Second round notebook
Hockey pundit delves into the second round of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs
The most dangerous line of the 2018 postseason belongs to the Boston Bruins.
Centre Patrice Bergeron and wingers Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak played a critical role in the Bruins’ seven-game elimination of the Toronto Maple Leafs, with Pastrnak collecting 13 points, Marchand nine and Bergeron seven.
They made their presence felt in Game 1 of their secondround series with the Tampa Bay Lightning, collecting a total of 11 points in a 6-2 victory. Entering Game 2 on Monday, Pastrnak (17 points), Marchand (12 points) and Bergeron (11) sat among this spring’s top-five scorers.
It’s worth noting the Bruins struggled when that trio was held off the scoresheet by the Leafs.
Expect the Lightning to put a greater emphasis on shutting down Boston’s high-scoring threesome.
Familiarity breeds contempt
For the third straight year, the Washington Capitals face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Penguins won the last two series, as well as seven of the previous eight between the two clubs.
As this series shifts to Pittsburgh for Game 3 tied at a game apiece, it could be makeor-break for this version of the Capitals. If they fall short again, changes could be coming. Head coach Barry Trotz’s contract expires in June, prompting speculation he won’t be back.
A roster shakeup is another possibility.
Superstar Alex Ovechkin and linemate Evgeny Kuznetsov aren’t going anywhere, but centre Nicklas Backstrom - with only two years left on his contract - could become a trade candidate. Meanwhile, defenceman John Carlson could depart via free agency in July.
Going toe-to-toe
The Nashville PredatorsWinnipeg Jets series is an interesting matchup of the regular season’s top-two teams.
The Jets stole Game 1 thanks to superb goaltending by Connor Hellebuyck, but the Predators took the second game with a thrilling 5-4 double-overtime victory.
This series could be the most entertaining of the second round. Both clubs are evenly matched, possessing considerable depth throughout their rosters.
The outcome could be determined by each club’s leading scorers.
Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele already has four goals in just two games. Nashville’s Filip Forsberg was held scoreless in the first game, but collected three assists in Game 2.
These Knights aren’t so chivalrous
The Vegas Golden Knights’ incredible inaugural performance has carried over into their first-ever postseason. They swept the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round and hammered the San Jose Sharks with a 7-0 victory in Game 1 of their second-round series.
A double-overtime 4-3 defeat in Game 2 ended the Golden Knights five-game playoff win streak. Still, it’s obvious this first-year team must be taken seriously as a postseason opponent.
Marc-Andre Fleury has thus far played a critical role in the Golden Knights’ postseason success.
Entering Game 3 on Tuesday, the 33-year-old goaltender led all playoff starters with a 1.00 goals-against average, a .967 save percentage and three shutouts.
If he maintains this impressive level of play, Vegas has a good shot at reaching the Conference Finals.