Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron didn't travel with the team to Florida but will "likely" make his series debut against the Panthers in Game 5, head coach Jim Montgomery said Friday.
Game 5 is scheduled to take place Wednesday at TD Garden.
In addition, Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark wasn't at practice Friday and is a game-time decision for Game 3 due to undisclosed reasons. The Vezina Trophy front-runner surrendered five goals on 29 shots Wednesday.
Bergeron missed Game 1 due to an illness, and the Bruins overcame his absence en route to a 3-1 victory. He was also held out of Game 2's 6-3 defeat, but Montgomery said he was no longer sick.
The captain exited after the first period of Boston's final game of the regular season - against the Montreal Canadiens - with an upper-body injury, but it was deemed precautionary at the time.
Montgomery said Friday that he doesn't regret keeping Bergeron in the lineup for game No. 82 because the team wanted to use the last two contests to ramp up for the playoffs.
"We don't have any reservations about what we did. ... Life happens. Unfortunately, (he) tweaked something in that last game. Even with the hindsight, we would still do it exactly the same way."
He added, "It was a well-thought-out plan."
Bergeron was sidelined for the Bruins' first two games in April while dealing with some nagging injuries and missed four of Boston's final 10 regular-season contests.
He ranked third on the team with 58 points (27 goals, 31 assists) in 78 regular-season games this campaign while winning 61.1% of his faceoffs. The five-time Selke Trophy winner has raked in 127 points over 167 playoff contests.
The Bruins will look to reclaim their series lead in Sunrise at 7:30 p.m. ET.
We've looked at the four series in the Eastern Conference as they shift within one time zone from Game 2 to Game 3. In the West, longer trips between new sites are on the docket as we take a closer look at the first segment of each series in preparation for this weekend.
It's been just one game for each, but our hypothesis that any appearance from Marc-Andre Fleury instead of Filip Gustavsson would be a mistake for the Wild was certainly supported after the latter was awesome in a Game 1 win, while the former allowed 3.32 goals above expectation in Game 2.
The Wild's even-strength production has come in the first two of four-plus periods in Game 1 and the third period of Game 2 - when they trailed by three goals. That suggests their pressure might be cosmetic, and we haven't seen the best of Jake Oettinger either, as he's allowed four goals on 20 high-danger chances at even strength and has just 0.67 goals saved above expectation.
Is there a bet?
The Stars' superiority in neutral game states and the possibility of Oettinger having better consistency are reasons to feel good about being twice committed to Dallas. Those two factors are perhaps why the series' odds have reverted back to pre-series prices, which normally wouldn't make a ton of sense with Minnesota now having home-ice advantage and the increased likelihood that we've seen the last of Fleury.
The Kings are getting outplayed by the Oilers, and a late tying goal in Game 1 followed by an OT winner is indicative of how they're barely tied in this series. Bettors have to ask themselves if it's a good or bad sign that these metrics exist while the Kings are accomplishing some of the things they'd hope for.
As Connor McDavid said after Game 2, the Kings' "goaltender is good." Joonas Korpisalo has a 2.08 GSAx and allowed just two goals against in high-danger situations. McDavid has just one assist, and now the Kings can easily match lines at home with Phillip Danault and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles is also staying out of the penalty box, with just four power plays allowed - especially important with the Oilers' 2/4 mark on the PP.
Is there a bet?
The series price here has also reverted despite Los Angeles getting home-ice advantage, and the shift should benefit the Kings during five-on-five play. They're already staying out of the box and they have the goaltending advantage, so at +130, the Kings are the bet in both games this weekend.
We thought that this series would be something of a coin-flip before it started, and if you look at the even-strength expected goals and high-danger chances, here we are.
The Jets should be hoping for better out of Connor Hellebuyck than his minus-0.52 goals saved above expectation, and better than 25% of the Golden Knights' even-strength high-danger chances finding the net. With stronger overall numbers and all four of his shutouts this season coming at home, Hellebuyck should be better in Game 3 and Game 4.
Is there a bet?
After two games, there's no reason to believe we're not headed for at least a Game 6 in this series, and while you'd hope an 8-seed would be an underdog even at home, a -110 price is short enough to take the Jets in Game 3.
Using expected goals and high-danger chances, the Avalanche have only driven even-strength play at about a 52% rate, which is why bets on the Kraken in the first two games at around +175 netted a positive result despite the split.
