NHL Projected Lineups – Game Day April 19-20, 2026
Date: April 19, 2026
By IceHockeyMan Newsroom
Final update: All projected lineups for today have been added.
Matchup: Colorado Avalanche vs Los Angeles Kings
Faceoff: 21:00 CET
Colorado Avalanche – Projected lineup
Forwards
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Necas
Parker Kelly – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin
Gabriel Landeskog – Nazem Kadri – Nicolas Roy
Joel Kiviranta – Jack Drury – Logan O’Connor
Defense
Brett Kulak – Cale Makar
Devon Toews – Sam Malinski
Josh Manson – Brent Burns
Goalies
Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scratched: Ross Colton, Nick Blankenburg, Zakhar Bardakov
Injured: None
IHM Lineup Note:
Colorado enters Game 1 with its core structure restored, and that changes the entire ceiling of this matchup. Makar, MacKinnon, Toews, Nichushkin, Nelson, Landeskog, and Kadri give the Avalanche elite puck-carrying, blue-line activation, and layered offensive pressure.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Colorado can attack with more second-wave pressure than Los Angeles through quick recoveries and inside support.
Transition Signal: MacKinnon and Makar remain the main speed and possession engines in open ice.
Blue Line Signal: The Avalanche have a major puck-moving edge with Makar and Toews driving the back end.
Goalie Stability Signal: Wedgewood getting the confirmed start brings clarity, though not a huge individual edge over Kuemper-level competition.
X-Factor Signal: Kadri and Manson returning raises Colorado’s matchup strength and playoff bite significantly.
Los Angeles Kings – Projected lineup
Forwards
Artemi Panarin – Anze Kopitar – Adrian Kempe
Trevor Moore – Quinton Byfield – Alex Laferriere
Joel Armia – Scott Laughton – Jared Wright
Mathieu Joseph – Samuel Helenius – Jeff Malott
Defense
Mikey Anderson – Drew Doughty
Joel Edmundson – Brandt Clarke
Brian Dumoulin – Cody Ceci
Goalies
Anton Forsberg
Darcy Kuemper
Scratched: Jacob Moverare, Taylor Ward
Injured: Alex Turcotte, Andrei Kuzmenko, Kevin Fiala
IHM Lineup Note:
The Kings still bring strong veteran intelligence through Kopitar, Doughty, Anderson, and Panarin, but the missing finishing power from Fiala lowers the offensive ceiling. Los Angeles must lean on structure, matchup discipline, and controlled defensive-zone work to survive Colorado’s speed.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Los Angeles can pressure smartly, but it cannot allow the game to become too open or rush-heavy.
Transition Signal: Panarin and Kempe are the main chance-creators off clean entries.
Blue Line Signal: Doughty and Anderson must absorb the most difficult defensive reads against Colorado’s top wave.
Goalie Stability Signal: Kuemper offers strong playoff-caliber calm if he gets the crease.
X-Factor Signal: The Kings need clean neutral-zone layers and must limit broken-play chances against MacKinnon.
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Avalanche edge
Transition Edge: Avalanche clear edge
Defensive Stability: Avalanche slight edge
Goaltending Edge: Even
Game Control Projection: Colorado projects to control the most dangerous parts of the game through pace, blue-line support, and star-driven offensive pressure, while Los Angeles needs a compact, low-mistake playoff road script.
Matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens
Faceoff: 23:45 CET
Tampa Bay Lightning – Projected lineup
Forwards
Gage Goncalves – Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov
Brandon Hagel – Anthony Cirelli – Jake Guentzel
Zemgus Girgensons – Yanni Gourde – Nick Paul
Corey Perry – Dominic James – Oliver Bjorkstrand
Defense
J.J. Moser – Darren Raddysh
Ryan McDonagh – Erik Cernak
Charle-Edouard D’Astous – Emil Lilleberg
Goalies
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Jonas Johansson
Scratched: Conor Geekie, Scott Sabourin, Declan Carlile, Max Crozier, Brandon Halverson
Injured: Pontus Holmberg (upper body), Victor Hedman (personal leave)
IHM Lineup Note:
Tampa Bay still brings one of the most dangerous playoff offensive cores in the league. Kucherov, Point, Hagel, Guentzel, Cirelli, Gourde, and Vasilevskiy create a lineup that can win through skill, details, or experience even without Hedman available.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Tampa can alternate between controlled pressure and selective strike hockey depending on game flow.
Transition Signal: Kucherov and Point remain elite at turning neutral-zone control into high-danger entries.
Blue Line Signal: Missing Hedman matters, but McDonagh and Cernak still provide defensive intelligence and playoff calm.
Goalie Stability Signal: Vasilevskiy is the strongest goaltending presence on this part of the slate.
X-Factor Signal: Tampa’s power-play and late-game execution remain major playoff separators.
