NHL Projected Lineups – Game Day April 25, 2026
Date: April 25, 2026
By IceHockeyMan Newsroom
Final update: All projected lineups for today have been added.
Matchup: Boston Bruins vs Buffalo Sabres
Faceoff: 20:00 CET
Boston Bruins – Projected lineup
Forwards
Morgan Geekie – Elias Lindholm – David Pastrnak
Casey Mittelstadt – Pavel Zacha – Viktor Arvidsson
James Hagens – Fraser Minten – Lukas Reichel
Tanner Jeannot – Sean Kuraly – Mark Kastelic
Defense
Jonathan Aspirot – Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm – Mason Lohrei
Nikita Zadorov – Andrew Peeke
Goalies
Jeremy Swayman – Expected
Joonas Korpisalo
Power Play 1
Pavel Zacha – Morgan Geekie – David Pastrnak
Viktor Arvidsson – Charlie McAvoy
Power Play 2
Elias Lindholm – Casey Mittelstadt – Lukas Reichel
Hampus Lindholm – Fraser Minten
Injured: D. Locmelis (OUT)
IHM Lineup Note:
Boston enters this game needing a response, and the Bruins still have the tools to turn the series into a heavier, more structured battle. Swayman expected in goal gives them stability, while Pastrnak, McAvoy, Lindholm and Zacha remain the key pieces if Boston wants to slow Buffalo’s speed and win the middle of the ice.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Boston must increase wall pressure and force Buffalo’s puck movers into slower exits.
Transition Signal: Pastrnak remains the most dangerous release option, but Boston needs more support through the neutral zone.
Blue Line Signal: McAvoy is the main defensive organizer and must control the matchup against Thompson and Tuch.
Goalie Stability Signal: Swayman expected gives Boston a strong playoff base.
X-Factor Signal: Boston’s power play must create more direct shot traffic instead of letting Buffalo defend comfortably.
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
Alex Lyon – Expected
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Power Play 1
Tage Thompson – Jason Zucker – Alex Tuch
Rasmus Dahlin – Noah Ostlund
Power Play 2
Ryan McLeod – Zach Benson – Josh Doan
Bowen Byram – Jack Quinn
Injured: Josh Norris (DTD), Sam Carrick (OUT), Justin Danforth (IR), Jiri Kulich (IR)
IHM Lineup Note:
Buffalo comes in with momentum and a clear identity: speed from the back end, quick offensive-zone recovery, and confident goaltending from Lyon if he gets the crease again. The Norris day-to-day note matters, but the Sabres still have enough pace and power-play variety to keep Boston under pressure.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Buffalo can pressure Boston through speed, second-man support and quick puck recovery.
Transition Signal: Dahlin, Power and Byram give Buffalo a strong breakout and controlled-entry platform.
Blue Line Signal: Buffalo’s defense remains more dynamic in puck movement than Boston’s group.
Goalie Stability Signal: Lyon expected gives Buffalo confidence after his strong Game 3 performance.
X-Factor Signal: Thompson and Tuch must keep forcing Boston’s defense to defend through screens and inside pressure.
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Sabres slight edge
Transition Edge: Sabres edge
Defensive Stability: Bruins slight edge
Goaltending Edge: Even to Bruins slight edge
Game Control Projection: Buffalo projects to create more speed-driven pressure, while Boston needs to slow the game into a structured, physical playoff battle to regain control.
Matchup: Los Angeles Kings vs Colorado Avalanche
Faceoff: 22:30 CET
Los Angeles Kings – Projected lineup
Forwards
Artemi Panarin – Anze Kopitar – Adrian Kempe
Trevor Moore – Quinton Byfield – Alex Laferriere
Joel Armia – Scott Laughton – Andrei Kuzmenko
Mathieu Joseph – Samuel Helenius – Jeff Malott
Defense
Mikey Anderson – Drew Doughty
Joel Edmundson – Brandt Clarke
Brian Dumoulin – Cody Ceci
Goalies
Anton Forsberg – Expected
Darcy Kuemper
Power Play 1
Anze Kopitar – Artemi Panarin – Alex Laferriere
Adrian Kempe – Brandt Clarke
Power Play 2
Quinton Byfield – Trevor Moore – Andrei Kuzmenko
Scott Laughton – Drew Doughty
Injured: Kevin Fiala (IR)
IHM Lineup Note:
Los Angeles is facing elimination-level pressure and still needs a major offensive correction. The Kings have enough names to respond, but their problem in this series has been converting possession into dangerous interior chances. Forsberg expected gives clarity in goal, but the real issue is whether Los Angeles can create more than isolated attacks.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Kings must force longer Colorado retrievals and stop giving the Avalanche clean first passes.
Transition Signal: Panarin, Kempe and Byfield are the main players who can change pace quickly.
Blue Line Signal: Doughty and Clarke are essential to creating cleaner power-play movement and offensive-zone support.
Goalie Stability Signal: Forsberg expected means Los Angeles has a defined crease plan, but he may face high-quality looks.
X-Factor Signal: Without Fiala, the Kings need more finishing from Kempe, Panarin and the second unit.
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 – Expected
Mackenzie Blackwood
Power Play 1
Nathan MacKinnon – Gabriel Landeskog – Martin Necas
Nazem Kadri – Cale Makar
Power Play 2
Valeri Nichushkin – Artturi Lehkonen – Nicolas Roy
Devon Toews – Sam Malinski
Injured: Josh Manson (DTD)
IHM Lineup Note:
Colorado enters with a sweep opportunity and still looks like the cleaner, faster and more layered team. MacKinnon and Makar remain the core engines, while Wedgewood expected in goal gives the Avalanche continuity. The only notable question is Manson’s day-to-day status, but Colorado’s overall control profile remains strong.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Colorado can pressure Los Angeles through immediate second-touch recovery and speed below the dots.
