NHL Playoffs Daily 2023 – Stanley Cup semifinal bracket is set

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Kane Dane
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The NHL’s closing 4 is ready. The Vegas Golden Knights took care of enterprise at residence, eliminating the Colorado Avalanche to arrange a semifinal date with the Montreal Canadiens.

Sadly, we’ve two days off from hockey, earlier than the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning kick off their collection Sunday.

Try the ESPN NHL Playoffs Day by day to catch up day-after-day of the postseason till the Stanley Cup is handed out in July.

Extra: Playoff schedule | Playoff Central

About final night time

Vegas Golden Knights 6, Colorado Avalanche 3 (Knights win 4-2)

The Golden Knights had been routed in Sport 1, 6-1, then additionally misplaced Sport 2 of this collection. “I don’t assume there was an individual within the hockey world, once we had been down 2-0, that thought we’d end this in Sport 6 at residence tonight,” Vegas coach Pete DeBoer stated. “That was actual. Loads of speak about us being swept, being embarrassed, may we even win a sport? We have now a gaggle with lots of delight. They blocked out the noise and went to work.”

That they did. Vegas re-embraced its underdog mentality and took full benefit of one other packed home at T-Cellular Area (DeBoer additionally credited the house crowds as a catalyst for the collection comeback). The tempo on this sport was relentless, and it positively wasn’t a goaltenders’ duel. Nevertheless, Marc-Andre Fleury stepped up within the third interval, stopping 11 pictures. Vegas had six completely different purpose scorers, embodying the group’s next-man-up mentality. After scoring 10 targets on 62 pictures within the first two video games of the collection, Colorado’s offense dried up, scoring solely eight targets on 101 pictures on purpose during the last 4 video games. For the third straight season, Colorado has been eradicated within the second spherical.

The semifinal collection between Vegas and Montreal will function some juicy storylines. For starters, it’s the primary time a Canadian group will face an American group this NHL season — lastly, we get to see some new opponents. As Fleury nears the top of his Corridor of Fame profession, he will get an opportunity to win a collection in opposition to the group from his residence province, Quebec. And he’ll duel in opposition to one among his nice contemporaries, Carey Worth.

Maybe the juiciest subplot: Golden Knights winger Max Pacioretty faces the group he captained for 3 years. Pacioretty was traded in 2018, and the important thing participant coming to Montreal was then-prospect Nick Suzuki, who’s now an ascending heart for the Canadiens. Although Vegas has been within the league for less than 4 years, the Golden Knights are getting impatient for a Stanley Cup. Montreal, in the meantime, is Canada’s final hope this yr to interrupt in a foreign country’s drought (the Habs had been the final Canadian group to win, again in 1993). Buckle up, this must be a enjoyable one! Full recap

Three stars of the night time

Alex Pietrangelo, D, Vegas Golden Knights

The previous St. Louis Blues captain scored his first purpose of the postseason, which lastly got here after being the group’s pictures on purpose chief (he’s now as much as 45). Excessive reward from his coach: “I assumed he was the most effective participant within the collection, on both group.”

Keegan Kolesar, RW, Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights have a historical past of function gamers stepping up, and Kolesar is the newest to do it in an enormous second.

William Provider, LW, Vegas Golden Knights

Provider, an unique member of the Golden Knights, additionally scored his first purpose of the postseason — an enormous one within the third interval that gave Vegas a two-goal lead with 8:14 remaining.

Provider is one among 4 Quebec-born gamers on the Knights roster (together with Fleury, Jonathan Marchessault and Nicolas Roy) that means the subsequent spherical in opposition to Montreal is a deal with. “It’s going to be powerful for the household,” Provider stated. “I feel it’s going to be divided again there.”

Quote of the day

“I’m going into my ninth yr subsequent yr and haven’t received s—. I’m positively motivated. It simply sucks.”

— Avalanche star heart Nathan MacKinnon

Stat of the day

In line with the Elias Sports activities Bureau, the 2023 Avalanche are the third group in NHL historical past to start a postseason with a minimum of six consecutive wins after which lose their subsequent 4, becoming a member of the 1999 Pink Wings and 1969 Blues. They’re the primary Presidents’ Trophy winner to take action.

Second of the day

There’s nothing just like the Stanley Cup playoffs handshake line. Mark Stone was matched in opposition to Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado prime line. From Sport 3 on, Stone stifled them. However there’s nonetheless a ton of respect.

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