The Canucks were lucky to win Game 3, and they know it. With Nashville’s crowd out in full force on a Sunday afternoon, the Canucks aren’t going to be able to play the same way they did last time and get a result.
Winnipeg has two potential paths to victory. The first is throwing Colorado off its game and grinding them down, which has been zero-for-three to this point. The second is throwing caution to the wind and outscoring them. That worked in Game 1 because the Avalanche defense had a bad day, but there’s no sign of it working past this game.
Vegas has played outstanding hockey at home and now sees a real opportunity to put a chokehold on this series. Dallas has to find a way to dictate the flow of the game and force Vegas to play its style.
The Hurricanes have been a step or two ahead at every turn, and the one time where the Isles had an edge, they couldn’t step on the throat. It feels like New York had one chance in this series, and it has come and gone.
Colorado is at its best when it can dictate the flow of the game and knows that there will be a lot of shots at both ends. Winnipeg wants a slower, more methodical game that relies on its goaltenders. But if Hellebuyck can’t get above a .900 save percentage, the Jets are in peril.
With a win here, New York can essentially finish this series off and start preparing for Carolina. A defeat gives Washington hope in a series where the Capitals are playing with house money. The last thing the Rangers need or want is for this series to get back to New York with the Capitals still alive.
Not only have the Panthers held Tampa Bay to two goals in each of the first two games, but they’ve only allowed 42 shots total. The Lightning don’t generate a ton of shots, but they’re a high-scoring team, and they’re not getting chances right now.
The Islanders didn’t finish the Hurricanes off in Game 2. They weren’t aggressive when they had the edge, and now they’ve got no choice but to be aggressive with the odds against them, trailing 2-0.
Betting on the NFL Draft is one of my favorite parts of the spring. This is a time when you’re analyzing what teams are likely to do with their personnel, as opposed to worrying about what a player will do during competition.