Marcus Johansson is the hero.
The Washington Capitals forward scored the overtime winner to eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 6. The Capitals will move on to face the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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Extra time has been essential this spring.
The opening round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs has sent a record 18 games to overtime as of Sunday's contest between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals, which couldn't be won in 60 minutes.
The Maple Leafs-Capitals series has gone to extra sessions five times, tying a mark set in 1951 by the Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, and the Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks in 2012.
Here are the 18 overtime contests from the first round:
| Date | Outcome | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| April 12 | Blues 2 - Wild 1 | Edmundson |
| April 12 | Sharks 3 - Oilers 2 | Karlsson |
| April 13 | Capitals 3 - Maple Leafs 2 | Wilson |
| April 14 | Canadiens 4 - Rangers 3 | Radulov |
| April 15 | Senators 4 - Bruins 3 | Phaneuf |
| April 15 | Maple Leafs 4 - Capitals 3 | Kapanen |
| April 16 | Penguins 5 - Blue Jackets 4 | Guentzel |
| April 17 | Maple Leafs 4 - Capitals 3 | Bozak |
| April 17 | Senators 4 - Bruins 3 | Ryan |
| April 17 | Ducks 5 - Flames 4 | Perry |
| April 17 | Predators 3 - Blackhawks 2 | Fiala |
| April 20 | Rangers 3 - Canadiens 2 | Zibanejad |
| April 20 | Oilers 4 - Sharks 3 | Desharnais |
| April 21 | Bruins 3 - Senators 2 | Kuraly |
| April 21 | Capitals 2 - Maple Leafs 1 | Williams |
| April 22 | Blues 4 - Wild 3 | Paajarvi |
| April 23 | Senators 3 - Bruins 2 | MacArthur |
| April 23 | Capitals 2 - Maple Leafs 1 | Johansson |
Two of the 18 games went to double overtime.
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It would appear Zach Werenski doesn't foresee himself taking home rookie of the year honors.
The Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman - who is nominated for the Calder Trophy along with Winnipeg Jets forward Patrik Laine and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews - was asked if he had spoken with his good friend Matthews since the nomination.
Werenski admitted to having a rather peculiar conversation.
"Yeah, I asked if he wanted help writing his acceptance speech," Werenski said, according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch.
Werenski clearly feels Matthews is the favorite to win the Calder, and considering he led all rookies with 40 goals and 69 points during the regular season, it's not a huge stretch.
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It's a game of bounces and boy did Auston Matthews get a fortunate one.
The Toronto Maple Leafs rookie opened the scoring midway through the third period of a must-win Game 6 after a dump-in by Morgan Rielly took a precarious bounce, giving Matthews a breakaway.
Matthews took advantage of the opportunity, roofing a wrister over the catching glove of Braden Holtby.
The Capitals lead the series 3-2.
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The Ottawa Senators have surprised again.
Eliminating the Boston Bruins on Sunday, the Senators advanced to the second round of the postseason for a date against the New York Rangers.
It marks the first series win for the Senators since 2013 and just their second since 2007, the same year they made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
This season, the Senators have been one of the most consistent clubs, never losing more than twice in a row as the team has continued to achieve away from the limelight. Three key reasons stand out for the Senators' success:
The Senators netminder doesn't garner the headlines like the league's bigger names, but his stat line certainly speaks to his performance.
Missing most of the season due to a leave of absence to be with his ill wife, Anderson made his permanent return to the crease in mid-February. From that point, he wrapped up the regular season with a 13-5-3 record and a .929 save rate. Only Jake Allen posted better numbers than Anderson with as many appearances over that stretch.
Anderson's play has carried through to the postseason, where he shut the door and outdueled Boston netminder Tuukka Rask:
| Goalie | Games | Record | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson | 6 | 4-2 | 1.94 | .921 |
| Rask | 6 | 2-4 | 2.24 | .920 |
The Senators hope Anderson can put up a similar performance in Round 2 versus the Rangers.
The Senators' forward ranks is without a superstar, but the team's offensive arsenal still has a few choice weapons.
This season, three Ottawa forwards - Mark Stone, Kyle Turris, and Mike Hoffman - broke the 50-point plateau, and all three also potted at least 20 goals.
In all, Ottawa's scoring value comes in spades: 10 Senators reached double-digit tallies this season, including Derick Brassard and Bobby Ryan, who proved invaluable in the opening-round series against the Bruins, combining for 15 points in the six-game set.
