u00a0newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here\u00a0to receive Red Light directly in your inbox. Good morning, hockey…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":628284,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[556],"tags":[64,63,7526,575,6597,4785,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-628283","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-los-angeles-kings","11":"tag-nhl","12":"tag-ottawa-senators","13":"tag-pittsburgh-penguins","14":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=628283"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628283\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/628284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=628283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=628283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=628283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}