* Josh Doan, Ryan McLeod, Jordan Greenway and Bowen Byram buried goals while Zach Benson had another multi-point game as Buffalo beat Montreal in front of jubilant crowds both inside and outside KeyBank Center. Doan’s youth and the longevity of his father’s career has Josh competing for a Stanley Cup just over nine years after his dad, Shane, last played in the NHL.
* Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson collected goals as the Ducks defeated the Golden Knights to even their Second Round series before it shifts to Honda Center, which hosted an energetic watch party Wednesday.
* Thursday’s lone contest features the Flyers looking to cut their series deficit in half and snap an opponent’s six-game postseason-opening winning streak for the first time in exactly 48 years.
Youth continue to shine as Sabres secure series lead against Canadiens
Zach Benson (0-2—2), 20, and Josh Doan (1-1—2), 24, had two points apiece as Buffalo beat Montreal and took a 1-0 lead in its Second Round series. The Sabres earned their first win beyond the opening round of the playoffs since a 3-2 victory versus the Senators in Game 4 of the 2007 Conference Finals, much to the delight of 19,070 fans inside KeyBank Center and thousands more outside at the Sabrehood Block Party.
* Benson became the fourth player in franchise playoff history with consecutive multi-point games at age 20 or younger, following Pierre Turgeon (2 GP from Game 1-2 of 1989 DSF), John Tucker (2 GP from Game 3-4 of 1985 DSF) and Alan Haworth (2 GP from Game 3-4 of 1981 QF). Benson factored on four consecutive goals dating to Game 6 of the First Round and was one back of Buffalo’s longest postseason run set by Rene Robert, who had a hand on five straight against Montreal from Game 4-6 of the 1973 Quarterfinals.
* Doan is the grandson of former Blues draft pick Bernie Doan (No. 80 in 1971) as well as the son of Shane Doan, who played his entire 21-season career with the Coyotes/Jets and is the franchise’s all-time leader in every major scoring category. Josh was selected by Arizona with the No. 37 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft just four years after his father’s final game for the Coyotes on April 8, 2017.
SENNECKE, CARLSSON SPARK THE OFFENSE AS DUCKS TIE SERIES
Just a day after being named a finalist for the Calder Trophy as the League’s top rookie, 20-year-old Beckett Sennecke opened the scoring at T-Mobile Arena and 21-year-old Leo Carlsson netted the winning tally asthe Ducks leveled their series with the Golden Knights at one game apiece.
* Sennecke became the fourth player in franchise history to score multiple goals in a single postseason at age 20 or younger alongside Stanislav Chistov (4 in 2003), Emerson Etem (3 in 2013) and Ryan Getzlaf (2 in 2006).
* Carlsson, who also scored the decisive tally in Game 3 of the First Round, became the third Ducks player age 21 or younger to record multiple game-winning goals in a single postseason, joining Nick Ritchie (2 in 2017) and Getzlaf (2 in 2007).
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Buffalo’s Byram tying franchise Playoff record featured iN Live Updates
Wednesday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured more notes from the two-game slate. Some highlights include:
* Bowen Byram buried his fourth goal of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs to tie former teammate Cale Makar for the highest total among blueliners. Byram matched the franchise record for most in a postseason by a defenseman shared by Jason Woolley (4 in 1999), Alexei Zhitnik (4 in 1999) and Mike Ramsey (4 in 1983).
* Jordan Greenway, who hails from Canton, N.Y.,got the game-winning goal. He represented Team USA at the 2018 Winter Olympics under head coach Tony Granato (brother of former Sabres bench boss, Don) before making his NHL debut with the Wild on March 27, 2018.
* Nick Suzuki tallied for the second time in as many contests after opening the scoring in Game 7 of the First Round and did so on the heels of being named a finalist for the 2025-26 Frank J. Selke Trophy alongside Anthony Cirelli and Brock Nelson. Click here to read more.
QUICK CLICKS
* Rod Brind’Amour, Rick Tocchet similar coaches at different career stages in playoffs
* Hurricanes ‘harder to play against’ in playoffs this time, Tripp Tracy says
* National Hockey League now accepting applications for NHL Power Players Youth Advisory Board
* NHLPA, NHL announce Team Payroll Range for 2026-27
* ESPN captured most-viewed Second Round Game 2 ever on cable
FLYERS look TO CUT SERIES DEFICIT IN HALF, HAND HURRICANES FIRST playoff LOSS
Sean Couturier and the Flyers aim to cut their deficit to 2-1 and snap the six-game postseason-opening winning streak held by Taylor Hall and the Hurricanes as the series shifts to Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday. It will mark the first Round 2 contest in Philadelphia since Game 5 of the 2012 Conference Semifinals.
* Couturier can help the Flyers earn a series win after facing a 2-0 deficit for the fourth time in franchise history, following the 2010 and 2000 Conference Semifinals as well as the 1977 Quarterfinals. The 2000 series featured the third-longest game in NHL history and Philadelphia’s head coach Rick Tocchet, who helped the Flyers forge four straight wins against the Penguins.
* Hall played the role of overtime hero in Game 2 for Carolina, which needs one victory to tie its franchise record for longest winning streak at any point during a playoff year set in 2006 when Hurricanes bench boss Rod Brind’Amour captained the club to a Stanley Cup. There have been 12 instances in NHL history where a team extended their postseason-opening winning streak to seven contests and eight of those clubs went on to claim a championship, including the 1975 Flyers.
