EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs is here, and I have a lot of questions. The first round had the best kind of chaos, with a small side of predictable.To honor the pandemonium in hopes that it continues (and we all remain highly entertained), I present to you my biggest question for each remaining team in the postseason.One category of question I'm going to take out of the running right away: goaltending. Because the starting goalies for several teams belong in the "they played great but are unproven in the playoffs" category through the first round, that gives us all uncertainty (but definitely adds to that chaos element mentioned earlier).For context, here's the number of total playoff games each team's starting goalie in the postseason has played in his career:Frederik Andersen (CAR): 90Carter Hart (VGK): 20Jakub Dobes (MTL): 10Dan Vladar (PHI): 9Alex Lyon (BUF): 9Scott Wedgewood (COL): 9Jesper Wallstedt (MIN): 7Lukas Dostal (ANA): 6Andersen is the most experienced -- and is starving for a Cup Final appearance like the rest of the Canes -- and has more than double the playoff games than all the rest combined. Carter Hart played 14 games in the bubble playoff with Philadelphia, on top of this season. But really, this is a quite inexperienced group after Andrei Vasilevskiy's Lightning were knocked out and Sergei Bobrovsky's Panthers didn't qualify.Here's what I'll be watching instead as Round 2 gets rolling:Carolina HurricanesHave the Canes solved all their previous flaws?This is the question we've been asking seemingly forever: Can Rod Brind'Amour's squad finally raise the Stanley Cup like he did as captain of the Canes in 2006?Winning a series annually is automatic, and Carolina is off to a flying start against Philly. The Canes' style is predictable yet effective. They've been playing playoff-style hockey all season.Looking at the incredible contributions of players such as Logan Stankoven and Frederik Andersen, who leads the playoffs in goals saved above expected: Is this finally the year they get over the hump and get the job done?Philadelphia FlyersIs Porter Martone for real?The Flyers had a completely forgettable Game 1 in Carolina. The Hurricanes ate their lunch and walked away with a 3-0 victory. That blank scoresheet includes Martone's fourth game without a point in the postseason.He still leads the team in goals, points and shots since his debut on March 30 -- he had two game-winning goals in the series against Pittsburgh. After a rough Game 1, a couple of hero moments would really cement Martone as a franchise cornerstone and fan favorite at only 19 years of age.Buffalo SabresCan the power play contribute?The Sabres took out the Boston Bruins in six games -- and did so scoring only one power-play goal all series. Only the Utah Mammoth, Ottawa Senators -- both eliminated -- and shockingly the Avalanche (albeit in a four-game sweep) had that few goals with the man advantage in Round 1.Special teams is a big factor in the playoffs. Can Buffalo find a spark after finally cashing in during Game 6? Or will the power outage on the power play end the Sabres' playoff journey?Montreal CanadiensWill the stars shine?The Habs grounded the Lightning in seven games in the first round. It was only the third series in Stanley Cup playoff history that went seven games in which every single game was decided by one goal. Another way to say that -- it was very close.In that series, Juraj Slafkovsky went pointless for Games 2-7 after a Game 1 power-play hat trick (and 30 goals in the regular season). Cole Caufield had one goal in the series (after a 51-goal regular season) and Nick Suzuki had five assists and one goal (after 29 goals in the regular season). The Habs are scoring by committee so far, but is it only a matter of time before the top line shows up and shows out?Colorado AvalancheWho will contribute from beyond the top players?An efficient four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Kings included Gabriel Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen and Nathan MacKinnon notching four points each. Cale Makar had two points (both goals), and Devon Toews had three. The superstars are primed to produce more this round.But what will we see from Martin Necas and Nazem Kadri? What about Ross Colton (who was a healthy scratch in the series) and Valeri Nichushkin (scoreless so far)?The Avalanche look scary on paper and on the ice, but teams need depth contributions in order to win in the postseason. Who will step up?Minnesota WildIs Round 2 their toughest hurdle to winning the Cup?The Wild took care of the Dallas Stars in six games in Round 1's heavyweight tilt. Now, they have a superheavyweight battle against Cup favorite Colorado. If the Wild get by the Avalanche, you could argue that they would have had one of the toughest front halves compared to back halves en route to the Stanley Cup in recent memory. If they beat the Avs, they certainly inherit Cup favorite status.So, can Quinn Hughes & Co. possess the puck across the blue line and set up in the offensive zone with the ease they've shown all season to create scoring chances for Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy? Or will the Avs' superstars prove to be too much? Whichever team wins, it will carry the mantle of the "team to beat" into the conference finals round.Vegas Golden KnightsWill their high-scoring ways continue?The Golden Knights found their scoring touch in their series against Utah, putting up five goals in each of the last three games of the series. Utah had a lead in the third period in every game except the final one, and Vegas found a way to get back into them -- a massive postseason success trait.Will the Golden Knights be able to score at the same rate against teams with tighter checking, stronger defense and better goaltending throughout the playoffs?Anaheim DucksIs Jackson LaCombe leveling up into a top-tier defenseman right before our eyes?There were moments in the series against Edmonton when Lacombe made Connor McDavid look pedestrian. Granted, we now know McDavid was not at 100%, but the acclaim remains for Lacombe, who came out of the series as a more feared D-man on both sides of the rink.Will that continue against Vegas? Are Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner the next to experience fits barreling down toward the Ducks' zone? Or can they figure out the key to overcoming one of the sport's rising stars?
