Monday, April 20, 2015

NHL Division Semifinals, Day 6

The league has finally deviated from the four games a day pattern, with just three Game 3s today. We begin with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. New York struck first in the first period on a Carl Hagelin goal, via Keith Yandle and Dan Girardi. The Rangers added on in the second period as Chris Kreider scored, thanks to Marc Staal and Girardi. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Patric Hornqvist goal in the third period, made possible by Sidney Crosby and Ian Cole. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Lundqvist (23 for 24 in saves), Kreider, and Girardi. The Rangers retake the series lead at 2-1.

West to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Minnesota got going in the second period on a Jason Pominville goal, his second of the postseason, fueled by Zach Parise and Mikael Granlund. The Wild added on with a Parise goal, guided in by Pominville and Granlund. Minnesota iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal in the third period by Nino Niederreiter, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Pominville, Parise, and Dubnyk (17 save shutout), while Granlund gets an honorable mention. The Wild hold a 2-1 series lead.

Finally, in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Ondrej Pavelec draw the starts. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period on a Lee Stempniak goal, assisted by Adam Lowry and Jacob Trouba. Anaheim tied it on a Cam Fowler goal, via Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg. The Ducks took the lead in the second period on a Corey Perry goal, his third of the postseason, made possible by Hampus Lindholm and Francois Beauchemin. The Jets retied it with an unassisted power play goal from Tyler Myers. Winnipeg took the lead on a Blake Wheeler goal, coming off of Drew Stafford and Toby Enstrom. Anaheim tied it with a Silfverberg goal, his second of the playoffs, with a lone assist by Ryan Kesler. The Jets retook the lead on a Bryan Little goal, going in unassisted. The Ducks pulled even in the third period on a Kesler goal, courtesy of Silfverberg and Cogliano. Anaheim won 5-4 in overtime with a Rickard Rakell goal, helped along by Beauchemin and Cogliano, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Kesler, Cogliano, and Silfverberg, while Beauchemin gets an honorable mention. The Ducks have pushed the Jets to the brink, leading as they do 3-0 in the series.

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