Sidney Crosby set the tone by opening the scoring and factoring on the game-winning goal as the Penguins became the first team to stave off elimination during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
* Matt Boldy tipped a shot past Olympic teammate Jake Oettinger to power the Wild to their first playoff overtime win on home ice in more than a dozen years.
* The Hurricanes became the first team to advance to the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Carolina, which didn’t trail in any game against Ottawa, became the third team in NHL history with a series win in eight straight postseasons.
* Los Angeles looks to follow Pittsburgh’s lead and evade elimination during Sunday’s slate, which also features three other pivotal Game 4s. The Kings are one of four teams in NHL history to earn a series win after facing a 3-0 deficit.
Crosby, Penguins force Game 5 in “Battle of Pennsylvania” series
Sidney Crosby opened the scoring and kicked the puck to Kris Letang for the winner as the Penguins foiled the Flyers to force Game 5 in their First Round series, which shifts back to PPG Paints Arena on Monday. The NHL announced that the contest will take place at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN in the U.S. as well as on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada.
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* Crosby collected his fifth career goal when facing elimination to tie Ron Francis for fifth place on the franchise’s all-time list behind Jaromir Jagr (12), Mario Lemieux (9), Kevin Stevens (7) and Jordan Staal (7). Crosby’s 19 career points under that criteria also tied Francis for third in club history behind Jagr (28) and Lemieux (21).
* Crosby reached 204 career playoff points to pass Jari Kurri (202 w/ EDM) for the third most with one franchise in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky (252 w/ EDM) and Mark Messier (215 w/ EDM). The totals for Gretzky, Messier and Kurri include the suspended game during the 1988 Stanley Cup Final.
* Arturs Silovs (28 saves) became the second goaltender in franchise history to make his Penguins playoff debut in an elimination contest and earn a win, following Frank Pietrangelo (Game 6 of 1991 DSF). Pietrangelo went on to help Pittsburgh win its first Stanley Cup that year.
BOLDY SCORES OT GOAL AS WILD COMPLETE THIRD-PERIOD COMEBACK, TIE SERIES
Matt Boldy tipped a shot into Dallas’ net with 28.9 seconds remaining in overtime after Marcus Foligno had a tying goal with 5:20 left in regulation as the Wild rallied past the Stars to tie their First Round series, which shifts back to American Airlines Center for Game 5 on Tuesday.
* Boldy scored the 11th overtime goal in franchise playoff history and fifth on home ice after Mikael Granlund (Game 3 of 2014 R1), Jason Zucker (Game 3 of 2013 CQF), Keith Carney (Game 2 of 2008 CQF) and Richard Park (Game 6 of 2003 CQF). Minnesota was 0-6 in postseason overtime games as the home team since Granlund’s winner more than 12 years ago, including a loss in the neutral-site “bubble” at Rogers Place during Game 4 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers.
* Boldy had a significant impact in two overtime wins by Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. He provided the primary assist on the winner by Wild teammate Quinn Hughes in their quarterfinal game against Team Sweden and opened the scoring during the finale versus Team Canada before the “Golden Goal” by Hughes’ brother, Jack.
* Foligno (54:40) scored the sixth-latest tying goal in franchise playoff history behind Zach Parise (59:37 in Game 1 of 2017 R1), Jared Spurgeon (57:33 in Game 7 of 2014 R1), Mikko Koivu (56:51 in Game 5 of 2016 R1), Marian Gaborik (55:32 in Game 7 of 2003 CQF) and Zucker (54:59 in Game 5 of 2017 R1).
STANKOVEN, AHO LEAD HURRICANES TO 8TH STRAIGHT POSTSEASON WITH SERIES WIN
Logan Stankoven scored for the fourth straight game and Sebastian Aho (2-0—2) once again found the score sheet in a series-clinching game as Carolina became the first team to advance to the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the process, the Hurricanes joined the Canadiens (10 from 1984-93 & 10 from 1951-60) and Flyers (9 from 1973-81) as the third franchise in NHL history to earn at least one series win in eight straight postseasons.
