NHL Second Round Superlatives: Canadiens Have An Unsung Hero, Plus MVP, Most Disappointing
Another round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is over, and the four teams remaining can now say they're on a deep post-season run.
The Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes are two rounds away from lifting hockey's holy grail over their heads.
Montreal was the last team to book its place in the final four, with a dramatic overtime win in Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.
So with the second round of the post-season officially over, here's a look back at the great – and not so great – moments and performances over the last couple of weeks.
Buffalo Sabres Unsure If Alex Tuch Will Be Back: 'I Don't Know Where His Head's At'
Whatever you thought of Tuch's value before the playoffs, it appears to have taken a hit after the Buffalo Sabres power forward went without a point and was a minus-10 in a seven-game loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round.
Unsung Hero: Alex Newhook, LW, Montreal Canadiens
Honorable mentions: Brett Howden, Jackson Blake, Jake Evans
There is only one right answer as to who would be named the unsung hero of the post-season's second round of fixtures, and it's not only because Newhook scored the series-clinching goal against the Sabres.
Newhook has been stellar for Montreal all series long, scoring at the most important times. He finished the round with six goals and seven points for the Habs.
Two of his goals from this series were equalizers, and another two were to take the lead.
Considering Newhook had 13 goals and 25 points in 42 games during the regular season, he's providing some excellent value for Montreal right now.
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Best Game: Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche, Game 1
Honorable mentions: Montreal versus Buffalo, Games 4 and 7
The superstar offense that the Minnesota Wild and Avalanche have was on full display in Game 1 of this series between two Central Division heavyweights.
This contest finished with 15 goals, with Colorado winning 9-6. That game is tied for the fifth-highest-scoring matchup in playoff history.
Lead changes and momentum swings made the game an all-timer. The Avalanche scored the first three goals, and the Wild cut the lead to one before the end of the first period. After Colorado took a 4-2 lead early in the second, the Wild scored three unanswered to grab a 5-4 lead. After that, the Avalanche took control. Center Nazem Kadri scored the seventh and game-winning goal for Colorado early in the third period to make it a 7-5 game.
Both starting goaltenders, Jesper Wallstedt and Scott Wedgewood, finished well below an .850 save percentage in the game. However, there were eight multi-point scorers in this outing, seven of whom wore an Avalanche sweater.
Avs defenseman Devon Toews led the game in scoring with one goal and three assists for four points. His D-partner, Cale Makar, led the contest in goals with a pair.
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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 11:10 AM.