The Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets started their second-round showdown a bit behind the opposite collection, which is why they’re the final groups to play their respective Sport 3. That matchup is ready to transpire Sunday afternoon (4:30 p.m. ET, TBS), adopted by a recreation no much less essential between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers at a extra conventional time (7:30 p.m. ET, TBS).
Which of the 2 Central groups will go up 2-1? And might the Panthers tie issues up with the Leafs after Brad Marchand‘s OT heroics in Sport 3?
Learn on for game previews with statistical insights from ESPN Analysis, a recap of what went down in Saturday’s video games and the Three Stars of Saturday from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
Winnipeg Jets at Dallas Stars
Sport 3 | 4:30 p.m. ET | TBS
With every crew taking one recreation of the collection in Winnipeg, ESPN BET has up to date the collection odds heading into Sport 3 in Dallas; the Stars are at present favored (-170) to win the collection, with the Jets at +140 to advance. The Stars have the second-shortest odds to win the Stanley Cup (+400), whereas the Jets’ are third-longest (+900).
Together with his 22-save shutout in Sport 2, Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck earned postseason blanking No. 4 of his profession. He turned the sixth goaltender in NHL historical past to account for the primary 4 playoff shutouts in a franchise’s historical past.
Nikolaj Ehlers has run cold and warm as a playoff aim scorer for the Jets; he scored two in Sport 2, which was his second profession multigoal postseason recreation. In between this one and the one prior, he went 14 playoff video games with zero targets.
Mikko Rantanen‘s streak of 5 straight multipoint playoff video games led to Sport 2, as he registered one shot on aim for Dallas and a minus-1 ranking in 21:42 of ice time. He is at present tied with Toronto’s William Nylander for the playoff scoring lead, with 15 factors, and is first amongst aim scorers, with eight.
Sport 2 was the second time the Stars have been shut out this postseason. The primary was Sport 4 within the first spherical, at Colorado. The following recreation? A house win, by which they scored six targets.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers
Sport 4 | 7:30 p.m. ET | TBS
After the Panthers gained a thriller in Sport 3, ESPN BET has the Leafs at -125 to win the collection, with the Panthers at +105. Each groups are proper in the midst of the Cup futures combine, with the Panthers barely forward; Florida is +550 and Toronto is +600.
Together with his additional time recreation winner in Sport 3, the Panthers’ Brad Marchand prolonged his personal NHL file for consecutive postseasons with a game-winning aim, a streak that goes again to 2017. Marchand’s 4 profession playoff OT targets is seventh all time.
Have we seen the actual model of “Playoff Bob” but? Sergei Bobrovsky is sixth amongst eight common goaltenders that made Spherical 2 with a 2.94 goals-against common, and sixth in the identical cohort with a .875 save share. These charges had been 2.33 and .906, respectively, in the course of the Panthers’ Stanley Cup run final yr.
Maple Leafs heart John Tavares scored two targets in Sport 3, which was his fourth profession multigoal playoff recreation and second in his profession in opposition to the Panthers; the earlier multigoal recreation in opposition to Florida was in 2016 whereas Tavares was with the New York Islanders.
With every aim that Morgan Rielly scores, he extends his franchise lead for playoff targets by a defenseman. Rielly now has 15 for his profession, forward of second-place Ian Turnbull with 13.
Öcal’s Three Stars from Saturday
1. The ultimate seconds
We noticed it once more on Saturday night time. You by no means know what is going on to occur in a Stanley Cup playoff recreation — even a Leon Draisaitl personal aim with one second left in a recreation that was headed for additional time.
Smith scored two targets — considered one of which was the sport winner that deflected off Draisaitl’s stick — in Vegas’ 4-3 win. He and Nicolas Roy scored 54 seconds aside within the first interval to even the rating at 2-2, which marked the quickest Vegas has overcome a multigoal deficit in franchise playoff historical past.
Roslovic completed with two factors, together with his third profession postseason aim because the Canes dismantled the Caps 4-0 to take a 2-1 collection lead.
Saturday’s recaps
Carolina Hurricanes 4, Washington Capitals 0
CAR leads 2-1 | Sport 4 Monday
Following a scoreless first interval with a number of excellent scoring possibilities for each groups, the Hurricanes received on the board twice within the second, courtesy of Andrei Svechnikov and Jack Roslovic. That was all of the Canes wanted, as their relentless defensive stress in all three zones prevented the Caps from mounting a lot of an assault within the third. Eric Robinson added a shot that in some way discovered its method over Logan Thompson‘s left shoulder and Jackson Blake closed issues out with a power-play tally. However this night time was all about Frederik Andersen incomes his fourth profession shutout (and first with the Canes). Full recap.
0:38
Eric Robinson provides the Canes a 3-0 lead
Hurricanes followers erupt as Eric Robinson provides Carolina a 3-0 lead with a candy aim within the third interval vs. Washington.
Golden Knights 4, Oilers 3
EDM leads 2-1 | Sport 4 Monday
Lastly, the Golden Knights are on the board — and it took till the final second for them to drag off the gorgeous win in Edmonton. Savvy Oilers veteran Corey Perry scored two to place the hosts forward 2-0 within the first. Undeterred, the Knights scored two earlier than the interval ended to tie the competition. William Karlsson‘s second-period rating put Vegas forward 3-2, a lead that held till 16:58 of the third, when Connor McDavid tied it at 3. Then, within the very last second of regulation, Reilly Smith slid a sharp-angle shot into the Edmonton crease, the place it was tipped in by Oilers heart Leon Draisaitl. Sport, Vegas. Full recap.
1:07
Golden Knights stun Oilers with Reilly Smith’s buzzer-beating aim
Reilly Smith scores a miraculous aim for the Golden Knights with 0.4 remaining to provide them the win.
