Stanley Cup Playoffs – R1 – Saturday

Saturday’s Stanley Cup Playoff First Round games saw two Game 5s and one Game 6.

 

How things stood after Game 4:

➜ Carolina and Washington tied 2-2

➜ Dallas and Nashville tied 2-2

 

How things stood after Game 5:

➜ Winnipeg trail St. Louis 3-2

 

When a best-of-7 Stanley Cup Playoff series is tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 is 206-55.

 

Dallas Stars v Nashville Predators

5-3

Alexander Radulov and Jason Dickinson both scored twice for the Dallas Stars as they defeated the Nashville Predators 5-3 in Game 5 of the First Round, taking a 3-2 series lead back to Dallas with them.

Tyler Seguin also scored, Jamie Benn had three assists, and Ben Bishop made 30 saves for Dallas, who can eliminated Nashville with a victory in Dallas on Monday.

The line of Seguin, Benn and Radulov combined for seven points (3g, 4a), 16 shots on goal and was +7. Seguin finished with eight shots on goal and won 59.1% of his face-offs (13/22).

Rocco Grimaldi, Ryan Johansen and Kyle Turris scored, and Pekka Rinne made 21 saves for the Predators, who saw the return of forward Brian Boyle, who had an appendectomy last week.

 

 

Winnipeg Jets v St Louis Blues 

2-3

Jaden Schwartz scored a natural hat trick, sending the St. Louis Blues through to the Western Conference Second Round with a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 6, winning their series 4-2.

Schwartz‘s first goal was the third-fastest in St. Louis playoff history. Sergio Momesso (18 seconds, 1990) and Brett Hull (20 seconds, 1995) are the only to do it faster.

Jordan Binnington made 18 saves for the Blues, who outshot the Jets 16-1 in the second period, setting their Stanley Cup Playoff record for fewest shots allowed.

Dustin Byfuglien had a goal and an assist, Bryan Little also scored, and Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves for the Jets, who reached the Western Conference Final last season.

Whilst the second period set new records for the hosts, it also saw the fewest shots in a period in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers playoff history. Winnipeg is also 10-2-0 in their previous 12 games against their opponents.

Up Next:

Jets – Eliminated 

Blues – Advance to Round 2 – Play winner of Predators v Stars (TBD)

 

0-6

Nicklas Backstrom had four points (2g, 2a), and Braden Holtby made 30 saves for the Washington Capitals in a 6-0 shutout win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5, taking a 3-2 series lead, with Game 6 in Carolina on Monday.

Holtby‘s shutout was his seventh in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, passing Olli Kolzig for most in franchise history.

Alex Ovechkin had a goal and two assists, Tom Wilson had a goal and one assist, and Brett Connolly and Nic Dowd also scored for the reigning champions, who went 3-for-4 on power play, whilst their visitors went 0-for-5.

Dowd‘s goal was the first made penalty shot in Capitals’ playoff history.

Backstrom has nine goals in his last ten games and joined Dino Ciccarelli and Evgeny Kuznetsov as the only players in Washington history to have multiple four-point games in the playoffs.

Petr Mrazek made 22 saves for the Hurricanes, who made history themselves; forward Aleksi Saarela became the first player in their history to make his NHL debut in a playoff game.

The team that has scored first in the series has always gone on to win the game.

Up Next:

Capitals v Canes – Monday, April 22 (7pm – NBCSN)

 

How things stand after Game 5:

➜ Carolina trail Washington 3-2

➜ Dallas lead Nashville 3-2

 

How things stand after Game 6:

➜ Jets eliminated by Blues (4-2)

 

KEY

 

ALL TIMES U.S. EASTERN