Boston Bruins at Detroit Red Wings – BOS wins 3-2 (OT), BOS leads series 3-1
Of course, the big note in this game was that Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg, who hadn’t played a game for Detroit since the Olympic break, would return to the lineup and provide some much needed depth. A late scratch would be goaltender Jimmy Howard (Flu) in favour of Jonas Gustavsson.
Detroit was able to open the scoring in this one with a power play goal. Off a face off win by Pavel Datsyuk, Niklas Kronwall took a point shot that beat a screened Tuukka Rask cleanly. With that shot, the Red Wings got the start to the game they so desperately needed.
The second period started with a goal from Datsyuk as the Wings would recover an attempted clear, the puck would get behind the net and Kronwall would center the puck to Datsyuk who deposited it in a mostly open net. The Bruins would then tie the game on the power play as an offensive draw won by Patrice Bergeron went back to Torey Krug who then absolutely ripped a slap shot past Gustavsson to make it 2-2.
It didn’t take long for Boston to get on the board in the third period. Carl Soderberg took a puck down the right wing, centred in front and Milan Lucic was left all alone to tie the game 2-2. The teams would each have their chances (namely a missed open net by Brad Marchand) but the rest of the third would be scoreless and the teams went to overtime.
The Bruins would complete the comeback as a shot by Dougie Hamilton would deflect off of Jarome Iginla’s stick, off the leg of Detroit defenseman Danny DeKeyser and past Gustavsson. The goal was Iginla’s first career playoff overtime goal, and scored with 6:28 left in the first OT to give the Bruins the win and a commanding series lead.
Colorado Avalanche at Minnesota Wild – MIN wins 2-1, Series tied 2-2
It was less than four minutes into the game when Minnesota’s Jared Spurgeon received a centering pass from Zach Parise and made no mistake, snapping it past Semyon Varlamov to make it 1-0 just 3:47 in. The Wild would dominate the period but the score would not be extended further, with thanks to Varlamov, as the Avs were outshot 14-3.
The Wild would get their second goal on a delayed penalty call as a shot bounced off the glass and directly back out front of the net, with Charlie Coyle waiting for the gimmie goal to make it 2-0. The Avs would respond, however, on a bit of a soft goal allowed by Darcy Kuemper. Jamie Mcginn knocked down a clearing attempt in the Wild zone, slapped it over to Ryan O’Reilly, who snapped it past Kuemper from an angle at distance to make it 2-1.
The rest of the game would be dominated from the Wild with the Avalanche never really threatening in the third period. Colorado would get a late power play but not much materialized and a thoroughly dominant Minnesota team would skate away with the win.
San Jose Sharks at Los Angeles Kings – LAK wins 6-3, SJS leads series 3-1
Despite some early pressure from the Sharks, it would be Marian Gaborik of the Kings who would open the scoring. Just over four minutes into the opening frame, Gaborik drove the net and put away the rebound of a Dustin Brown shot to make it 1-0 Los Angeles.
James Sheppard would tie the game with just under eight seconds left in the first period batting a rebound out of the air and past Jonathan Quick. It was close to a high sticking touch but was just under the crossbar and a good goal.
The Kings would take the lead at the 3:52 mark of the second period as Justin Williams took a shot from the outside on the power play – a power play due to a Raffi Torres boarding call – and it would squeak through the body of Antti Niemi and in. It appeared as though Mike Richards jammed the rebound in, but the official call went to Williams with Richards getting an assist.
It wouldn’t take long for the Sharks to tie, though, as Matt Nieto would come down the right side on a rush, relatively unmarked, and convert a Patrick Marleau rebound past Jonathan Quick to tie the game 2-2.
The Kings would take a 3-2 lead after an offensive zone face off with less than four minutes left in the second period. A Willie Mitchell point shot would go wide, but bounce out front and in the air only to be knocked out of mid-air by Justin Williams. Tyler Toffoli would extend the lead to 4-2 after he corralled a point shot that was partially blocked only to fire it past Niemi.
Marian Gaborik would score early in the third period for the Kings as he was the recipient of a pass out of the corner from Anze Kopitar and he snapped it past Niemi. After the goal that came 34 seconds into the third, Niemi would be pulled in favour of Alex Stalock.
Later in the third, a Jarret Stoll penalty would negate what would have been the sixth Kings goal to put the Sharks on the power play. On that chance, the Sharks would make good as Joe Pavelski would knock in a Marleau rebound to make the game 5-3 with less than nine minutes left.
Dustin Brown would score the empty net goal with just under 90 seconds left to make it 6-3 and ice the game for Los Angeles.
