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Series preview: CH to face Hurricanes in 2nd round if they beat Capitals
Marc-Olivier Cook
Series preview: CH to face Hurricanes in 2nd round if they beat Capitals
Credit: Getty Images
The NHL playoffs continued last night.

The Canadiens weren’t in action, but there were still four games presented in all four corners of the league.

Let’s take a look at what caught our eye:

Sebastian Aho, the hero of the day in Carolina

The Devils were facing elimination last night. And they managed to win by scoring three times in the first period.

But…

But the Hurricanes hadn’t said their last word.

Carolina scored three times to tie the game in the second period, only to see the Devils score a 4th goal to take a 4-3 lead.

It was at this point in the game that Sebastian Aho came to life.

The Canes’ star player tied the game with a magnificent goal:

Overtime was needed in the game and the Devils were dangerous.

Jesper Bratt nearly gave his team the win at the end of the first overtime period :

It took until the second period of overtime to see a goal.

And at the very start of the period, Dawson Mercer was sent off (four minutes) for high sticking:

You guessed it.

The Hurricanes took the opportunity to send the Devils on vacation.

Sebastian Aho – again – was the hero for his club. Hurricanes Canadien fans must be loving him right now:

Jacob Markström’s performance in defeat deserves a special mention.

The Devils goalie gave it his all, stopping 48 of Carolina’s 53 shots, but in the end, it wasn’t enough.

The Hurricanes won the game 5-4 and also eliminated the Devils in five games.

If the CH beats the Capitals, it will face the Hurricanes in the next round of the playoffs.

A CH vs Hurricanes match-up doesn’t seem to scare me (that much)…

Ah, the Leafs…

The Leafs had a 3-0 lead in their series against the Sens.

They lost the last game… but they still had a chance to send the Senators on vacation last night.

The first period saw some tougher play, and Thomas Chabot paid the price:

But this same Chabot found the right way to get his revenge.

He opened the scoring in the second period:

The Leafs buzzed, but Linus Ullmark was really solid in front of his net all game long.

This gave momentum to the Sens, who scored in the third period on a shorthanded goal.

The goal was scored by Dylan Cozens: his first career NHL playoff goal.

After Cozens’ goal, it really felt like the Sens were on a mission.

Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk (in order) took turns scoring in an empty net to help the Sens win 4-0.

Linus Ullmark stopped all 29 shots he faced for the shutout.

The Leafs still hold a 3-2 lead in the series. But the next game is in Ottawa, at the Senators’ home… and the Leafs had better watch out, or they’ll find themselves in the same situation we all know about.

And they can’t go there, especially after leading the series 3-0.

For once…

The Kings were playing at home last night, and they took the opportunity to score first.

Andrei Kuzmenko – who has been a transformed player since arriving in Los Angeles – opened the scoring with a beautiful deflection :

But it was the Kings’ last moment of glory in the game.

The Oilers, trailing 0-2 in the series, scored three unanswered goals (including an empty-netter) to escape with the 3-1 victory.

The Oilers now lead the series 3-2.

But… in all of this, the Oilers must be relieved that one of their goalies was able to have a good playoff game.

Calvin Pickard was good in front of his net last night (one goal allowed) and it made a difference.

If the trend continues, the Oilers will be dangerous… because they have what it takes to beat any NHL club.

Fleury’s last career game?

We’re transported to the start of the 3rd period of the game between the Wild and Golden Knights.

The Vegas team had a 2-1 lead… but Matt Boldy (who is having an excellent series) brought everyone back to square one:

It looked like overtime when Ryan Hartman scored late in the game.

But… the Wild goal was disallowed because there was an offside on the sequence.

Too bad:

Marc-André Fleury was called upon in relief at the start of the third period because Filip Gustavsson was ill.

Fleury thus became the 1st goaltender in history to see playoff action for an 18th year. He overtook Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur in this respect.

But the Knights spoiled the moment by scoring in overtime.

Brett Howden gave his team the win:

The Golden Knights won 3-2 and also have a 3-2 lead in the series.

The next game will be played in Minnesota, by the way. It remains to be seen whether the Wild will be able to force a Game 7…


Extension

– Sick.

– Great reaction!

– Top scorers of the night :

(Credit: NHL.com)

– 3 games tonight, including CH :

(Credit: NHL.com)
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