The primary 10 days of the Stanley Cup Playoffs have offered loads of pleasure and suspense — however little separation.
That’s particularly been the case within the clustered eight-team Western Convention, the place establishing a transparent favourite has been nearly inconceivable.
Every of the 4 first-round collection within the West have been knotted 2-2 earlier than the Dallas Stars grew to become the primary to interrupt the impasse with a 6-2 win towards the visiting Colorado Avalanche in Recreation 5 on Monday night time, giving them a 3-2 lead of their best-of-seven collection.
Dallas coach Pete DeBoer mentioned after the win that he sensed many doubted the Stars following their 4-0 loss in Recreation 4.
“They feed off individuals doubting them,” DeBoer mentioned.
Alternatively, many anticipated the Winnipeg Jets to breeze by the primary spherical after successful the Presidents’ Trophy with the perfect file within the NHL in the course of the common season. As a substitute, the Jets are in a dogfight with the St. Louis Blues, who went 13-2-1 over the ultimate month of the common season to edge out the Calgary Flames for the ultimate wild-card spot from the Western Convention.
The Jets received two shut video games in Winnipeg earlier than the collection shifted to St. Louis, the place the Blues exploded for 7-2 and 5-1 victories to even the collection.
“It’s a best-of-three,” Blues defenseman Colton Parayko mentioned after Recreation 4 on Sunday.
Within the East, in the meantime, all 4 collection stand at 3-1 after the Florida Panthers got here from behind to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 on Monday night time in Dawn, Florida.
A lot of the matchups within the East have been simply as shut and aggressive as these within the West. 9 of the 17 video games have been inside a purpose within the remaining two minutes.
The Toronto Maple Leafs had the primary alternative to advance, however they misplaced 4-3 in extra time to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday — the third straight extra time sport within the collection.
“It’s been shut,” Toronto ahead Matthew Knies mentioned. “It’s nice hockey on the market. I’m certain it’s enjoyable to look at.”
Primarily based on regular-season level totals, the West had the stronger convention heading into the playoffs, notably on the high.
Six of the 9 NHL groups that reached triple digits in factors in the course of the common season compete within the West.
Even the lower-seeded groups within the Western Convention had extra success than their Jap counterparts.
The Flames missed the postseason for the third straight season regardless of accumulating 96 factors, the identical because the Blues, whereas the Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils made the Jap Convention area with 91 factors apiece.
When it got here to particular person goaltending in the course of the common season, no person turned away photographs higher than Connor Hellebuyck of Winnipeg.
He led the NHL in wins (47), goals-against common (2.01) and was an in depth second in save share (.925). However he has struggled mightily within the postseason, notably over the previous two video games.
Hellebuyck surrendered 11 targets on 43 photographs in Video games 3 and 4 and was changed within the third interval of each.
“I’m going to be higher,” Hellebuyck mentioned after giving up 5 targets on 18 photographs in Sunday’s 5-1 loss to the Blues. “That’s my job and that’s the foot that I’m placing ahead. I can’t be giving up this many targets.”
He’s not alone.
Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Lightning joined Hellebuyck as finalists for the Vezina Trophy — awarded yearly to the NHL’s high goalie — however they’ve additionally been subpar within the playoffs.
Kuemper had the second-best GAA in the course of the common season (2.02), however ranks twentieth (3.74) within the postseason. Vasilevskiy had the fourth-best mark (2.18), however is presently fifteenth (2.79) within the playoffs.
The most popular goalie has been Frederik Andersen of the Carolina Hurricanes, however he left within the second interval of Sunday’s 5-2 win towards the Devils after New Jersey ahead Timo Meier collided with him.
Getting helped off the ice was an ominous signal for Andersen, who missed almost three months of the common season after present process knee surgical procedure in November.
Pyotr Kochetkov would begin Recreation 5 on Tuesday if Andersen is unavailable.
“He’s a succesful goalie,” Carolina captain Jordan Staal mentioned of Kochetkov. “We’ve all the time been snug with both goalie.”
The NHL’s high scorers have remained productive within the postseason.
Nathan MacKinnon of the Avalanche grew to become the primary participant with 5 playoff targets when he scored on Monday night time.
Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers — the highest-scoring teammates within the NHL over the previous seven seasons — have every recorded 9 factors by 4 video games, tied with Adrian Kempe of the Kings for the postseason lead.
Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, who broke Wayne Gretzky’s NHL profession scoring file late within the season earlier than ending with 44 targets, has maintained his contact with three targets by 4 video games, together with his first profession extra time playoff winner in Recreation 1.
Tampa Bay ahead Nikita Kucherov, who led the league with 121 factors in 78 video games in the course of the common season, has 4 assists by the primary three video games.
William Nylander of the Maple Leafs, who scored the second-most targets behind Draisaitl in the course of the common season (45), has only one purpose by 4 video games, however has added 5 assists.