NHL 2020 Qualifying Round - Day 9

This is the last day of the qualifying round in the NHL. First up...

The Washington Capitals face the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Braden Holtby guard the cages. Washington started in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, going in unassisted. The Capitals added on in the third period with a Tom Wilson goal, via Ilya Kovalchuk and Michal Kempny. Boston got on the board with a Jake DeBrusk goal, assisted by Ondrej Kase and David Krejci. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Holtby (30 for 31 in saves), Wilson, and Oshie. 

Out West, the last round-robin sees the St. Louis Blues versus the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Jake Allen are the goalies. St. Louis began in the first period with a Robert Thomas goal, assisted by Sammy Blais and Vince Dunn. Dallas tied it in the third period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his second of the postseason, coming off of Miro Heiskanen and John Klingberg. In the shootout, Denis Gurianov had the lone tally for a 2-1 Stars win. The three stars were Khudobin (22 for 23 in saves), Pavelski, and Allen (37 for 38 in saves). 

Finally, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Frederik Andersen are the masked men. Columbus led off in the first period with an unassisted Zach Werenski goal. The Blue Jackets added on in the third period with a Liam Foudy goal, assisted by Gustav Nyquist and Seth Jones. Columbus iced it at 3-0 with a Nick Foligno empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Korpisalo (33 save shutout), Werenski, and Foudy.The Blue Jackets will face the Lightning in the first round. 

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NHL 2020 Qualifying Round - Day 8

Just two games on today, both in the round-robins. First up...

The Colorado Avalanche take on the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner and Philipp Grubauer are the goalies. Vegas got going in the second period with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, powered by Shea Theodore and William Karlsson. Colorado tied it with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, with assists provided by Nazem Kadri and Mikko Rantanen. The Golden Knights took the lead back with a Nicolas Roy goal, helped along by Ryan Reaves and Theodore. The Avalanche retied it on a Joonas Donskoi goal, his second of the postseason, fueled by J.T. Compher. Vegas took the lead in the third period with a Marchessault penalty shot goal, his second of the game. Colorado evened it with a Compher goal, with helpers by Kadri and Rantanen. The Golden Knights won 4-3 with an Alex Tuch goal, his third of the playoffs, coming off of Mark Stone. The three stars were Marchessault, Theodore, and Compher, while Kadri and Rantanen get the honorable mentions. Vegas won the West's round robin and will face the Chicago Blackhawks, while Colorado is set to take on the Arizona Coyotes. 

In the east, the Tampa Bay Lightning face the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, assisted by Shayne Gostisbehere and Derek Grant. The Flyers added on with another Aube-Kubel goal, his second of the game, passed from Sean Couturier and Joel Farabee. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Alex Killorn and Brayden Point. Philadelphia replied with a Farabee goal, coming off of Gostisbehere and Couturier. The Flyers iced it at 4-1 in the third period with a Tyler Pitlick empty net goal, set up by Scott Laughton. The three stars were Aube-Kubel, Farabee, and Gostisbehere, while Couturier gets an honorable mention. Philadelphia won the East's round-robin, allowing them to play against the Montreal Canadiens. 

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NHL 2020 Qualifying Round - Day 7

We've got a full slate of six games, all of which with elimination on the line. First up...

The Florida Panthers face the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Sergei Bobrovsky are the Russian goalies. New York led off in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson. The Islanders added on with another Beauvillier goal, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, coming off of Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock. Florida got on the board with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his third of the postseason, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. New York replied in the second period with a Nelson power play goal, his second of the playoffs, with assists provided by Bailey and Devon Toews. The Islanders extended the lead in the third period as Barzal scored, with the help of Jordan Eberle. New York iced it at 5-1 with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his third of the postseason, set up by Leo Komarov. The three stars were Beauvillier, Nelson, and Barzal, while Bailey gets an honorable mention. The Islanders advanced with a 3-1 series win. 

