Kubalik stars for Chicago as Oilers stunned in opener
CHICAGO 6 EDMONTON 4 Chicago leads series 1-0
EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers’ high-powered offence has shone all season, but as NHL elimination play began on Saturday Dominik Kubalik stole the show.
Kubalik, the 24-year-old Czech rookie, scored two goals and added three assists, leading his Chicago Blackhawks to a 6-4 win over the host Oilers in the opener of their best-of-five qualifying round series. Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews added a pair of goals and an assist.
“We got scored on in the first couple of minutes, but we came back pretty quick,” said Kubalik, a Calder Trophy finalist. “I felt really good. Everything went my way, so obviously it’s nice, but it’s just the first game. We’ve got to keep going.”
Captain Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists for Edmonton. He said the Oilers first need to review the game tape and go from there.
“There’s lots that needs to get done,” McDavid said.
“It wasn’t good from the start. I thought we did a better job as the game went on of keeping it simple. That’s what our team needs to do ultimately is be simpler.”
McDavid was asked after the game if Edmonton, as the fifth seed in the Western Conference, took bottom-seeded Chicago too lightly. “It’s a team that has had so much success in the past,” McDavid said.
“They’re battle-tested and they came out and did exactly what we thought they would do, and we just weren’t ready.”
Kubalik’s game was a continuation of his torrid scoring pace in the regular season. He racked up 30 goals and 16 assists before play was halted in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Wednesday’s exhibition game against St. Louis, he had two goals and an assist.
Chicago took control early on Saturday.
The Hawks blitzed the Oilers with four goals in the first 13 minutes of the game to take a 4-1 lead.
Kubalik then scored twice in the second period, his first goal chasing starter Mike Smith from the Oilers net (five goals on 23 shots), and his second getting past Smith’s replacement, Mikko Koskinen, to make it 6-2.
Three of Edmonton’s goals came on the power play.
Things looked good for the Oilers, and their top-ranked power play, early in the first period. The Hawks took a penalty and McDavid walked in from the faceoff circle and fired a wrist shot over the right shoulder of Hawks goalie Corey Crawford to make it 1-0 at the 2:34 mark.
Then the wheels came off.
MONTREAL 3 PITTSBURGH 2 (OT) Montreal leads series 1-0
TORONTO — Jeff Petry scored at 13:57 of overtime, Carey Price made 39 saves and the underdog Montreal Canadiens beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on Saturday to open their best-of-five qualifying round series.
Petry picked up a loose puck in the right faceoff circle and ripped a shot through Murray before being mobbed by teammates.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki had the goals in regulation for Montreal, the Eastern Conference’s No. 12 seed in the league’s 24-team resumption of play.
Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust replied for Pittsburgh, the No. 5 seed in the East, which will look to rebound in Monday’s Game 2.
Matt Murray stopped 32 shots inside an empty Scotiabank Arena.
Jonathan Drouin had a chance to win it for Montreal earlier in overtime on a penalty shot when he was held on a breakaway, but the puck rolled off the end of his stick and dribbled wide.
Tied 2-2 through 40 minutes, Montreal killed off a 5-on-3 Pittsburgh power play for 1:32 early in the third period despite some sustained pressure.
Both teams then failed to connect on 5-on-4 advantages, with Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin coming closest from the slot.