It's National Superhero and Bravehearts Day, which seems fitting for the NHL teams looking for extra efforts and playoff victories today.
The Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers are looking to take 3-1 series leads in Nashville and Los Angeles, respectively, while the Winnipeg Jets will be aiming to level their first-round series against the Avalanche at 2-2 in Mile High City. The host Washington Capitals need a win to avoid a sweep against the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers.
Here are five things to know about the NHL playoffs:
RAT'S A BIG CHEESE IN PLAYOFFS
Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe believes Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins has reached "elite level" at drawing penalties, real or otherwise. The Rat, as he's commonly known — but called other things as well — can also be an elite pest to rivals' playoff plans, as Keefe and the Maple Leafs were again reminded.
Marchand became the Bruins' all-time leading playoff goal-scorer last night with his 56th as Boston squashed the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 to grab a 3-1 lead in the teams' first-round playoff series.
The second period power-player marker was also Marchand's 12th playoff goal at Air Canada Centre/Scotiabank Arena to tie Bryan Trottier for the most ever by a visiting player at an opposing arena. The 35-year-old Bruins' captain has three goals and five assists in this series.
TAKING ONE (OR TWO) FOR THE TEAM
Brock Boeser has bought into coach Rick Tocchet's "embrace the pain" mantra in the first three games of the Vancouver Canucks-Nashville Predators playoff series.
Expect his net-front presence to continue tonight at Bridgestone Arena, no matter how many times the Predators whack, hook and smash The Flow in front of their goaltender and net.
The six-foot-one Boeser, who scored 40 goals during the regular season, had a power-play goal and one of the 12 shots the Canucks registered in Friday's 2-1 victory in Smashville. He also provided a screen that allowed J.T. Miller to score a power-play goal to open the scoring. The Canucks lead the first-round series 2-1.
BOLTS GET SURPRISE JOLT
The Tampa Bay Lightning avoided the handshake line last night with an impressive 6-3 win over the visiting Florida Panthers.
Steve Stamkos, who scored two goals for the Bolts in trimming their best-of-seven series deficit to 3-1, pointed to the surprise and emotional return of defenceman Mikhail Sergachev as a much-needed jolt of energy.
Sergachev, who broke his left leg in early February and appeared done for the season, received a lengthy and extra loud ovation from the Tampa Bay crowd during player introductions.
Bolts' coach Jon Cooper called it a stirring moment. Stamkos said it gave him the chills.
REMPE TUNES OUT BOO-BIRDS
Matt Rempe knows he's a villain on the road and fan favourite at home. He also knows he'll be booed from go-to-whoa tonight when his visiting New York Rangers try to sweep the Washington Capitals.
The 6-foot-7 Ranger rookie doesn't care, adding he thought his hit on Trevor van Riemsdyk in Game 3 was clean and that he never meant to injure the Caps' defenceman.
Washington coach Spencer Carberry said Rempe lives on a "fine line" bordering player safety and dangerous play but preferred to focus on preventing a first-round sweep and not what happened Friday.
PAPA PATROLS BLUE LINE
With two days off between Games 3 and 4, Toronto defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin flew to California to be with wife Diana following the birth of the couple's third child and first daughter.
Acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in February, the Russian defenceman missed Friday's practice, but was back in Toronto hours later. It was the first time Lyubushkin had seen his wife and kids since early March.
He played 17 1/2 minutes last night and had an assist and nine hits in the Maple Leafs 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2024.
The Canadian Press