Transition Signal: MacKinnon and Makar continue to dominate the pace and entry battle.
Blue Line Signal: Makar, Toews and Malinski give Colorado superior puck movement and offensive-zone extension.
Goalie Stability Signal: Wedgewood expected gives Colorado calm and continuity after strong previous starts.
X-Factor Signal: Colorado can end the series if it keeps forcing the Kings into rush defense and low-percentage clears.
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 more dangerous phases through speed, puck movement and blue-line activation, while Los Angeles needs its best offensive performance of the series to avoid elimination pressure becoming final.
Matchup: Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Faceoff: 02:00 CET
Philadelphia Flyers – Projected lineup
Forwards
Tyson Foerster – Trevor Zegras – Owen Tippett
Travis Konecny – Christian Dvorak – Porter Martone
Denver Barkey – Noah Cates – Matvei Michkov
Luke Glendening – Sean Couturier – Garnet Hathaway
Defense
Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York – Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler – Oliver Bonk
Goalies
Dan Vladar – Confirmed
Samuel Ersson
Power Play 1
Trevor Zegras – Tyson Foerster – Porter Martone
Noah Cates – Jamie Drysdale
Power Play 2
Christian Dvorak – Travis Konecny – Owen Tippett
Matvei Michkov – Rasmus Ristolainen
Injured: Emil Andrae (OUT), Nikita Grebenkin (OUT), Ty Murchison (OUT), Rodrigo Abols (IR)
IHM Lineup Note:
Philadelphia has Vladar confirmed and continues to carry a dangerous blend of speed, youth and pressure. With Andrae out, the third pair loses some puck movement, but the Flyers still have strong attacking pieces across both power-play groups. Zegras, Konecny, Tippett, Martone and Michkov remain the main offensive pressure points.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Philadelphia should continue using speed and aggressive support to force Pittsburgh into rushed exits.
Transition Signal: Zegras and Michkov are the creativity triggers, while Tippett gives direct attacking speed.
Blue Line Signal: Drysdale becomes more important on power-play movement with Andrae out.
Goalie Stability Signal: Vladar confirmed gives Philadelphia a clear crease structure before puck drop.
X-Factor Signal: The Flyers can keep controlling the series if they turn their speed into repeat offensive-zone pressure.
Pittsburgh Penguins – Projected lineup
Forwards
Egor Chinakhov – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Tommy Novak – Rickard Rakell – Evgeni Malkin
Elmer Soderblom – Ben Kindel – Anthony Mantha
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari
Defense
Parker Wotherspoon – Erik Karlsson
Samuel Girard – Kris Letang
Ryan Shea – Connor Clifton
Goalies
Arturs Silovs – Confirmed
Stuart Skinner
Power Play 1
Sidney Crosby – Rickard Rakell – Evgeni Malkin
Bryan Rust – Erik Karlsson
Power Play 2
Ben Kindel – Anthony Mantha – Egor Chinakhov
Thomas Novak – Kris Letang
Injured: P. Kettles (OUT), Filip Hallander (IR), Caleb Jones (IR)
IHM Lineup Note:
Pittsburgh makes a significant crease adjustment with Silovs confirmed. The Penguins still have elite veteran power-play brains through Crosby, Malkin, Karlsson, Letang and Rust, but the question is whether they can generate enough controlled offense at five-on-five against Philadelphia’s pace.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Pittsburgh needs a more connected first layer to slow Philadelphia’s young transition game.
Transition Signal: Karlsson and Letang remain the main breakout and power-play distribution engines.
Blue Line Signal: Pittsburgh’s defense can move the puck, but it must avoid getting stretched by Flyers speed.
Goalie Stability Signal: Silovs confirmed adds a new variable and could reset the matchup energy.
X-Factor Signal: Crosby and Malkin must turn power-play time into real scoreboard pressure.
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Even
Transition Edge: Flyers slight edge
Defensive Stability: Penguins slight edge
Goaltending Edge: Even
Game Control Projection: Philadelphia projects to keep stressing Pittsburgh through speed and pressure, while the Penguins need Silovs, special teams and veteran puck control to pull the game back into their preferred rhythm.
Q&A: Projected Lineups and Starting Goalies
What are NHL projected lineups?
Projected lineups are expected player combinations, goalie plans and special-teams units based on the latest team information before puck drop.
Are these NHL projected lineups final?
They are highly useful but not guaranteed. Coaches can still make changes after warmups, injury updates or game-time decisions.
Why are projected goalies important?
Goalies directly influence game control, confidence, defensive structure and matchup risk.
What is the difference between expected and confirmed goalies?
Expected means the goalie is likely to start. Confirmed means the team or a reliable lineup source has confirmed the starter.
Why are power play units included?
Power play units reveal offensive hierarchy, puck-touch priority and which players are trusted in high-leverage situations.
Why do injuries matter so much in playoff lineups?
A missing top defenseman, center or goalie can change the entire tactical balance of a playoff game.
How should readers analyze projected lineups?
Focus on center depth, top-four defense quality, goalie status, injuries and whether the team’s normal identity is still intact.
Can special teams decide playoff games?
Yes. In tight playoff games, one power-play goal or one failed penalty kill can decide the outcome.
Why does IHM add tactical signals?
Because player names alone do not explain how the lineup may function under real game pressure.
What is the IHM Match Pressure Index?
It is a quick tactical summary of offensive pressure, transition edge, defensive stability, goaltending edge and projected game control.
When are final NHL lineups usually confirmed?
Most final confirmations come during warmups or shortly before puck drop.
What should readers watch after publication?
Late goalie changes, injury updates, scratches and any power-play adjustments that shift the tactical balance.