The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs have delivered plenty of excitement lately, and Friday`s games were no exception.
Friday`s action started with the Florida Panthers defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 in overtime. Experienced Panthers forward Brad Marchand netted the winning goal after Morgan Rielly tied it for Toronto late in the third period. Marchand was one of five different players to score for Florida in the win, reducing Toronto`s series advantage to 2-1.
In contrast, the game in Winnipeg was much less dramatic, as the Jets secured a decisive 4-0 victory over the Dallas Stars, evening their second-round series at one game each. Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers contributed a goal and an assist, while goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped all 22 shots for his first shutout of the playoffs.
Following another exciting night on the ice, here`s a closer look at some of the standout performances from Friday`s games.
3. Nikolaj Ehlers | F | Jets
After missing the first five games of the first round against the Blues due to a late-season foot injury, Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers appeared to be regaining his form in his fourth game back, contributing a goal and an assist in Game 2 against the Stars.
Ehlers was active around the net early in Friday`s game. Just over three minutes in, his shot from the slot was blocked, but he quickly recovered the puck and fired a shot that barely got past Jake Oettinger before Gabriel Vilardi finished the rebound, earning Ehlers an assist. Later in the period, Ehlers scored when his shot deflected off Esa Lindell. He also added an empty-net goal late in the game. Ehlers led the team with six shots on goal and played aggressively throughout the contest.
2. Brad Marchand | F | Panthers
Brad Marchand provided the veteran leadership the Panthers needed, stepping up to score the game-winning goal in overtime of Game 3.
With 4:33 remaining in overtime, Marchand received a pass from Dmitry Kulikov. He showed remarkable patience, maneuvering into the far face-off circle before releasing a shot. The puck deflected off Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly and sailed over goaltender Joseph Woll`s shoulder for the winning goal. It was a prime example of how simply getting the puck towards the net can sometimes lead to a fortunate bounce.
1. Connor Hellebuyck | G | Jets
A season after winning the Vezina Trophy as the league`s best goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck was again named a finalist for the award this month. While his numbers weren`t stellar (3.71 GAA, .830 SV%) in the first round against the Blues, he resembled an elite netminder in Friday`s Game 2 victory.
Facing a potent Stars offense, Hellebuyck turned aside all 22 shots for the shutout. He appeared poised throughout the game and came up with numerous crucial saves. In the second period particularly, Hellebuyck made several stops to preserve the shutout. Late in that frame, he stopped a shot from Thomas Harley and then quickly slid across the crease to glove Evgenii Dadonov`s rebound attempt. This level of performance from Hellebuyck will be crucial for the Jets` chances against the Stars in this series.
