Deen’s Daily: Avs Playoff Hockey Today!; Talented, Tough Third Line; Dallas Gets Clobbered in Game 1

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The Avalanche open their 2026 Stanley Cup playoff run today. Three series kicked off on Saturday, with the road team winning twice. In the Central Division, the Stars got clobbered. Could they be in trouble against Quinn Hughes and the Wild?

All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — April 19.

Colorado Hockey Now​

We made it. The postseason are upon us, and the Avalanche play playoff hockey in just a few short hours.

Practice on Saturday was as upbeat and positive as you’d expect from the Presidents’ Trophy winners, with what will be a fully healthy lineup for Game 1.

There was a surprise on the second line. Or maybe it wasn’t much of a surprise given where he ranks on the team in goals, but Parker Kelly will likely open the postseason with Brock Nelson and Valeri Nichushkin. And as for the third line? It’s going to be my favorite line to watch.

I chatted with all three of them after practice. They were all extremely excited to play together.

Please consider donating to the Colorado Hockey Now Playoff Travel Fund via PAYPAL BY CLICKING HERE or VENMO BY CLICKING HERE to help our beat writer provide coverage from road games.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Recap​

Game 1 Recap — Senators at Hurricanes — (CAR leads 1-0)

Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk tried to set the tone for the series by challenging Jordan Staal to a fight off the opening faceoff. It didn’t work. The Hurricanes won 2-0, and the Sens had just nine shots through two periods before putting 13 on Frederik Andersen in the third. But it was too little late.

I might be in the minority, but the Tkachuks doing stuff like that to start a game isn’t doing it for me anymore. I’m not sure why, as captain, you need to set the tone by taking yourself out of the game for five minutes. Ottawa needs Tkachuk on the ice, not in the box. How does that help his team?

Game 1 Recap — Wild at Stars — (MIN leads 1-0)

The Wild went into Dallas for Game 1 and escaped with a commanding 6-1 victory. Everything was working for the Wild, from their power play to penalty kill, goaltending, and offense. The Stars didn’t quite get involved in this one the way we would’ve thought.

It was a pretty similar start to how Dallas looked against the Avs in the opening game last year. The only thing is, without Pete DeBoer behind the bench, will they be able to rebound as quickly?

Game 1 Recap — Flyers at Penguins — (PHI leads 1-0)

How great is it to watch these two teams go at it in the playoffs again? The Flyers and Penguins didn’t give each other much space to work with. They combined for just 37 shots, and the Flyers won 3-2 to snag the opening game. Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust scored for the Pens, the latter of which came with just 61 seconds left while trailing by two.

There was a lot the Penguins could’ve done better, and having a veteran group should be enough for them to rebound in Game 2. But at the same time, it’s promising for the Flyers that the young guys stepped up the way they did. Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale combined on the first goal, with Denver Barkey recording the secondary assist. Those were three forwards all making their playoff debuts.

And of course, Porter Martone had to put his stamp on this one by scoring what ended up standing as the game-winner.

Tonight’s Schedule​

• Game 1: Los Angeles Kings at Colorado Avalanche (1 pm MT on TNT)
• Game 1: Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning (3:45 pm MT on TNT)
• Game 1: Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres (5:30 pm MT on ESPN)
• Game 1: Utah Mammoth at Vegas Golden Knights (8 pm MT on ESPN)

Around The NHL​

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Inside a stubborn loss, and what must change for Pittsburgh before Game 2.

Carolina Hockey Now: Breaking down the Hurricanes’ opening game shutout, and the decision to go with Andersen between the pipes.

San Jose Hockey Now: Macklin Celebrini is eligible to sign a contract extension a year early on July 1. Here’s what he had to say about that possible scenario.

Detroit Hockey Now: The Red Wings aren’t in the playoffs, but several former Wings are.

The post Deen’s Daily: Avs Playoff Hockey Today!; Talented, Tough Third Line; Dallas Gets Clobbered in Game 1 appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

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