--- title: "Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes opened second round with 4-0 sweeps in NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs; historic top-two seeds swept first round." sdDatePublished: "2026-05-07T14:54:00Z" source: "https://www.olympics.com/en/news/stanley-cup-ice-hockey-playoffs-2026-olympic-stars-nhl-full-second-round-schedule" topics: - name: "sport event" identifier: "medtop:20001108" - name: "ice hockey" identifier: "medtop:20000965" - name: "Olympic Games" identifier: "medtop:20001177" - name: "sport" identifier: "medtop:15000000" locations: - "Saint Paul" - "Tampa" - "Philadelphia" - "Raleigh" - "Denver" - "Las Vegas" - "Slovakia" - "United States" - "Edmonton" - "Finland" - "Canada" - "Sweden" - "Orange" - "Buffalo" - "Quebec" --- Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes opened second round with 4-0 sweeps in NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs; historic top-two seeds swept first round. Stanley Cup ice hockey playoffs: How are the 2026 Olympic stars performing in the NHL postseason? - Full second-round schedule Stanley Cup ice hockey playoffs: How are the 2026 Olympic stars performing in the NHL postseason? - Full second-round schedule Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Juraj Slafkovský and Nick Suzuki headline an unpredictable 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs second round filled with Olympic stars and rising young contenders as the league’s final eight teams battle for a place in the conference finals. If the opening round of the2026 Stanley Cup Playoffsproved anything, it is thatanything can happen in playoff hockey. Let’s start with a few numbers. The first round delivered one of the most competitive starts to a Stanley Cup Playoff in recentice hockeyhistory, with40of the first45games decided by either one goal or by a two-goal margin. According toNHL.com, that89 per cent rate of “close games”matched the highest ever recorded in an opening round (2024), while more than four-fifths of total playing time featured teams either tied or separated by a single goal, the highest mark seen at this stage of a postseason in more than 70 years. Thirteen of the first 45 games required overtime,and every first-round series included at least one overtime game, only the fifth time that has happened in NHL history, and six of the eight matchups stretched to at least six games. Round one also delivered a Game 7 for the sixth consecutive year. Four teams ended playoff series victory droughts of at least five seasons, the highest total ever recorded in a single postseason opening round. At the same time, several familiar contenders disappeared early, creating a dramatically different second-round field compared to a year ago. Only two teams that reached the conference semifinals in 2025 managed to return this spring,while six new teams advanced to the final eight. Even last year’s finalists were not immune, as neither team that played in the previous Stanley Cup Final survived beyond the opening round. The second round kicked off last Saturday (2 May) with eight teams left standing, and after everything the opening round delivered, there is little reason to believe thechaosexcitement is slowing down. Five things you didn’t know about the Stanley Cup, ice hockey’s most iconic trophy Relive the magic of Ice Hockey at 2026 Winter Olympics 🏒 Sign up free for full replays, highlights, and medal moments - anytime. All with a FREE Olympic Membership. Sign up now 🏅 Men's Ice Hockey Review | Milano Cortina 2026 Men's ice hockey in Milan saw two giants of the game, Canada and the United States, end up in the final against each other that led to a thrilling overtime victory by the Americans. Finland also put up a dominant performance over Slovakia to secure the bronze medal. NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2026: round two storylines Quick question: which natural force do you think would win in a face-off, an avalanche or a hurricane? So far, nobody has managed to stop either one. TheColorado AvalancheandCarolina Hurricanesentered the second round as the only unbeaten teams left in the playoffs, each opening the postseason with 4-0 sweeps. Carolina dismantled the Ottawa Senators to become one of the first to advance, while Colorado rolled through the Los Angeles Kings. Colorado and Carolina finished the regular season ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the NHL standings, yet since the NHL adopted best-of-seven series across all rounds