What’s on tap
There are four Game 3s on the schedule Monday, each featuring a team trying to build on a 2-0 series lead.
Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, NESN) — The Maple Leafs, who have been dominated by the Bruins in the first two games of the series, look to turn things around at Air Canada Centre, where they had a franchise record 13-game winning streak this season. Boston’s top line of David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand combined for 20 points in the first two games.
Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils (7:30 p.m. ET; CNBC, SN, TVAS2, MSG+, FS-F) — The Devils come home looking for their first win of the series, and there are expected to be some lineup changes, including in goal, where Cory Schneider replaces Keith Kinkaid. Forward Marcus Johansson is also likely to return from a concussion. The Lightning scored five goals in each of the first two games.
Nashville Predators at Colorado Avalanche (10 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVAS, ALT, FS-F) — The Western Conference First Round shifts to Pepsi Center, where the Avalanche had 28 wins this season. But the Predators were the NHL’s best road team (25-9-7). Colorado scored on its first shot on goal in each of the first two games at Bridgestone Arena but lost each time.
Anaheim Ducks at San Jose Sharks (10:30 p.m. ET; CNBC, SN1, TVAS2, NBCSCA, PRIME) — Being down 0-2 and going on the road is nothing new to the Ducks, who were in same spot in the Western Conference Second Round last season and rallied to defeat the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. San Jose’s Evander Kane, who had two goals in Game 1, might have something to say about that in his home playoff debut.
Here are the scores from Sunday:
Eastern Conference
Pittsburgh Penguins 5, Philadelphia Flyers 1
Columbus Blue Jackets 5, Washington Capitals 4 (OT)
Western Conference
Minnesota Wild 6, Winnipeg Jets 2
Vegas Golden Knights 3, Los Angeles Kings 2
What we learned
Here are some things we learned on Day 5 of the playoffs
Pittsburgh’s power play is A-OK
Fair or not, everything is analyzed in small sample sizes in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That’s why the Penguins going 1-for-8 with five shots on goal on the power play in Games 1 and 2 created enough curiosity to question what might be wrong with what was the League’s best regular-season power play (26.2 percent). The answer is nothing. The Penguins proved that in Game 3 by scoring on three of their seven power plays, including a 4-on-3 goal from Evgeni Malkin at 6:48 of the second period. The Penguins had nine shots on goal on the power play. They had a shot mentality, but, as coach Mike Sullivan pointed out, it wasn’t a shoot-at-all-costs mentality, more of a shoot-at-the-right-time mentality. The Penguins are 4-for-15 on the power play in this series. They’re 26.6 percent. They’re fine.
Philadelphia struggling to sustain pressure
The Flyers must find a way to keep the pressure on the Penguins for longer than just a few minutes or one period. They had it going early in Game 3, outshooting the Penguins 11-4 and holding a 29-12 advantage in total shot attempts in the first period, but trailed 1-0. They had no pushback after that. For the remainder of the game, the Penguins outshot the Flyers 22-16 and had a 43-26 edge in total shot attempts, including a 28-12 advantage in the decisive second period, when they scored three goals and had a 4-1 lead. The Flyers have outshot the Penguins in one of the first nine periods in the series and have been outshot 94-71 overall. In Game 2, which the Flyers won 5-1, Philadelphia was outshot 35-20 and were nearly doubled up in total shot attempts (59-30).
Wild have life at home
After disappointing performances in the first two games in Winnipeg, the Minnesota Wild were focused and sharp, which should surprise nobody considering they were back on home ice for Game 3. It is rare for Minnesota to lose at Xcel Energy Center this season. It lost in regulation six times at home during the regular season (27-6-8). The Wild had two power-play goals in three chances and created offensive chances far better than they did in Games 1 and 2.
Video: Wild rebound, score six in Game 3 win against Jets
Jets have leaks they must patch
Winnipeg controlled the chances, the shots and most of the flow in the first two games of the series but didn’t have a good grip on any of those things in Game 3. In addition, three failed power plays in the second period and an unconfident game by goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who allowed six goals on the first 21 shots he faced, were far too much to overcome.
Bobrovsky can play in playoffs
One of the knocks on Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky before this series was that he hadn’t played well previously in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But Bobrovsky is proving against the Washington Capitals that he can be a game-changer in the postseason. Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, made 54 saves Sunday, including 20 in the third period and six in overtime to hold the Capitals off long enough for the Blue Jackets to pull out a 5-4 victory on Matt Calvert‘s rebound goal 12:22 into overtime. Through the first two games, Bobrovsky has stopped 81 of 88 shots for a .920 save percentage. In the Blue Jackets’ five-game loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round last season, Bobrovsky had a .882 save percentage.
Capitals lack discipline
Despite talking after Game 1 about needing to improve their discipline, the Capitals again took needless penalties that led to two power-play goals. In Game 1, the Blue Jackets twice tied the game in the third period with power-play goals. In Game 2, Columbus scored twice on the power play in the second period to take a 4-3 lead. Capitals forward Tom Wilson again took one of the penalties, an after-the-whistle roughing minor that preceded Cam Atkinson‘s power-play goal that tied the game at 3-3. Wilson’s third-period charging penalty in Game 1 preceded Thomas Vanek‘s power-play goal that tied the score at 2-2.
Golden Knights need to stay disciplined
The Los Angeles Kings tried to push the Golden Knights around in Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round, and it threw Vegas off its game to an extent. After defenseman Drew Doughty smacked forward Jonathan Marchessault in the back of the head, Marchessault took a high-sticking penalty. He was lucky it didn’t cost Vegas, which killed the penalty. The Golden Knights must keep their composure.
Video: The guys on the Golden Knights win over the Kings
Kings need more offense
Kings center Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist in Game 3, his first points of the series. Forward Dustin Brown had an assist, his first point. The Kings outshot the Golden Knights 39-26 in Game 3, scoring twice. Still, they have scored three goals in three games, one of which went into double overtime. Coach John Stevens reunited “That ’70s Line” — Jeff Carter, Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli — but it came up empty despite at least two good chances for Toffoli. Defenseman Drew Doughty returned from a one-game suspension and made some plays, but he doesn’t have a point in two games.
About last night
Four games, three Game 3s and one Game 2 were played Sunday. Here is what happened
Pittsburgh Penguins 5, Philadelphia Flyers 1 —Sidney Crosby had a one goal and three assists to help the Penguins rebound from a Game 2 loss and take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference First Round. Crosby has 171 career playoff points (61 goals, 110 assists), one behind Mario Lemieux for first in Penguins history.
Columbus Blue Jackets 5, Washington Capitals 4 (OT) — Matt Calvert ended a wild affair at Capital One Arena with a goal 12:22 into overtime to give the Blue Jackets their second straight overtime win and 2-0 series lead. Alex Ovechkin scored two power-play goals for Washington, who went to Braden Holtby in goal, replacing Philipp Grubauer, at the start of the third period.
Minnesota Wild 6, Winnipeg Jets 2 — The Wild looked like a different team on home ice, scoring three goals in the final 5:20 of the second period to cut the series lead for the Jets to 2-1. The Wild have lost the first two games of a playoff series on the road six times. In five of those, they have returned home to win Game 3.
Vegas Golden Knights 3, Los Angeles Kings 2 — James Neal and William Karlsson scored 21 seconds apart with less than six minutes remaining to help the Golden Knights to a 3-0 series lead. Vegas is the first team to win its first three postseason games in its inaugural season.
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