SATURDAY RESULT
Tampa 3 Washington 2
LIGHTNING HANG ON FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WIN, TAKE 3-2 SERIES LEAD
The Lightning built a 3-0 lead and held off a Capitals rally – that saw Washington outshoot Tampa Bay 24-8 over the final 40 minutes – to earn their third consecutive victory and the first home win of the series. Tampa Bay needs one win to clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in franchise history (also 2004 and 2015).
The Lightning built a 3-0 lead and held off a Capitals rally – that saw Washington outshoot Tampa Bay 24-8 over the final 40 minutes – to earn their third consecutive victory and the first home win of the series. Tampa Bay needs one win to clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in franchise history (also 2004 and 2015).
* The Lightning also sit one win shy of becoming the first NHL team to lose Games 1 and 2 at home and rally to win a Conference Finals/Semifinals series (since 1974-75). Only two clubs have accomplished the feat when falling behind 2-0 on the road: the 1984 Islanders (vs. MTL) and 1991 Penguins (vs. BOS) both won in six games after losing Games 1 and 2.
* Tampa Bay, who overcame a 2-0 series deficit to defeat Washington in the 2003 Conference Quarterfinals, also heads into Game 6 on Monday looking to become the first team to earn four consecutive victories at any point in the Conference Finals since 2013 when Boston swept Pittsburgh. With three straight wins, Vegas is in position to do the same on Sunday in Winnipeg.
* Washington, meanwhile, hopes to shift history’s course as they look to become the eighth team to overcome a 3-2 deficit to win a Conference Finals/Semifinals series (since 1974-75) after splitting Games 1-4. The Penguins were the last team to do so, rallying past the Lightning in 2016 en route to winning the Stanley Cup.
* The Lightning also sit one win shy of becoming the first NHL team to lose Games 1 and 2 at home and rally to win a Conference Finals/Semifinals series (since 1974-75). Only two clubs have accomplished the feat when falling behind 2-0 on the road: the 1984 Islanders (vs. MTL) and 1991 Penguins (vs. BOS) both won in six games after losing Games 1 and 2.
* Tampa Bay, who overcame a 2-0 series deficit to defeat Washington in the 2003 Conference Quarterfinals, also heads into Game 6 on Monday looking to become the first team to earn four consecutive victories at any point in the Conference Finals since 2013 when Boston swept Pittsburgh. With three straight wins, Vegas is in position to do the same on Sunday in Winnipeg.
* Washington, meanwhile, hopes to shift history’s course as they look to become the eighth team to overcome a 3-2 deficit to win a Conference Finals/Semifinals series (since 1974-75) after splitting Games 1-4. The Penguins were the last team to do so, rallying past the Lightning in 2016 en route to winning the Stanley Cup.
LIGHTNING-FAST STARTS BECOMING A TREND IN 2018
Tampa Bay’s Cedric Paquette opened the scoring at 0:19 of the first period, six seconds shy of the franchise record for fastest goal to begin a playoff game.
* Paquette scored the second-fastest goal to begin a contest in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, trailing only Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov in Game 1 of the Second Round vs. PIT (0:17). Teams that score a goal in the opening minute of regulation in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs improved to 6-2 in those contests.
* The NHL record for fastest goal to begin a playoff contest is six seconds, a mark set by Kings forward Don Kozak in Game 4 of the 1977 Quarterfinals vs. BOS, while the fastest to begin a contest in the Conference Finals/Semifinals is seven seconds, a mark set by Canadiens forward Bob Gainey in Game 6 of the 1977 Semifinals at NYI.
KUZNETSOV SETS FRANCHISE RECORD, MOVES CLOSER TO MATCHING ANOTHER
Evgeny Kuznetsov scored while celebrating his 26th birthday to extend his point streak to eight games (6-7—13) and boost his totals to 11-11—22 in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, tops in the NHL. He established a franchise record for most points in a postseason, eclipsing the mark set by Alex Ovechkin in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs (11-10—21).
* Kuznetsov became the second player in franchise history to record at least one point in eight-plus consecutive team games in a postseason. He joined Nicklas Backtrom, who posted a nine-game point streak in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs (3-8—11).
* Kuznetsov and Ovechkin each scored their 11th goal of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs to match the second-highest total in one postseason by a Capitals player. Ovechkin (11-10—21), one of four players with 21 points in 2018, scored his 57th career playoff goal to move into a tie for fourth place among active NHL players, trailing only Patrick Marleau (72), Sidney Crosby (66) and Evgeni Malkin (62).
SNEAK PEEK AT SUNDAY’S ACTION
The expansion Vegas Golden Knights visit the Winnipeg Jets for a Game 5 matinee, needing only one win to extend their record-breaking Cinderella season into the Stanley Cup Final. The Golden Knights, who had just two players under contract at this time last year, aim to become the sixth team in NHL history to reach the Final in their first trip to the playoffs. The 1968 St. Louis Blues (first season) and 1996 Florida Panthers (third season) are the only clubs to achieve that feat in the modern era (since 1943-44).
The Jets have won 37 of 49 home games in 2017-18 (regular-season and playoffs) and have lost consecutive contests at Bell MTS Place only three times all year (Feb. 9-11, Feb. 20-27 and Games 4 & 6 of the Second Round vs. NSH).
No comments:
Post a Comment