Editor’s Word: Now, all our premium instruments for Fantasy, DFS and Betting are included in a single subscription at one low value. Clients can subscribe to NBC Sports activities EDGE+ month-to-month ($9.99) or save 20% on an annual subscription ($95.88). And do not forget to make use of promo code SAVE10 to get 10% off. Click here to learn more!
Whereas all eyes within the sporting world could have been on Duke-UNC and Coach Ok’s remaining dance, the NHL provided up one in all its extra absurd slates of the season, one which included a four-goal third-period comeback, a four-combined-goal dash over the ultimate two minutes and an epic rematch between final yr’s Stanley Cup contributors. All whereas we proceed to seek for the Fountain of Youth which Marc-Andre Fleury has found since being traded to the Minnesota Wild.
Florida 7 New Jersey 6 (OT)
Andrew Hammond provided up one of many worst late-game performances in internet this season, surrendering seven targets on 41 pictures whereas dropping a 6-2 third-period lead. The Panthers scored the ultimate 5 targets of the sport – all throughout the third interval and additional time – to ship Hammond and firm to the showers in very, very unhappy defeat.
Aleksander Barkov supplied a number of of the late heroics on this comeback win, scoring two targets over the ultimate four-plus minutes of the third interval to drive additional time.
Gustav Forsling had the ultimate snort of the evening, scoring the game-winner on Hammond a minute-and-forty-five seconds into additional time. That was his second objective of the night. His first got here simply over seven minutes into the third interval, as Florida was starting to mount its epic comeback.
Sergei Bobrovsky ought to have been the proverbial media punching bag on Saturday, giving up six targets on simply 25 pictures, however while you’re on the proper finish of the comeback, it’s simpler to snort when it’s all over. That Bobrovsky shut out Chicago in his final begin makes this outing really feel like some type of delayed April Idiot’s joke.
Yegor Sharangovich put up a hat trick which instantaneously grew to become overshadowed by Florida’s monster comeback. Maybe probably the most marginalized hat trick of the season? Sharangovich has posted 19 targets and 39 factors in 62 video games.
Colorado 3 Pittsburgh 2
Darcy Kuemper might most likely use a little bit of a breather, having now confronted 40 or extra pictures in every of his final two begins. That he has given up three mixed targets (towards the Flames and Penguins) within the midst of this merciless barrage is spectacular. That he earned wins in each contests, the cherry on high of the sundae.
Tristan Jarry surrendered three targets on 38 pictures. Jarry was wonderful, if by no means actually rising above that marginal degree. A minimum of had an opportunity at additional time when Mike Matheson tied up the sport with underneath 5 minutes left in regulation, however fumbled that likelihood by permitting a Devon Toews objective simply 27 seconds remaining.
Devon Toews posted only one level on the night, however arguably the largest one of many sport, as he scored the game-winning go-ahead objective versus Jarry as time was winding down within the third interval. Toews had gone 11 straight video games with out a objective previous to placing it clutch towards Pittsburgh.
Jake Guentzel assisted on each targets for his workforce within the loss. He has knocked in 32 targets and 68 factors in 64 video games performed this season. He nonetheless has an opportunity at setting a career-best in factors, needing 9 extra to eclipse his 2018-19 numbers. The Penguins have 12 video games remaining within the common season.
Minnesota Wild 3 Carolina Hurricanes 1
At it as soon as once more and proving that hockey is a job similar to another and generally you simply want a change of surroundings whether or not your workplace is an workplace or a internet, a rejuvenated Marc-Andre Fleury has now received three straight begins since touchdown with the Wild on the deadline, with two or fewer targets surrendered in every of these Minnesota appearances. He didn’t yield a objective in Saturday’s contest till Teuvo Teravainen beat him for the rating previous the halfway level of the third interval.
Frederick Anderson stopped 16-of-19 pictures. Whereas he was not an outright abomination ala Andrew Hammond on Saturday, he got here up shy in dueling with Happiest Commerce Deadline Mover of the Season, Marc-Andre Fleury.
Kirill Kaprizov assisted on Mats Zuccarello’s first interval objective earlier than rocking a objective of his personal within the third interval. Kaprizov has now put up a objective in six consecutive contests.
Teuvo Teravainen managed the one objective of the sport for Carolina whereas extending his level streak to seven consecutive contests.
Toronto Maple Leafs 6 Philadelphia Flyers 3
After giving up six targets to the Avalanche final outing, Carter Hart extra/much less turned in a carbon copy of the project on Saturday, with six extra targets yakked as much as Toronto. Hart has allowed 5 or extra targets in 4 of his final 9 appearances. Egads.
Jack Campbell was dinged for a pair of targets within the second interval, however in any other case allowed only one objective (that coming to Ivan Provorov within the third interval). Campbell had been mashed for at the least 4 targets in every of his final 5 begins coming into the weekend. Child steps equivalent to Saturday’s are steps nonetheless.
