CAPITALS 3 @ PENGUINS 5
Series tied 2-2
Goaltending match-up: Simeon Varlamov (23/28, .821 SV%) vs. Marc-Andre Fleury (19/22, .864 SV%)
Net notes: Varlamov’s playoff mark before tonight was 6-3 with 1.64/ .942 splits and two shutouts. MAF had a 5-4 record with 2.55/ .913 splits before the puck dropped tonight.
Alexander Ovechkin Sergei Fedorov Viktor Kozlov
Brooks Laich Nicklas Backstrom Alexander Semin
Matt Bradley Dave Steckel Chris Clark
Chris Kunitz Sidney Crosby Bill Guerin
Ruslan Fedotenko Evgeni Malkin Max Talbot
Matt Cooke Jordan Staal Tyler Kennedy
Key notes: Alexander Ovechkin (1A, even, 2 PIM, 25:22 ice time, 6:22 PP, 0:03 PK, 2 SOG) had 13 points overall and six in this series before collecting more here. He has goals in six of seven coming in too.
Nicklas Backstrom (1G, -1, 2 PIM, 21:27 ice time, 5:45 PP, 1:19 PK, 4 SOG, 8-7 FO) had just been ringing up assists in these playoffs until the last game, but he has markers back-to-back now thanks to an early strike here. He had 11 points overall coming in here. Alexander Semin (1A, -3, 21:21 ice time, 5:24 PP, 2:04 PK, 4 SOG) also had 11 points headed into this start. Mike Green (1A, -2, 26:09 ice time, 6:22 PP, 3:42 PK, 3 SOG) has collected points in six of his past seven now.
This was Chris Clark’s (1G, +1, 2 PIM, 8:40 ice time, no PP, no PK, 2 SOG) fifth game of the playoffs and first time in the scoring summary. Matt Bradley (1A, +1, 11:27 ice time, no PP, 3:31 PK, 2 SOG) had four points in six games before tonight, while Boyd Gordon (1A, +1, 9:34 ice time, no PP, 5:13 PK, 3-2 FO) had two points in the playoffs coming in.
Sidney Crosby (1G, 1A, +1, 18:06 ice time, 9:24 PP, no PK, 4 SOG, 7-9 FO) has points in nine of 10 games in these playoffs and that totalled 14 points before adding more here. This was his third consecutive multi-point effort and sixth overall. Bill Guerin (1G, +2, 16:24 ice time, 6:51 PP, no PK, 1 SOG) had gone seven games without a goal before putting home a Crosby rebound in the first period and he has points in four of five. Chris Kunitz (1A, -1, 14:10 ice time, 4:00 PP, no PK, 1 SOG, 0-1 FO) has helped out on goals in three of four in this series.
Sergei Gonchar (1G, +1, 6:10 ice time, 1:57 PP, 0:38 PK, 2 SOG) got his first goal of the series thanks to a screened PP blast. He has points in each game vs. WAS. He was taken out by a knee-on-knee hit from Ovechkin near the end of the first period and he did not return.
Jordan Staal (1A, even, 19:38 ice time, 1:36 PP, 3:53 PK, 1 SOG, 6-6 FO) had gone eight games without a point, while Ruslan Fedotenko (1G, 1A, +2, 14:10 ice time, 2:06 PP, no PK, 2 SOG, 0-1 FO) has goals back-to-back and in three of five. Miroslav Satan got his first point in his fourth start. Max Talbot (1G, even, 16:01 ice time, 0:07 PP, 1:50 PK, 2 SOG, 0-3 FO) has points back-to-back and he got a big goal in the third to give his team some breathing room.
BRUINS 1 @ HURRICANES 4
Hurricanes lead series 3-1
Goaltending match-up: Tim Thomas (27/31, .871 SV%) vs. Cam Ward (20/21, .952 SV%)
Net notes: Thomas had a 5-2 record with 1.71/ .941 splits coming in here. Ward had a 6-4 mark with 2.07/ .935 peripherals and a pair of shutouts.
Milan Lucic Marc Savard Phil Kessel
Mark Recchi Patrice Bergeron Chuck Kobasew
Blake Wheeler David Krejci Michael Ryder
Ray Whitney Eric Staal Erik Cole
Chad LaRose Matt Cullen Matt Walker
Sergei Samsonov Jussi Jokinen Tuomo Ruutu
Key notes: Marc Savard (1G, -1, 2 PIM, 17:12 ice time, 2:01 PP, 2:15 PK, 3 SOG, 9-4 FO) hadn’t managed a PPP since the first few games of the last series. He had three points in the first three starts of this series. Mark Recchi (1A, even, 15:28 ice time, 1:48 PP, no PK, 1 SOG) has points back-to-back after going four without one, while Michael Ryder (1A, -1, 12:40 ice time, 1:11 PP, no PK, 3 SOG) had been shut down in the past two affairs after racking up nine points in the first five games.
Eric Staal (2G, +1, 18:19 ice time, 4:00 PP, 0:52 PK, 5 SOG, 5-12 FO) has come up with goals in three straight of the four games in this match-up and he already had seven markers overall before tonight. Ray Whitney (1A, even, 17:48 ice time, 4:00 PP, no PK, 4 SOG) , who had seven points in the first round, finally got on the scoreboard in this series.
Jussi Jokinen (1G, 2A, +2, 17:04 ice time, 2:25 PP, 0:22 PK, 1 SOG, 2-7 FO) is quickly becoming a crowd favourite and he now has goals in six of his past eight starts after his go-ahead goal in the third period. Rod Brind’Amour (1A, even, 2 PIM, 11:57 ice time, 2:25 PP, 1:47 PK, no SOG, 5-9 FO) and Anton Babchuk (1A, even, 2 PIM, 13:34 ice time, 2:43 PP, no PK, 1 SOG) hadn’t gotten a single point before tonight.
Sergei Samsonov (1G, +2, 2 PIM, 16:16 ice time, 2:40 PP, no PK, 1 SOG) has potted goals back-to-back and his backhander ensured an early evening finish for this live blogger. Tuomo Ruutu (1A, +1, 2 PIM, 13:09 ice time, no PP, no PK, 2 SOG, 1-1 FO) has helpers in three of five.