Winners and Losers From the First Games of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs

Welcome to the first day of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, hockey fans. We've finally made it.

We've got three glorious matchups on the slate today. The Hurricanes and Senators drop the puck first at 3 p.m. EST, as the two defense-first teams begin what should be a tight and tense battle.

Next up, we've got the most anticipated first-round series of the bunch: Stars vs. Wild at 5:30 pm EST. These teams were neck-and-neck for the No. 2 spot in the Central all season. Will experience be enough to lift the Stars past the Wild, or will the Quinn Hughes trade keep paying off for Minnesota?

We end the night with an unexpected -- and delightfully welcomed -- iteration of the Battle of Pennsylvania. Will the up-and-coming Flyers open their playoff window with a bang, or will the Penguins enjoy one more playoff run with Sidney Crosby?

There's so much on the line, and it all kicks off with these three games. We have you covered right here with reaction and analysis to all three games. We'll update this story throughout the day, after each game. Keep checking back for everything you need to know from Day 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Highlights From Canes-Senators

Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images

Shane Pinto and Taylor Hall

GOAL! Carolina goes up 2-0 as Stankoven pots his second of Game 1 at 7:11 of the third period.

SENS DENIED! Video review takes this potential game-tying goal off the board in the third period after a great save from Freddie Andersen.

GOAL! Logan Stankoven opens the scoring in Game 1, beating Linus Ullmark at 2:11 of the second period.

Nikolaj Ehlers tries the Michigan, but can't pull it off!

FIGHT! Brady Tkachuk and Jordan Staal threw down to open Game 1 between the Hurricanes and Senators.