STRATFORD, P.E.I. — As the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs progresses, here’s several storylines and players worth watching.
Big losses for Bruins and Hurricanes
Tuukka Rask’s sudden departure on Saturday for family reasons left the Boston Bruins without their starting goaltender for the rest of their series against the Carolina Hurricanes and perhaps the remainder of the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Carolina Hurricanes’ winger Andrei Svechnikov injured his right leg jostling with Bruins’ captain Zdeno Chara during Game 3. Coach Rod Brind’Amour expects the 20-year-old scorer will miss at least the rest of this series.
The absence of two key players will be challenging for their respective clubs to overcome.
Former champs in trouble
Three former Stanley Cup champions – the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals – are in danger of first-round elimination.
A 48-save performance by 35-year-old goalie Corey Crawford in a 3-1 win Sunday enabled the 2015 champion Blackhawks to avoid getting swept by the Vegas Golden Knights. The defending champion Blues got a 3-2 overtime win Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks but were down two games to one entering Monday’s Game 4.
Meanwhile, the 2018 Cup champion Capitals are on the verge of being swept by the New York Islanders following their 2-1 overtime loss on Sunday. The once-vaunted Caps offence managed just five goals in those three games. The Isles can wrap things up on Tuesday.
Habs, Flyers in goaltending duel
Two of the NHL’s top goalies are on display in the Philadelphia Flyers-Montreal Canadiens series. Rumours of Carey Price’s demise were greatly exaggerated as the 33-year-old Canadiens’ star gave up just three goals through the first three games of this series. However, the 21-year-old Hart won two of those three contests. Each netminder has one shutout in this series.
The Coyotes’ big dog
Speaking of stellar goaltending, the Arizona Coyotes’ Darcy Kuemper is keeping his underdog club alive. He carried them to an upset of the Nashville Predators in the qualifying round and is giving the heavily favoured Colorado Avalanche fits in their current series. Despite the Coyotes being outshot by wide margins in most games, Kuemper is giving them a chance to win every game.
Lightning, Blue Jackets rematch
The Tampa Bay Lightning want to avenge being swept out of the opening round of last year's playoffs by the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Lightning are better-prepared this time around, carrying a 2-1 series lead into Monday’s Game 4. With the Bolts facing salary-cap constraints next season, this is the last chance for this current roster to win a Cup. The tight-checking, hard-working Jackets, led by blue-line studs Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, hope to thwart those plans for a second straight year.
A Star is born
The Dallas Stars are leaning heavily on their veterans in their series with the Calgary Flames, but it’s 21-year-old Miro Heiskanen who is turning heads. The sophomore defenceman leads his club in points (eight) and ice time (26:04), serving notice he’s a star on the rise.
Lyle Richardson is a freelance writer with the Sporting News and runs the website Spector’s Hockey. His column will appear in The Guardian throughout the NHL hockey season.
