NHL Playoffs 2nd Round Takeaways: Marner, Hurricanes & Avalanche Rolling, & More – Hockey Writers – Commentary
The second round of the 2026 NHL Playoffs came to a bitter end last night, with the Montreal Canadiens defeating the Buffalo Sabers in overtime to win Game 7. With that, we move on to the conference finals. Let’s take a look back at the second round and some of the biggest picks with only four teams left in the postseason.
Avalanche is Powerful
We all knew the Colorado Avalanche would be a minority in the playoffs, but they have been much better than expected. They sent the Los Angeles Kings packing with ease, and made quick work of the Minnesota Wild, though a few games were close.
The Avalanche were one of the top five teams in the NHL this season, and that continued in the playoffs. They lead the Wild five to five, controlling more than 58 percent of expected goals (xG%). Jesper Wallstedt, who entered the series with a .970 five-on-5 save percentage, met his match against the high-octane Avalanche offense.
Even when the Wild looked like they could give the Avalanche some trouble, it was nothing more than a mirage. Take the series clincher Game 5, for example. The Wild built a 3-0 lead in the first half and looked poised to take the series back to St.
The Avalanche have been getting donations from everyone, too. Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas led the series with nine points, but six players had four or more points. This is a well-rounded team with contributors on all four lines and three pairs of defenses. They will be difficult for anyone who has to face them all the way.
The Storms Are Not With Them, Either
Across the playoff bracket, the Carolina Hurricanes did their best impression of the Avalanche and then some. They are 8-0-0 and look like heavy favorites to win Mpumalanga. Frederik Anderson is among the Conn Smythe frontrunners, but the Hurricanes have few candidates. They may not have the star power of the Avalanche, but they are a well-rounded team.
That showed in their series against the Philadelphia Flyers, as they were no match for the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes were dominant at five-on-five, controlling 59.2 percent of their field goals and outshooting the Flyers 9-3. Dan Vladar did his best to keep the games tight, but the Hurricanes were too tough to handle.
Jackson Blake was impressive for the Hurricanes in Round 2, as he tallied three goals and seven points in four games. Much like the Avalanche, the Hurricanes got contributions from everyone. Taylor Hall scored five points, and five players finished the series with at least three points.
Although the Montreal Canadiens may pose some challenges to the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final, they will be heavy favorites to advance to the Stanley Cup Final in the East.
Mitch Marner, Conn Smythe Leader?
Big game Mitch Marner? He certainly puts any narrative about his playoff struggles with the Toronto Maple Leafs to bed. Marner leads the NHL with 18 points in these contests. If the Vegas Golden Knights shock the world and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, he will be among the Conn Smythe favorites.
Marner has been legitimately good throughout the playoffs, but he was brilliant against the Anaheim Ducks. He finished with five goals and 11 points in six games and had this highlight reel in Game 6 en route to the Golden Knights knocking off the Ducks:
The Golden Knights have a tall task ahead against the Avalanche in the Western Conference Final, especially with Mark Stone’s status uncertain. They’ll need Marner to be at his best again, but his play with the Ducks hasn’t been too bad. Perhaps all he needed to do was get out of the Toronto market.
Flyers Hit Their Roof
There is no shame in what the Flyers have accomplished this season. No one expected them to be a playoff team, let alone advance to the next round. But their sweep at the hands of the Hurricanes shows that there is still a lot of work to be done. They have the goals and defense to be a competitive team, but they need to score more game-breaking points.
That won’t be easy to do, given this year’s free agent market. There are no game-breaking players, and who knows what the trade market will look like. It seems we have entered an era of fragmentation, where teams looking to improve their rosters will face challenges due to limited availability. But at least the Flyers seem headed in the right direction.
Ducks Ahead of Schedule
It’s fair to say that the Ducks arrived a year ahead of schedule. Led by rising stars Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, and others, they shocked the Edmonton Oilers in Round 1, and fought well against the Golden Knights in Round 2.
The Ducks weren’t the best five-for-five team during the regular season, but they showed significant improvement in that aspect of the game during the playoffs. They actually outplayed the Golden Knights at 5-on-5, finishing with an xG% of just over 52%. Unfortunately for them, their shooting luck ran out. They shot just 5.71 percent from five-on-five against the Golden Knights, while the Golden Knights shot 9.82 percent. That might make a difference.
Still, the Ducks are headed in the right direction. We’ll see what the offseason holds, but the Pacific Division is the weakest in the NHL right now. The Ducks have a lot of talent and could be ready for a changing of the guard from the usual suspects in the next few years.
Sabers & Canadiens Was Absolute Cinema
On paper, the Buffalo Sabers and Canadiens were the dominant second round matchups. And, boy, did it live up to expectations. There were high-scoring tilts, scoring changes, multiple scoring comebacks, and a Game 7 overtime thriller.
The Sabers were the better team in Games 6 and 7, but unfortunately came away with the win in Game 6. They outscored the Canadiens at 5-on-5, but Jakub Dobeš played well in net in Game 7, making 37 saves. It was a poor result for the Sabres, but there is a lot to build on going into the offseason.
The Sabers have one of the smallest rosters in the NHL, but they need to find a solution in net. Ukko Pekka-Lukkonnen is a good enough goalkeeper, but they need someone to match up with outside of Alex Lyon. Is it finally Devon Levi’s time? Or will GM Jarmo Kekalainen look for an outside solution? The Sabers finished with an .862 save percentage in the series. They feel like they are the best goalkeeper to be in that team. It could have made the difference against the Canadians.
As for the Canadiens, they continue to find ways to win these games, despite being outplayed at times. Alex Newhook was spectacular, scoring six goals, including the game-winner in Game 7. But the Canadiens are about to face a different beast in the Hurricanes.
The Canadiens finished their series against the Sabers with an xG% of 45.35 percent. That probably won’t cut it against one of the five most dominant teams in the NHL, the Hurricanes. But they continue to defy the odds. Maybe they still have one more left? They will need Dobeš to be on top of his game against the Hurricanes.
Regardless, this series was arguably the best of the 2026 season. The Sabers and Canadiens were almost dead even in the regular season, and that’s how the series played out in the end. It will be difficult in any conference finals and possibly the Stanley Cup Final to accomplish that. We will see what the last two rounds have in store for the fans.
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