PITTSBURGH (AP) — Dan Vladar stopped 27 shots, rookie Porter Martone scored for the second straight game and the Philadelphia Flyers shut out Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round series.
The 19-year-old Martone became the sixth-youngest player in NHL history to score in each of his first two playoff games when he beat Stuart Skinner deep into the second period to put Philadelphia in front. Garnet Hathaway added a short-handed goal a few minutes later, and Luke Glendening chipped in an empty-netter late in the third.
Vladar made it stand up as the red-hot Flyers, who needed a scorching finishing stretch just to reach the playoffs, frustrated the suddenly offensively challenged Penguins all night.
Game 3 is Wednesday night in Philadelphia.
HURRICANES 3, SENATORS 2, 2OT
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jordan Martinook beat Linus Ullmark from the slot at 13:53 of the second overtime to help Carolina beat Ottawa and take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series in the NHL playoffs.
Martinook — who was stopped on a penalty shot in the first OT — kept the winning play alive by chasing down a loose rebound toward the boards to keep the possession in the offensive zone. Moments later, Nikolaj Ehlers found Martinook between the circles to beat Ullmark, who was partially shielded by Carolina captain Jordan Staal at the top of the crease.
That set off a mob celebration by the Hurricanes around Martinook in a corner of the ice, ending a game that saw them hang on despite blowing a 2-0 lead and having an apparent winner by Mark Jankowski waved off in the first overtime due to an offside call on review.
The series moves to Canada’s capital for Game 3 on Thursday.
STARS 4, WILD 2
DALLAS (AP) — Wyatt Johnston had two unusual goals, Matt Duchene scored a tiebreaking power-play goal and had an assist, and Dallas beat Minnesota in Game 2 to even their first-round Western Conference series.
The Stars went ahead to stay with a power play winding down about four minutes into the penalty-filled second period when Duchene made a quick pass to Mikko Rantanen and then got the puck back just in front of the crease. That made it 2-1.
Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 28 shots, including a point-blank attempt by Kirill Kaprizov with 2 1/2 minutes to play when the Wild were on a power play after Dallas was penalized for too many men on the ice.
Brock Faber scored his first two career playoff goals for Minnesota, which won the opener 6-1 on Saturday but missed a chance in its 15th playoff appearance to take its first-ever 2-0 series lead.
Jason Robertson, who like Johnston scored 45 goals in the regular season, also scored for Dallas. Nils Lundkvist had two assists.
Game 3 is Wednesday night at Minnesota.
OILERS 4, DUCKS 3
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Kasperi Kapanen scored his second goal of the game with 1:54 left in the third period to give Edmonton a victory over Anaheim in the opener of their first-round playoff series.
Jason Dickinson also scored twice for the Oilers, who trailed 3-2 entering the third.
Oilers star Leon Draisaitl returned to the ice after missing the final 14 regular-season games with an injury. Draisaitl and Jake Walman each had two assists for Edmonton.
The Oilers are seeking their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final, having lost each of the last two seasons to the Florida Panthers, who missed out on postseason play this year.
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (41) makes a save against Los Angeles Kings right wing Alex Laferriere (14) during the second period of Game 1 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs, Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo Jack Dempsey)
DENVER (AP) — A big early deficit in Denver didn't bother the Minnesota Timberwolves, who two years ago staged the biggest Game 7 comeback in NBA history, clawing out of a 20-point hole to beat the Nuggets and advance to the Western Conference finals.
This time, they overcame a 19-point deficit, rallying past the Nuggets 119-114 on Monday night behind 30 points from Anthony Edwards and 24 from Julius Randle to tie their first-round playoff series at one game each.
“Just coming together, staying poised within those moments," Edwards said.
Jamal Murray scored 30 points for Denver, which had won 13 straight games since losing on March 18. The Nuggets jumped out to a 44-25 lead early in the second quarter only to see a potential laugher quickly turn into a head-scratcher.
After outscoring the Wolves 39-25 in the first, the Nuggets watched Minnesota flip that exact score in the second period.
“So, basically same quarters, first and second, just opposite teams,” said Nikola Jokic, who had 24 points, 15 boards and eight assists for the Nuggets.
After a slow start, Edwards looked much better than he did during his 22-point effort in Game 1, when his rust from a bum knee was apparent. This time, he drove to the basket more instead of settling for jumpers, fueling the comeback.
“He was awesome. It was unbelievable,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “Also in that (first) period when we were down, he was great on the bench. Great leadership, positive. He recognized he needed to get into attack mode and get downhill a little bit more. He did that."
Denver blew a chance to take control against its Northwest Division rival. The Nuggets are 8-0 in their history when winning the first two games of a playoff series, and the Wolves are 0-8 when dropping Games 1 and 2.
Edwards turned the ball over with 31 seconds left and Christian Braun got fouled at the other end after Jokic passed up a floater to tie it. Braun missed one of two free throws, leaving Denver trailing 115-114 with 19 seconds remaining.
Randle then sank two free throws and Donte DiVincenzo added a breakaway dunk to cap the comeback.
“I trust C.B. to make free throws,” Denver coach David Adelman said. “It rimmed out. That happens in the NBA. You're going to have moments that you don't want to remember. That's a tough moment for C.B. after playing such a good game."
Murray sank a 51-foot 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to tie it at 64. Jokic came on strong after a quiet start, scoring 16 points in the third quarter when Denver took a 93-90 lead. But the Nuggets' All-Star duo shot a combined 2 for 12 in the fourth quarter as the Wolves evened a best-of-seven series that shifts to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Thursday night.
“I feel like we had the game in hand,” Murray said, “and then we just didn't make our shots.”
Jaden McDaniels, who added 14 points for the Wolves, said the key to Minnesota's bounce-back was going "after Jokic, Jamal, all the bad defenders. Tim Hardaway, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, the whole team, just go at them. Yeah, they’re all bad defenders.”
Before tipoff, Finch complained for a third straight day about the free-throw disparity in Game 1, when the Nuggets outscored Minnesota 30-14 from the stripe. He cracked that maybe his players need to “start flopping, too.”
Each team went to the line 30 times Monday night.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman reacts during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Monday, April 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch reacts during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Denver Nuggets, Monday, April 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray prepares to shoot a 3-point basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Monday, April 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) looks to pass the ball over Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid, right, during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Monday, April 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) drives to the basket against Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Monday, April 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