Philipp Grubauer is second to Igor Shesterkin in GSAx through two games this postseason, so concern about goaltending can be tempered in the Pacific Northwest.
Is there a bet?
Though they've been better on the road this season, in their first-ever home playoff game, the Kraken can again capitalize on the kind of good start they got off to in the first two games. And unlike some of the other underdogs such as the Islanders, Lightning, and Wild, we're getting a decent price at +135 on the Kraken to retake the series lead.
Matt Russell is the senior betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.
The Maple Leafs have life. Toronto followed up a woeful Game 1 performance against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a fantastic showing Thursday, taking Game 2 at Scotiabank Arena by a 7-2 final score. Here are three pivotal battlegrounds as the first-round series shifts to Tampa. Game 3 goes Saturday.
Point line vs. Brodie-McCabe
Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
Stacked in the past, Tampa isn't overly deep up front after losing Ondrej Palat, Yanni Gourde, Barclay Goodrow, and Blake Coleman in recent offseasons.
These hits to the secondary scoring ranks have put additional pressure on the club's premier forwards. Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov, and Steven Stamkos tend to rise to the occasion, and they've done just that on the power play through two games, combining for three goals. Five-on-five action has been a different story, though, as Toronto's contained Tampa's top line.
In 22 minutes together at five-on-five, Stamkos-Point-Kucherov has drawn even in goals (1-1) while trailing in shots on goal (15-11), total shot attempts (24-21), and high-danger attempts (8-2), according to Natural Stat Trick. Limiting them to this extent - minimized but not completely shut out - is a sizable victory being overshadowed by the extreme results of Games 1 and 2.
Point and Kucherov were too cute with the puck Thursday, several times making an extra deke on a zone entry or taking forever to shoot the puck. It didn't help Tampa that Leafs defenseman T.J. Brodie, who had an uncharacteristically sloppy Game 1, returned to his nearly mistake-free form.
Andrew Lahodynskyj / Getty Images
In Game 1, the Point line faced Brodie and Jake McCabe for roughly two-thirds of their five-on-five shifts while the Justin Holl-Mark Giordano pairing handled the rest. Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe line-matched harder in Game 2, getting his shutdown duo of Brodie-McCabe out for nearly all Point shifts.
The David Kampf-centered fourth line also did a marvellous job Thursday against the Point line, even flipping the script by controlling play during a few shifts. Keefe must be over the moon about the Kampf line's body of work.
Question No. 1 for Games 3 and 4: Will Lightning coach Jon Cooper use the home-team perk of last change to separate the Point line from Brodie-McCabe as much as possible? Is he ready to play chess against Keefe?
Question No. 2: How hard will Cooper ride Point, Kucherov, and Stamkos - individually and as a group? Does he double-shift his best forwards here and there, upping their usage from 18-19 minutes a game to, say, 21-22?
Point, 27, has bagged an NHL-high 32 goals over the past four postseasons. Kucherov, 29, has racked up 96 points, also a league high. They're clutch, two of the finest playoff performers of all time. And they won't settle for mediocrity.
The faceoff circle
Kevin Sousa / Getty Images
The series' faceoff numbers are nothing special. Toronto owns the slight edge, winning 67 of 127 total draws for a 52.8% success rate. Tampa, meanwhile, employs the top draw taker in Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who's won 14 of 22.
Mind you, what's happened after the puck's been dropped has certainly influenced the final scores - especially in Game 2. The Leafs' first two goals Thursday immediately followed clean faceoff wins, with the puck crossing the Lightning's goal line seven and five seconds after it left the linesman's hand.
Defenseman Morgan Rielly, a target of frustration within the Leafs fan base during a largely inconsistent and ineffective regular season, redeemed himself with a spectacular Game 2. Rielly orchestrated both quick-strike markers, then added two more helpers to bring his nightly primary assist total to four.
Surrendering not one but two goals just seconds after losing the faceoff can deflate a team, even one of Tampa's caliber. The coaching staff and players are likely equally frustrated, and it's safe to assume countering Toronto's set plays will be a strong point of emphasis in video sessions ahead of Game 3.
Michael Chisholm / Getty Images
One category in which Tampa was schooled in Game 2 and may not have an answer: Toronto's heavy forecheck and cycle game. Specifically, the work being done by two veterans in midseason pickup Ryan O'Reilly and captain John Tavares, who recorded his first playoff hat trick.