Montreal Canadiens – Projected lineup
Forwards
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkovsky
Alexandre Texier – Alex Newhook – Ivan Demidov
Zachary Bolduc – Oliver Kapanen – Kirby Dach
Jake Evans – Phillip Danault – Josh Anderson
Defense
Mike Matheson – Alexandre Carrier
Kaiden Guhle – Lane Hutson
Jayden Struble – Arber Xhekaj
Goalies
Jakub Dobes
Jacob Fowler
Scratched: Brendan Gallagher, Joe Veleno, Adam Engstrom, David Reinbacher
Injured: Patrik Laine (lower body), Noah Dobson (upper body)
IHM Lineup Note:
Montreal has enough young skill and internal pace to make this series interesting, especially through Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky, and Demidov. The problem in Game 1 is whether that group can sustain enough structure against a far more playoff-tested Tampa core.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Montreal must pressure aggressively and make Tampa defend before the Lightning settle into their puck-control rhythm.
Transition Signal: Suzuki is the main tempo organizer, while Demidov adds a wildcard element.
Blue Line Signal: Without Dobson, the Canadiens lose some back-end control and clean breakout comfort.
Goalie Stability Signal: Montreal’s crease setup is talented but less proven under playoff-level pressure.
X-Factor Signal: Montreal needs its young skill to convert quickly because the longer the structure battle lasts, the more it favors Tampa.
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Lightning edge
Transition Edge: Lightning slight edge
Defensive Stability: Lightning edge
Goaltending Edge: Lightning clear edge
Game Control Projection: Tampa Bay projects to control the more repeatable playoff phases of the game, while Montreal needs speed, courage, and efficient finishing on limited windows to steal momentum.
Matchup: Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins
Faceoff: 01:30 CET
Buffalo Sabres – Projected lineup
Forwards
Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn
Zach Benson – Josh Norris – Josh Doan
Jordan Greenway – Josh Dunne – Beck Malenstyn
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin – Mattias Samuelsson
Bowen Byram – Owen Power
Logan Stanley – Connor Timmins
Goalies
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Alex Lyon
Scratched: Colten Ellis, Michael Kesselring, Tyson Kozak, Josh Dunne, Tanner Pearson, Luke Schenn
Injured: Sam Carrick, Noah Ostlund, Jiri Kulich, Justin Danforth
IHM Lineup Note:
Buffalo carries an impressive modern top-four on defense and enough scoring depth to pressure Boston across multiple waves. Dahlin, Power, Byram, Thompson, Tuch, and Norris give the Sabres one of the more dynamic control profiles in the Eastern bracket.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Buffalo can attack Boston’s retrievals through speed and second-man pressure rather than pure weight alone.
Transition Signal: Dahlin and Power give the Sabres strong puck-transport advantage from the back end.
Blue Line Signal: The Sabres’ defense can both defend and extend offensive-zone time efficiently.
Goalie Stability Signal: Luukkonen gives Buffalo a solid foundation, with Lyon returning as depth support.
X-Factor Signal: Buffalo’s ability to attack off quick regains could be the key to breaking Boston’s structure.
Boston Bruins – Projected lineup
Forwards
Morgan Geekie – Elias Lindholm – David Pastrnak
Casey Mittelstadt – Pavel Zacha – Viktor Arvidsson
James Hagens – Fraser Minten – Marat Khusnutdinov
Tanner Jeannot – Sean Kuraly – Mark Kastelic
Defense
Jonathan Aspirot – Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm – Mason Lohrei
Nikita Zadorov – Andrew Peeke
Goalies
Jeremy Swayman
Joonas Korpisalo
Scratched: Alex Steeves, Jordan Harris, Henri Jokiharju, Lukas Reichel, Michael Eyssimont
Injured: None
IHM Lineup Note:
Boston may not have Buffalo’s blue-line mobility, but the Bruins still bring a very serious playoff spine through McAvoy, Lindholm, Pastrnak, and Swayman. This team can win ugly, protect the interior, and force Buffalo into harder offensive work.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Boston applies heavier, playoff-style pressure and can wear on Buffalo’s defensive retrievals over time.
Transition Signal: The Bruins are less explosive overall, but Pastrnak can change games on a single rush or broken play.
Blue Line Signal: McAvoy remains the most important defensive stabilizer in the series opener.
Goalie Stability Signal: Swayman is a proven big-game piece and one of the main reasons Boston can steal road control.
X-Factor Signal: If Boston turns the game into a wall battle and slot war, the matchup becomes much more even than pure talent suggests.
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Sabres slight edge
Transition Edge: Sabres edge
Defensive Stability: Bruins slight edge
Goaltending Edge: Bruins slight edge
Game Control Projection: Buffalo projects to carry more of the puck and more of the offensive initiative, while Boston’s clearest path is to compress the game into a playoff-style structure battle anchored by Swayman and McAvoy.
