NHL playoffs daily: Leafs push Sens to brink of elimination; Wild, Blues, Panthers win

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As the NHL playoffs move forward, the Toronto Maple Leafs have emerged with a chance to become the first team to advance to the second round.

On Thursday in Ottawa, Simon Benoit played the role of hero for the Leafs, scoring with a slapshot from the point to lift Toronto to a 3-2 overtime win and a 3-0 series lead over the Ottawa Senators. The Leafs can complete a sweep of the Sens with a win in Game 4 on Saturday.

In Minnesota, Kirill Kaprizov scored twice as the Wild beat the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their series. Game 4 is Saturday at Minnesota.

Meanwhile, the Blues enjoyed their return home to St. Louis with a victory over Winnipeg, reducing the Jets’ series edge to 2-1. That series also continues with a Game 4 on Saturday.

And over in Tampa, Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky outdueled Andrei Vasilevskiy, stopping all 19 shots he faced in a 2-0 victory over the Lightning and giving the Panthers a 2-0 series lead. The series shifts to Sunrise, Fla., for Game 3 on Saturday.

(Toronto leads series 3-0)

Benoit was the unlikely hero

As regulation ended, Benoit did as he’s done all season, putting his body on the line and blocking two shots close to goal. Both shots looked to leave the Leafs’ defenseman hobbled.

Turns out, he was just fine. He seemed to use the evident adrenaline rush to score his first career playoff goal with a powerful seeing-eye point shot just 1:19 into overtime.

This was the definition of how Leafs coach Craig Berube envisions his offence: simple and direct. Benoit could have moved the puck around looking for a forward, but instead threw the puck at the net. Good things seem to happen for the Leafs this series when they do that. — Joshua Kloke

Brady Tkachuk’s health continues to be a topic of conversation

Brady Tkachuk’s health is under the spotlight yet again. He left momentarily in the second period before returning in time for his team’s power play. But he didn’t look like himself at times. He laboured and looked in pain every time he went to the bench, but he played through it.

Then, as life seemed to drain from the Canadian Tire Centre after a go-ahead goal from Auston Matthews early in the third period, Tkachuk wired a shot past Anthony Stolarz for his second goal of the series. It’s a goal he’ll remember for a long time. And those “Brady” chants returned.

Tkachuk’s health has been a key topic of conversation since the 4 Nations break.

A lower-body injury sustained against Team Sweden while playing with Team USA caused him to miss time. Then, a hip tweak saw him miss the end of a regular-season game in March, only for him to favor it in a game against the New Jersey Devils days later. Then, an upper-body injury sustained against the Pittsburgh Penguins caused him to miss a handful of games before returning for his team’s regular-season finale against Carolina.

Before the playoffs, Tkachuk insisted there were no issues with his health. When asked after Game 3 why he left partway through the contest, he chalked it up to “bumps and bruises.” It could have all been part of a performance that added to his early playoff lore.

Instead, the captain’s Game 3 performance is at risk of being lost in a Battle of Ontario that appears to be sliding decidedly in favor of the Maple Leafs. — Julian McKenzie

(Minnesota leads series 2-1)

Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy dominating Knights

Kaprizov’s two goals gave him seven points, putting him in a tie for the playoff league lead with Adrian Kempe of the Los Angeles Kings. Matt Boldy’s two goals put him in a tie with Kaprizov for the league lead with four goals.

The Wild’s two stars are on fire this series and are devouring the Golden Knights’ defensemen.

There was no bigger example in Thursday’s game than Boldy, on a hard forecheck, forcing Noah Hanifin into Minnesota’s latest gift. Boldy forced the giveaway, came around the net and fired the puck right through Hill, who has allowed 10 goals in eight periods in this series.

Kaprizov’s second power-play goal came with 1.3 seconds left in the second period when Ryan Hartman, who has 13 points in 14 playoff games over the past three Wild postseasons, looked at the clock, saw how little time there was left and flung a puck at the net from the half wall.

Kaprizov and Boldy became the first Wild players in history with multiple points in each of the Wild’s first three contests during a postseason. Kaprizov now has 14 goals in 22 career playoff games — two behind Zach Parise’s franchise record, set in 22 more games (44).

Boldy tied Parise (three games in 2018) for the second-longest goal streak to begin a postseason in Wild history. Mikko Koivu set the record in 2008 with a four-game goal streak to begin a postseason. According to NHL Network analyst and Sportlogiq director of analytics Mike Kelly, the Golden Knights have allowed six turnover goals in three games — most of any playoff team. Vegas allowed the fourth-fewest in the regular season. — Joe Smith

Slow start hurts Vegas again

The Golden Knights struggled with slow starts for most of the season. It continued in Game 3, as Vegas began the game with two penalties and two goals allowed in the first seven minutes.

