After four and a half months off, the NHL is back with a modified playoff system featuring 24 teams in two hub cities to accommodate the COVID-19 pandemic. No more than six games per day will be played; today, there's five. We begin with...
The Carolina Hurricanes versus the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Petr Mrazek man the nets. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jaccob Slavin goal, coming off of Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with an Aho power play goal, via Andrei Svechnikov and Sami Vatanen. New York got on the board with a Mika Zibanejad goal, powered by Ryan Lindgren and Chris Kreider. Carolina replied in the third period with a Martin Necas goal, courtesy of Nino Niederreiter and Slavin. The Rangers got one back with a Marc Staal goal, helped along by Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Aho, Slavin, and Zibanejad. The Hurricanes lead the series 1-0.
In the west, the Edmonton Oilers host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Mike Smith are the masked men. Edmonton started in the first period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Oscar Klefbom. Chicago tied it on an unassisted Dylan Strome goal. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Jonathan Toews power play goal, with assists provided by Dominik Kubalik and Patrick Kane. Chicago added on with a Brandon Saad goal, via Olli Maatta and Kubalik. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Toews scored his second of the game, with the help of Kubalik and Saad. The Oilers got one back in the second period with a Draisaitl power play goal, with helpers from McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Chicago countered with a Kubalik power play goal, made possible by Duncan Keith and Kirby Dach. Mikko Koskinen replaced Smith in goal. The Blackhawks padded the lead on a Kubalik power play goal, his second of the game, guided in by Keith and Toews. Edmonton pulled one back with a James Neal power play goal, assisted by Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid. The Oilers chipped closer with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, dished from Klefbom and Draisaitl. The final stood at 6-4, with the three stars awarded to Kubalik, McDavid, and Toews, while Nugent-Hopkins, Saad, Draisaitl, Keith and Klefbom get the honorable mentions. The Blackhawks lead the series 1-0.
Back east, the New York Islanders face the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Semyon Varlamov are the Russian goalies. New York led off in the first period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, fueled by Derick Brassard. The Islanders added on in the second period with an Anthony Beauvillier power play goal, powered by Devon Toews and Josh Bailey. Florida got on the board in the third period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, via MacKenzie Weegar and Aleksander Barkov. They couldn't tie it, and the Islanders went on to win 2-1. The three stars belonged to Varlamov (27 for 28 in saves), Beauvillier, and Pageau. The Islanders have a 1-0 series lead.
Staying in Toronto, the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Matt Murray are in the creases. Montreal began in the first period with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, assisted by Paul Byron and Brett Kulak. The Canadiens added on in the second period with an unassisted Nick Suzuki goal. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Sidney Crosby goal, passed from Jake Guentzel and Justin Schultz. The Penguins tied it with a Bryan Rust power play goal, powered by Patric Hornqvist and Jared McCann. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Jeff Petry goal, courtesy of Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault. The three stars were Petry, Suzuki, and Kotkaniemi. The Canadiens hold a 1-0 series lead.
Finally, the Calgary Flames meet the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with an Andrew Copp goal, coming off of Adam Lowry and Dmitry Kulikov. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, powered by Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm. The Flames took the lead with a Tobias Rieder shorthanded goal, set up by T.J. Brodie. Calgary added on with a Mikael Backlund power play goal, with helpers from Andrew Mangiapane and Milan Lucic. The Flames iced it at 4-1 with a Mangiapane empty net goal in the third period, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Mangiapane, Rieder, and Talbot (17 for 18 in saves). The Flames have a 1-0 series lead.
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