Next up, the Arizona Coyotes take on the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Darcy Kuemper draw the starts in goal. Arizona began in the first period with a Michael Grabner goal, his second of the postseason, assisted by Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Phil Kessel goal, going in unassisted. Nashville got on the board with a Matt Duchene power play goal, powered by Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. The Predators tied it with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his third of the playoffs, guided in by Ryan Ellis and Filip Forsberg. Arizona retook the lead in the third period with a Jordan Oesterle goal, via Ekman-Larsson and Clayton Keller. Nashville tied it on a Forsberg goal, his third of the postseason, helped along by Ellis. The Coyotes won 4-3 in overtime with a Brad Richardson goal, made possible by Jason Demers and Vinnie Hinostroza. The three stars were Kuemper (49 for 52 in saves), Ekman-Larsson, and Forsberg, while Ellis gets an honorable mention. The Coyotes won the series 3-1 to get into the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

Back east, the Montreal Canadiens oppose the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Montreal got going in the third period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, coming off of Paul Byron. The Canadiens iced it at 2-0 with a Shea Weber empty net goal, his second of the postseason, going in unassisted. The three stars were Price (22 save shutout), Lehkonen, and Jarry (20 for 21 in saves). The Canadiens won the series 3-1 to advance. 

In the west, the Chicago Blackhawks meet the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Corey Crawford are the goalies. Edmonton opened in the first period on a Josh Archibald goal, assisted by Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse. Chicago tied it on a Brandon Saad goal, his second of the postseason, coming off of Connor Murphy and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Matthew Highmore goal, his second of the playoffs, fueled by Duncan Keith and Ryan Carpenter. The Oilers tied it in the second period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the postseason, courtesy of James Neal and McDavid. Chicago took the lead in the third period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his third of the playoffs, with a lone helper from Toews. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Crawford (43 for 45 in saves), Toews, and McDavid.

Today's east finale has the Columbus Blue Jackets versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Elvis Merzlikins are between the pipes. Columbus started in the first period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his second of the postseason, coming off of Pierre-Luc Dubois and the goalie Merzlikins. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, via David Savard and Alexandre Texier. Columbus extended the lead as Boone Jenner scored in the third period, thanks to Nick Foligno. Toronto got on the board with a William Nylander goal, his second of the playoffs, guided in by Zach Hyman and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs got closer with a John Tavares goal, his second of the postseason, helped along by Auston Matthews and Marner. Toronto tied it as Hyman scored, with the help of Matthews and Nylander. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime with a Matthews power play goal, his second of the playoffs, powered by Tavares and Marner. This tied the series at 2, setting up a decisive Game 5 on Sunday.

Finally, the Minnesota Wild play against the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Alex Stalock protect the nets. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Luke Kunin power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Jonas Brodin. Vancouver tied it on a Tanner Pearson goal, his second of the playoffs, guided in by Bo Horvat and Christopher Tanev. The Wild retook the lead with an Eric Staal goal, coming off of Marcus Foligno and Kevin Fiala. Minnesota added on in the second period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, via Zach Parise and Brodin. The Canucks got one back on a Brandon Sutter goal, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Horvat. Vancouver tied it on a Hughes power play goal, with assists provided by J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. The Wild reclaimed the lead on a Nico Sturm goal, made possible by Jared Spurgeon. The Canucks tied it in the third period on a Horvat goal, his second of the postseason, fueled by Pearson and Tanev. Vancouver won 5-4 in overtime with a Tanev goal, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Tanev, Horvat, and Hughes, while Pearson and Brodin get the honorable mentions. The Canucks won the series 3-1 and advanced to the Western Conference Quarterfinals. 

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NHL 2020 Qualifying Round - Day 6

Just five games on today, beginning with...

The Minnesota Wild versus the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Alex Stalock are between the pipes. Vancouver got going in the second period with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks added on with an Antoine Roussel goal, via Hughes and Christopher Tanev in the third period. Vancouver extended the lead as Pettersson netted a power play goal, thanks to Hughes and Boeser. This held for a 3-0 win, with the three stars going to Markstrom (27 save shutout), Boeser, and Pettersson, while Hughes gets an honorable mention. The Canucks are ahead 2-1 in the series.