Ivan Provorov performed effectively in an finish defeat, scoring two targets and aiding on one other whereas taking a (very) lively function in each objective scored by his workforce.
Auston Matthews scored his 51st objective of the 2021-22 marketing campaign when he beat Hart for a rating within the third interval. The star ahead has already set private bests for each targets (51) and factors (88) in a season.
Everyone on the Maple Leafs lives within the shadow Matthews, naturally, however on Saturday, it was Morgan Rielly who set a fireplace underneath his workforce with three factors on a objective and two assists.
Boston Bruins 5 Columbus Blue Jackets 2
Elvis Merzlikins buckled late within the third interval, when Erik Haula scored towards him on a go-ahead objective with underneath 4 minutes remaining. That objective – which put Boston up 3-2 on the scoreboard – pressured Columbus to the empty internet, after which the Bruins netted two extra targets to offer the ultimate rating a extra soft really feel than it deserved.
Brad Marchand led the Bruins with three factors on a objective and two assists. He’s as much as 31 targets and 71 factors in 57 video games performed this season.
Empty-net cheapies on the night by Boston’s Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle.
Los Angeles Kings 3 Winnipeg Jets 2
Whereas this was a low-scoring one, the Kings led the competition nearly from wire-to-wire, holding a bonus on the scoreboard throughout 49:28 of ice time.
Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar led the offense on Saturday, with each gamers scoring targets and aiding on targets.
Cal Petersen has now given up two targets in three of his final 4 video games. That’s the way you bury a six-goal-allowed toughie towards the Kraken. Towards the Kraken?
Montreal Canadiens 5 (1) Tampa Bay Lightning 4 (0)
Although Florida’s big comeback (and New Jersey’s corresponding collapse) sucked up a lot of the NHL vitality on Saturday, this might need been the sport of the evening, a Stanley Cup rematch which noticed a wayward Montreal squad rise to the second.
The Lightning most likely ought to have received this sport, as they handed a number of leads over to Brian Elliott, who dropped all of them. Most crucially, Jesse Ylonen (enjoying in simply his eleventh profession NHL sport) beat Elliott for a game-tying objective early within the third interval. That pressured additional time and paved the best way to shootout glory for the Canadiens.
Jake Allen very almost value Montreal a win on Saturday, equaling the mediocrity of Elliott by surrendering 4 targets on 41 pictures throughout regulation and additional time. It’s simply that the harm towards Allen got here early. Allen didn’t permit a objective after Brayden Point scored within the closing seconds of the second interval.
Nikita Kucherov scored a objective and assisted on two others over the primary 40 minutes of ice time earlier than his stick – and the Lightning offense writ giant – went quiet in crunch time.
The App is Again! Don’t overlook to obtain the NBC Sports activities EDGE app to obtain real-time participant information, cellular alerts and monitor your favourite gamers. Plus, now you may take a look at articles and participant playing cards. Get it here!
St. Louis Blues 6 Calgary Flames 4
Those that stayed up late after Coach Ok breathed his basketball final had been handled to a enjoyable fireworks show on the ice. With the competition tied at 3-3 and slightly below two minutes remaining in regulation, the Blues and Flames exploded for 4 mixed targets, with St. Louis leaping up 4-3 on a Nathan Walker objective and continuing to basically race the Flames to the end with that newfound lead in hand.
The Blues had been enjoying with out Jordan Kyrou, who was unable to take the ice as a result of sickness, and throwing Ville Husso on the market for a second straight evening. Husso confronted 43 pictures and turned away 39 in a gutty efficiency.
Jacob Markstrom went from a 3-3 tie and an nearly lock for additional time, as a minimum, to an outright loss in regulation. That’s robust. Markstrom made 19 saves (on 23 pictures) within the contest.
Justin Faulk led the victorious Blues with three factors on a objective and two assists. Very long time coming. This was Faulk’s first multi-point efficiency since he put up a pair towards the Sabres again on Feb. 25.
Dallas Stars 5 San Jose Sharks 4
This was Dallas’ third straight win and their scorching streak couldn’t have come at a greater time, as they’re in a combat for the postseason with Vegas. If the season ended on Saturday, Dallas would have the second Wild Card.
The Stars basically received this one within the first interval, posting targets by Vladislav Namestnikov, Jani Hakanpaa, Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson to take a 4-1 lead into intermission. They took beginning Sharks netminder Kaapo Kahkonen out of the image, too, with James Reimer sliding into the crease at first of the second interval. Comprehensible sufficient.
John Leonard and Logan Couture every scored targets for the Sharks with underneath 5 minutes remaining in regulation, which gave the ultimate rating a extra respectable sheen.
These Leonard and Couture targets had been type of a bummer for Scott Wedgewood, who simply came visiting to the Stars from the Coyotes on the commerce deadline and was in line for a pleasant win earlier than he needed to accept a somewhat-muddied remaining line.
