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Buffalo's Historic Return
The Sabres end a 14-year NHL-record drought. Not only did they qualify β they won the Atlantic Division with 109 pts. T. Thompson (40G, 41A) and Dahlin lead a team playing playoff hockey for the first time since 2011.
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Utah's Franchise First
The Utah Mammoth make their first-ever playoff appearance in just their 2nd NHL season. They host Game 3 at Delta Center on Apr 24 β the first Stanley Cup playoff game ever played in the state of Utah.
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McDavid's Cup Quest
McDavid won his 6th Art Ross (138 pts, 90A). He has lost back-to-back Finals. Draisaitl is day-to-day. With Anaheim in R1, Edmonton has a clear path β if the goaltending holds.
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Battle of Pennsylvania
PIT vs PHI for the 8th time in playoffs. PHI stole G1, 3β2, with 19-year-old Porter Martone netting the OT winner. Crosby and the Pens need to respond in Game 2 on Monday.
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Avs' Presidents' Burden
Colorado won the Presidents' Trophy at 121 pts. MacKinnon led the NHL with 53 goals. But PT winners have a mixed Cup record. The Avs haven't won since 2022 and face a tough Western bracket.
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Panthers Dynasty Ends
Back-to-back champion Florida Panthers failed to qualify for the first time since 2019 β first defending champ out since the 2014-15 Kings. A brand-new name goes on the Cup in June 2026.
Hart Trophy Β· MVP
Nikita Kucherov
130 pts (44G, 86A) Β· Hart ballot leader
Art Ross Β· Points Title
Connor McDavid
138 pts Β· 48G, 90A Β· 6th career Art Ross
Calder Β· Rookie of Year
Macklin Celebrini
SJS Β· Impressive debut Β· Calder frontrunner
Conn Smythe Β· Playoff MVP
Nathan MacKinnon (proj.)
53G leads NHL Β· COL heavy Cup favourite