Three games on Tuesday night
Winnipeg Jets 2, Minnesota Wild 0 (Jets lead series 3-1)
Well things certainly escalated here, didn’t they? Josh Morrissey might be looking at a suspension for his cross-check to the neck of Eric Staal, while Wild coach Bruce Boudreau argued that the non-call on that play cost the Wild the game. It certainly did not help as it would have given them an extended two-man advantage, while Morrissey stayed in the game to set up the game-winning goal and help make a great defensive play to break up a potential breakaway chance for Nino Niederreiter.
Washington Capitals 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 2 (Blue Jackets lead series 2-1)
Artemi Panarin was the best player on the ice -- by a wide margin -- with another multiple-point game and some sort of highlight reel play nearly every time he touched the ice. It was not enough for the Columbus Blue Jackets as the Washington Capitals were able to pick up the Game 3 win. It was Lar Eller’s double overtime goal that lifted the Capitals as they finally had a bounce go their way in a playoff game
Vegas Golden Knights 1, Los Angeles Kings 0 (Golden Knights win series 4-0)
The first team advancing to the second round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs is the Vegas Golden Knights after completing their four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night with a 1-0 win in Game 4 of their series. If someone had told you that sentence would be possible at the start of the season you would have laughed at them, and rightfully so. Brayden McNabb, the player Los Angeles gave up to Vegas in the expansion draft, scored the only goal on Tuesday night.
[NBC’s Stanley Cup Playoff Hub]
Three Stars
1. Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights. It was, once again, the Marc-Andre Fleury show on Tuesday night. He stopped all 30 shots he faced to record his second shutout of the series, both of them by a 1-0 margin. He was unbelievable in the series, allowing just three goals in the four games. Some of his saves on Tuesday were highlight reel stops, including this late third period save on Anze Kopitar to preserve the one-goal lead.
🌸 F L O W E R 🌸 pic.twitter.com/FrIS0FgyO4
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) April 18, 2018
Then he did it again in the final minute, just getting enough of this Dustin Brown shot.
HOLY MOLY WHAT A GOALIE pic.twitter.com/n3AATdIJsH
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) April 18, 2018
Remember when Fleury was a concern in the playoffs? Seems like an eternity ago. Since the start of the playoffs a year ago Fleury now has a .935 save percentage in 19 games with four shutouts.
2. Lars Eller, Washington Capitals. Facing the prospect of a 3-0 series hole the Capitals needed somebody to step up in a big situation and Eller just happened to be in the right place at the right time to help them get on the board in their series against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Was he the best player on the ice? No. Was he the Capitals’ best player? Probably not. He did score the biggest goal of the season for the Capitals -- to this point -- so that is good enough.
3. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets. On the same day that it was announced he is a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie, Hellebuyck recorded his first career playoff shutout, stopping all 30 shots he faced in the Jets’ 2-0 win to move them one game closer to winning their first ever Stanley Cup playoff series.
Factoid Of The Night
It has to be all about the Vegas Golden Knights. What they are doing this season is nothing short of amazing.
PIT achieved the feat in 1970 (vs. Oakland Seals), their third season in the NHL, and the MLB’s Boston Braves did so in 1914 (vs. Philadelphia Athletics), their 39th season as a franchise and the 11th in which the MLB crowned a World Series champion. @EliasSports
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 18, 2018
Wednesday’s Schedule
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m. ET
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New Jersey Devils, 7:30 p.m. ET
Nashville Predators vs. Colorado Avalanche, 10 p.m. ET
Anaheim Ducks vs. San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m. ET
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.