Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley became the franchise's first-ever playoff goal-scorer in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Mammoth enjoyed a strong start in Vegas, and Cooley put the visitors up with 11 ticks left in the opening frame. Having also factored on Utah's first-ever regular-season goal, Cooley is now one of only six players in NHL history to contribute to a franchise's first regular-season and playoff goal. Cooley's team is a clear underdog in the matchup against the Golden Knights, so he'll need to stay productive throughout the series for the Mammoth to have a chance of surviving the first round.

Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak opened his 2026 postseason campaign with a three-point effort in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. With two assists, Pastrnak helped Boston build a 2-0 lead, but the Sabres responded with four unanswered goals in the third period. Pastrnak also had a power-play goal in the final seconds. Combined with the regular season, Pastrnak has now produced four goals and five assists in five meetings with the Sabres this term. Buffalo doesn't seem to have answers for him, but the Czechia star will need more support from his teammates for Boston to get past the opening round.

Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson made a big impact in his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut on Sunday against the Boston Bruins, registering three points in a 4-3 win. The Olympic champion led Buffalo's comeback charge in the third period, tying the game at two with a pair of goals. He also had an assist on Alex Tuch's empty-net goal, becoming only the second player in franchise history to pick up three points in their postseason debut. At the same time, Thompson matched Buffalo's record for most points scored in a playoff period. This could be a special series for Thompson, who was one of only 10 players with at least 40 goals and 40 assists during the regular season.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Jake Guentzel contributed on offense with three assists in Sunday's 4-3 overtime defeat against the Montreal Canadiens. He helped Darren Raddysh bag a power-play goal and set up Brandon Hagel twice, with his second goal also coming on the power play. Guentzel became the second player in Lightning history to record a hat trick of assists in a playoff opener. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, the 31-year-old star forward also had a negative impact in the game. With 21 seconds remaining in regulation, Guentzel received a high-sticking penalty, and Montreal scored on the ensuing power play early in overtime. In total, there were five power-play goals in this contest, so it appears special teams will play a crucial role in this matchup.