Oilers out. Sabres make history. Three Game 7s on the way.
Week 2 of the 2026 NHL Playoffs delivered some of the most compelling NHL playoff results of the first round. The Oilers are home. The Sabres are dancing for the first time in 19 years. And three Game 7s are on the way. Here is the full Stanley Cup Playoffs recap.
The Biggest Story: Edmonton's Window Is Closing
The Anaheim Ducks eliminated the Edmonton Oilers in six games. Let that sit for a second.
Two straight Stanley Cup Finals appearances. A roster built around arguably the best player on the planet. And they cannot get out of the first round.
Here is the injury context: Connor McDavid hurt his ankle in Game 2 and was never the same. Leon Draisaitl had missed the final 14 games of the regular season with a lower-body injury and was clearly not 100 percent. So yes, Edmonton was not healthy. But that is part of the story now — this group keeps running into injuries, keeps falling short, and the window that looked wide open after two Finals runs is starting to feel like it is closing.
The hard question that Edmonton has to answer this summer: is it time to blow it up?
McDavid just signed a two-year extension at $12.5 million a year. He is not going anywhere. But the people around him have to be better. Insiders are already warning of wholesale changes coming to the organization this summer. McDavid deserves better than a first-round exit. Whether he eventually decides he wants out is a question that is going to follow this franchise until they figure it out.
The Best Story: Buffalo Ends a 19-Year Wait
On the other end of the emotional spectrum — the Buffalo Sabres eliminated the Boston Bruins in six games, winning Game 6 in Boston and doing it emphatically with a 4-1 victory.
Buffalo won their first playoff series in 19 years. Their last series win came in 2007. Nineteen years of watching other teams celebrate, nineteen years of rebuilds and heartbreaks, nineteen years of some of the most loyal fans in hockey waiting for a moment like this.
And when it came, they did it the right way. Dominating a proud Bruins team on the road, in Boston, in a must-win Game 6. That is not a lucky bounce series win. That is a team that earned it.
The city of Buffalo deserved this. Enjoy every second of it.
Lightning-Canadiens: Game 7 Incoming
The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in overtime to force a winner-take-all Game 7.
A 1-0 overtime game to keep your season alive — that is pure playoff hockey at its best. Tampa Bay has been here before. They know how to win when everything is on the line. But the Canadiens have been better than expected all series and Bell Centre in a Game 7 is one of the loudest, most electric environments in all of sports.
This one is going to be must-watch television.
Wild Eliminate Stars — A Tough End for Dallas
The Minnesota Wild eliminated the Dallas Stars, ending what was supposed to be a deep playoff run for a Dallas team with genuine championship aspirations.
The Stars have the talent and the experience to compete. This one stings. Minnesota deserves credit for outplaying them when it mattered most, but Dallas will be doing a lot of soul-searching this offseason about what went wrong.
Vegas Too Much for Utah in the End
The Vegas Golden Knights eliminated the Utah Mammoth in Game 6, ending what had been a genuinely surprising series.
Utah was competitive and showed they belong. For a franchise in just its second NHL season, making the Golden Knights work this hard in a first-round series is a real statement. Vegas was ultimately the better team and their experience in big playoff moments made the difference. But the Mammoth gave their fanbase something to be proud of, and they are only going to get better.
NHL Playoff Matchups: Series Results and Game 7 Schedule
Round 2 matchups set:
- Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild
- Vegas Golden Knights vs. Anaheim Ducks — can the Ducks keep the magic going after knocking out Edmonton?
- Carolina Hurricanes vs. Philadelphia Flyers
- Buffalo Sabres await the winner of Lightning vs. Canadiens
One Game 7 remaining:
- Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens — winner advances to face Buffalo
The second round is stacked. The Avalanche and Wild is a heavyweight matchup. Vegas and Anaheim will be must-watch — can the Ducks keep the magic going after knocking out Edmonton? Carolina is dangerous. And Buffalo — a team that hadn't won a playoff series in 19 years a week ago — now sits and waits for their second round opponent.
And somewhere in Edmonton, Connor McDavid is watching and waiting for answers.
Follow every NHL playoff series and make your picks daily at Crystal Ball Picks.
