Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa has left tonight’s game against the Nashville Predators with what looked like a right eye injury.
The helmet of Craig Smith appears to strike Bieksa in the face on a routine hit.
Here’s another look:
Update:
NHL Return to Play: Round-robin standings, scenarios
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While the 16 teams in the qualifying round play for the right to move on, the No. 1 seeds in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference are still up for grabs in the round-robin format of the NHL’s return to play.
The round-robin schedule resumes on Saturday with a pair of games (Lightning vs. Flyers and Golden Knights vs. Avalanche) and here we take a look at the impact those games can have on the standings.
Below is a look at the current round-robin standings and everything at stake on Saturday.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Current standings (tiebreaker is regular-season points percentage)
Tampa Bay Lightning (2-0-0, 4 points)
Philadelphia Flyers (2-0-0, 4 points)
Washington Capitals (0-1-1, 1 point)
Boston Bruins (0-2-0, 0 points)
Sunday, Aug. 2: Flyers 4, Bruins 1 (recap)
Monday, Aug. 3: Lightning 3, Capitals 2 (SO) (recap)
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Lightning 3, Bruins 2 (recap)
Thursday, Aug. 6: Flyers 3, Capitals 1 (recap)
Saturday, Aug. 8: Flyers vs. Lightning, 8 p.m. ET – NBC
Sunday, Aug. 9: Bruins vs. Capitals, 12 p.m. ET – NBCSN
• Winner of TB/PHI will be #1 seed; the loser will be #2
• Winner of BOS/WSH will be #3 seed; the loser will be #4
• Carolina will face either Boston or Washington in First Round.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Standings (tiebreaker is regular-season points percentage)
Vegas Golden Knights (3-0-0, 6 points)
Colorado Avalanche (2-1-0, 4 points)
St. Louis Blues (0-2-0, 0 points)
Dallas Stars (0-2-0, 0 points)
Sunday, Aug. 2: Avalanche 2, Blues 1 (recap)
Monday, Aug. 3: Golden Knights 4, Stars 3 (recap)
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Avalanche 4, Stars 0
Thursday, Aug. 6: Golden Knights 6, Blues 4 (recap)
Saturday, Aug. 8: Golden Knights 4, Avalanche 3 (OT) (recap)
Sunday, Aug. 9: Stars vs. Blues, 3 p.m. ET – NBC
• Vegas will play Chicago, while Colorado will play Arizona in the First Round.
• Winner of STL/DAL will be #3 seed; the loser will be #4
MORE:
• 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Qualifiers schedule
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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.
NHL schedule for 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers in league’s Return to Play
It’s time to focus on the NHL games, including the 2020 NHL playoffs schedule. The 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers began on Saturday, Aug. 1 in the hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto.
The top four teams in both conference will play a three-game round robin for seeding in the First Round. The Stanley Cup Qualifiers will be best-of-5 series with the losing teams being entered into Phase 2 of the NHL Draft Lottery.
Below is a full 2020 NHL playoffs schedule of both the round-robin and the Stanley Cup Qualifiers.
EASTERN CONFERENCE (Scotiabank Arena)
Round-robin [Standings, scenarios]
Sunday, Aug. 2: Flyers 4, Bruins 1 (recap)
Monday, Aug. 3: Lightning 3, Capitals 2 (SO) (recap)
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Lightning 3, Bruins 2 (recap)
Thursday, Aug. 6: Flyers 3, Capitals 1 (recap)
Saturday, Aug. 8: Flyers vs. Lightning, 8 p.m. ET – NBC
Sunday, Aug. 9: Bruins vs. Capitals, 12 p.m. ET – NBCSN
(5) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (12) Montreal Canadiens (MTL won series 3-1)
Saturday, Aug. 1: Canadiens 3, Penguins 2 (recap)
Monday, Aug. 3: Penguins 3, Canadiens 1 (recap)
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Canadiens 4, Penguins 3 (recap)
Friday, Aug. 7: Canadiens 2, Penguins 0 (recap)
(6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (11) New York Rangers (CAR won series 3-0)
Saturday, Aug. 1: Hurricanes 3, Rangers 2 (recap)
Monday, Aug. 3: Hurricanes 4, Rangers 1 (recap)
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Hurricanes 4, Rangers 1 (recap)
(7) New York Islanders vs. (10) Florida Panthers (NYI won series 3-1)
Saturday, Aug. 1: Islanders 2, Panthers 1 (recap)
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Islanders 4, Panthers 2 (recap)
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Panthers 3, Islanders 2 (recap)
Friday, Aug. 7: Islanders 5, Panthers 1 (recap)
(8) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (9) Columbus Blue Jackets (Series tied 2-2)
Sunday, Aug. 2: Blue Jackets 2, Maple Leafs 0 (recap)
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Maple Leafs 3, Blue Jackets 0 (recap)
Thursday, Aug. 6: Blue Jackets 4, Maple Leafs 3 (OT) (recap)
Friday, Aug. 7: Maple Leafs 4, Blue Jackets 3 (OT) (recap)
Sunday, Aug. 9: Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs, 8 p.m. ET – NBCSN
[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]
WESTERN CONFERENCE (Rogers Place)
Round-robin [Standings, scenarios]
Sunday, Aug. 2: Avalanche 2, Blues 1 (recap)
Monday, Aug. 3: Golden Knights 4, Stars 3 (recap)
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Avalanche 4, Stars 0
Thursday, Aug. 6: Golden Knights 6, Blues 4 (recap)
Saturday, Aug. 8: Golden Knights 4, Avalanche 3 (OT) (recap)
Sunday, Aug. 9: Stars vs. Blues, 3 p.m. ET – NBC
(5) Edmonton Oilers vs. (12) Chicago Blackhawks (CHI won series 3-1)
Saturday, Aug. 1: Blackhawks 6, Oilers 4 (recap)
Monday, Aug. 3: Oilers 6, Blackhawks 3 (recap)
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Blackhawks 4, Oilers 3 (recap)
Friday, Aug. 7: Blackhawks 3, Oilers 2 (recap)
(6) Nashville Predators vs. (11) Arizona Coyotes (ARZ won series 3-1)
Sunday, Aug. 2: Coyotes 4, Predators 3 (recap)
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Predators 4, Coyotes 2 (recap)
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Coyotes 4, Predators 1 (recap)
Friday, Aug. 7: Coyotes 4, Predators 3 (OT) (recap)
(7) Vancouver Canucks vs. (10) Minnesota Wild (VAN won series 3-1)
Sunday, Aug. 2: Wild 3, Canucks 0 (recap)
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Canucks 4, Wild 3 (recap)
Thursday, Aug. 6: Canucks 3, Wild 0 (recap)
Friday, Aug. 7: Canucks 5, Wild 4 (OT) (recap)
(8) Calgary Flames vs. (9) Winnipeg Jets (CGY won series 3-1)
Saturday, Aug. 1: Flames 4, Jets 1 (recap)
Monday, Aug. 3: Jets 3, Flames 2 (recap)
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Flames 6, Jets 2 (recap)
Thursday, Aug. 6: Flames 4, Jets 0 (recap)
————
Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.