Neither veteran is a burner. Neither is known to issue thunderous body checks. But O'Reilly and Tavares are supremely smart hockey players with the requisite size, strength, and craftiness to excel in puck battles along the side boards and in the corners. In Game 2, they consistently exposed the Lightning's depleted back end, leading to extended zone time for the Leafs.
Normally, top-four guys Victor Hedman or Erik Cernak would be up to the challenge. However, with them currently sidelined, the likes of Haydn Fleury and Darren Raddysh are tasked with mucking it up with Tavares and O'Reilly in the forwards' favorite spots of the ice. It isn't going well for Tampa.
The net-front areas
Michael Chisholm / Getty Images
One of the stark differences between Games 1 and 2 was the way in which Toronto skaters acted in front of its own net and Tampa's net.
The Leafs were passive in protecting the area closest to goalie Ilya Samsonov in the opener; in Game 2, they were assertive in clearing bodies and defended with layers. Toronto players didn't layer themselves in the area closest to Andrei Vasilevskiy in the opener; in Game 2, the Lightning goalie had to battle traffic.
Samsonov, who told reporters he played like "shit" to begin the series, stopped 20 of 22 shots Thursday, most notably showing big gains in rebound control. Vasilevskiy, on the other hand, would like a few Game 2 goals back.
On a forward-line level, Toronto's Kampf trio was a nightmare to skate against all game. Tampa's fourth line, led by 37-year-old Corey Perry, performed above expectations again in Game 2, but not to the same degree as Tuesday.
Michael Chisholm / Getty Images
On an individual level, the insertion of Matthew Knies provided a nice boost to the Leafs. The rookie winger wasn't afraid to drive to the net with the puck, and he was reliable in his own end. Tanner Jeannot, inserted into the Lightning lineup, was conversely invisible. The only time Jeannot became the center of attention was when he fought Luke Schenn in a gong show of a third period.
Tampa loves to screw with the opposition's psyche, whether it's Kucherov knocking Samsonov's stick out of his hands or Perry throwing his head back after an innocent post-whistle shove. If the Leafs plan on finally advancing past the first round, they can't allow Lightning players to toy with their emotions.
And, in general, Toronto absolutely cannot afford to take its foot off the gas pedal in Game 3. That may seem obvious and ultimately unnecessary to say. But, despite a strong Game 2, this series is merely tied. It's far, far from over.
John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).
The Islanders have dropped the first two games of the series but it's been air tight. Both games were decided by one goal, and it's not as if the Islanders were getting cratered in the chance department. Quite the contrary.
New York has actually gotten the better of them thus far, at least at five-on-five.
Their expected goal share sits above 50% and they've generated eight more high-danger scoring opportunities than they've conceded. They're largely playing well.
The Hurricanes have simply been more clinical with their finishing and taken advantage of their chances, which has been the difference thus far.
I am skeptical that will continue. For one, the Islanders have the better goaltender in Ilya Sorokin. He is generally going to fare much better than Antti Raanta if given similar workloads.
Carolina is also losing scoring wingers like crazy. Max Pacioretty and Andrei Svechnikov were already sidelined heading into the series, and now Teuvo Teravainen is out for the foreseeable future.
Scoring is going to be a very tough task for a Hurricanes team that has been laboring offensively.
If the first two games are any indication, the Islanders should have at least a small edge at five-on-five. Throw in the better goaltender and a ruckus home crowd, and I like their chances of getting back into this series.
The double overtime game absolutely helped prop up his totals, but Heiskanen's volume - and efficiency - would look good even had both games ended in regulation.
Heiskanen has enjoyed a ton of success against the Wild. He has hit the over in five of six meetings this year and seven of nine dating back to last season.
He has also shown the ability to consistently get the job done come playoff time, having hit in six of his past seven games. That's impressive considering he faced a high-seeded Flames team last year and is now going up against a defense-first Wild roster.
Heiskanen will play a ton of minutes so long as the games are remotely close, which should be the case with Filip Gustavsson back in goal for Minnesota.
Look for him to make the most of his ice time and get the job done once again.
Adrian Kempe over 3.5 shots (+105)
Nobody in the playoffs has registered more shot attempts than Kempe through two games. Nobody.
The Kings' star sniper has been a man possessed thus far, using his speed to find open ice and frequently generating good looks despite getting the star treatment from the Oilers.
