Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub (undisclosed) is questionable for Game 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday. The Russian veteran suffered an undisclosed injury in Saturday's series opener. According to Graeme Nichols of The Hockey News, Senators head coach Travis Green didn't have an update on Zub when he spoke to reporters on Sunday. Zub's absence would be a significant blow for Ottawa, as he's had a career year in 2025-26. Across 81 regular-season outings, Zub picked up 30 points (five goals, 25 assists) and had 120 blocks. He also finished with a team-best plus-22 rating. Lassi Thomson is the likeliest candidate to step in for Zub should he be unable to go,

Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka will start on Sunday in Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights, Brogan Houston of the Deseret News reports. This will be Vejmelka's first career game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He enters the postseason after a good regular-season campaign. Vejmelka had the second-most wins among all goalies, finishing with a 38-20-3 record. In addition, he registered a 2.75 goals-against average, a .897 save percentage, and two shutouts. Vejmelka's last shutout came against the Golden Knights on March 19 in a 4-0 win. He went 2-1-0 in this matchup during the regular season, allowing only five goals on 95 SOG.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart will be between the pipes in Sunday's Game 1 against the Utah Mammoth, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Hart had a very strong finish to the regular season and is also getting the trust for the playoff opener. In April, Hart has won all six starts, registering a 1.66 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage. Overall, the 27-year-old finished with an 11-3-3 regular-season record. He didn't pick up any shutouts but produced a solid 2.71 goals-against average with a .891 save percentage. Hart and the Golden Knights are heavy favorites in the opening round, but there may be some hiccups against a Utah team that is tied for the third-best offensive record this month, averaging 4.13 goals per game.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman will start Sunday's Game 1 against the Buffalo Sabres, Scott McLaughlin of WEEI reports. The 2026 Olympic champion will begin his fifth postseason campaign in the NHL. Swayman has a 9-10 record in the playoffs with the Bruins, allowing 2.38 goals with a .922 save percentage. He was also very reliable for the team during the regular season, reaching the 30-win plateau for the first time in his career. Swayman finished with a 31-18-4 record and had a 2.71 goals-against average, a .908 save percentage, and two shutouts. When he's on his game, it's very difficult to get pucks past Swayman, and Buffalo knows it all too well. Swayman made 21 saves in his lone regular-season appearance against the Sabres in a 3-1 win on Oct. 11.