Overtime made an unlikely hero out of a New York Islander, a team fired 11 shots on goal and won the game, two clubs staved off elimination and the Los Angeles Kings were dethroned by the San Jose Sharks.
Here are four things we learned in the NHL on Friday night.
Neuvirth worth every penny
Uh oh, Capitals.
With a series lead of 3-1 prior to Friday’s game, the Washington Capitals were set to win at home and put the Philadelphia Flyers away. But Michal Neuvirth said no, and the Flyers shut out the Caps 2-0.
The Flyers’ skaters, however, seemed to do everything they could to tempt Washington into running over them.
The shots on goal were 44-11 in Washington’s favour and the difference in shot attempts were even more extreme. Alex Ovechkin himself had eight shots on goal. Neuvirth has now stopped 75 of 76 shots faced in the two games he’s played in this series. The 11 shots for were a franchise worst for Philly.
Neuvirth was originally drafted by the Caps in 2006, 34th overall, and played nine playoff games with the club. He was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in 2014 for goaltender Jarslav Halak (who knows what it’s like to stonewall the Caps in the playoffs), traded to the New York Islanders a year later and then signed with the Flyers in July of 2015.
The Capitals now lead the series 3-2. The teams will play Sunday at noon.
Capitals lose consecutive regulation games for first time this season
Uh oh, Capitals. Another reason to sweat your Game 5 loss.
The Caps did not lose consecutive regulation games all year until Friday night, though one could see some signs of the team slowing down near the end of the regular season. In their last 10 contests, they went 4-3-3 and were shut out three times.
Of course, that doesn’t explain how they were able to get out in front of the Flyers 3-0 before dropping two (see above).
PENALTY SHOT IN OT!!!!!1
There was a penalty shot in overtime — OMG OMG OMG!
It was stopped.
In the first overtime period between the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers, Islanders defenceman Calvin de Haan placed his hand on the puck while he was in his goalie’s crease. Aleksander Barkov was given a chance to score in the most exciting play in hockey. Thomas Greiss stoned him.
But what’s most remarkable is that not only was it just the third overtime penalty shot in NHL history but that 44-year-old Jaromir Jagr has been involved in all three of those games.
The Islanders went on to win in double overtime. Ouch.
Meanwhile, in the Sharks-Kings game, Patrick Marleau had a penalty shot of his own with San Jose already up 3-0 in the second period but he was stopped by Jonathan Quick.
Vincent Lecavalier‘s last game?
The San Jose Sharks eliminated the Los Angeles Kings Friday night in a 6-3 thriller. What an accomplishment and a major hurdle for the Sharks to jump.
Amid all of the stories surrounding this heavyweight series is the probable retirement of Kings forward Vincent Lecavalier who, it’s understood, agreed to end his career after this year’s playoff run.
In addition to Lecavalier’s 949 career points, he won a Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning and scored 56 points in 75 playoff games. In 2006-07, he won the Rocket Richard trophy for most goals in the NHL. He was chosen first overall by Tampa in the 1998 entry draft.
Is he a Hall-of-Famer?
BONUS:
NHL arenas provided tributes when the late David Bowie died, and for Prince it was no different Friday night.
Katie Brown on Twitter
I believe I just heard @Bruce_CapsOrgan playing Purple Rain.
