With two video games within the books for 3 of 4 second-round sequence, tendencies have begun to emerge — some not so good for the groups that many picked to make lengthy runs this postseason.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are in a 2-0 gap, returning residence to host the Toronto Maple Leafs for Sport 3 (7 p.m. ET, TNT). In Friday’s nightcap, the Dallas Stars will search for one other street victory over the Winnipeg Jets (9:30 p.m. ET, TNT).
Learn on for sport previews with statistical insights from ESPN Analysis, a recap of what went down in Thursday’s video games and the three stars of Thursday from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers
Sport 3 | 7 p.m. ET | TNT
Of their franchise historical past, the Maple Leafs have gained 84% of their best-of-seven sequence when going up 2-0. The Panthers are 0-5 in best-of-seven sequence when trailing 0-2.
This sequence options the 2 highest-scoring traces at 5-on-5 this postseason: Eetu Luostarinen–Anton Lundell–Brad Marchand (eight) and Matthew Knies–Auston Matthews–Mitch Marner (seven, together with the game-winning objective in Sport 2).
William Nylander scored a objective for the third straight sport, and he has six objectives and 13 factors this postseason. He’s the second Maple Leaf of the previous 30 years to attain 5 objectives in a three-game span — becoming a member of Alexander Mogilny from 2003 — and the primary Maple Leaf since Doug Gilmour in 1993 to have 13 or extra factors within the first eight video games of a postseason.
With a objective in Sport 2, Marchand now has 32 postseason factors in opposition to the Leafs in his profession, which is fourth most all time. He trails Gordie Howe (53), Alex Delvecchio (35) and Henri Richard (33).
Stepping in for injured Anthony Stolarz, Joseph Woll saved 25 of 28 pictures for Toronto. His counterpart, Sergei Bobrovsky, allowed 4 objectives on 20 pictures and has allowed 9 whole objectives via Video games 1 and a couple of. That’s tied for the second most he has allowed in a two-game span in his playoff profession.
Dallas Stars at Winnipeg Jets
Sport 2 | 9:30 p.m. ET | TNT
After a win in Sport 1, the Stars at the moment are -360 favorites to win the sequence, whereas the Jets are +280, in accordance with ESPN BET. The win for Dallas snapped an eight-game shedding streak in Sport 1s.
Mikko Rantanen supplied all of the offense that Dallas wanted within the 3-2 win, scoring his second single-period hat trick in as many video games. He set a document for essentially the most consecutive workforce objective contributions (objective or help) in Stanley Cup playoff historical past, with 12; the earlier mark was 9 by Mario Lemieux in 1992.
Sport 1 was Jason Robertson‘s first sport again after sustaining an harm within the ultimate sport of the common season. He performed 13:44, together with 1:00 on the facility play, and registered one shot.
The opening conflict was additionally Mark Scheifele‘s return to the ice, although his absence was simply since April 30 and Sport 5 in opposition to the Blues in Spherical 1. Scheifele scored a objective and registered seven pictures in 22:36 of ice time.
Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck and Dallas’ Jake Oettinger are thought of the 2 main candidates to be Staff USA’s goaltender on the 2026 Olympics. Oettinger took the primary spherical of the head-to-head battle, saving 29 of 31 pictures and getting the W; Hellebuyck saved 21 of 24 pictures in defeat.
Öcal’s three stars from Thursday
Wilson was key within the Capitals tying up their sequence in opposition to the Canes. It was the primary time he had a playoff sport with at the very least two factors, two hits, two blocked pictures and three pictures on objective.
Draisaitl scored the sport winner in additional time as Edmonton takes a 2-0 sequence lead on Vegas. He joins Esa Tikkanen (from 1991) as the one gamers in franchise historical past with a number of OT objectives in a single postseason.
Eichel registered three assists within the OT loss to Edmonton, and he now has eight factors in his previous 5 video games (one objective, seven assists). That ties his personal mark for many factors in a five-game span in his postseason profession.
Thursday’s recaps
Washington Capitals 3, Carolina Hurricanes 1
Sequence tied 1-1 | Sport 3 Saturday
After a loss to the Canes in Sport 1, the Capitals appeared like a special workforce as veteran winger Tom Wilson “set the tone,” in accordance with Alex Ovechkin. Connor McMichael began the scoring at 2:16 of the second interval, and John Carlson put the Caps up 2-0 with a power-play objective close to the beginning of the third on an help by Wilson and Dylan Strome. Shayne Gostisbehere pulled Carolina inside one with a power-play objective of his personal, however Wilson completed them off with an empty-netter with a minute left. Full recap.
0:52
John Carlson buries Caps’ second objective of the night time
John Carlson sends the Capitals followers right into a frenzy after a fantastic objective early within the third interval.
Edmonton Oilers 5, Vegas Golden Knights 4 (OT)
EDM leads 2-0 | Sport 3 Saturday
Searching for a win to tie up the sequence, Vegas was on the board first with a objective from Victor Olofsson at 8:42 of the primary interval. Edmonton, nonetheless, charged again with three straight objectives within the second interval (from Jake Walman, Vasily Podkolzin and Darnell Nurse), earlier than William Karlsson drew the Knights inside one at 18:10. Evander Kane put the Oilers again up by two at 1:52 of the third, earlier than Vegas rallied with objectives by Olofsson and Alex Pietrangelo to ship the sport to OT. Leon Draisaitl tallied the sport winner, giving the Oilers a 5-4 win and a 2-0 sequence lead heading residence to Alberta. Full recap.
3:32
Oilers prevail in OT to take 2-0 sequence lead
Scott Van Pelt recaps the Oilers’ thrilling 5-4 additional time win over the Golden Knights to take a 2-0 sequence lead.
