NHL Games on TV Today – Sunday, May 24, 2026 (ET)
One game on the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs schedule tonight, and the Colorado Avalanche arrive in Las Vegas in serious trouble. The Presidents’ Trophy winners trail the Western Conference Final 2-0 after losing both games at home, and Game 3 at T-Mobile Arena is close to a season-defining night.
Coverage is on ESPN in the United States, with Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports carrying it in Canada.
Sunday’s NHL Schedule at a Glance
| Time (ET) | Matchup | Series Status | US TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 PM | Colorado Avalanche at Vegas Golden Knights (Game 3) | Vegas leads 2-0 | ESPN |
🏒 Game of the Day: Colorado Avalanche vs. Vegas Golden Knights (Game 3)
8:00 PM ET | ESPN (US) · Sportsnet / CBC / TVA Sports (Canada)
Vegas has been the more disciplined, more resilient team in both games so far, and Friday’s 3-1 win was the clearest example. Colorado led through Ross Colton’s first-period goal and looked comfortable until Jack Eichel struck at 9:15 of the third with his first goal in 11 games.
Two minutes later the series shifted for good. Pavel Dorofeyev broke up a Devon Toews clearing attempt along the boards, fed Eichel, and Eichel found Ivan Barbashev in the high slot for a wrist shot that beat Scott Wedgewood glove side. Barbashev added an empty-netter at 18:57 to seal it. Carter Hart made 29 saves, following his 36-save performance in the opener.
The historical marker is brutal for Colorado: since 1982, road teams that have opened a conference final with two straight wins have gone on to take the series every single time, a 13-0 record. Vegas has also been transformed under John Tortorella, going 17-4-1 since he took charge at the end of March, and he made a point of saying his players understand exactly where they are.
Jared Bednar refused to catastrophize afterward, arguing his team cannot ride the emotional roller-coaster that fans do – they are not trying to win four games in one night, just one. He has reason for some optimism: Colorado has responded to every previous playoff loss this spring, and the blue line has been patched together by injuries, with Cale Makar’s availability a running question and Josh Manson banged up after a heavy collision late in Game 2.
Prediction: Vegas keeps rolling at home – Golden Knights take a commanding 3-0 series lead.
In the East: Carolina Levels It
The Hurricanes answered their Game 1 collapse with a 3-2 overtime win on Saturday, and Nikolaj Ehlers was the reason. Carolina’s marquee offseason signing scored twice, the first a highlight-reel solo effort through two Montreal defenders in the second period, the second the winner 3:29 into overtime after Jalen Chatfield chipped the puck to Mark Jankowski, who redirected it to Ehlers entering the zone at full speed.
More importantly, Carolina looked like Carolina again – aggressive on the forecheck and suffocating in transition, holding Montreal to just 12 shots on goal. Frederik Andersen needed only 10 saves. Josh Anderson scored both Canadiens goals, the second at 12:51 of the third to force overtime, and Jakub Dobes made 23 stops. The Hurricanes are now 4-0 in overtime these playoffs.
Game 3 is Monday at the Bell Centre, 8:00 PM ET on TNT, truTV and HBO Max.
Both series now belong to the team that was supposed to be the underdog on paper – or at least, neither No. 1 seed is comfortable. Colorado has to win tonight to keep its season meaningful.