The east's action begins with a round-robin today between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Brian Elliott are the goalies. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Scott Laughton goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Travis Konecny and Kevin Hayes. The Flyers added on with a Travis Sanheim goal in the second period, passed from Hayes and Laughton. Philadelphia extended the lead in the third period as Laughton scored his second of the game and third of the playoffs, thanks to Hayes and Konecny. Washington got on the board with a Travis Boyd goal, assisted by Carl Hagelin and Radko Gudas. This stood for 3-1 final score, with the three stars awarded to Laughton, Hayes, and Konecny.

Out west, the St. Louis Blues take on the Vegas Golden Knights in the round-robin. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Binnington are the masked men. St. Louis led off in the first period with a David Perron goal, his second of the postseason, fueled by Zach Sanford and Ryan O'Reilly. The Blues added on in the second period with a Colton Parayko goal, coming off of Brayden Schenn. Vegas got on the board with a Shea Theodore power play goal, powered by Mark Stone. The Golden Knights tied it on an Alex Tuch goal, via Nick Holden and Jonathan Marchessault. Vegas took the lead with a Tuch power play goal, his second of the game, with assists provided by Reilly Smith and Nick Cousins. St. Louis retied it on a Parayko goal, his second of the game, guided in by O'Reilly and Sanford. The Blues pulled ahead with a Troy Brouwer goal, helped along by Tyler Bozak. The Golden Knights evened it in the third period on a Zach Whitecloud goal, with helpers from Nicolas Roy and Tuch. Vegas gained the lead with a Stone goal, his second of the playoffs, assisted by Brayden McNabb and Nate Schmidt. The Golden Knights capped it at 6-4 with a Theodore goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Tuch, Parayko, and Theodore, while Stone, O'Reilly, and Sanford get the honorable mentions.

In the east, the Columbus Blue Jackets face the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Joonas Korpisalo are the netminders. Toronto opened in the first period with a shorthanded Cody Ceci goal, set up by Alexander Kerfoot and Kasperi Kapanen. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a William Nylander power play goal, powered by Mitchell Marner and Auston Matthews. Toronto extended the lead as Nicholas Robertson scored, thanks to Kapanen and Kerfoot. Elvis Merzlikins replaced Korpisalo in goal. Columbus got on the board with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, helped along by Zach Werenski and Cam Atkinson. The Blue Jackets got closer in the third period with a Seth Jones goal, going in unassisted. Columbus tied it as Dubois scored his second of the game, with the help of Atkinson and David Savard. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 in overtime with a Dubois goal to complete his hat trick, with a lone assist by Alexandre Texier. The three stars were awarded to Dubois, Merzlikins (21 for 21 in saves in relief), and Atkinson, while Kapanen and Kerfoot get the honorable mentions. The Blue Jackets are ahead 2-1 in the series.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets oppose the Calgary Flames. Cam Talbot and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Calgary started in the first period with a Dillon Dube goal, coming off of Erik Gustafsson and Sean Monahan. The Flames added on with a Sam Bennett goal, his second of the postseason, via Noah Hanifin and Matthew Tkachuk. Calgary extended the lead in the third period as Monahan scored his second of the playoffs into an empty net, thanks to Tobias Rieder and Derek Ryan. The Flames iced it at 4-0 with a Rasmus Andersson empty net goal, set up by Milan Lucic and Bennett. The three stars were Talbot (31 save shutout), Bennett, and Monahan. The Flames advanced to the Western Conference Quarterfinals with a 3-1 series win.

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NHL 2020 Qualifying Round - Day 5

Another six-game day is here, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers versus the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Sergei Bobrovsky are the goalies. Florida began in the first period with an Erik Haula power play goal, powered by Evgenii Dadonov and Mike Hoffman. New York tied it on a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Anthony Beauvillier. The Panthers took the lead in the third period with a Hoffman power play goal, his second of the playoffs, with assists provided by Keith Yandle and Aleksander Barkov. Florida added on with a Brian Boyle goal, going in unassisted. The Islanders got one back with a Brock Nelson goal, courtesy of Ryan Pulock and Devon Toews. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Hoffman, Boyle, and Haula. The Panthers stay alive, but the Islanders remain ahead 2-1 in the series.

