Boldy has 2 goals and an assist as Wild overwhelm Stars 6-1 to open series

April 20, 2026

DALLAS — Matt Boldy had two goals with an assist, Joel Ericksson Ek scored two power-play goals and rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt stopped 27 shots in his postseason debut to help the Minnesota Wild beat the Dallas Stars 6-1 on Saturday in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series. Kirill Kaprizov added a goal and two assists and Mats Zuccarello had three helpers for the Wild, who have lost nine consecutive playoff series since 2015. This was an impressive start in a long-expected matchup of Central Division rivals who finished behind Presidents' Trophy winner Colorado. "A ...

Flyers celebrate return to the playoffs with a 3-2 win over Penguins in Game 1

April 20, 2026

PITTSBURGH — Travis Sanheim scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period and the Philadelphia Flyers announced their return to the playoffs with a 3-2 win over Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night. Philadelphia pulled off a stunner in the opener when Sanheim split a pair of Penguins at the top of the zone, glided down the slot and then fired the puck by Stuart Skinner. Porter Martone, the Flyers' 19-year-old rookie forward, provided some needed insurance when he beat Skinner on a wrist shot with 2:37 to play. Game 2 is in Pittsburgh on ...

Stankoven, Hall, Andersen help Carolina Hurricanes top the Ottawa Senators 2-0 to open NHL playoffs

April 20, 2026

RALEIGH, N.C. — Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall scored, and Frederik Andersen came through with a big third-period performance in net to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Ottawa Senators 2-0 on Saturday to open their first-round playoff series. Carolina can take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series on Monday night in Raleigh. Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour had gone with Andersen's veteran experience as the starter over Brandon Bussi, and it paid off for the Eastern Conference's top seed. "We have good options and both guys have played well and we have confidence in both guys," ...

Murray, Jokic lead Nuggets to 116-105 win over Timberwolves in physical opener to 1st-round series

April 20, 2026

DENVER — Jamal Murray scored 30 points, going 16 of 16 from the free-throw line, and Nikola Jokic had a triple-double as the Denver Nuggets shook off a sluggish start to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-105 on Saturday in the opener of their first-round playoff series. Jokic had 25 ...

Kennard scores 27, LeBron leads Lakers to surprising 107-98 win over Rockets in playoff opener

April 20, 2026

LOS ANGELES — Luke Kennard scored a career playoff-high 27 points, LeBron James had 19 points and 13 assists, and the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers capitalized on Kevin Durant's injury absence for a 107-98 victory over the Houston Rockets in the opener of their first-round playoff series ...

Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder begin their quest for a repeat against the Suns

April 20, 2026

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder, no longer the young upstarts, begin their quest for an NBA title repeat on Sunday at home against the Phoenix Suns. The Thunder remain one of the youngest teams in the league. But now, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads a group of grizzled ...