FILE - In this March 15, 2019, file photo, Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) handles the puck as Vegas Golden Knights' Cody Eakin (21) gives chase in the second period of an NHL hockey game, in Dallas. Teenagers Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars and Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes and early 20-somethings Mitch Marner and William Nylander show playoff experience sometimes is overrated. Plenty of youth is being served early in the NHL postseason. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
FILE - In this March 15, 2019, file photo, Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) handles the puck as Vegas Golden Knights' Cody Eakin (21) gives chase in the second period of an NHL hockey game, in Dallas. Teenagers Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars and Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes and early 20-somethings Mitch Marner and William Nylander show playoff experience sometimes is overrated. Plenty of youth is being served early in the NHL postseason. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File) Credit: Tony Gutierrez

For all the value of postseason experience, youth is off to a nice start in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Teenage defenseman Miro Heiskanen built on his stellar rookie season in his playoff debut with Dallas, 19-year-old Andrei Svechnikov tried to carry Carolina back from a big deficit, early 20-somethings Mitch Marner and William Nylander continue to be among Torontoโ€™s best players and young Matthew Tkachuk did his part to finally win a playoff game with the Calgary Flames.

The NHL is getting younger and more skilled, and youth is being served in a big way early in the Stanley Cup playoffs. They may not get the attention like Winnipegโ€™s Patrik Laine or Torontoโ€™s Auston Matthews, but Heiskanen and Svechnikov turned in two of the more impressive playoff performances in recent history for players before their 20th birthdays.

โ€œSome people, itโ€™s hard and some people itโ€™s pretty easy, and those are the people it looks like itโ€™s pretty easy,โ€ Hurricanes forward Teuvo Teravainen said of Svechnikov and fellow Finn Heiskanen. โ€œThey donโ€™t stress too much. They just go out and play and have some fun.โ€

Svechnikov became the youngest player in 22 years to score twice in a playoff game and the third teen to put up two goals in NHL postseason history after Pierre Turgeon in 1988, Eddie Olczyk in 1985 and Don Gallinger in 1943. The 2018 second overall pick will try to help Carolina even its first-round series against Washington in Game 2 Saturday (3 p.m., NBC).

โ€œThereโ€™s not pressure on him,โ€ Hurricanes captain Justin Williams said. โ€œJust go do it. Go enjoy it. Go have fun. Thatโ€™s what this time of year is about, and weโ€™re going to need even more from him if weโ€™re going to advance.โ€

The Stars won in Nashville thanks in large part to Heiskanenโ€™s goal and assist in Game 1 . At 19 years, 266 days old, he became the youngest defenseman in franchise history to score in the playoffs and the fifth teenage rookie defenseman with two points in his postseason debut.

โ€œMy 19-year-old year, when it was April, I was drinking beers in my frat basement,โ€ Dallas defenseman Ben Lovejoy said. โ€œWhat he is doing is just incredible. Itโ€™s so special. He is so good, it is just such a pleasure to watch him play and to be on his team. Heโ€™s such an asset. Heโ€™s going to do this for 20 years and I canโ€™t wait to watch him.โ€

Coach Jim Montgomery would love to see Heiskanen and 22-year-old rookie Roope Hintz play like this for several more weeks. Game 2 in Nashville is Saturday (6 p.m., CNBC).

In Boston, the Bruins have to be better in Game 2 (8 p.m., NBC) on Saturday after losing the series opener on home ice. Marner was a big part of that with his two-goal game, including being just the fifth player to score a shorthanded goal on a penalty shot in the playoffs.

โ€œHeโ€™s an elite player in the league at a young age,โ€ Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. โ€œYears ago I remember (people saying about Wayne) Gretzky, โ€˜Why doesnโ€™t anybody hit that guy?โ€™ Well, itโ€™s not that easy.โ€

Itโ€™s not easy to hit or stop Nylander, either. The 22-year-old Swede scored for the second consecutive game and appears to have solved his late-season dry spell.

โ€œItโ€™s good for me,โ€ Nylander said. โ€œIโ€™ve been thinking just to hit the net and get it on it.โ€

In Calgary, Tkachukโ€™s two goals a series-opening victory against the Colorado Avalanche snapped his six-game goal drought, though the 21-year-oldโ€™s agitating ways stuck as much as his scoring. Teammate Andrew Mangiapane, 23, also scored in his playoff debut and the Westโ€™s top seed is off and running with Game 2 Saturday night in Calgary (10:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN).

โ€œNow all of those guys have got their first game out of the way, they should get some confidence,โ€ coach Bill Peters said. โ€œWeโ€™ll get better as the series goes along.โ€

Injury watch

Even in the hockey-speak of upper- and lower-body injuries, playoff time brings an extra cloud of secrecy. Seemingly everyone is day-to-day or a game-time decision.

Thatโ€™s the case for Carolina defenseman Calvin de Haan, who practiced Friday after missing the past six games with an upper-body injury. Coach Rod Brindโ€™Amour said he hopes de Haan can play โ€œat some pointโ€ and added defenseman Jaccob Slavin was fine after getting a day off for playing a lot of minutes Thursday night.

Boston forward Jake DeBrusk is questionable with the injury that knocked him out of Game 1 against the Maple Leafs. Cassidy said if DeBrusk canโ€™t play, veteran David Backes will go into the lineup.