Out west, the Arizona Coyotes take on Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Darcy Kuemper are set to start in goal. Arizona led off in the first period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his second of the postseason, fueled by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Taylor Hall. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his second of the playoffs, guided in by Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen. The Coyotes retook the lead in the third period on a Conor Garland goal, via Derek Stepan and Clayton Keller. Arizona added on with a Hall power play goal, powered by Phil Kessel and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes iced it at 4-1 with a Carl Soderberg empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hall, Kuemper (39 for 40 in saves), and Garland. The Coyotes own a 2-1 series lead.

Today's east round-robin has the Boston Bruins facing the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, assisted by Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with an Alex Killorn power play goal, powered by Victor Hedman and Tyler Johnson. Boston got on the board in the second period with a Charlie McAvoy goal, coming off of Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins tied it in the third period with a Chris Wagner goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Zdeno Chara. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Johnson goal, helped along by Yanni Gourde and Killorn. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Johnson, Killorn, and Point.

The west round-robin has the Dallas Stars against the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Anton Khudobin are the backups in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with a Cale Makar power play goal, powered by Gabriel Landeskog and Nazem Kadri. The Avalanche added on with a Joonas Donskoi goal, passed from Samuel Girard and Andre Burakovsky. Colorado extended the lead in the second period as Vladislav Namestnikov scored, thanks to Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche padded the lead in the third period with a Burakovsky power play goal, with helpers from Girard and Donskoi. This made it 4-0, with the three stars handed to Donskoi, Burakovsky. and Francouz (27 save shutout), while Girard gets an honorable mention.

The night game in the east has the Montreal Penguins opposing the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Carey Price are the masked men. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Shea Weber goal, via Artturi Lehkonen and Paul Byron. Pittsburgh tied it on a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins took the lead on a Jason Zucker power play goal, his second of the postseason, with assists provided by Bryan Rust and John Marino. Pittsburgh added on in the second period with a Teddy Blueger goal, courtesy of Zach Aston-Reese and Brandon Tanev. The Canadiens got one back with a Jonathan Drouin goal, coming off of Ben Chiarot and Weber. Montreal tied it as Byron scored, thanks to Nick Suzuki and Weber. The Canadiens pulled ahead in the third period with a Jeff Petry goal, his second of the playoffs, guided in by Chiarot and Phillip Danault. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Weber, Byron, and Chiarot. The Canadiens are up 2-1 in the series.

Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks meet the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Corey Crawford are between the pipes. Chicago kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Olli Maatta goal, his second of the postseason, courtesy of Patrick Kane and Matthew Highmore. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his second of the playoffs, fueled by Tyler Ennis. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a Jonathan Toews power play goal, his third of the postseason, powered by Kirby Dach and Alex DeBrincat. The Oilers retied it on a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, guided in by Matt Benning. Edmonton gained the lead with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his fifth of the postseason, with assists provided by Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Chicago evened the score in the third period with a Highmore goal, assisted by Slater Koekkoek and Maatta. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Toews goal, his second of the game and fourth of the playoffs, set up by Connor Murphy and Duncan Keith. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Highmore, Toews, and Draisaitl, while Maatta gets an honorable mention. The Blackhawks hold a 2-1 series lead.

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NHL 2020 Qualifying Round - Day 4

We're back with six more games today, including the first chance for an elimination. Leading off...

The New York Islanders face the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Semyon Varlamov are the Russians in goal. Florida opened in the first period with a Mike Hoffman goal, via Jonathan Huberdeau and Keith Yandle. New York tied it in the second period with a Matt Martin goal, helped along by Tom Kuhnhackl and Andy Greene. The Panthers took the lead back with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, powered by Yandle and Hoffman. The Islanders retied it on a Ryan Pulock power play goal, with helpers provided by Devon Toews and Derick Brassard. New York took the lead with a Jordan Eberle goal, made possible by Pulock and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders added on with an Eberle power play goal in the third period, his second of the game, courtesy of Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Eberle, Pulock, and Hoffman, while Yandle gets an honorable mention. The Islanders lead the series 2-0.

