Saturday’s Stanley Cup Playoffs action features a distinct theme: It’s win or go home time for the home teams. The Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings each hope to stave off elimination on their home ice during what should be a thrilling night of NHL postseason play.
The Toronto Maple Leafs opened the night with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Lightning, giving them a 4-2 playoff series win, their first since 2004. John Tavares scored the game-winner for Toronto at 4:36 of overtime. With the playoff jitters seemingly behind them, Toronto will face either the Boston Bruins or the Florida Panthers in the second round.
The Devils are heading to Madison Square Garden with all the momentum for Saturday night’s game against the Rangers. New Jersey responded from an 0-2 series deficit by dominating the following three games, outscoring the Rangers 9-2 over an unbeaten stretch. A win would send New Jersey to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2012, a season in which the team reached the Stanley Cup Finals.
This time a year ago, the Edmonton Oilers trailed Los Angeles 3-2 in their first-round playoff series before rattling off two consecutive victories to reach the second round. The Kings are hoping to reverse that fortune against an Edmonton team coming off two straight wins, including an overtime victory in Game 4, which took place in Los Angeles and saw the Kings squander a three-goal lead.
For the full playoff schedule and final score updates on every Stanley Cup Playoff series, click here. For now, follow along tonight as the first round inches closer to an end.
Maple Leafs top Lightning in OT, win first series since 2004
The Maple Leafs earned their first playoff series win since 2004 in style on Saturday, defeating the Lightning 2-1 in overtime thanks to a game-winning goal from John Tavares. Toronto will now face either the Boston Bruins or Florida Panthers in the second round.
Toronto’s Auston Matthews opened the game’s scoring with a goal at 13:47 of the second period, and the Leafs would hold that one-goal lead through the remainder of the frame. But Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos responded with a game-tying goal at 4:11 of the third period, which led to a brief but exciting overtime.
The overtime game-winner from Tavares came less than five minutes into the period and was a beauty, as the Leafs captain skated around the net before quickly turning and firing a wrist shot past Lighting goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.
While Tavares stole the show late, Toronto goalie Ilya Samsonov was exceptional throughout the game. The netminder made 31 saves for a save percentage of 96.9%, stopping the Lightning offense dead in its tracks at their own arena.
Devils vs. Rangers
Oilers vs. Kings
- Oilers lead series, 3-2
- Time: 10 p.m.
- TV channel: TBS
