Flames stifle Stars to score win in series opener
The second day of NHL playoff motion featured a torrid offence, a stingy defence, a marathon match and a stunning upset.
Listed here are 5 issues to know as we head into Wednesday’s post-season motion:
STARS SMOTHERED
The Calgary Flames managed only one purpose of their collection opener with the Dallas Stars.
Seems that might be all of the offence they would want.
The Flames restricted the Stars to simply 16 photographs, together with three in a defensively dominant first interval.
Dallas did not check Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom till 11:05 into the primary interval.
Calgary’s Elias Lindholm scored on an influence play simply over 5 minutes into the sport to account for all of the scoring.
LONG NIGHT AT THE OFFICE
It did not take lengthy for these playoffs to supply a marathon match.
Evgeni Malkin‘s purpose 5:58 into the third time beyond regulation interval gave the Pittsburgh Penguins a 4-3 win in Sport 1 of their collection with the New York Rangers.
It was the 54th sport in league historical past to wish a 3rd further interval.
The Penguins have a historical past of going lengthy into the night time and have been concerned in two of the 5 longest video games within the post-expansion period, together with a 2-1 loss to Philadelphia on Might 4, 2000 that wasn’t determined till 12:01 into the fifth further body.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
The Florida Panthers had been a digital lock for a win throughout the common season when main after two durations.
Looks as if the Washington Capitals did not get the memo.
The Capitals surprised the Panthers with three third-period objectives en path to a 4-2 win in Sport 1 of their collection.
Groups had been 0-39-1 in opposition to Florida within the common season when trailing after 40 minutes and 0-22-0 when doing so on the Panthers’ dwelling ice.
The Panthers entered the playoffs after successful the Presidents Trophy because the group with the most effective regular-season document. That distinction hasn’t meant a lot within the playoffs, with solely two groups within the salary-cap period ending first within the regular-season standings and happening to win the Stanley Cup.
Florida is simply the second Presidents Trophy-winner within the least eight seasons to drop its playoff opener. The 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning is the opposite.
AVALANCHE OF GOALS
These playoffs have already seen an abundance of offence, with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes posting 5 objectives of their openers Monday.
It took the Colorado Avalanche only one interval to match.
The Avalanche buried Nashville with 5 first-period objectives en path to a 7-2 win in Sport 1 of their collection.
Solely eight groups have scored extra objectives in a single interval in an NHL playoff sport. And solely two — the Edmonton Oilers in 1987 and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1989 — have accomplished it within the first interval.
MAPLE LEAFS, OILERS BACK AT IT
The Maple Leafs performed a near-perfect sport to open their collection with the Lightning, with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner main the offence and Jack Campbell shutting the door on Tampa Bay’s stars in a 5-0 rout.
They are going to seemingly must be pretty much as good once more to take a 2-0 lead with them when the collection shifts to Florida.
The Lightning look to even the collection Wednesday night time in Toronto. After Lightning coach Jon Cooper stated his squad gave the Leafs a “a little bit of a freebie” in Sport 1, anticipate the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions to reply.
In the meantime, the Edmonton Oilers will attempt to bounce again after a nasty turnover gifted the Los Angeles Kings a 4-3 win of their season opener.
Phillip Danault scored the winner when he took benefit of a turnover by Edmonton goalie Mike Smith, however the Oilers have positives to construct on coming into Wednesday’s Sport 2 particularly on particular groups.
The Oilers killed off all 4 penalties they confronted and went 2 for 4 on the ability play in Sport 1.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Might 4, 2022.
The Canadian Press