Out west, the Nashville Predators take on the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Juuse Saros are in the blue paint. Nashville started in the first period with a Nick Bonino goal, assisted by Rocco Grimaldi and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on with a Ryan Johansen goal, going in unassisted. Nashville extended the lead in the second period as Calle Jarnkrok scored, thanks to Colton Sissons and Roman Josi. The Predators padded the lead in the third period on a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, powered by Johansen. Arizona got on the board with a Clayton Keller goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Derek Stepan. The Coyotes got closer with a Lawson Crouse goal, coming off of Christian Fischer and Jordan Oesterle. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Johansen, Saros (24 for 26 in saves), and Jarnkrok. The series is tied at 1.

Back east, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Frederik Andersen man the nets. Toronto got going in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, fueled by Zach Hyman. The Maple Leafs added on in the third period with a John Tavares goal, guided in by Travis Dermott and William Nylander. Toronto iced it at 3-0 with a Morgan Rielly empty net goal, set up by Matthews and Alexander Kerfoot. The three stars were Matthews, Andersen (20 save shutout), and Tavares. The series is tied at 1.

In the west, the Winnipeg Jets meet the Calgary Flames. Cam Talbot and Connor Hellebuyck are between the pipes. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his second of the postseason, assisted by Dmitry Kulikov and Nathan Beaulieu. Calgary tied it on an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his second of the playoffs, powered by Erik Gustafsson and Sean Monahan. The Flames took the lead in the second period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Andrew Mangiapane. Calgary added on with a Monahan power play goal, with helpers from Lindholm and Johnny Gaudreau. The Jets got one back with an Andrew Copp power play goal, his second of the playoffs, with assists provided by Blake Wheeler and Neal Pionk. The Flames shot back with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, fueled by Mangiapane and Backlund. Calgary extended the lead as Milan Lucic scored a power play goal, with the help of Dillon Dube and Mark Giordano. The Flames iced it at 6-2 with a Gaudreau empty net goal, his second of the postseason, set up by Monahan. The three stars belonged to Monahan, Lindholm, and Backlund, while Gaudreau and Mangiapane get the honorable mentions. The Flames lead the series 2-1.

The east's daily finale has the New York Rangers opposing the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Igor Shesterkin draw the starts in goal. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Chris Kreider goal, coming off of Jacob Trouba and Ryan Strome. Carolina tied it with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, via Andrei Svechnikov and Haydn Fleury. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with a Warren Foegele goal, passed from Brady Skjei and Martin Necas. Carolina added on with a Sebastian Aho goal, his second of the postseason, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with an Aho shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, set up by Teravainen. The three stars were Aho, Reimer (37 for 38 in saves), and Foegele.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks play the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Jacob Markstrom are the goalies. Vancouver began in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, assisted by Bo Horvat and Alexander Edler. Minnesota tied it with a Luke Kunin shorthanded goal, set up by Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. The Canucks retook the lead in the second period with a J.T. Miller goal, going in unassisted. Vancouver added on with a Brock Boeser goal, helped along by Edler and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks extended the lead in the third period as Horvat scored on the power play, thanks to Quinn Hughes and Miller. The Wild got one back with a Kevin Fiala goal, his second of the postseason, via Eric Staal and Parise. Minnesota got closer with another Fiala goal, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, fueled by Matt Dumba and Eric Staal. This only made it 4-3, with the three stars going to Horvat, Miller, and Fiala, while Edler, Parise, and Staal get the honorable mentions. The series is tied at 1.

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NHL 2020 - Qualifying Round Day 3

The NHL is up to its full speed during the bubble restart, with six games on today. Leading off...

