NHL Playoff Recaps: Wild dim Stars in double OT, Kings rally, Bruins and Canes open strong
The Daily Goal Horn
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NHL Playoff Recaps: April 17, 2023
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway with four series opening on Monday night.
Each game was close and entertaining with two matches needing overtime to decide a winner. Let’s dive into the recaps.
NHL Playoffs Recaps: Wild win in 2OT
Wild 3 vs Stars 2 (2OT)
Ryan Hartman scored 12:20 into the second overtime to give the visiting Minnesota Wild a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Monday.
Kirill Kaprizov and Sam Steel also scored for the Wild, while Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson tallied for Dallas. Game 2 will be Wednesday, also in Dallas.
The Stars outshot the Wild 53-48, with Minnesota’s Filip Gustavsson making 51 saves, including 26 in the overtimes, and Dallas’ Jake Oettinger recording 45, including 12 after regulation.
After a scoreless third period and first overtime, Hartman corralled a loose puck in the Dallas zone before wristing a forehand past Oettinger to end the longest playoff game in Wild franchise history. It was his first career playoff overtime goal, and Steel added an assist on the play.
Bruins 3 vs Panthers 1
Brad Marchand’s 50th career playoff goal was the ultimate difference maker as host Boston began its Eastern Conference first-round series with a win over Florida. Game 2 will be Wednesday, also in Boston.
Marchand, who tallied at 3:41 of the second period, is the eighth active NHL player with that milestone and joins current team president Cam Neely (55) as the second-ever Bruin to reach that mark. David Pastrnak and Jake DeBrusk also scored for Boston, and Linus Ullmark made 31 saves.
Matthew Tkachuk scored and Alex Lyon stopped 26 shots for Florida.
NHL Playoff Recaps: Kings slip up Oilers
Kings 4 vs Oilers 3 (OT)
Alex Iafallo scored the overtime winner as Los Angeles erased a two-goal deficit in the third-period and edged host Edmonton in the opening game of their Western Conference first-round playoff series. Game 2 of the best-of-seven series will be Wednesday in Edmonton.
Anze Kopitar scored once in a four-point outing and Adrian Kempe tallied two goals for the Kings, who were without a pair of key forwards in Kevin Fiala and Gabriel Vilardi due to injuries. Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo made 37 saves and Viktor Arvidsson collected two assists.
Leon Draisaitl scored twice, and Evan Bouchard found the back of the net once for the Oilers. Goalie Stuart Skinner stopped 31 shots. Captain Connor McDavid, who led the NHL with 64 goals and 153 points in the regular season, was held off the scoresheet.
Hurricanes 2 vs Islanders 1
Sebastian Aho and Stefan Noesen scored on power plays, and host Carolina held on to defeat New York in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series in Raleigh, N.C.
Hurricanes goalie Antti Raanta made 25 saves. His rejection of Brock Nelson’s shot with 33 seconds to play and his denial of Bo Horvat in the waning moments helped seal the outcome. Brent Burns and Martin Necas both had assists on each of Carolina’s power-play goals.
Ryan Pulock scored for the Islanders, who failed to produce on a power play that began with just under five minutes remaining in the third period. Goalie Ilya Sorokin stopped 35 shots.
–Field Level Media