The second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs is complete, with four teams advancing and four heading home. Here's a deeper look at the true highlights and lowlights.
Winner: Mitch Marner's Playoff Reputation
Marner took his reputation as a playoff choker and turned it into fire. He was the main reason the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Anaheim Ducks to reach the Western Conference Final.
Against the Ducks, Marner recorded 11 points in six games, including a hat trick in Game 3 and a two-point performance in Game 6 to close out the series. Including his three-point effort to close out the Utah Mammoth in Game 6, Marner now has 14 points in his last seven games and leads the Golden Knights in scoring this postseason.
There's no longer any doubt about whether Marner is capable of leading this team in the playoffs as Vegas prepares to play the Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
Loser: Alex Tuch Goes Ice Cold
Alex Tuch was a force for the Buffalo Sabres in the regular season and the first-round series against the Boston Bruins. Then, at the worst possible moment, Tuch went ice cold.
The Syracuse native completely lost his scoring touch. Tuch failed to tally a single point in the seven-game series against the Montreal Canadiens, and the Sabres were outscored 8-1 with him in the game at five-on-five.
Tuch put 26 shots on net in the series — the most of anyone on the team — but none found the back of the net. He'll enter contract negotiations with the Sabres on a sour note after falling one win shy of the conference finals.
Winner: Jakub Dobes' Coming-Out Party
Since Carey Price stepped off the ice in April 2022, the Canadiens have been looking for stability in goal. They've found it in Jakub Dobes.
The 24-year-old was spectacular in Game 7, making one big save after another as the Sabres made strong pushes. One of his biggest stops came in overtime when he stuck with Tage Thompson on an odd-man rush.
A fifth-round pick in 2020, Dobes is proving he's the future of the crease in Montreal. Against the Sabres, Dobes posted a .913 save percentage with a high-danger save percentage of .870. He'll give the Canadiens a shot at upsetting the Carolina Hurricanes if he keeps playing like this.