Matchup: Vegas Golden Knights vs Utah Mammoth
Faceoff: 04:00 CET
Vegas Golden Knights – Projected lineup
Forwards
Mitch Marner – Jack Eichel – Mark Stone
Ivan Barbashev – Brett Howden – Pavel Dorofeyev
Reilly Smith – Tomas Hertl – Keegan Kolesar
Cole Smith – Nic Dowd – Colton Sissons
Defense
Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin – Rasmus Andersson
Jeremy Lauzon – Kaedan Korczak
Goalies
Carter Hart
Adin Hill
Scratched: Ben Hutton, Brandon Saad, Akira Schmid
Injured: William Karlsson (lower body), Jonas Rondbjerg (lower body)
IHM Lineup Note:
Vegas enters Game 1 with a heavy, experienced, and tactically intelligent lineup. Eichel, Marner, Stone, Hertl, Theodore, Hanifin, and Andersson give the Golden Knights elite control potential in both the neutral zone and offensive-zone support game.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Vegas can pressure with size, route discipline, and strong wall control across all four lines.
Transition Signal: Eichel and Marner create elite entry quality and delay-game creation through the middle.
Blue Line Signal: Theodore, Hanifin, and Andersson give Vegas one of the most stable and mobile playoff back ends in the conference.
Goalie Stability Signal: Hill and Hart give Vegas strong crease options, with Hill the more proven playoff calm.
X-Factor Signal: Vegas can control the game simply by owning the walls, the middle lane, and the second effort battles.
Utah Mammoth – Projected lineup
Forwards
Clayton Keller – Nick Schmaltz – Lawson Crouse
Kailer Yamamoto – Logan Cooley – Dylan Guenther
JJ Peterka – Alexander Kerfoot – Michael Carcone
Liam O’Brien – Kevin Stenlund – Brandon Tanev
Defense
Mikhail Sergachev – MacKenzie Weegar
Nate Schmidt – John Marino
Ian Cole – Nick DeSimone
Goalies
Karel Vejmelka
Vitek Vanecek
Scratched: Daniil But, Kevin Rooney, Dmitri Simashev, Matt Villalta
Injured: Sean Durzi (upper body), Barrett Hayton (upper body), Jack McBain (lower body)
IHM Lineup Note:
Utah is not an easy opening-round opponent because the Mammoth still bring real pace, strong two-way defensemen, and competitive structure through Keller, Cooley, Sergachev, Weegar, and Vejmelka. The challenge is whether they can match Vegas’ playoff maturity and depth.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Utah can pressure effectively, but it must avoid getting trapped in long-zone shifts against Vegas’ heavier support game.
Transition Signal: Cooley, Keller, and Guenther are the main engines for Utah’s pace-based attack.
Blue Line Signal: Sergachev and Weegar give Utah enough quality to challenge Vegas if the breakout remains clean.
Goalie Stability Signal: Vejmelka can absolutely keep Utah alive if the defensive layers stay disciplined.
X-Factor Signal: Utah must win the rush battle and avoid letting Vegas turn the game into a grinding half-ice series.
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Golden Knights edge
Transition Edge: Even to slight Golden Knights edge
Defensive Stability: Golden Knights edge
Goaltending Edge: Even
Game Control Projection: Vegas projects to control the more repeatable playoff details through depth, structure, and experience, while Utah needs a pace-driven game with strong Vejmelka support to turn Game 1 into a true swing battle.
Q&A: Projected Lineups and Starting Goalies
What are NHL projected lineups?
Projected lineups are expected forward lines, defense pairs, and goalies based on team reports, skates, and coaching decisions before official warmup confirmation.
How accurate are projected lineups?
They are usually close to final, but late scratches, maintenance calls, and playoff adjustments can still change the setup.
Why do playoff lineups matter even more?
Because playoff hockey is more matchup-driven, more structured, and more sensitive to depth, special teams, and goalie performance.
Why are starting goalies so important in Game 1?
They can define early series momentum, absorb pressure swings, and shape how aggressive each team can play.
What does a healthy scratch mean in the playoffs?
It means a player is available but left out for tactical, matchup, or performance reasons.
Why do coaches adjust lines before Game 1?
To optimize matchups, rebalance chemistry, protect injured players, or prepare for the opponent’s style.
What should readers focus on first in a projected lineup?
Center depth, top-four defense quality, starting goalie strength, and whether the lineup supports the team’s normal playoff identity.
How important are injuries in a playoff opener?
Very important, because missing one top defenseman, scorer, or center can alter the entire series structure.
Can line combinations reveal playoff strategy?
Yes. They often show whether a coach wants more speed, heavier forecheck, tighter defense, or more matchup control.
Why does IHM add tactical notes to playoff lineups?
Because names alone do not explain how a lineup may function under playoff pace, pressure, and matchup conditions.
When are final playoff lineups usually confirmed?
Most often during warmups or shortly before puck drop.
What should readers watch for after publication?
Late goalie confirmations, true Game 1 scratches, and any final matchup tweaks that change the tactical balance.