It began with a too-many-men penalty less than three minutes in. Kaprizov cashed in quickly with a shot through traffic that beat Akira Schmid to open the scoring. Nic Hague took a tripping penalty minutes later, and while Vegas killed that penalty, the Wild struck again shortly after that with a one-timer in front by Marco Rossi.

Vegas eventually settled into the game, got a goal from Alex Pietrangelo and controlled possession as the first frame went on, but the slow start forced the Golden Knights to chase the game yet again. — Jesse Granger

Blues 7, Jets 2

(Winnipeg leads series 2-1)

Cam Fowler trade paying off

The Blues’ acquisition of defenseman Cam Fowler from the Anaheim Ducks, one of the more underrated trades of the NHL season, continues to pay off.

In December, Blues GM Doug Armstrong picked up the 15-year veteran and a 2027 fourth-round pick in exchange for prospect Jeremie Biakabutuka and a 2027 second-round pick. The Ducks also retained some of Fowler’s salary, giving him a $4 million AAV this season and in the final year of his contract in 2025-26.

In 51 regular-season games with the Blues, playing on the Blues’ top pair with Colton Parayko, Fowler had nine goals and 36 points.

When the Blues made the playoffs, it marked Fowler’s first trip to the postseason since 2016-17 with Anaheim. He played 64 postseason games for the Ducks and had six goals and 35 points. The 33-year-old wasn’t much of a factor for the Blues in the first two games in Winnipeg, but in Game 3, he had three points in the first period. He had the secondary assist on both of Pavel Buchnevich’s goals, and then scored his first playoff goal for the Blues.

It was also the first goal for a Blues defenseman in the series. In the regular season, the team’s defensive group finished third in the NHL with 46 goals, according to StatMuse.com, behind the Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets. Fowler finished with a five-point night. — Jeremy Rutherford

More playoff controversy for Connor Hellebuyck

Connor Hellebuyck was hung out to dry in the first period. Buchnevich’s first goal was a freebie as the puck fell to him in the slot. Buchnevich made a great play, kicking the puck then swatting it out of mid-air to get the goal. His second one was a beautiful redirection on the power play — most goalies would have had no chance — while Fowler’s 3-0 goal was the product of a neutral zone breakdown and a partial breakaway.

The part of Game 3 that falls on Hellebuyck is the puck he gave away 52 seconds after David Gustafsson got Winnipeg on the board. Gustafsson’s goal to make it 3-1 4:32 into the third was the one moment of Game 3 that the Jets had momentum. Keep the pressure on, get another one, and the Blues are sweating another third-period collapse. Get pickpocketed behind the net, give up Buchnevich’s hat trick goal to make it 4-1 as Hellebuyck did, and the game — already a longshot — becomes virtually unwinnable. — Murat Ates

(Florida leads series 2-0)

Aleksander Barkov leaves after nasty hit

Florida captain Aleksander Barkov left the game in the third period, and looked disoriented while doing so, after absorbing a violent hit from Brandon Hagel.

Hagel was assessed a five-minute interference penalty midway through the third period. While Hagel didn’t leave his feet on the play and didn’t hit Barkov from behind, the puck wasn’t close when the hit was made. Lightning coach Jon Cooper voiced his displeasure with the call, as one might expect.

“I didn’t expect them to call it a five. But at least we did a great job of killing it off,” Cooper said postgame.

That it was an interference penalty is undeniable. The puck wasn’t close and it was a violent hit against an unsuspecting player. I personally didn’t have a problem with the call. — Josh Yohe

Jake Guentzel not so great

Jake Guentzel was Tampa Bay’s best player in Game 1, but had a night to forget in Game 2 despite being the player who is almost always at his best in the postseason.

The star winger had two glorious chances in the first period, only to miss the net on each occasion.

Guentzel was also guilty of two penalties, both of which were of the unnecessary variety. He plays a huge role on the Lightning power play, but that unit was stymied by the stingy Panthers’ penalty kill.

Early in the first period, Cooper made a significant line change, bumping Guentzel to the top line alongside Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. Whether at even strength or on the power play, the big guns for Tampa never seemed to get on track. Guentzel, so active and impressive in Game 1, was very much held in check. — Yohe

(Photo of Leafs celebrating: Chris Tanouye / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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