The Carolina Hurricanes take on the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Petr Mrazek are the veterans in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, coming off of Sebastian Aho and Sami Vatanen. New York tied it on an Artemi Panarin power play goal, powered by Ryan Strome and Tony DeAngelo. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with a Svechnikov power play goal, his second of the game with assists provided by Vatanen and Aho. Carolina added on with a Jordan Martinook goal, passed from Morgan Geekie and Brock McGinn. The Hurricanes extended the lead in the third period as Svechnikov completed his hat trick, with the help of Aho. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Svechnikov, Aho, and Mrazek (23 for 24 in saves), while Vatanen gets an honorable mention. The Hurricanes lead the series 2-0.

Opening in the west, the Calgary Flames face the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Jansen Harkins goal, coming off of Adam Lowry and Jack Roslovic. The Jets added on with a Lowry goal in the second period, fueled by Roslovic and Josh Morrissey. Calgary got on the board with an Elias Lindholm goal, going in unassisted. The Flames tied it with a Sam Bennett goal, passed from Milan Lucic and Noah Hanifin. Winnipeg retook the lead in the third period with a Nikolai Ehlers power play goal, powered by Neal Pionk and Kyle Connor. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Lowry, Roslovic, and Ehlers. The series is tied at 1.

Back east, the Tampa Bay Lightning meet the Washington Capitals in a round-robin game. Braden Holtby and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, assisted by Brayden Point. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Mitchell Stephens goal, courtesy of Ryan McDonagh and Pat Maroon. Washington got on the board with a Richard Panik goal, helped along by Lars Eller and Radko Gudas. The Capitals tied it with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, powered by Dmitry Orlov and Nicklas Backstrom. The tie went to a shootout, where T.J. Oshie's tally for the Capitals fell short against Point and Kucherov for the Lightning, who won 3-2. The three stars went to Kucherov, Point, and Vasilevskiy (31 for 33 in saves).

In the west round-robin, the Vegas Golden Knights oppose the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Robin Lehner protect the nets. Vegas began in the first period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, via William Karlsson and Mark Stone. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Joe Pavelski goal, helped along by Mattias Janmark and Miro Heiskanen. The Stars took the lead on a Jamie Oleksiak goal, courtesy of Blake Comeau and Heiskanen. Dallas added on with a Corey Perry power play goal, powered by Heiskanen and Roope Hintz. The Golden Knights got one back in the third period with a Stone goal, assisted by Nick Cousins and Zach Whitecloud. Vegas tied it on a Nate Schmidt goal, with a lone helper by Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights pulled ahead on a William Carrier goal, guided in by Schmidt and Ryan Reaves. Vegas won 5-3 with a Karlsson goal, fueled by Nicolas Roy. The three stars were Stone, Schmidt, and Karlsson, while Heiskanen gets an honorable mention.

East once more, with the Pittsburgh Penguins versus the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Matt Murray are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his second of the postseason, via Jake Guentzel and Conor Sheary. The Penguins added on in the third period with a Jason Zucker goal, coming off of Sheary and Brian Dumoulin. Montreal got on the board with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his second of the playoffs, fueled by Artturi Lehkonen and Jeff Petry. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Guentzel, set up Bryan Rust. The three stars were Guentzel, Sheary, and Murray (26 for 27 in saves). The series is now tied at 1.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Mikko Koskinen receive the starting nods in goal. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Darnell Nurse and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added on with another McDavid goal, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, passed from Nugent-Hopkins and Ethan Bear. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Kane goal, helped along by Alex DeBrincat and Slater Koekkoek. Edmonton replied in the second period with a Tyler Ennis goal, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks countered on a Koekkoek goal, assisted by DeBrincat and Kirby Dach. Chicago tied it on an Olli Maatta goal, coming off of Dach and Kane. The Oilers retook the lead with a McDavid power play goal, finishing his hat trick on his fourth of the postseason, powered by Nugent-Hopkins and Alex Chiasson. Edmonton extended the lead as James Neal scored his second of the playoffs, going in unassisted. The Oilers padded the lead as Chiasson scored, also an unassisted goal.

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