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What’s Going On In the Playoffs: Golden Knights pull off upset over the Avalanche
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Photo credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
May 27, 2026, 19:30 EDTUpdated: May 27, 2026, 19:32 EDT
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Who saw that coming?
There are just three teams remaining in the 2026 National Hockey League playoffs after a sweep in the Western Conference Finals. But it was the team that everyone expected to win, as the Vegas Golden Knights returned to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2023. The Eastern Conference Finals are still ongoing.
Let’s take a look at what went on this past week.

Avalanche/Golden Knights

Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar missed the first two games in Denver, and it showed. After the teams played a scoreless first period, Dylan Coghlan opened the scoring with just under eight to play in the second for the Golden Knights, then Pavel Dorofeyev scored his 10th of the post-season with five to play in the middle frame.
Just 94 seconds into the third, Brett Howden scored his ninth of the playoffs for a 3-0 lead. Valeri Nichushkin got the Avalanche on the board, and with under three to play, Gabriel Landeskog got them to within one, but Nic Dowd iced the game with an empty-netter.
Game 2, also in Denver, saw the Avalanche score the first goal, as Ross Colton scored with three to play in the opening frame. The Avalanche held on to that lead for over 30 minutes, but Jack Eichel tied it with his third of the post-season. Just over two minutes later, Ivan Barbashev scored to give the Golden Knights a lead, then iced the game with an empty netter with 63 seconds to play.
Makar returned to the ice for Game 3 in Sin City, and the Avalanche jumped out to a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes. Landeskog scored three minutes in, former Calgary Flame Nazem Kadri scored seven minutes in, then Jack Drury scored a short-handed goal.
The series was lost in the second period. Mark Stone scored a power play goal 19 seconds into the middle frame, and the Golden Knights cut the lead to one with William Karlsson’s first of the post-season four minutes in. Keegan Kolesar also scored his first of the playoffs with about seven to play, knotting the game at three heading into the final 20.
Eight and a half minutes into the third, Tomáš Hertl gave the Golden Knights their first lead of the game, then Howden buried an empty netter for a 5-3 victory.
All four games were close, with the Golden Knights icing the game with an empty netter to give them a two-goal win in each of the first three games. Game 4 was the lone game that finished as a proper one-goal game. Five minutes into the game, Golden Knights’ captain Mark Stone opened the scoring.
It stood that was until about six to play in the third, as Cole Smith gave the Knights an insurance goal. And they must be thankful he did, as Landeskog scored with two to play to cut the lead in half. However, the Avalanche were unable to tie the game, going out with a whimper.
It’s unclear when the Stanley Cup Finals will begin, as the Montréal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes have at least two more games remaining. But rooting interest for Flames fans lies with the Golden Knights, because if they win the Stanley Cup, the 2028 second they traded for Rasmus Andersson becomes a first.
Yes, that means the Flames pick 31st with the Golden Knights’ pick they acquired for Noah Hanifin, but picking 31st with a 2028 first-rounder is better than picking 30th with a 2028 second-rounder. It would’ve been better had the Utah Mammoth held on to a lead in the final few games in the first round, but what can you do?

Hurricanes/Canadiens

Returning to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2021, the Montréal Canadiens got off to a great start in Game 1. Well, not quite, as Hurricanes’ forward Seth Jarvis opened the scoring 33 seconds in. But the Habs quickly responded, thanks to Cole Caufield’s fifth of the playoffs just 27 seconds later.
Then three minutes later, Phillip Danault gave the Canadiens a 2-1 lead, a lead they never relinquished. Alexandre Texier scored eight minutes into the first, then Ivan Demidov scored midway through the first to give the Canadiens a 4-1 lead after 20 minutes. The Hurricanes scored the lone goal in the second period, but Juraj Slafkovský scored twice in the third for a 6-2 victory.
That was the Canadiens’ lone win through three games. Robinson, who scored the goal in the second period in Game 1, opened Game 2’s scoring just 2:33 in. Josh Anderson tied the game midway through the first. In the second, Nikolaj Ehlers scored with three to play, but Anderson scored his second of the game with just over seven to play in the third.
Going to overtime for the sixth time in the post-season, Ehlers scored his second of the game just three and a half minutes into the extra frame to tie the series at one.
Still, the Canadiens earned a split to take home-ice away from the Hurricanes, with the series turning to Bell Centre. Midway through the first period, Shayne Gostisbehere opened the scoring for the Hurricanes, but Mike Matheson scored with under five to play. Less than a minute later, Taylor Hall restored the Hurricanes’ lead.
About five minutes into the second period, Lane Hutson scored a power play goal to knot the game at one, the final goal of regulation. Mustering just two shots from the second period onward, it was the Hurricanes that won the game, as Andrei Svechnikov beat the Habs’ netminder for a 3-2 overtime.
There have been a few times this post-season where the Habs have found a way to win while being severely outshot, but in both losses, they’ve put just 25 shots on goal, not on average, but in total.
If they don’t find a way to break through the Hurricanes’ defence, this is going to be a short series. They’ll have a chance to earn a split in Québec, as the two teams do battle on Wednesday at 6:00 PM MT. Game 5 will be back in Raleigh on Friday, with a start time of 6:00 PM MT.
If needed, Game 6 would be in Montréal on Sunday with a time that has yet to be determined, while Game 7 is in Raleigh with a 6:00 PM MT start time on Tuesday.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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