If the former video games within the 3 collection which proceed on Wednesday night time are any trace as to their ongoing competitiveness, hockey fanatics are in for every other deal with.
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2 Comparable
Monday night time, Recreation 1 of the Washington Capitals-Montreal Canadiens collection went to additional time, as did Recreation 2 of the Dallas Stars-Colorado Avalanche combat; within the nightcap, the Los Angeles Kings received with a target within the ultimate minute. The ones 3 matchups will likely be performed once more Wednesday:
What are the important thing storylines heading into the video games? Who’re the important thing gamers to look at?
Learn on for sport previews with statistical insights from ESPN Analysis, recaps of what went down Tuesday night time, and the 3 Stars of Tuesday Evening from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
Montreal Canadiens at Washington Capitals
Recreation 2 (WSH leads 1-0) | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN
Recreation 1 was once but every other record-breaking night time for Alex Ovechkin: By way of scoring two targets and aiding at the Caps’ different tally, he was the oldest participant in Stanley Cup playoff historical past (39 years, 216 days outdated) to think about on all of his workforce’s targets (minimal of 3).
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The win could also be excellent information for the Capitals, as groups that win Recreation 1 in a best-of-seven cross directly to win the collection 68% of the time.
However this contest was once all concerning the rapidly shut margin, and the truth that it took additional time for the Capitals to earn the victory. The Canadiens’ best line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky led the way in which, accounting for either one of Montreal’s targets, and rookie phenom Lane Hutson earned an help on each targets. A brand new set of Younger Weapons?
An harm word for Recreation 2 and past: The Capitals will likely be with out defenseman Martin Fehervary because of knee surgical treatment.
Dallas Stars at Colorado Avalanche
Recreation 3 (collection tied 1-1) | 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
It took 77:46, however the Stars evened the collection with their Central Department opponents in Recreation 2. At stake in Recreation 3 is a transparent jolt of momentum for the winner, and historical past may also be on their facet shifting ahead: Within the 363 prior collection that have been tied after two video games, the winner of Recreation 3 received the collection 66% of the time.
For Colorado, may their first house sport of the postseason even be the go back of Gabriel Landeskog to the lineup? The Avs’ captain was once activated off IR Monday, however didn’t play in Recreation 2. His most up-to-date sport dressed in an Avs sweater was once a memorable one, Recreation 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Ultimate, when he skated the Cup round Amalie Enviornment after the Avs’ 2-1 series-clinching victory.
The Stars have a key participant on his (eventual) long ago into the lineup as neatly, as superstar defenseman Miro Heiskanen skated on Monday but additionally didn’t play. A go back from Heiskanen would lend a hand remedy some issues for Dallas, and provide a brand new problem for Colorado, because the Finnish blueliner was once the Stars’ chief in time on ice this season, and a key a part of their persistent play.
Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings
Recreation 2 (LA leads 1-0) | 10 p.m. ET | TBS
If there are going to be 11 targets each and every sport on this collection, signal us up for extra!
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With their 6-5 victory in Recreation 1, the Kings was the fourth workforce in Stanley Cup playoff historical past to blow a four-goal lead and win in law, following the 2022 Calgary Flames, 1978 Boston Bruins and 1972 Bruins.
Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid proceed to climb franchise leaderboards with every next sport, it kind of feels. Draisaitl’s 18th target vs. the Kings tied Esa Tikkanen for the Oilers’ profession lead in playoff targets towards L.A. In the meantime, McDavid’s four-point sport passes Paul Coffey and Glenn Anderson at the Oilers’ profession leaderboard for four-point playoff video games; he is now 5th.
The Kings will hope that they may be able to stay momentum going at the persistent play; they scored two times with the person merit in Recreation 1 after going 2-for-14 within the common season towards Edmonton, and 0-for-12 at the persistent play within the 2024 playoff loss to the Oilers. Monday was once the playoff debut for Andrei Kuzmenko, and he spoke back with a target and two assists. At the different facet of the spectrum are Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty — who’ve performed in 98 and 96 playoff video games for L.A., respectively — and who every had one help in Recreation 1.
Arda’s 3 stars from Tuesday night time
In his first sport again after an harm within the 4 International locations Face-Off, Tkachuk scored two targets and added a helper because the Panthers take Recreation 1 within the long-awaited Struggle of Florida in a 6-2 rout.
The pair of Wild forwards have been electrical in Recreation 2, combining for 5 issues because the Wild take the competition by way of a ranking of 5-2, and convey the collection again house to the Dual Towns tied at 1-1.
Domi scored the additional time sport winner over the Senators in Recreation 2, giving the Leafs their first 2-0 playoff collection lead in 23 years (!).
Tuesday’s rankings
Carolina Hurricanes 3, New Jersey Devils 1
(CAR leads 2-0)
Recreation 2 was once a greater get started for the Devils than in Recreation 1, as Jesper Bratt opened the scoring at 3:51 of the primary era, and New Jersey carried that lead into the primary intermission. The Canes roared again with two second-period targets (from Shayne Gostisbehere and Jordan Martinook), and that merit held till Seth Jarvis iced it with an empty-net target. Complete recap.
play
0:53
Martinook sends Canes fanatics right into a frenzy with go-ahead target
Jordan Martinook provides the Hurricanes their first lead of the sport with a short-handed target vs. the Devils.
Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Ottawa Senators 2 (OT)
(TOR leads 2-0)
The Maple Leafs were given off to every other sturdy get started, scoring every other pair of first-period targets off the sticks of Morgan Rielly and John Tavares. However this time, the Senators scored the following two — one every from Brady Tkachuk and Adam Gaudette — to ship the sport to additional time. Max Domi performed the hero for the house fanatics in Toronto, scoring the sport winner simply 3:09 into OT. Complete recap.
play
1:18
Max Domi nets OT winner for Maple Leafs
Max Domi unearths the web in additional time to protected a 2-0 collection lead for the Maple Leafs vs. the Senators.
Florida Panthers 6, Tampa Bay Lightning 2
(FLA leads 1-0)
The Struggle of Florida was once the final first-round collection to get began, and it was once definitely worth the wait — specifically for Panthers fanatics. Taking part in in his first sport since a lower-body harm sustained within the 4 International locations Face-Off, Matthew Tkachuk scored two power-play targets and added an help at the ultimate target of the sport (off of Nate Schmidt’s stick) to make it 6-2. Complete recap.
play
0:48
Matthew Tkachuk rankings thru chaos for Panthers
Matthew Tkachuk rankings his moment power-play target of the second one era to offer the Panthers a 5-1 lead over the Lightning.
Minnesota Wild 5, Vegas Golden Knights 2
(collection tied 1-1)
After a radical defeat in Recreation 1, the Wild don’t seem to be going away quietly. Kirill Kaprizov introduced his offensive wizardry to the court cases, aiding on Matt Boldy’s first-period target that gave the impression to set the tone for the competition, scoring a nifty target of his personal in the second one era, and sealing the handle an empty-net target within the 3rd. Complete recap.
play
0:40
Kirill Kaprizov squeezes the Wild’s 4th target previous Adin Hill
Kirill Kaprizov rankings his first target of the collection with a shot that trickles in between goaltender Adin Hill’s legs.
