NHL Playoffs 2023: Top Storylines for April 23 Schedule

The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs have not disappointed, and we're now at the midway point of the first round.

Sunday's slate features four Game 4 matchups—two Eastern Conference games and two Western Conference tilts—that could mark a significant turning point for teams moving forward.

The Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings all have the opportunity to take commanding 3-1 leads in their respective series. If any of those teams lose, though, we'll be guaranteed some Game 6's.

With some pivotal matchups on tap, let's take a look at the biggest storylines entering Sunday's slate.

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Can Ailing Bruins Take 3-1 Series Lead Over Hungry Cats?

To say the Bruins are hurting would be an understatement.

Black and Gold captain Patrice Bergeron has yet to play in his team's first-round series against the Panthers due to an injury, and he has already been ruled out for Sunday's Game 4.

Boston's second-best center, David Krejčí, was a last-minute scratch from Game 3 due to an upper-body injury, and his status for Game 4 remains questionable, head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters Saturday.

The absences of Bergeron and Krejčí led to a significant shakeup to the Game 3 lines, as Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic were bumped up to the first line alongside Brad Marchand.

While fans had initially expressed concern over those lineup changes, they actually worked quite well, and thanks to a superb effort from Coyle, the Bruins took a 2-1 series lead with a dominant 4-2 win over the Panthers on Friday.

The question now is, can those lines continue to propel the Bruins forward in the absence of Bergeron and potential absence of Krejčí?

The Panthers proved in Game 2 that they weren't just going to surrender to the Bruins, who set NHL records for the most wins and points during the regular season, and it's reasonable to believe we'll see a significant push from Florida, which will want to avoid going down 3-1 in the series before it shifts back to Boston.

Another question for the Bruins will be who is starting in goal for Game 4? Linus Ullmark, who has started each game thus far, is dealing with a nagging ailment, and Montgomery did not rule out Swayman starting on Sunday.

The Bruins have played well in front of both goaltenders this season, so there shouldn't be much concern if the team starts Swayman. However, having Ullmark unavailable would be a tough blow for the Black and Gold.

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Can Hurricanes Find Way to Beat Islanders' Ilya Sorokin?

The Hurricanes hold a 2-1 series lead over the Islanders, but the absences of Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teräväinen on offense have been glaring.

Svechnikov has missed the entire series and will not return this season with a torn ACL. Teräväinen, meanwhile, suffered a broken hand in Game 2 and has been ruled out for the remainder of the first round.

Both players were significant contributors on offense during the regular season. Svechnikov tallied 23 goals and 32 assists in 64 games, and Teräväinen notched 12 goals and 25 assists in 68 games.

The Hurricanes have struggled to replace both players, though their leading regular-season point-scorers in Sebastian Aho and Martin Necas haven't lived up to expectations this postseason.

Aho, who scored 36 goals during the regular season, has just one goal in three playoff games. Necas, who found the back of the net 28 times during the regular season, has just two assists in three postseason games.

Defenseman Brent Burns, who finished third on the team with 61 points during the regular season, has been one of Carolina's best players this postseason, notching four assists in three games.

But even Burns has failed to effectively quarterback the Carolina power-play as the team went 0 for 4 in Game 3 and is 3 for 14 in the series.

The Hurricanes will have to get the offense going against the Islanders, but that could be difficult, as Ilya Sorokin—a likely Vezina Trophy contender—has been one of the best goaltenders in the league this year.

If the offense struggles in Game 4, the series could be headed back to Raleigh all tied up at two games a piece.

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Will Wild Turn Back to Marc-Andre Fleury in Goal?

The Wild hold a 2-1 series lead over the Stars, and much of that can be attributed to the play of Filip Gustavsson in goal.

Gustavsson started Game 1 of the series, stopping 51 of 53 shots in a 3-2 win over Dallas. He was sensational, but for some reason, Wild head coach Dean Evason made the puzzling decision to start Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 2.

Fleury, a three-time Stanley Cup champion and winner of the 2020-21 Vezina Trophy, was abysmal in a 7-3 Game 2 loss to the Stars, stopping just 24 of 31 shots as the Wild were embarrassed at American Airlines Center.

Evason went back to Gustavsson in Game 3, and he stopped 23 of 24 shots in a 5-1 win at Xcel Energy Center.

Entering Game 4, the question remains of who Evason will opt to start in goal. The Wild flip-flopped between both goaltenders during the regular season, so history says Fleury could be in between the pipes on Sunday.

However, the Wild should feel comfortable riding the hot hand in Gustavsson, especially considering Game 4 will determine if the franchise takes a 3-1 series lead or its tied 2-2 heading back to Dallas.

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Will Kevin Fiala Make his Series Debut for Kings in Game 4 vs. Oilers?

The Kings enter Game 4 against the Oilers with a 2-1 series lead following a 3-2 overtime victory over Edmonton in Game 3 on Friday, and the team could be getting a significant boost to its lineup on Sunday.

Kevin Fiala, who has not played since April 1 due to a lower-body injury, could make his series debut against the Oilers in Game 4 as head coach Todd McLellan told reporters the forward is expected to take pregame skate on Sunday.

Getting Fiala back in the lineup could be a huge difference-maker for the Kings. He ranked second on the team during the regular season, with 72 points (23 goals and 49 assists) in 69 games.

Additionally, Fiala put together a great regular season against the Oilers, tallying two goals and two assists in two matchups against Edmonton.

The 26-year-old has been an elite performer against the Oilers over his nine-year career, too, notching eight goals and three assists in 13 games.

The Oilers have struggled on defense and in goal during this series against the Kings, and Fiala will only add to that frustration for Edmonton if he gets back into the lineup.

Sunday's Game 4 will determine if L.A. takes a 3-1 series lead or if Edmonton will head home with the series tided 2-2.