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

Sara CivianApr 18, 2026

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.

Winner: Eric Tulsky (And Logan Stankoven)

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Ottawa Senators v Carolina Hurricanes - Game One

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Hey, remember that time the Hurricanes acquired Mikko Rantanen two seasons ago and had to trade him before the playoffs even began? Yeah, that stung in the short-term -- especially from an optics standpoint. But GM Eric Tulsky squeezed Logan Stankoven out of the deal.

Not only has 23-year-old Stankoven been a great fit on the Canes, but he's had some huge, perhaps unexpected, postseason goals. He netted the game-winner in Carolina's 2-0, Game 1 win, and he recorded the crucial, centerting assist on the only other goal of the game.

Stankoven's now got four goals in his last four playoff games, and this would've been his third postseason multi-goal game had the second goal been attributed to him (it was close, but it bounced off Taylor Hall).

Stankoven ended Game 1 leading the Hurricanes with one goal, one assist, and six shots on net. In a low-scoring game, and what promises to be a low-scoring series, depth scoring like this will be the difference. Stankoven looked great beyond the scoresheet tonight as well, and he made Tulsky's decision-making look great in the process.

Loser: Goalie Narratives

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Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Linus Ullmark

Goaltending is always going to matter in the playoffs, but when both goaltenders play well, your skaters are going to have to step up. This is exactly what happened in Hurricanes-Senators game 1.

Linus Ullmark made a few crucial stops to keep his team in the game when the Hurricanes eventually came knocking with the pressure that never let up once it got going. Despite the 2-0 loss, Ullmark ended up with a .931 save percentage, stopping 27 of 29 Carolina shots.

On Carolina's end, there was a big decision to make: Would the Hurricanes go with veteran Freddie Andersen, who has had great playoff runs but has had a tough regular season and considerable wear-and-tear? Would they go with Brandon Bussi, an unexpected star for them in net at the beginning of the season who was starting to fade out at the end of the season?

In typical Rod Brind'Amour fashion, he went with the vet. It paid off as Andersen posted his sixth career playoff shutout, stopping all 22 of Ottawa's shots. His 47th career playoff win is tied for 26th all-time.

We'll see how the Hurricanes' situation in net plays out, but Andersen earned an extended stay in the starter's net today.