NHL Player News

O'Connor scored the game-winning goal Sunday during the Avalanche's 2-1 victory over the Kings in Game 1 of their first-round series.

The 29-year-old winger missed most of the regular season after undergoing hip surgery last June, and he didn't score a goal while adding just two assists over 13 games once he finally made his 2025-26 debut in late March. In fact, O'Connor's last tally was also a playoff game-winner, as he opened the scoring in a 4-0 win over the Stars in Game 4 of the first round last year. O'Connor produced a surprising two goals and six points in that seven-game series before Colorado's elimination, and he may be gearing up to provide some valuable secondary scoring once again despite his bottom-six role.

Wedgewood turned aside 24 of 25 shots Sunday during the Avalanche's 2-1 win over the Kings in Game 1 of their first-round series.

In his first career playoff start, Wedgewood nearly produced a shutout before Artemi Panarin got a puck past him on a Los Angeles power play with less than three minutes left in the third period. The 33-year-old netminder hasn't given up more than three goals in an outing since the Olympic break, and he's been all but unbeatable in April, going 5-1-0 with a microscopic 0.73 GAA and .967 save percentage. Wedgewood should be back in the crease for Game 2 on Tuesday.

Forsberg made 28 saves on 30 shots Sunday during the Kings' 2-1 loss to the Avalanche in Game 1 of their first-round series.

The veteran netminder played well, but Los Angeles' offense couldn't solve Scott Wedgewood until there was less than three minutes left in the third period. Forsberg hasn't allowed more than three goals in an outing in over a month, posting a stellar 1.67 GAA and .940 save percentage over his last nine appearances as he seized the No. 1 job in the Kings' crease from Darcy Kuemper. Forsberg will likely be between the pipes again in Game 2 on Tuesday.

Cole notched an assist and three blocked shots in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1.

Cole ended the regular season on a five-game point drought. The 37-year-old defenseman is set for third-pairing minutes during this playoff run after logging 23 points over 82 regular-season outings, his highest output in six years. Cole is in his 12th playoff run, having collected 31 points in 129 appearances as well as a pair of Stanley Cup championships with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

Schmidt logged an assist, two shots on goal and three blocked shots in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1.

Schmidt had a goal and three assists over the last 15 games of the regular season. The defenseman put up 22 points over 82 regular-season contests, his highest point total in four years. He's well-versed in playoff experience, having logged 99 games over eight previous postseason, with 10 goals and 30 helpers to his name. Schmidt was a Stanley Cup champion with the Panthers last year but will have a tougher task in trying to help the Mammoth turn a wild-card berth into a deep run.

Durzi notched an assist and two PIM in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1.

Durzi missed the last game of the regular season due to an upper-body injury, though it appears the Mammoth were just taking caution to prevent a larger issue. The 27-year-old is expected to be a regular in the lineup during the playoffs, though likely in a bottom-four role. Durzi had 27 points, 84 shots on net, 88 blocked shots, 50 PIM and 40 hits over 60 regular-season appearances. He's in the playoffs for the third time in his career, having collected four points over 13 games across two previous postseason runs, both with the Kings.

Stenlund scored a goal on four shots in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1.

Stenlund hadn't scored a goal in three months, going 32 contests since his last tally Jan. 17 versus the Kraken. He's maintained a steady bottom-six presence in the lineup but isn't likely to put up much offense. Stenlund was limited to 18 points over 80 regular-season outings in total. He is a veteran of 31 playoff games over three previous postseasons, but he had just three points in those games. However, he is a Stanley Cup champion from 2024 with the Panthers, bringing some vital playoff experience to a team that greatly lacks it.

Cooley scored a goal on five shots and added four hits in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1.

Cooley is getting his first taste of playoff action in his third NHL campaign, and the Mammoth have him slotted in on the second line. He produced 24 goals, 19 assists, 102 shots on net, 54 hits, 27 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating over 54 regular-season outings. Cooley has a bit of an edge to his game, so he won't get bullied on the ice as the Mammoth try to pull off a first-round upset.

Vejmelka stopped 27 of 30 shots in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 1. The fourth goal was an empty-netter.

Vejmelka worked hard to get the Mammoth to the playoffs, but there will be no easy matchups the rest of the way. This was the 29-year-old's first taste of postseason action. He went 38-20-3 with a 2.75 GAA and an .896 save percentage over 64 regular-season outings. Vejmelka was also on Czechia's Olympic roster, though he didn't get to play a game during that tournament. Barring a truly awful performance, Vejmelka should be expected to see the vast majority of the starts during Utah's first playoff run as a franchise.

Hanifin logged two assists in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Mammoth in Game 1.

Hanifin has picked up the pace with seven helpers over his last nine contests, though he hasn't gotten on the scoresheet in consecutive games. The defenseman had a down year with 28 points, 135 shots on net and 116 blocked shots over 71 regular-season appearances, missing the 30-point mark for the first time since the shortened 2020-21 campaign. Hanifin is skating in his sixth playoff run, and he's earned 18 points over 45 outings across his previous five trips to the postseason.