2026 NHL – Canadiens take Game 3 in OT, Mammoth break out early, and Ducks surge ahead—here’s the April 24 playoff schedule and key turning points.
The 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are moving fast, and Friday’s results reshaped several first-round series as teams chase the next win at full intensity.
The biggest story of the night came in Montreal. where the Canadiens used another sudden-death moment to build on their series advantage.. Just over two minutes into overtime. Lane Hutson finished it with a slapshot. giving Montreal a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning and a 2-1 lead in the first round.. It was the third time in as many playoff games that this matchup pushed into overtime. a detail that captures how evenly the teams have looked despite the different ways they’re getting chances.
Canadiens hold serve in overtime
From a reader’s perspective. the practical takeaway is simple: Tampa can’t afford to look “one moment behind” Montreal in these stretches. because one quick sequence—one clean shot lane. one late-game save—has been deciding games.. Montreal’s ability to keep games tight also changes how the Lightning manage risk.. When a series repeatedly goes to extra time. coaching choices tend to become more conservative until the game opens up again.
The Canadiens now head into Game 4 in Montreal on Sunday at 7 p.m.. ET with a clear goal: convert the momentum they earned in Game 3 into a more complete performance.. For Tampa. the immediate assignment is to avoid another slow start—because Montreal has shown it can score quickly. hang around through goaltending. and then strike in the sharpest moments.
Mammoth stun Vegas with early burst
The Golden Knights did respond.. Jack Eichel scored in the game’s middle. and Nic Dowd pulled it back with a late regulation goal to make it 4-2.. But the damage had already been done early enough that Vegas’ later outshooting—31-12—couldn’t erase the first-period gap.. It’s a reminder that “time on attack” doesn’t always matter as much as whether those attacks convert when the opponent is vulnerable.
Game 4 on Monday in Salt Lake City becomes a test for Vegas: can they start the way they finished, or will Utah’s early confidence keep pressing the advantage? In playoff series, the opening minutes often function like a psychological reset—one team gets to dictate pace, the other has to react.
Ducks seize control despite Oilers comeback
There was a late-season-style edge to the power and emotion of the matchup. including a go-ahead play by Granlund that was waved off after a high-stick was involved late in the second.. Once the third period began. Anaheim poured in two quick tallies. including the first postseason goal of Beckett Sennecke’s career—an early sign that the Ducks’ younger pieces are finding playoff footing when it matters.
Edmonton did make it interesting.. Connor McDavid got the Oilers within one with a power-play goal midway through the frame.. But Jeffrey Viel added a late insurance goal to close the door. and he also dropped the gloves with Vasily Podkolzin in the final 30 seconds of regulation.. That kind of end-to-end punctuation matters in playoff hockey because it changes how both benches carry themselves into the next shift of the series.
Edmonton now faces a steep climb to get back to the level it showed in its comeback moments. The Oilers will look to reset before returning to Anaheim for Game 4 on Sunday night.
What’s next on Friday’s playoff slate
Carolina Hurricanes at Ottawa Senators starts at 3 p.m. ET, with Carolina leading 3-0 in the series. Dallas Stars at Minnesota Wild is set for 5:30 p.m. ET, with Dallas holding a 2-1 advantage. At 8 p.m. ET, the Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Philadelphia Flyers, with Philadelphia also up 3-0.
Across these matchups. the pattern is consistent: early leads are holding because teams are making fewer defensive mistakes—and when mistakes do happen. the game changes quickly.. That’s what makes this playoff weekend so watchable: even when one team is clearly better on paper. the next bounce. save. or penalty sequence can flip the script.
For fans, the bracket storyline isn’t just about scores—it’s about momentum, discipline, and whether a team can turn pressure into goals before the other side regains control.