Stanley Cup Playoffs Day 16: Kraken, Panthers continue to surprise with Game 1 wins

Scott Maxwell
Scott Maxwell(scotmaxw)
May 3, 2023, 01:24 EDTUpdated: May 3, 2023, 07:46 EDT
Stanley Cup Playoffs Day 16: Kraken, Panthers continue to surprise with Game 1 wins
Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Florida Panthers and the Seattle Kraken were the biggest stories in the first round with their upset wins over the Presidents’ Trophy winning Boston Bruins and the defending Stanley Cup champs in the Colorado Avalanche, and they reminded everyone that they still shouldn’t be written off with Game 1 wins.

It was an exciting night to kick off the second round, so let’s dive into all the action.

Panthers stay hot with 4-2 win to take series lead over Maple Leafs

It’s funny, you don’t hear a whole lot about winning streaks in the playoffs. Partially because they don’t happen a ton since teams are playing the same opponent and usually going back and forth, but they aren’t given as much attention as they are in the regular season, which is weird when the winning streak arguably matters more.

Well, the Florida Panthers have themselves a decent winning streak, as they’ve now won four in a row after three straight to upset the Boston Bruins, and now another one to take a 1-0 series lead against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Many wondered who would have the momentum out of the gate with the Panthers coming off their comeback and the Leafs exorcising their demons, and as it turns out, it was both. The Leafs dominated the play to start, but it was the Panthers who opened the scoring with a goal from Nick Cousins. The Panthers carried that momentum into the second period with another goal from an Aaron Ekblad shot that deflected off of Sam Bennett’s stick and in. But the Leafs rebound quickly, as Matthew Knies scored just 11 seconds later with a beauty for his first NHL goal.

Seven minutes later and the Leafs tied it up, this time with a redemption goal from Michael Bunting after a series to forget against Tampa Bay. It seemed like a whole new hockey game, but that only lasted for 2:56 before Carter Verhaeghe notched the eventual game-winning goal to make it 3-2. Brandon Montour added some insurance on a delayed penalty goal midway through the third period, and the Panthers win Game 1 by a score of 4-2.

Matthew Tkachuk quietly led the way in scoring again, with three assists on the night on all but Verhaeghe’s game-winner, while behind him were Bennett with a goal and an assist, and Aleksander Barkov with two assists. Sergei Bobrovsky stole the show as well with 34 saves on 36 shots to keep the Leafs at bay.

Pavelski’s four-goal game in return not enough as Kraken hang on with OT win

You’d think that people would stop doubting the Seattle Kraken after their first round upset over the Colorado Avalanche, but many still thought they didn’t stand a chance against the Dallas Stars. Well, they reminded everyone that they mean business with a 5-4 overtime win in Dallas.

The Stars looked like they’d put the Kraken in their place to start the game, as Joe Pavelski (you’ll see that name a lot here) scored the opening goal just 2:25 into the first in his first game since his injury in Round 1 against the Minnesota Wild. Even when Jaden Schwartz scored the tying goal midway through the period, the Stars responded less than a minute later with another goal from Pavelski, and looked to be ready for anything.

But then the wheels fell off. In a span of just 52 seconds, Justin Schultz, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Jordan Eberle scored, and suddenly the Kraken were in control. They didn’t add to the lead in the second, but they dominated the play and made sure that the Stars weren’t getting any looks, and that 4-2 lead held going into the third period.

Luckily for the Stars, Joe Pavelski was a man on a mission in Game 1. Just before the midway point of the third, he gave the Stars life with his hat trick goal, and less than four minutes later he tied the game with his fourth of the game and arguably the prettiest one, becoming the oldest player in NHL history to score four goals in a playoff game. That score held for the rest of the frame, and we’d get some overtime action to start this series.

The Stars kept that momentum going into overtime, as they held the edge in expected goals with 0.92 to the Kraken’s 0.39. But as they always say, “expected by whom?”, because it was the Kraken that got the winner from Yanni Gourde to give the Kraken the 5-4 overtime win, and they take a 1-0 series lead as a result. Pavelski was the star of the show with his four goals, Max Domi had three assists as well for the Stars, while the Kraken once again won by committee with 11 different point getters, with Jordan Eberle being the lone player with two.

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