We've got the first Saturday of the playoffs, with four Game 3s on the slate. First up...
The Winnipeg Jets host the Vegas Golden Knights. Laurent Brossoit and Connor Hellebuyck man the nets. Vegas led off in the first period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his second of the postseason, via Mark Stone and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights added on with a Jack Eichel power play goal, his second of the playoffs, powered by Stephenson and Alex Pietrangelo. Winnipeg got on the board with a Kyle Connor goal, his second of the postseason, assisted by Dylan DeMelo and Brenden Dillon. Vegas replied with another Eichel power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, helped along by Pietrangelo and Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Keegan Kolesar scored, thanks to Eichel and Michael Amadio. The Jets got one back in the third period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, coming off of Pierre-Luc Dubois and Neal Pionk. Winnipeg got closer with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, fueled by Pionk and Connor. The Jets tied it on an Adam Lowry goal, his fourth of the postseason, made possible by Pionk and Connor. Vegas won 5-4 in overtime with an Amadio goal, courtesy of Ivan Barbashev. The three stars were Eichel, Amadio, and Stephenson, while Connor, Pionk, and Pietrangelo get the honorable mentions. The Golden Knights lead the series 2-1.
Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. Toronto began in the first period with a Noel Acciari goal, via Matthew Knies and Ryan O'Reilly. Tampa Bay tied it on an Anthony Cirelli goal, his second of the postseason, courtesy of Alex Killorn and Brandon Hagel. The Maple Leafs took the lead with an Auston Matthews goal, guided in by Mitch Marner and Calle Jarnkrok. The Lightning tied it on a Hagel goal, passed from Corey Perry and Ross Colton. Tampa Bay pulled ahead in the second period with a Darren Raddysh goal, coming off of Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. Toronto retied it with an O'Reilly goal in the third period, his second of the playoffs, with helpers from William Nylander and Marner. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime with a Morgan Rielly goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were O'Reilly, Marner, and Hagel. The Maple Leafs own a 2-1 series lead.
Along to New York, as the Rangers bring in the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Igor Shesterkin patrol the creases. New York got going in the second period with a Chris Kreider goal, his fifth of the postseason, fueled by Mika Zibanejad and Patrick Kane. New Jersey tied it with a Jack Hughes power play goal, his second of the playoffs, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt. The Devils won 2-1 in overtime with a Hamilton goal, assisted by Bratt and Nico Hischier. The three stars were Hamilton, Schmid (35 for 36 in saves), and Bratt. The Devils cut the Rangers' series lead to 2-1.
Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Philipp Grubauer are between the pipes. Seattle struck first in the first period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, guided in by Justin Schultz and Alexander Wennberg. Colorado tied it on a J.T. Compher shorthanded goal, set up by Cale Makar and Artturi Lehkonen. The Avalanche took the lead with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, via Mikko Rantanen and Devon Toews. Colorado added on in the second period with a Makar goal, fueled by Alex Newhook. The Kraken got one back with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, helped along by Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Seattle tied it on a Matty Beniers goal, assisted by Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle. The Avalanche took the lead with a Rantanen goal in the third period, his second of the postseason, made possible by Toews. Colorado extended the lead on a MacKinnon goal, his second of the game, courtesy of Bowen Byram and Evan Rodrigues. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Rantanen empty net goal, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, dished from Lehkonen. The Kraken got one back with a Schwartz power play goal, his second of the game, powered by Schultz. The three stars were Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Makar, while Lehkonen, Toews, Schwartz, and Schultz get the honorable mentions. The Avalanche lead the series 2-1.
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