Stanley Cup playoffs day by day: Game 3 of Avs-Stars, whilst Canadiens, Oilers search revenge

If the former video games within the 3 sequence which proceed on Wednesday evening are any trace as to their ongoing competitiveness, hockey fanatics are in for some other deal with.

Monday evening, Game 1 of the Washington Capitals–Montreal Canadiens sequence went to additional time, as did Game 2 of the Dallas Stars–Colorado Avalanche fight; within the nightcap, the Los Angeles Kings received with a target within the ultimate minute. Those 3 matchups will probably be performed once more Wednesday:

What are the important thing storylines heading into the video games? Who are the important thing gamers to observe?

Read on for sport previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, recaps of what went down Tuesday evening, and the Three Stars of Tuesday Night from Arda Öcal.

Matchup notes

Montreal Canadiens at Washington Capitals
Game 2 (WSH leads 1-0) | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN

Game 1 was once but some other record-breaking evening for Alex Ovechkin: By scoring two targets and helping at the Caps’ different tally, he turned into the oldest participant in Stanley Cup playoff historical past (39 years, 216 days previous) to think about on all of his group’s targets (minimal of 3).

The win could also be just right information for the Capitals, as groups that win Game 1 in a best-of-seven move directly to win the sequence 68% of the time.

But this contest was once all concerning the abruptly shut margin, and the truth that it took additional time for the Capitals to earn the victory. The Canadiens’ most sensible line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky led the best way, accounting for either one of Montreal’s targets, and rookie phenom Lane Hutson earned an lend a hand on each targets. A brand new set of Young Guns?

An harm word for Game 2 and past: The Capitals will probably be with out defenseman Martin Fehervary because of knee surgical operation.

Dallas Stars at Colorado Avalanche
Game 3 (sequence tied 1-1) | 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN

It took 77:46, however the Stars evened the sequence with their Central Division opponents in Game 2. At stake in Game 3 is a transparent jolt of momentum for the winner, and historical past can be on their facet shifting ahead: In the 363 prior sequence that had been tied after two video games, the winner of Game 3 received the sequence 66% of the time.

For Colorado, may just 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 Game 2. His most up-to-date sport dressed in an Avs sweater was once a memorable one, Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, when he skated the Cup round Amalie Arena 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 famous person defenseman Miro Heiskanen skated on Monday but additionally didn’t play. A go back from Heiskanen would assist clear up 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 chronic play.

Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings
Game 2 (LA leads 1-0) | 10 p.m. ET | TBS

If there are going to be 11 targets each and every sport on this sequence, signal us up for extra!

With their 6-5 victory in Game 1, the Kings turned into the fourth group in Stanley Cup playoff historical past to blow a four-goal lead and win in legislation, following the 2022 Calgary Flames, 1978 Boston Bruins and 1972 Bruins.

Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid proceed to climb franchise leaderboards with each and every next sport, it sort of feels. Draisaitl’s 18th target vs. the Kings tied Esa Tikkanen for the Oilers’ profession lead in playoff targets towards L.A. Meanwhile, 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 are able to stay momentum going at the chronic play; they scored two times with the person benefit in Game 1 after going 2-for-14 within the common season towards Edmonton, and 0-for-12 at the chronic play within the 2024 playoff loss to the Oilers. Monday was once the playoff debut for Andrei Kuzmenko, and he replied with a target and two assists. On the opposite 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 each and every had one lend a hand in Game 1.

Arda’s 3 stars from Tuesday evening

In his first sport again after an harm within the 4 Nations Face-Off, Tkachuk scored two targets and added a helper because the Panthers take Game 1 within the long-awaited Battle of Florida in a 6-2 rout.

The pair of Wild forwards had been electrical in Game 2, combining for 5 issues because the Wild take the competition by means of a ranking of 5-2, and convey the sequence again house to the Twin Cities tied at 1-1.

Domi scored the additional time sport winner over the Senators in Game 2, giving the Leafs their first 2-0 playoff sequence lead in 23 years (!).

Tuesday’s ratings

Carolina Hurricanes 3, New Jersey Devils 1
(CAR leads 2-0)

Game 2 was once a greater get started for the Devils than in Game 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 benefit held till Seth Jarvis iced it with an empty-net target. Full recap.

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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 some other sturdy get started, scoring some other pair of first-period targets off the sticks of Morgan Rielly and John Tavares. But this time, the Senators scored the following two — one each and 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. Full recap.

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Max Domi nets OT winner for Maple Leafs

Max Domi unearths the online in additional time to protected a 2-0 sequence lead for the Maple Leafs vs. the Senators.

Florida Panthers 6, Tampa Bay Lightning 2
(FLA leads 1-0)

The Battle of Florida was once the closing first-round sequence to get began, and it was once well worth the wait — specifically for Panthers fanatics. Playing in his first sport since a lower-body harm sustained within the 4 Nations Face-Off, Matthew Tkachuk scored two power-play targets and added an lend a hand at the ultimate target of the sport (off of Nate Schmidt‘s stick) to make it 6-2. Full recap.

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Matthew Tkachuk ratings via chaos for Panthers

Matthew Tkachuk ratings 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
(sequence tied 1-1)

After an intensive defeat in Game 1, the Wild aren’t going away quietly. Kirill Kaprizov introduced his offensive wizardry to the lawsuits, helping 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 maintain an empty-net target within the 3rd. Full recap.

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Kirill Kaprizov squeezes the Wild’s 4th target previous Adin Hill

Kirill Kaprizov ratings his first target of the sequence with a shot that trickles in between goaltender Adin Hill’s legs.