Winners, losers from Friday's Stanley Cup playoffs: Mitch Marner is changing his narrative

The second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs continued on Friday night with the Montreal Canadiens taking Game 2 against the Buffalo Sabres to even their series at one game apiece, and the Vegas Golden Knights taking a series lead against the Anaheim Ducks.

Let's take a closer look at some of the winners and losers from Friday's games. 

Friday's winners

Mitch Marner, Vegas Golden Knights. Mitch Marner became the scapegoat for the Toronto Maple Leafs playoff shortcomings this past offseason when they sent him to the Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade deal. He was a constant focus for criticism every spring, his goal-scoring struggles late in every series were always put under a microscope, and whenever things went poorly, it always seemed to be Marner taking the blame.

He needed a change.

He needed a fresh start. 

He got both in Vegas, and now he seems to be playing with a newfound sense of confidence.

This could be his postseason breakout, and it continued on Friday with his first career playoff hat trick.

He is now up to six goals and 13 total points in these playoffs and is a big reason why Vegas is just two wins away from reaching the Western Conference Final. 

Alex Newhook, Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens were able to get even in their second-round series with an impressive 5-1 win over the Sabres, and it was Newhook providing an unexpected spark offensively.

He entered play on Friday with just one goal this postseason, but scored two goals in the win, including the opening tally in the first few minutes of the game. 

Montreal's top-line players are as good as anybody in the Eastern Conference right now, but there are going to be games where you need some depth players to come through if you are going to go on a deep run. Newhook provided that on Friday. 

Jakub Dobes, Montreal Canadiens. Not only did he stop 29-of-30 shots to help the Canadiens even the series, but he also continued to show he has the ability to bounce back after losses.