It's a balanced attack that fits perfectly with the style of first-year coach Guy Boucher, who preaches a defensive approach that finds its opportunities in exposing the opponent's mistakes.
You can't stop Karlsson, you can only hope to contain him.
The play of the Senators captain isn't a secret, but it's no doubt a force. Shutting down a superstar is a key focus of any coach, and that's no different when facing the Ottawa defenseman.
Already a two-time Norris Trophy winner, Karlsson is once again in contention as the league's top defenseman. Not only did Karlsson put up 71 points on the season, he was effective at both ends of the ice, finishing second in the league with 201 blocked shots.
His highlight-reel plays have carried through to the offseason, with Karlsson already putting together a few jaw-dropping plays:
Now up against New York, Karlsson will have a chance to make that music before a Broadway audience.
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Canadian pop icon Justin Bieber was on hand for Sunday night's nail-biter between the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Bieber was shown on the Air Canada Centre's big screen as he watched the tie game from a private box, clearly rooting for the Maple Leafs, who are down 3-2 to the Capitals in the series.
Great pic.twitter.com/1dGIx7owM9
— David Alter (@dalter) April 24, 2017
Judging by his very famous face, he's as nervous as any of the 19,000-plus Leafs fans in attendance.
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The Boston Bruins made it close against the Ottawa Senators, but ultimately came up short in six games, with all four of their defeats coming by one goal - and three of them in overtime.
After Boston's elimination Sunday, head coach Bruce Cassidy said missing three of the team's top defensemen caught up with the club, according to Joe Haggerty of CSN New England.
Torey Krug, Adam McQuaid, and Brandon Carlo missed the entire first-round series with their respective injuries, and a quick glance at their regular-season stats indicates how important they were to the Bruins.
| Player | GP | Goals | Points | Blocks | Average Time on Ice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krug | 81 | 8 | 51 | 82 | 21:36 |
| McQuaid | 77 | 2 | 10 | 144 | 20:48 |
| Carlo | 82 | 6 | 16 | 115 | 18:14 |
Cassidy said Carlo and McQuaid would have been assets for the team's penalty kill, and Boston missed Krug's puck-moving ability.
The depleted Bruins made the Senators work, and one can't help but think that a healthier Boston back end could have made a significant impact on the series.
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Erik Karlsson was a marvel in the first round of the playoffs, and yet he wasn't even playing at full health.
Following the Ottawa Senators' dramatic Game 6 overtime win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday - to send them to the second round - Karlsson admitted he played the series with two hairline fractures in his left heel, according to ESPN.com's Joe McDonald.
Karlsson explained that the injury occurred when he blocked a shot in a March 28 game against the Philadelphia Flyers. That ailment forced Karlsson to miss five games.
Fortunately for the Senators, it doesn't appear as though the injury should impact Karlsson much longer.
"I've been playing on shots (injections) and by Thursday it should be back to normal," Karlsson said.
Despite the ailment, Karlsson has been his usual offensive self, leading all defensemen in the playoffs with six points (all assists).
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Calgary Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau, Minnesota Wild center Mikael Granlund, and Vladimir Tarasenko of the St. Louis Blues are this year's nominees for the Lady Byng Trophy, the league announced Sunday.
The Lady Byng recognizes the player who best demonstrates sportsmanship combined with exceptional playing ability.
Each of this year's nominees would be a first-time winner. Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings captured the trophy last season.
Gaudreau appeared in 72 games with the Flames this season, recording 18 goals and 43 assists. He was whistled for just four penalty minutes.
Granlund had a breakout season with the Wild, finishing with 26 goals and 43 assists in 81 games, alongside 12 penalty minutes.
Tarasenko appeared in all 82 games for the Blues, registering 39 goals and 36 assists. He recorded 12 penalty minutes on the season.
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Clarke MacArthur scored the overtime winner on the power play in Game 6 as the Ottawa Senators eliminated the Boston Bruins on Sunday.
The Senators will now play the New York Rangers in the second round.
MacArthur was the fortunate recipient of a failed cross-ice pass by Bobby Ryan to Mike Hoffman that Tuukka Rask got a piece of, putting the puck onto the stick of the Senators forward.
For MacArthur, the goal is that much more special after it looked as though problems with a concussion earlier in the year would not only keep him out for the season, but possibly put his career in jeopardy.
In the end, the goal serves as MacArthur's second of the postseason, but easily his biggest.
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