Stanley Cup Playoffs Day 5: Leafs & Bruins rebound while Wild & Oilers get another blowout win

Scott Maxwell
Scott Maxwell
Stanley Cup Playoffs Day 5: Leafs & Bruins rebound while Wild & Oilers get another blowout win
Credit: © Kirby Lee

It was the first night the lower seeds got to show their opponents what they’re made of in their own buildings, and as you’ll see, most of them didn’t really have much to show.

Missed anything? Here’s a recap of the night’s action.

The Bruins aren’t done yet

In a series that many saw as the closest between the division winners and wild card teams, the Carolina Hurricanes have had the Boston Bruins number for the first two games. Even with Canes starting goaltender Frederik Andersen out early so far this series, and backup goalie Antti Raanta hurt in Game 2, they outscored the Bruins 10-3 in the first two games. Game 3 is a huge one for the Bruins, as 3-0 series deficits are hard to come back from.

It seemed like it would be more Carolina domination early on, as Vincent Trocheck opened the scoring for the Canes. But late in the first, Charlie Coyle scored a shorthanded goal, and the Bruins didn’t look back.

Coyle scored the first of four consecutive goals for the Bruins, as Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, and Taylor Hall all chipped in over the course of the game to help get the Bruins their first win of the series. Jaccob Slavin made it interesting midway through the third period, but it never really got close, and the Bruins would cut the series deficit in half with a 4-2 win.

Another big reason for the Bruins victory was the play of goaltender Jeremy Swayman, who got his first career postseason start after Linus Ullmark struggled in the first two games. It proved to be the right move, as he stopped 25 of 27 shots in the win. For the Canes, Pyotr Kochetkov couldn’t quite recapture the Game 2 magic as he allowed four goals on 28 shots.

We also saw a very scary situation in Boston, as the timeout coordinator in the penalty box was knocked unconscious by a piece of falling glass that was knocked out of place. He was stretchered off the ice, and was awake and speaking.

The Wild can’t stop, won’t stop

While many may have expected to see a big bounce-back game from the St. Louis Blues, the Minnesota Wild didn’t seem to care. They had a lot of momentum from their Game 2 blowout win, and they followed it with another blowout win in Game 3.

Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek were the stars of the show in Game 2, and they carried that momentum into Game 3 with a goal and an assist each. But, they also got some scoring from other parts of the lineup, as Jordan Greenway and Mats Zuccarello helped contribute to the Wild’s 4-0 lead, while Jonas Brodin got the empty net goal to seal the deal in a 5-1 victory.

Marc-Andre Fleury had another excellent game in net as well after a poor Game 1, stopping 29 of the 30 shots he faced. On the other side of the rink, Ville Husso allowed at least four goals for the second straight game, so you have to wonder if they turn to Cup winner Jordan Binnington in Game 4.

Kane, Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins score seven of the Oilers’ eight goals in rout over Kings

It seems like the overarching theme of the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl era of the Edmonton Oilers has been the overreliance on those two stars, and the lack of depth scoring elsewhere. That narrative may be coming to an end, as those two were held to just two points each in a night where the Oilers won 8-2.

Draisaitl did open the scoring for the Oilers, but it was other members of their top six that contributed to the scoring. Big free agent signing Zach Hyman got his first two playoff goals as an Edmonton Oiler, although both were assisted by either Draisaitl or McDavid. The more controversial midseason signing in Evander Kane made an impact in a big way, scoring two to get the Oilers to their initial 5-0 lead, and then finished the Kings off with the eighth goal to complete the hat trick, his first in his playoff career. And then former first overall pick and longtime Oiler Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a two-goal game of his own late in the third, getting goals six and seven for the Oilers to put the game out of reach when the Kings were starting to make a comeback.

When it was all said and done, the Oilers got eight goals in a game where their stars weren’t carrying the team. Getting those kind of wins is going to be important for the Oilers if they want to be legitimate Cup contenders.

They also got another big performance from Mike Smith, who made 44 saves in the win and has certainly bounced back from a weak Game 1. Jonathan Quick had another poor performance in net for the Kings, and Cal Petersen didn’t provide much relief, as both netminders allowed four goals in the loss.

Speaking of goaltender performances, Daily Faceoff’s own Mike McKenna got some action in between the benches tonight for the broadcast, and proved to be just as reliable as he was in net.

Jack Campbell and the depth scoring shine for the Leafs in Tampa Bay

Speaking of stealing games when your superstars aren’t on their game, this has been an issue that’s plagued the Toronto Maple Leafs throughout the Auston Matthews era, and their downfall has always been the depth not being able to win them a game from time to time. Friday, they got just that with a 5-2 win where Matthews, John Tavares, and William Nylander were held pointless, and Mitch Marner had just one point on the power play. For more on just how they did it against the Tampa Bay Lightning, check out Matt Larkin’s piece on the game here.

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