I expect Kempe's shooting success to continue Friday night at home. With last change, the Kings can control the matchups a little more and get Kempe out in more advantageous situations.
If Kempe could generate double-digit attempts in both games in Edmonton, it stands to reason he can have another strong shooting night in Los Angeles, where his shot volume was higher all season.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
It's been a roller coaster of a season for Patrick Kane, who found himself donning another team's jersey for the first time after the Chicago Blackhawks traded him prior to the deadline.
The 34-year-old may be rocking new threads, but he showed his usual playoff prowess, scoring his first postseason goal as a New York Ranger during Thursday's Game 2 victory over the New Jersey Devils.
"It's special," he said after the 5-1 decision that gave the Blueshirts a commanding 2-0 series lead. "It was obviously a tough decision, leaving Chicago, but I think these are the moments you leave and come to New York - for a situation like this, right?
"You're on a good team, there's gonna be moments in the playoffs where you're called on to step up and try and produce. It was nice to do that tonight. Makes it all worth it."
Kane is used to being called upon to deliver in big moments. He won three Stanley Cup championships and one Conn Smythe Trophy with the Blackhawks, and he has the fifth most playoff points among active players in the league:
Rank
Player
GP
G
P
1
Sidney Crosby
180
71
201
2
Evgeni Malkin
177
67
180
3
Nikita Kucherov
138
53
157
4
Alex Ovechkin
147
72
141
5
Patrick Kane
138
53
136
Kane last suited up for a playoff game in 2019-20, when the Blackhawks bested the Edmonton Oilers in the qualifying round before being ousted by the Vegas Golden Knights.
With his playoff hiatus now behind him, Kane said he feels the same way that he always does in the postseason.
"There's nothing like playoff hockey, getting in there and scoring a playoff goal, just being part of the action," he said.
Kane led the Rangers with three points during Game 2 and was pleased with his response after describing his performance during the series opener as "passive."
New York was outshot and outchanced with Kane on the ice in Game 1, but it was a different story Thursday. The Rangers owned 57.9% of the shot attempts, 79.6% of the expected goals, and outshot the Devils 8-2 when the veteran winger was out there at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.
Prior to Game 2, Kane hinted at what was to come.
"There's more that I have to give. People should expect more from me," Kane said following Wednesday's practice, per the New York Post's Larry Brooks. "I think there have been some good moments, but it hasn't really been as consistent yet."
Next up for Kane is his first playoff game in Madison Square Garden as a Ranger on Saturday night.
Eight Game 2s spread across two nights featured some good and some bad for our in-series plays after each opener, with the Panthers, Stars, and Maple Leafs bouncing back from losses whose underlying metrics suggested better results might be ahead.
As series change sites this weekend, it's worth a closer look at the first segment of each series. We'll start in the Eastern Conference, with four more in the West to come.
The Panthers' regular-season metrics suggested they might be able to compete with the Bruins, but a 63% expected goals share is above and beyond. Predictably, Linus Ullmark has been up to the task against the Panthers' high-danger chances (HDC), but five goals against on non-high-danger chances are a surprise. That's undermined the Bruins' two power-play goals and shorthanded goal to the Panthers' zero special-teams scores.
Is there a bet?
If we didn't know what logos these numbers were associated with, we'd jump at the chance to back a team that's returning home after driving most of the play on the road and due for a special-teams breakthrough. With two chances to win at a plus-money price at home, the Panthers are worth a pair of bets this weekend in hopes they win at least one and also cash earlier tickets on over 5.5 games or +2.5 games.
Game 3: Friday, 7 p.m. ET Game 4: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Even-strength numbers
TEAM
xG
HDC
HDG
Hurricanes
4.49
16
1
Islanders
4.84
26
1
We thought the Islanders might be up for a better effort in Game 2, and they were. They just forgot that you don't want to give up a goal off a puck your own team swatted, give up another goal ona bank shot off your goalie's head,and then get high-sticked in front of two officials without a call. Otherwise, a 14-5 advantage in high-danger chances bodes well for their return home, even if it'll be tough to climb out of an 0-2 hole against the Hurricanes.
With 42 total even-strength HDC in two games, the Islanders are supposed to have the goaltending advantage in a more wide-open game, but Antti Raanta has stopped 30 of 31 high-danger chances at all strengths.
Is there a bet?
