Bruins, Blues get clutch performances from deadline additions & More Trending News

On an evening that noticed Toronto fall quick with an opportunity to shut out their first-round conflict, the Boston Bruins pressured a Game 7. Seems like a nasty omen for the blue and white, however fortunately for the Maple Leafs trustworthy, the B’s resilient comeback got here not in opposition to the Canadian membership, however in opposition to the Canes.

For the sixth straight recreation, the Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes got here collectively for a shellacking, Boston’s win on Thursday night time marking the fifth time by way of these six video games that the profitable staff’s put up a five-spot.

Another fixed by way of this collection up to now: the continued battle between Brad Marchand (slash Boston in general) and Tony DeAngelo.

In the primary minute of the second interval of Game 6, Marchand acquired the higher of the Canes defender as soon as once more, DeAngelo opening up a lane with a badly-timed change, and the Bruins exploiting it with an important objective from Marchand. It marked the primary time this collection that the B’s have managed to get the primary objective of the sport. Carolina couldn’t get well, the Bruins by no means relinquishing their lead from there and ultimately ending the night time with a 5-2 win.

And who else wouldn’t it be for Boston? 

Marchand’s objective in Game 6 was his tenth scored in a recreation the place the Bruins confronted elimination, now a franchise document for the Original Six membership. Simply put, no different Bruin’s been as clutch when the staff’s season is on the road. It was additionally the forty ninth playoff objective of his profession, placing him degree with longtime linemate Patrice Bergeron for second-most in staff historical past, only a handful behind all-time chief Cam Neely.

It’s a chance missed for Rod Brind’Amour’s facet. But contemplating how the pendulum of this collection has swung up to now, the Canes appear to have a good sufficient likelihood to shut it out — by way of every of the primary six video games, the house facet’s gained each time. Game 7 goes Saturday in Raleigh.

PRIZED PICKUP

The St. Louis Blues are shifting on to the second spherical, and the Minnesota Wild are heading house early.

Coming into this collection, the Wild may’ve appeared to have the sting, the membership ending with the higher regular-season document, and housing the perfect participant on this first-round matchup: Kirill Kaprizov, who completed the 12 months with the fifth-most targets (47) and factors (108) within the league. 

But these Blues entered the spring with the look of a staff that would make extra noise than most had them pegged for, bringing a mix of veteran items that helped them raise silver a number of years again and a brand new id grounded in a high-octane offence. 

These aren’t the Blues we used to know. In 2019, once they reached that Cup summit, St. Louis entered the post-season with the second-fewest targets per recreation within the league. This time round, they entered with the third-most. That’s held up within the playoffs, the Blues ending their first collection with the fifth-most targets per recreation among the many 16 groups battling it out up to now.

Full credit score goes to GM Doug Armstrong for understanding what precisely his staff wanted heading into the post-season, too.

Looking to shore up the left facet of his blue line, Armstrong went out and added veteran defender Nick Leddy in a five-piece deal in March. On Thursday night time, in crucial recreation of their season up to now, that transfer got here up clutch when Leddy picked up the puck in his personal zone late within the first interval, cruised up ice calmly, and fired one from the highest of the left circle to interrupt the impasse, giving St. Louis an early 1-0 lead.

All-time, the Blues are 22-8 once they rating first in a series-clinching recreation. They added to that complete Thursday night time, as they went on to roll over the Wild 5-1. 

The Blues’ huge boys have been essential all through this collection, too. With 5 targets apiece by way of the first-round bout, Ryan O’Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko and David Perron grew to become the primary trio of teammates to document five-plus targets in a single collection since 1991, when the Montreal Canadiens had three gamers obtain the feat.

But the trail forward will get a lot harder now, with the well-rested Colorado Avalanche up subsequent.

MCAVOY, LINDHOLM MAKE THEIR MARK

It’s been a tumultuous collection for the Bruins’ prime defence pair, Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm.

Between some up and down performances, a brutal test that took Lindholm out of the collection early, and a bout with COVID-19 protocols that eliminated McAvoy for a spell as effectively, it’s been a whirlwind for head coach Bruce Cassidy’s blue line.

But Thursday night time, all of it appeared to line up when the staff wanted it most. 

Cleared to make his return, Lindholm appeared glorious for the black and gold, taking part in over 24 minutes and bringing some poise to the membership’s energy play, which tallied early to assist construct up the B’s lead within the second interval. Count him as one other essential deadline pickup developing huge in these playoffs.

“He’s been such a great player for us,” Boston’s Charlie Coyle stated of Lindholm post-game. “Just how poised he is with the puck, the way he can shield. Break out, enter their zone and transition that way, make those plays. He makes some plays where you’re sitting on the bench and you don’t even see it. He sees it while he’s got the puck on his stick and bodies in front of him. He makes it look easy.”

McAvoy, too, was flying. 

After returning to the lineup final recreation, solely to see his membership get rolled and put themselves on the ropes, No. 73 was everywhere in the ice on this one, throwing his weight round (together with a controversial hit on Carolina’s Sebastian Aho) and making a unbelievable play on the eventual game-winner:

GAME 7s FOR EVERYONE

The 2021 post-season saw two first-round series hit the seven-game mark. This year’s playoffs have already surpassed that, with Tampa Bay, Boston and Edmonton all forcing Game 7s on Thursday night.

And we’re not even done yet. With Flames-Stars, Panthers-Capitals and Penguins-Rangers all currently sitting at 3-2, we could still see three more potential Game 7s coming our way before this first round is said and done.

If Dallas, Washington and New York do manage to pull out the type of theatrics Thursday night’s squads did, the 2022 playoffs could match an NHL record for do-or-die tilts: The most Game 7s ever seen in one playoff round was six, back in 1992 — that was also the last time any round saw five more Game 7s.

If even one of those next three teams forces a Game 7, we’re still looking at one of the most thrilling rounds in over a decade, as the 2011 playoffs were the last to feature four Game 7 clashes.

Bring on the fireworks.

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