* Carolina heads to the Second Round having never faced a deficit through its first four games and became the 20th team in NHL history (first in franchise history) to never trail in a game during a best-of-seven series. Only one other club has done so in the past decade: Montreal (2021 R2 vs. WPG).
* Stankoven (4-1—5 in 4 GP) found the back of the net in every contest en route to tying a franchise record for longest playoff goal streak and also becoming the franchise’s first player to score in each of the team’s first four games of a postseason. Overall, the 23-year-old joined Andrei Svechnikov (5 in 5 GP; 1.00 G/GP in 2025 R1) as the second player in Hurricanes/Whalers history to conclude a best-of-seven series with a goals-per-game average of 1.00 or better (min. 4 GP).
* Aho – who boosted his career totals in series-clinching games to 12-5—17 (16 GP) – helped seal the victory with a pair of goals in the third period, including the winning goal. His three career series-clinching goals overtook Cory Stillman (2) for the most in franchise history.
QUICK CLICKS
* #NHLStats: Live Updates – April 25, 2026
* Anze Kopitar hoping to extend career, Kings season in Game 4 against Avalanche
* Dylan Guenther‘s powerful 1-timer making noise for Mammoth in Western 1st Round
* Artturi Lehkonen ‘special player in playoffs’ for Avalanche
* Kenny Albert passes Dick Stockton atop major North American professional sports list
DEJA VU ON THE HORIZON FOR THE KINGS?
The Kings will need to capture a victory on home ice in Game 4 to stave off elimination and keep their Stanley Cup aspirations alive. Los Angeles will need a repeat performance of the 2014 First Round, where the franchise strung together four straight wins to erase a 3-0 series deficit en route to defeating San Jose in Game 7 – and eventually a Stanely Cup championship.
* The Kings were the fourth team in NHL history, and most recent, to erase a 3-0 series deficit to advance following the 2010 Flyers (CSF vs. BOS), 1975 Islanders (QF vs. PIT) and 1942 Maple Leafs (SCF vs. DET).
* Anze Kopitar, one of two players still on the roster who participated in the 2014 series (also Drew Doughty), was a catalyst for the Kings offense during their stretch of four consecutive victories. He collected each of his series-leading four goals (tied) through Games 4-7 and seven of his series-best 10 points (tied) during that stretch.
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TRIO OF CLUBS EYE TO EVEN SERIES IN GAME 4
The Bruins, Lightning and Oilers each face 2-1 series deficits in their respective matchups against the Sabres, Canadiens and Ducks. Boston’s nine series wins when facing a 2-1 deficit in a best-of seven are tied for the fourth most among all franchises in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68); Tampa Bay last overcame the series disadvantage during its run to the 2022 Stanley Cup Final (2022 CF & 2022 R1); and Edmonton has done so three times during their streak of back-to-back Final appearances (2025 R1, 2024 R2 & 2024 CF).
* The margin between Tampa Bay and Montreal has been razor thin through the first three games after Juraj Slafkovský (MTL), J.J. Moser (TBL) and Lane Hutson (MTL) have played the role of overtime hero in the series. The Lightning and Canadiens can produce the third series in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to feature overtime through each of the first four games, alongside the Blackhawks-Coyotes (5 GP in 2012 CQF) and Canadiens-Maple Leafs (5 GP in 1951 SCF).
* Leon Draisaitl (53-94—147 in 99 GP) and Connor McDavid (45-107—152 in 99 GP) will each compete in their 100th career playoff outings in Game 4. Draisaitl, with 1-5—6 already in the series (3 GP), needs three points to join Wayne Gretzky (208), Mario Lemieux (168) and McDavid (152) as the fourth player in NHL history with 150 or more points through the milestone contest.
* ICYMI: Each of the Lightning–Canadiens and Oilers–Ducks series have featured either team register a come-from-behind victory through the first three games. The NHL’s last Stanley Cup Playoffs series to feature a comeback win through each of the first four games was the 2019 First Round between the Blues and Jets (5 GP).
