The Carolina Hurricanes have advanced to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs after sweeping the Ottawa Senators. The Colorado Avalanche aim to complete their own sweep against the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday.
Key points
Carolina Hurricanes advanced to the second round
They swept the Ottawa Senators
Colorado Avalanche aim for a sweep against Los Angeles Kings
Avalanche scored eight goals in three playoff games
Avalanche allowed only four goals in the series
Carolina HurricanesOttawa SenatorsColorado AvalancheLos Angeles Kings
The Carolina Hurricanes became the first team to advance to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday by completing a four-game sweep of the Ottawa Senators in their opening-round series. The Colorado Avalanche attempt to join them on Sunday.
Colorado aims for a sweep of its own when it visits Crypto.com Arena to take on the Los Angeles Kings in Game 4 of their first-round matchup. The Presidents' Trophy-winning Avalanche, who led the league in scoring during the 2025-26 NHL season with 298 goals, were limited to a total of eight over the first three games of the series but allowed only four after giving up a league-low 197 in the regular season.
Sunday's action begins with Game 4 of the series between the Buffalo Sabres and host Boston Bruins at TD Garden. After splitting the first two contests at home, the Sabres grabbed the upper hand with a 3-1 victory last Thursday.
Game 4 of the tightly contested matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens also takes place Sunday at the Bell Centre. Each of the first three games were decided in overtime, with the Canadiens edging the Lightning 3-2 on Friday to take the lead in the series.
Q&A
Which team advanced to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs?
The Carolina Hurricanes became the first team to advance to the second round after sweeping the Ottawa Senators.
What is the Colorado Avalanche's goal in their upcoming game?
The Colorado Avalanche aim to complete a sweep of the Los Angeles Kings in Game 4 of their first-round matchup.
How many goals did the Colorado Avalanche score in their first three playoff games?
The Colorado Avalanche scored a total of eight goals over the first three games of the series.
What was the Colorado Avalanche's regular season goal allowance?
The Avalanche allowed only four goals in the first three playoff games after giving up a league-low 197 goals during the regular season.
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The final contest of the day has the Anaheim Ducks hosting the Edmonton Oilers at the Honda Center. Anaheim hopes to push the two-time defending Western Conference champion Oilers to the brink of elimination after rolling to a 7-4 triumph on Friday.
Here are some players with value to consider for player prop betting for Sunday's NHL playoff games.
Alex Tuch, Sabres: Over 0.5 Assists (+160, BetMGM)
Tuch scored his second goal -- and second game-winner -- of the series in Game 3 and has tallied in six of his last eight contests dating back to the regular season. The 29-year-old right wing also has been setting up goals of late, notching an assist in three of his last five outings -- including each of the first two contests against the Bruins. Tuch may convert again in Game 4, but I believe he has a better chance of grabbing an assist.
MacKinnon led the NHL with a career-high 53 goals during the regular season but has been held in check by the Kings in this series. The 30-year-old superstar hasn't gone four consecutive playoff games without a tally since Colorado's second-round series against the St. Louis Blues in 2022. The Avalanche have a chance to complete a sweep and get some rest before facing either the Stars or Wild in the next round, so I see MacKinnon doing all he can to make that happen and finally scoring his first goal of the postseason.
Since posting a five-game goal-scoring streak to close out March, Guentzel tallied in only two of his final seven regular-season contests and has yet to find the back of the net against Montreal. The 31-year-old center has been involved offensively, however, as he has helped set up five of Tampa Bay's eight goals over the first three games of the series. Like MacKinnon, I believe Guentzel will light the lamp on Sunday and erase the zero in his goal column.
Jackson LaCombe, Ducks: 1+ assists (+200, FanDuel)
LaCombe is making quite a splash in his first career postseason as he leads all defensemen with six points in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 25-year-old enters Game 4 with a six-game point streak and has notched at least one assist in five of those contests, including each of the first three of this series. The Oilers have had all kinds of trouble stopping Anaheim's offense, which has produced 13 goals over the last two games and 16 overall in the matchup, so I like LaCombe to set up at least one goal on Sunday.
