Series at a Glance: The Canadiens will face a tough opponent in the second round if they beat the Lightning

Marc-Olivier Cook
Series at a Glance: The Canadiens will face a tough opponent in the second round if they beat the Lightning
Credit: Capture d'écran / X

Last night, three games were played in the National Hockey League.

The Canadiens didn't play: Martin St-Louis's team will be back in action tonight when they visit Tampa Bay for Game 5 of their series against the Lightning.

That said, what stood out in the NHL last night? 

1: The Habs will face a tough opponent in the second round if they beat the Lightning

The Bruins were facing elimination last night.

And you know what?

Rasmus Dahlin knew it all too well. He wanted to hurt the Bruins by scoring the very first goal of the game… and that was all it took to get the party started in Buffalo:

But… in the end, Dahlin's goal turned out to be the Sabres' one and only moment of glory in the game.

Elias Lindholm tied the game in the second period:

We really had quite a game between the two teams last night. There was intensity, the ice was really tight… and it made for a great show.

That's what happens when two good teams face off…

After 60 minutes of play, the game was still tied 1-1. Overtime was therefore necessary, and it was David Pastrnak who played the hero for his team with a truly magnificent goal.

The Bruins win 2-1… and that sends them back home for Game 6 of the series. Will the Bruins be able to win Game 6 to force a Game 7?

Stay tuned… 

It's worth noting that Sabres forward Noah Ostlund got hurt during the game. And it looked very, very painful.

After the game, Lindy Ruff mentioned that it didn't look good for Ostlund…

The Habs are really going to have a tough opponent in the second round if they beat the Lightning in the first round.

The Sabres look solid, and the Bruins continue to be really good despite everything. It's shaping up to be a good series, at any rate…

2: La Bamba! 

The Oilers weren't ready to go on vacation. Why do I say that?

The team scored the first three goals of yesterday's game against the Ducks, even though they were facing elimination:

The Oilers quickly took control of the game, and the Ducks were never able to come back from behind.

Alex Killorn scored midway through the game to cut the deficit to two goals, but…

But the Oilers' two-headed monster hadn't said its last word yet.

From McDavid to Draisaitl… we know the rest: 

No other goals were scored in the game. The Oilers won 4-1, which means the Ducks now lead the series 3-2.

Oh, I almost forgot…

In the third period, when nothing was working for his team, Chris Kreider decided to make a move… in true Chris Kreider fashion.

Those kinds of hits are dangerous: 

3: Wild vs. Stars… wow! 

The Wild vs. Stars series is truly a treat.

These two teams could have faced off in the finals, and we would have been treated to an excellent show. Too bad one of the two teams will see its playoff run end in the first round…

Anyway. Let's get back to the game. 

In the first period of yesterday's game, there was plenty of action.

Both teams traded goals, and you could feel the energy in the Stars' arena:

But… the second period belonged to the Wild.

Matt Boldy, who has been having an electrifying playoff run so far, scored to give his team the lead:

And in the third period… it was the big Michael McCarron who made the difference. The former first-round pick of the Canadiens beat Jake Oettinger with a shot between the pads, and the Wild took a 3-1 lead in the game:

The Stars tried to come back from behind.

Jason Robertson scored his fifth goal of the playoffs with just over three minutes left in the game. And just like that, it was 3-2 for the Wild…

But the Stars ran out of time.

Kirill Kaprizov scored into an empty net, and the Wild won 4-2. The series is now 3-2 in favor of the Wild and will head to Minnesota for Game 6.

Do the Stars still have gas in the tank? 

To be continued… 


Overtime

– Top scorers from last night's game:

(Credit: Screenshot / NHL.com)

– Three games tonight:

(Credit: Screenshot / NHL.com)
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