Stanley Cup playoffs day-to-day: Critical Game 4s for Capitals, Knights

The Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights are on the identical crossroads, going through 2-1 deficits forward of street playoff video games Monday.

First up at the time table is Capitals-Carolina Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET, TNT), adopted by means of Golden Knights-Edmonton Oilers (9:30 p.m. ET, TNT).

Read on for sport previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, a recap of what went down in Sunday’s video games and the Three Stars of Sunday from Arda Öcal.

Matchup notes

Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes
Game 4 | 7 p.m. ET | TNT

With a 2-1 collection lead, the Canes are actually -650 favorites to win this collection, whilst the Capitals are +425. Carolina has additionally jumped to 2d within the Stanley Cup futures desk, at +350, whilst the Capitals are actually +2500.

This is the second one instantly collection wherein the Canes led 2-1 (they beat the Devils in 5 video games in Round 1). Carolina/Hartford is 9-4 all time in best-of-seven collection when main 2-1.

Game 3 used to be the Canes’ first playoff shutout win since Game 2 of the 2022 2d spherical in opposition to the Rangers. It used to be the Caps’ first shutout loss since Game 5 of the 2020 first spherical in opposition to the Islanders.

Frederik Andersen‘s shutout used to be the fourth of his playoff occupation, however his first postseason blank sheet as a Hurricane. He joins Cam Talbot as the one lively goalies with a playoff shutout for 3 other franchises.

Andrei Svechnikov now has six objectives this postseason, which is the 17th example of a Hurricanes/Whalers participant scoring six or extra objectives in one postseason.

The 4 objectives allowed by means of Logan Thompson in Game 3 have been greater than his blended objectives in opposition to in Games 1 and 2, and probably the most since Game 3 of the primary spherical in opposition to Montreal (5).

Vegas Golden Knights at Edmonton Oilers
Game 4 | 9:30 p.m. ET | TNT

The Oilers’ and Knights’ collection odds reduced in size after Vegas’ Game 3 win. Edmonton is now -250 to win, while Vegas is +200 to take action. The Oilers have the third-shortest Cup futures odds at +360, whilst the Knights are 0.33 longest at +1000.

Vegas’ Reilly Smith used to be credited with the profitable objective in Game 3 with 0.4 seconds left at the clock after the puck angled in off Leon Draisaitl‘s stick. It is going within the document books as being scored with one 2d left within the 0.33 length — tied for the most recent go-ahead objective in legislation in Stanley Cup playoff historical past with Colorado’s Nazem Kadri in 2020 and Carolina’s Jussi Jokinen in 2009.

Jack Eichel enters Game 4 driving an lively six-game lend a hand streak, which is tied for the Golden Knights’ postseason document. Mark Stone (2023) and Smith (2018) additionally achieved the feat.

Connor McDavid now has 40 occupation playoff objectives; he is the 7th Oilers participant to achieve that benchmark.

Edmonton’s Corey Perry scored two objectives within the first length of Game 3, turning into the third-oldest participant in Stanley Cup playoff historical past with a multigoal length; at 39 years, 359 days outdated, he’s in the back of Nicklas Lidstrom (41) and Teemu Selanne (40) on the time they’d a multigoal length in a playoff sport.

Öcal’s Three Stars from Sunday

The reigning Stanley Cup champions performed their ideal sport of the postseason. They restricted the Maple Leafs to 22 photographs on objective, owned the impartial zone, and peppered Toronto’s Joseph Woll with 37 photographs en path to a 2-0 win. (Small shoutout to Woll, who performed nice — this sport may just’ve simply been 8-0.)

With a objective and two assists in Game 3, Rantanen changed into the primary participant in Stanley Cup playoffs historical past with 5 three-point video games thru a group’s first 10 contests. His first of the ones video games used to be in Game 5 of the primary spherical.

Bobrovsky did not have the busiest evening of his playoff occupation, however he stopped all 22 photographs on objective, his 5th occupation postseason blank sheet.

Sunday’s recaps

Dallas Stars 5, Winnipeg Jets 2
DAL leads 2-1 | Game 4 Tuesday

The Stars returned domestic having earned home-ice merit within the collection with a break up of the primary two video games in Winnipeg, and from the beginning of this one, they seemed like they didn’t need to give it again. Dallas’ Roope Hintz scored 2:27 in on an influence play, and whilst Kyle Connor responded halfway in the course of the first, Thomas Harley spoke back thereafter, giving Dallas a 2-1 edge after the primary. Nino Niederreiter scored his fourth objective of the playoffs to knot the sport at two, however then the 0.33 length used to be all Stars. Alexander Petrovic and Mikko Rantanen scored inside of 50 seconds of one another, and Wyatt Johnston put the exclamation level at the contest with a objective at 14:06. Full recap.

play

Tempers flare past due after Max Domi’s large hit on Aleksander Barkov

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov is shaken up after taking successful from Max Domi past due within the sport.

Florida Panthers 2, Toronto Maple Leafs 0
Series tied 2-2 | Game 5 Wednesday

It’s all the way down to a best-of-three for the Atlantic Division crown. Carter Verhaeghe kicked off the scoring for the Panthers at 15:45 of the primary, and the 1-0 ranking would persist till 12:09 of the 0.33, when Sam Bennett added his 5th of the postseason to make it 2-0. That used to be greater than sufficient for Sergei Bobrovsky, who stored all 23 photographs the Maple Leafs despatched on objective. Joseph Woll used to be no slouch within the Leafs’ cage, both, saving 35 of 37. Tempers flared past due within the sport after Toronto’s Max Domi boarded Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov and a small melee ensued. Will that elevate over into Game 5? Full recap.

play

Wyatt Johnston pokes in Stars’ third objective of third length

Wyatt Johnston faucets in a objective for the Stars to pad their lead within the 0.33 length vs. the Jets.