NHL Playoff Recaps: Rangers force Game 7, Leafs win first series since 2004, and Oilers advance
The Daily Goal Horn
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NHL Playoff Recaps: April 29, 2023
The Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday watched two teams advance into the next round and another force a Game 7.
Let’s dive into the recaps.
NHL Playoff Recaps: Rangers force Game 7
Rangers 5 vs Devils 2
Chris Kreider had a goal and two assists as New York staved off elimination with a win against visiting New Jersey in Game 6.
The win tied the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at 3-3, with Game 7 set for Monday in New Jersey. Mika Zibanejad and Vladimir Tarasenko each had a goal and an assist, and Adam Fox had two assists for the Rangers. Igor Shesterkin stopped 34 of 36 shots.
“We played a better game,” captain Jacob Trouba said. “This was the first one, but it won’t mean much if we don’t win the next one. We’ve been in this spot before and we know what it takes. Season is on the line and everyone has to bring their A game.”
Curtis Lazar and Dawson Mercer scored for the Devils and Akira Schmid allowed five goals on 29 shots before being replaced by Vitek Vanecek late in the third period.
Puck drop for Game 7 will be at 8 pm.
NHL Playoff Recaps: Leafs finally win a round
John Tavares scored 4:36 into overtime Saturday night as the Toronto Maple Leafs broke a 19-year playoff series drought, beating the host Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 of a first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
Tavares’ OT shot skittered past Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (20 saves) and clinched a Stanley Cup playoff series for the first time since 2004 — with the last three games coming in overtime in Tampa. Auston Matthews scored in regulation, and Ilya Samsonov was sharp in stopping 31 of 32 shots.
By winning for the first time in its last nine playoff series, Toronto will move to the next round to face the winner of Sunday’s Game 7 between the Florida Panthers and host Boston Bruins.
Steven Stamkos scored the only goal for the Lightning.
“It’s been a long time coming, a long time coming for a lot of players in our room, long time coming for myself, long time coming for Leafs Nation. … It’s a big deal,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said. “You see that puck find its way in the net and it’s just an incredible moment. Playoff hockey is incredible. This whole night was incredible.”
NHL.com
Oilers 5 vs Kings 4
Kailer Yamamoto scored with 3:03 left and visiting Edmonton held on to eliminate Los Angeles with a win in Game 6 of a first-round Western Conference playoff series.
Klim Kostin had two goals and an assist, Connor McDavid and Yamamoto each had a goal and an assist and Stuart Skinner made 40 saves for the Oilers, who won the final three games of the series. Kevin Fiala had a goal and two assists, Sean Durzi, Adrian Kempe and Phillip Danault also scored and Joonas Korpisalo made 21 saves for the Kings.
The Oilers went on the man advantage at 6:42 of the third period while holding a 4-3 lead. The puck came to Skinner, and he had time to clear it, but his blade had cracked, allowing Danault to skate in and score short-handed to tie it 4-4 at 7:46. Yamamoto brought the puck from below the goal line and above the left faceoff circle before spinning and shooting through traffic to score the game-winner, his first goal of the series.
–Field Level Media
–The Daily goal Horn contributed to this article