We were hoping to get an underdog price with the Isles back home, but the market pushed them out to -120. With the metrics above due for a correction on the scoreboard, hopefully that comes one game late. The Isles are still worth backing in Game 3, Game 4, and at +2.5 series games.
On the scoreboard, it looked like the Maple Leafs flipped the script on the Lightning in Game 2. But answering a 7-3 loss with a 7-2 win had more to do with converting 3-of-12 HDC at even strength and going 2-of-6 on the power play - including one in the first minute - instead of giving up four power-play goals and an early goal against like they did in Game 1.
Is there a bet?
With positions on the Leafs to win the series - and to do so in six games or fewer - there's no need to back them at a shorter price than we'd hoped for in Game 3. However, it changes the calculus if Victor Hedman and Erik Cernak aren't ready to go. If you haven't committed on this series going forward, the lopsided even-strength metrics and the Leafs' good road record make them an inviting bet against a thin defense, but Ilya Samsonov still needs to do better than stopping four of six high-danger chances at even strength.
The Devils are the only team that dropped its first two home games, and you have to feel for them. After a coming-out season, the young Devils got matched up with their local rivals and are getting thoroughly Ranger'd.
As usual, the metrics don't love New York, but sure enough, Igor Shesterkin is 20-for-20 against the Devils' even-strength high-danger chances and leads the league in playoff goals saved above expectation so far. Making matters worse, Vitek Vanecek has been the worst goalie of the playoffs this side of Marc-Andre Fleury.
You could see it coming from outside the arena, but the Rangers' 3-of-18 converted HDC is above the league average of one in every eight, and scoring on 4-of-10 power plays is above expectations as well. That's just their recipe for winning.
Is there a bet?
With no sign of either goaltender changing their stripes as the scene shifts to Broadway, coin-flip metrics between the two creases aren't enough to justify putting more money toward New Jersey.
Matt Russell is the senior betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.
It won't be easy for the New Jersey Devils to climb out of an 0-2 hole against the New York Rangers once their first-round series shifts to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, but head coach Lindy Ruff is keeping his spirits high.
"We talked about the way we started the year, going 0-2, and what we did after that," he told reporters Thursday after the Devils' second straight 5-1 loss to their Metropolitan Division rivals. "The team has always been up for an incredible challenge, and they're gonna battle to the bitter end."
The Devils kicked off their historic 2022-23 campaign with back-to-back losses to the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings by a combined score of 10-4.
New Jersey won three of its next four games before embarking on a 13-game win streak, which tied the 2000-01 Devils for the longest run in franchise history.
The Devils ended a four-year playoff drought this campaign and set a new team record in wins (52) and points (112) while boasting one of the league's most potent offences with 289 goals for.
Despite their regular-season success, the Devils have been limited to just two goals against the Rangers, neither of which have come at even strength.
Star forward Jack Hughes only has one point in the series, which came on a penalty-shot tally in Game 1.
"We're not playing to our standard. It's biting us in the ass right now," he said. "We're frustrated, obviously, but it's a long series. We want to bounce back."
He added, "We just got whacked for the second straight game. … We've got more opportunities, we've gotta go to the Garden and play a lot better."
The Devils found more success on the road than in their own barn in the regular season:
Location
Record
Points
P%
GF/GP
GA/GP
Home
24-13-4
52
.634
3.34
2.56
Road
28-9-4
60
.732
3.71
2.85
"I've got a lot of faith in this team, I've got a lot of faith in the group," Ruff said. "They gave me everything they had the whole year. They're facing some veteran players that have been through wars.
"There was some frustration tonight, which comes along with not being in a battle like this, but this group has got a lot of heart. They've got a lot of desire."
Puck drops on Game 3 on Saturday in the Big Apple at 8 p.m. ET.
The Golden Knights bounced back at home Thursday, topping the Jets 5-2 to knot their first-round playoff series at a win apiece. Keep an eye on these seven important players when the matchup moves north for Games 3 and 4.
Mark Stone
Chris Unger / Getty Images
The downside of activating a star from long-term injury reserve as the playoffs begin, conveniently enabling his team to blow past the salary cap, is the player may need time to ramp up to his peak.
Stone looked rusty in Game 1, his first appearance in three months following back surgery. He forced some giveaways, flashing his signature defensive skill, but Vegas was severely outplayed and got outscored 2-0 in his five-on-five shifts.