in 1987, the league’s top two regular-season teams had never both opened the playoffs with sweeps in the same round. The Hurricanes, led by Olympic medallistsSeth JarvisandSebastian Aho, are currently up two-nil in their second-round series against thePhiladelphia Flyers. Meanwhile, the Avalanche can thank much of their momentum to Canadian Olympic silver medallistNathan MacKinnon.Fresh off a three-point performance in Game 2 against the Minnesota Wild on May 5, MacKinnon continued his remarkable playoff performance. His 132 points through his first 100 postseason games rank sixth in NHL history. One sequence during Colorado’s latest power play summed up the Avalanche Olympic talent at their best:Cale Makarfed Czechia'sMartin Nečas, who foundMacKinnonbefore a cross-ice finish from Sweden’sGabriel Landeskogended in a goal. Across the bracket, nine members of Team USA’s gold medal-winning Olympic roster remain alive in the race for Lord Stanley’s coveted Cup. Players such asQuinn Hughes,Matt Boldy,Brock Faber(all Minnesota Wild),Jack Eichel,Noah Hanifin(both Vegas Golden Knights),Tage Thompson(Buffalo Sabres),Jackson LaCombe(Anaheim Ducks),Brock Nelson(Colorado Avalanche) andJaccob Slavin(Carolina Hurricanes) are now chasing the rare opportunity to complete hockey’s ultimate double, winning Olympic gold and the Stanley Cup in the same season. Only eight players in NHL history have accomplished it before. The opening round also reinforced one unmistakable trend around the league: the NHL’s future is arriving earlier than expected. The four youngest playoff teams by average roster age, theMontreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia FlyersandAnaheim Ducks, all advanced to the second round. It marked only the fourth time in Stanley Cup Playoff history that the league’s four youngest postseason teams each won a series in the same year. Montreal, the youngest team in the entire postseason, survived a gruelling seven-game series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, driven by 26-year-old captainNick Suzuki, right wingerCole Caufield, Slovak Olympic standoutJuraj Slafkovskýand French forwardAlexandre Texier. Can the Canadiens continue their youthful exuberance against the Sabres, captained by Swedish OlympianRasmus Dahlin? The Ducks also carry their fair share of star power, as evidenced by perhaps the biggest statement of the postseason so far. Behind the composure of Czech goaltenderLukáš Dostáland the physical presence of his compatriotRadko Gudas, the Ducks eliminated the Edmonton Oilers in six games, ending any hopes of redemption for last year’s Western Conference champions. The Ducks are currently down 0-1 against theVegas GoldenKnightsin their second-round matchup. The Best of the Best: The Road to the Men's Ice Hockey Final | Milano Cortina 2026 Many of the world's best ice hockey players. A storied rivalry between two North American nation. One final that fans will be locked in for. NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2026: round two schedule Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres Game 1(Wednesday, May 6): Montreal at Buffalo, 7 p.m. ET Game 2(Friday, May 8): Montreal at Buffalo, 7 p.m. ET Game 3(Sunday, May 10): Buffalo at Montreal, 7 p.m. ET Game 4(Tuesday, May 12): Buffalo at Montreal, TBA Game 5(Thursday, May 14): Montreal at Buffalo, TBA Game 6(Saturday, May 16): Buffalo at Montreal, TBA Game 7(Monday, May 18): Montreal at Buffalo, TBA Philadelphia Flyers vs. Carolina Hurricanes Game 2(completed):Carolina3, Philadelphia 2 (OT) Game 3(Thursday, May 7): Carolina at Philadelphia, 8 p.m. ET Game 4(Saturday, May 9): Carolina at Philadelphia, 6 p.m. ET Game 5(Monday, May 11): Philadelphia at Carolina, TBA Game 6(Wednesday, May 13): Carolina at Philadelphia, TBA Game 7(Saturday, May 16): Philadelphia at Carolina, TBA Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche Game 3(Saturday, May 9): Colorado at Minnesota, 9 p.m. ET Game 4(Monday, May 11): Colorado at Minnesota, TBA Game 5(Wednesday, May 13): Minnesota at Colorado, TBA Game 6(Friday, May 15): Colorado at Minnesota, TBA Game 7(Sunday, May 17): Minnesota at Colorado, TBA Anaheim Ducks vs. Vegas Golden Knights Game 2(Wednesday, May 6): Anaheim at Vegas, 9:30 p.m. ET Game 3(Friday, May 8): Vegas at Anaheim, 9:30 p.m. ET Game 4(Sunday, May 10): Vegas at Anaheim, 9:30 p.m. ET Game 5(Tuesday, May 12): Anaheim at Vegas, TBA Game 6(Thursday, May 14): Vegas at Anaheim, TBA Game 7(Saturday, May 16): Anaheim at Vegas, TBA Picture by 2026 Getty Images