Victory over Kings shakes off Oilers' Game 1 woes
Don't scold fans of the Edmonton Oilers for biting their nails inside Rogers Place or outside in the Moss Pit before Monday night's playoff opener against the visiting Los Angeles Kings. Edmonton had a dismal 1-8 record in Game 1s dating back to 2017.
Captain Connor Mcdavid insisted the Oilers are better prepared this year to handle whatever the Kings throw at them. The Oil wasted no time proving it. Zach Hyman scored his first of three goals at 6:52 of the first period as Edmonton cruised to a comfortable 7-4 victory.
ABSENCE MAKES HEART GROW FONDER
With the Vancouver Canucks playing their first playoff game at home Sunday since April 15, 2015, it's fair to suggest fans were extra jacked. Towel Power, U2 songs and flags reappeared.
In Surrey — about 30 kilometres from Rogers Arena — hundreds of fans paraded in the streets after Vancouver edged Nashville 4-2 chanting, “We want the Cup!”
A few more kilometres east in Abbotsford, where the Canucks' farm team is preparing for the AHL playoffs, fans were driving up and down the streets honking and cheering.
Fans of other teams mocked this reaction on social media, but Canucks Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser said the bottled-up enthusiasm is understandable.
HUGGY BEARS ROTATE
The Boston Bruins started goaltender Linus Ullmark in Game 2 of their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday despite Jeremy Swayman's 35-save performance in Saturday's 5-1 win. The decision by coach Jim Montgomery continued the trend of rotating his netminders.
Boston's goalies, who have a well-documented friendship that includes an emphatic hug following every victory, have gone back and forth for the past 28 games. Ullmark made 30 stops Monday night, but the Leafs won 3-2 on a late breakaway goal by Auston Matthews.
GOALS IN THE 'PEG
The Avalanche fired 46 shots at Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck on Sunday and scored six times. The bad news for Colorado is Winnipeg won 7-6, despite managing only 23 shots on Alexandar Georgiev.
It was the first time since 1985 that the first game of a first-round playoff series had two teams combine for 13 goals.