Game 2 was different. Stone shone in the third period, firing a smart feed that led to Chandler Stephenson's winner before he drove the net and slipped open in the slot to pot a pair of insurance goals.
Stone scored efficiently this season before he went under the knife. He ranked third on the Golden Knights in points per 60 minutes at five-on-five and almost cracked the top 50 league-wide. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Stone building on his Game 2 breakout in his hometown would be massive for Vegas.
Pierre-Luc Dubois
Jeff Bottari / NHL / Getty Images
Adam Lowry's three goals lead the series, but it was Dubois who set the tone for Winnipeg's opening 5-1 win.
The top-line center threw eight hits, saucered passes into scoring areas, and either set up or tallied the Jets' crucial first two goals in Game 1. Feeling himself, Dubois chirped Vegas goalie Laurent Brossoit as he left one celebration circle.
The most noticeable Jet in the opener was quieter Thursday, though Dubois, Kyle Connor, and Mark Scheifele did create 11 of Winnipeg's 20 scoring chances at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick. The Jets owned the neutral zone in the first period and attacked with speed, enabling the Dubois line to pelt Brossoit with shots during the squad's finest spell of play.
Dubois has been a beast in the playoffs before. Bullying the Maple Leafs in the 2020 bubble, he scored a hat trick in one memorable Blue Jackets win but entered this round mired in an 11-game playoff goal drought. Dubois oozes confidence when he's at his best, supplying the swagger the Jets lacked as they slid to eighth place in the Western Conference.
Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault
David Becker / NHL / Getty Images
The Golden Knights' offensive headliners personify the two phases of the franchise's growth. An original Golden Misfit, Marchessault's star turn in the 2017-18 expansion season helped Vegas knock off Winnipeg to reach the Stanley Cup Final. Eichel was a blockbuster trade addition brought in to make Vegas a perennial contender.
Lacking urgency, Eichel posted poor shot metrics in Game 1, his career playoff debut. Marchessault produced a secondary assist but didn't put a shot on target. The agitated home crowd booed a futile late power-play attempt when Eichel and a few teammates cycled the puck aimlessly.
Eichel awakened on Thursday. He scored on a dexterous tip, his drives to the net induced multiple penalty calls, and he rang a slapper off Connor Hellebuyck's mask that cut the goalie on the eyebrow.
A dozen Vegas skaters netted 10-plus goals this season, but besides Reilly Smith, only Eichel and Marchessault bagged more than 20. It's vital they drive play when head coach Bruce Cassidy deploys them together.
Josh Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo
Chris Unger / Getty Images
Morrissey, Winnipeg's power-play conductor and most dynamic defenseman, scored 76 points out of the blue in 2022-23 to double his previous career high. DeMelo, the Jets' top pair's defensive conscience, helped tilt the ice (53.7% expected goals share) when he skated with Morrissey at five-on-five over the past two years.
Steady in the series, they've only been on the ice for one Vegas goal apiece. Both defensemen have recorded an assist. Beautifying the little things, Morrissey dislodged pucks from sticks and completed short, savvy passes that sparked Jets breakouts, but he didn't bend either game in Vegas to his will.
Vegas' defense corps is big, battle-tested, and fairly skilled. Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore earned downballot Norris Trophy votes in recent seasons. That Morrissey leveled up to vie for the award himself this year means he's capable of being this matchup's best blue-liner. Now's the time to make it happen.
Connor Hellebuyck
David Becker / NHL / Getty Images
Back when Brossoit was Hellebuyck's teammate, he received all of 45 starts over his three seasons as the Jets’ backup goalie. Durable and dazzling, Hellebuyck denies his partners regular playing time and can win a series practically by himself.
Hellebuyck’s .920 save percentage was fourth-best this season among NHL regulars, per Natural Stat Trick. However, his save percentage on the penalty kill (.884) was pedestrian and his save rate on high-danger shots (.828) ranked 28th league-wide.
The Golden Knights need to exploit those vulnerabilities. They're 0-for-7 overall with the man advantage, but they lit up Hellebuyck in Game 2 by continually getting the puck to the goalmouth or other dangerous areas.
Hellebuyck is credited with every postseason win in Jets franchise history. No Western Conference playoff goalie is as experienced or formidable. By the standings, the Jets entered this series as 16-point underdogs, but it won't feel that way if Hellebuyck rebounds to dominate on home ice.
