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The Stanley Cup Playoffs have arrived, and with them comes one of the most anticipated matchups in the first round: the Winnipeg Jets vs. the St. Louis Blues. Game 1 promises fireworks, but the heart of the showdown lies between the pipes, where Connor Hellebuyck and Jordan Binnington are poised to lead their teams into battle. These two goaltenders, who faced off in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship earlier this year, will once again be on opposite sides of the ice—only this time, the stakes are even higher. Connor Hellebuyck has had a phenomenal season, widely considered one of the best by any goaltender in recent memory. He set a new Jets franchise record with 47 wins, and his performance

FC Cincinnati will carry a wave of momentum into Saturday night’s road clash against the Chicago Fire as they aim for a fourth straight victory and continue to assert themselves as one of the Eastern Conference’s toughest defensive squads. Cincinnati (5-2-1, 16 points) has relied heavily on late-game grit, with eight of their 10 goals this season coming after halftime — six of them in the final 20 minutes. Their current three-game winning streak includes victories over Nashville SC, New England, and D.C. United. Goalkeeper Roman Celentano has kept back-to-back clean sheets, and coach Pat Noonan’s side has shown elite game management, particularly in low-scoring contests. While the attack has been inconsistent, Cincinnati’s commitment to compact, physical defending has frustrated

The Dallas Stars enter the Stanley Cup playoffs facing early adversity as they prepare to host the Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 of their best-of-seven series Saturday night. Missing two key players — top scorer Jason Robertson and cornerstone defenseman Miro Heiskanen — the Stars will need a collective effort to overcome a red-hot Avalanche team. Jason Robertson, who led Dallas in goals this season, is sidelined with a lower-body injury sustained in the season finale. He’s considered week-to-week, a tough break for a team already without top defenseman Miro Heiskanen. Dallas also dropped its last seven games (0-5-2) and now finds itself in need of a major turnaround. Coach Pete DeBoer acknowledged the challenge but struck a playoff-hardened tone:

After posting matching 50-32 records, the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers will open one of the most evenly matched first-round playoff series in the Western Conference. Despite the identical marks, Denver secured the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage thanks to a better conference record — and a timely win in the NBA Cup back in December. Game 1 tips off Saturday afternoon in the Mile High City. If you’re betting on the NBA postseason, get the most out of your playoff wagers with trusted NBA picks and expert predictions for this tightly contested series. After a sluggish start, the Clippers caught fire in the second half of the season, going 32-15 after Jan. 8 — the last time