NHL Peachy: MORNING SKATE: STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS EDITION – APRIL 15, 2017
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
Home Team in Caps
MONTREAL 4, NY Rangers 3 (OT) – series tied 1-1
PITTSBURGH 4, Columbus 1 – PIT leads 2-0
St. Louis 2, MINNESOTA 1 – STL leads 2-0
EDMONTON 2, San Jose 0 – series tied 1-1
OILERS EVEN SERIES WITH FIRST PLAYOFF WIN IN 11 YEARS
Connor McDavid and Zack Kassian each scored shorthanded goals and Cam Talbot (16 saves) registered his first career playoff shutout as the Oilers evened their series with the Sharks.
* Edmonton earned its first playoff win since Game 6 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final, when Jussi Markkanen also posted a 16-save shutout on home ice.
* Elias notes that McDavid (20 years, 91 days) became the youngest Oilers player to score in the postseason since Martin Gelinas (19 years, 319 days) in Game 2 of the 1990 Division Finals vs. LAK. McDavid, who concluded the regular season on a 14-game point streak, has collected a point in each of his first two career playoff contests (1-1—2).
* Elias adds that the Oilers scored multiple shorthanded goals in a playoff game for the eighth time in franchise history (last: Game 4 of 1986 DF at CGY). The last time Edmonton accomplished the feat in the regular season was Feb. 10, 2010 at ANA.
CANADIENS USE LATE HEROICS TO EVEN SERIES AGAINST RANGERS
Tomas Plekanec (1-1—2) tied the game with 17.3 seconds remaining in regulation and Alexander Radulov (1-2—3) scored at 18:34 of overtime as the Canadiens evened their series with the Rangers.
* Radulov registered his first career playoff overtime goal as well as his first three-point game in the postseason. He ranked second on the Canadiens with 18-36—54 this season, his first NHL campaign since 2011-12.
* Elias notes that Plekanec (59:42) scored the latest tying goal in Canadiens playoff history, eclipsing the mark set by Jacques Lemaire (59:36) in Game 1 of the 1975 Semifinals at BUF (6-5 OT L).
CROSBY POWERS PENGUINS TO 2-0 SERIES LEAD . . .
Sidney Crosby (1-2—3) collected a point on each of Pittsburgh’s first three goals to post his 11th career three-point playoff game and lead the Penguins to victory.
* Crosby, who tallied 44-45—89 in 2016-17 to lead the League in goals and share second in points, boosted his career playoff totals to 50-90—140 in 126 games. Elias notes that his average of 1.11 points per game is tied for 10th all-time in Stanley Cup Playoffs history (min. 50 GP); Wayne Gretzky tops the list at 1.84 points per game.
* Crosby ranks third among active players in career playoff points, behind Jaromir Jagr (78-123—201 in 208 GP) and Marian Hossa (52-97—149 in 202 GP). The only other active skater with at least 90 career assists is Joe Thornton (94).
* Additionally, Crosby became the 57th player in NHL history to score 50 career playoff goals (and third to do so with the Penguins). Only four active players have more: Jagr (78), Patrick Marleau (65), Henrik Zetterberg (57) and Hossa (52).
. . . BLUES LEAVE MINNESOTA WITH PAIR OF WINS
After notching the overtime winner in Game 1, defenseman Joel Edmundson opened the scoring on Friday before Jaden Schwartz tallied the go-ahead goal with 2:27 left in regulation to help the Blues leave Minnesota with a 2-0 series lead.
* Edmundson, who scored in consecutive games for the first time, notched his third career playoff goal (3-0—3 in 18 GP) to move within one of matching his total in 136 career regular-season games (4-20—24).
* Elias notes that St. Louis took a 2-0 lead on the road in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoffs series for third time in franchise history – they won each of the other two instances in four games (1993 DSF at CHI and 2001 CSF at DAL).
DID YOU KNOW?
Courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau:
* Teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoffs series hold an all-time series record of 305-48 (86.4%).
* Teams that take a 2-0 lead on the road in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoffs series hold an all-time series record of 71-18 (79.8%).
* When teams are tied 1-1 in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoffs series, the winner of Game 3 holds an all-time series record of 202-97 (67.6%).
LOOSE PUCKS
Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (39 saves) recorded his 55th career playoff victory to surpass Terry Sawchuk for sole possession of 16th place on the NHL’s all-time list. Fleury (102 GP) also surpassed Tom Barrasso (101 GP) to become the all-time franchise playoff leader in games played by a goaltender . . . Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made a career-high 54 saves (regular-season and playoffs) . . . The NHL announced start times for First Round games on Thursday, April 20 . . . ICYMI: The Penguins-Blue Jackets and Capitals-Maple Leafs were mic’d up for Game 1 of their respective series.
SNEAK PEEK AT SATURDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Boston @ Ottawa, BOS leads 1-0, 3 p.m., SN, TVAS, NBC
Toronto @ Washington, WSH leads 1-0, 7 p.m., CBC, TVAS, NBCSN, CSN-DC
Nashville @ Chicago, NSH leads 1-0, 8 p.m., SN, TVAS2, NBC
Calgary @ Anaheim, ANA leads 1-0, 10:30 p.m., CBC, TVAS, NBCSN, FS-W