Flyers-Lightning stream: NHL Return to Play round-robin game
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NBC’s coverage of the NHL’s Return to Play continues with Saturday’s round-robin matchup between the Flyers and Lightning. Coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Watch the Flyers-Lightning stream on the NBC Sports app by clicking here.
A year after becoming the first Presidents’ Trophy winner to be swept in the opening round of the playoffs, Tampa has an opportunity to earn the top seed in the East. The winner of this game will become the #1 seed in the East; the loser will be the second seed.
Teams will be re-seeded after each round of the playoffs, so the #1 seed will play whichever remaining team had the lowest points percentage from the regular season: either Montreal or the winner of the Maple Leafs-Blue Jackets series. The #2 seed will play either the Maple Leafs/Blue Jackets or Islanders.
The Lightning finished second in the Eastern Conference, their third straight season finishing in the top-two in the East. Philadelphia earned the fourth seed after winning nine of their final 10 regular season games before the pause.
[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]
WHAT: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
WHERE: Scotiabank Arena – Toronto
WHEN: Saturday, August 8, 8 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
LIVE STREAM: You can watch the Flyers-Lightning stream on NBC Sports’ live stream page and the NBC Sports app.
Current standings (tiebreaker is regular-season points percentage)
Tampa Bay Lightning (2-0-0, 4 points)
Philadelphia Flyers (2-0-0, 4 points)
Washington Capitals (0-1-1, 1 point)
Boston Bruins (0-2-0, 0 points)
Sunday, Aug. 2: Flyers 4, Bruins 1 (recap)
Monday, Aug. 3: Lightning 3, Capitals 2 (SO) (recap)
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Lightning 3, Bruins 2 (recap)
Thursday, Aug. 6: Flyers 3, Capitals 1 (recap)
Saturday, Aug. 8: Flyers vs. Lightning, 8 p.m. ET – NBC (livestream)
Sunday, Aug. 9: Bruins vs. Capitals, 12 p.m. ET – NBCSN
• Winner of TB/PHI will be #1 seed; the loser will be #2
• Winner of BOS/WSH will be #3 seed; the loser will be #4
• Carolina will face either Boston or Washington in First Round.
Golden Knights earn West’s top seed; Avalanche settle for second spot
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Despite a bumpy regular season that included a coaching change, the Golden Knights enter the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs with the top seed in the Western Conference after beating the Avalanche 4-3 in overtime. Alex Tuch scored the game-winner for the Golden Knights.
[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]
Golden Knights win West top seed; Round-robin, NHL playoff matchup updates
With that, the Golden Knights take on the Blackhawks, while the Avalanche face the Coyotes in the First Round.
2020 ROUND ROBIN CHAMPS!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/TLU55xt4bf
— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) August 8, 2020
If you want more top-seed action, you’re in luck on Saturday. We’ll also see which team will claim the top spot in the East, as the Flyers joust with the Lightning. (You can watch on NBC at 8 p.m. ET; stream it live here).
While the Avalanche and Golden Knights determined the top two seeds in the West, Sunday’s round-robin game will determine spots three and four. The same will happen for the East’s third and fourth seeds, while Sunday also presents Game 5 of the exhilarating Blue Jackets – Maple Leafs series.
The eight-seed Flames take on the winner of Blues – Stars, while the seventh-seed Canucks face the loser of Blues – Stars.
Here’s that Alex Tuch OT-GWG:
Alex Tuch gets it done for his guys!
The shot that sealed the deal for the @GoldenKnights to claim the 🔝 seed. pic.twitter.com/mUFae8ojuj
— #StanleyCup Qualifiers on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) August 8, 2020
Updated NHL Round-robin standings (ties broken by regular-season points percentage)
EAST
Lightning (2-0-0, 4 points)
Flyers (2-0-0, 4 points)
Capitals (0-1-1, 1 point)
Bruins (0-2-0, 0 points)
WEST
Top Seed: Golden Knights (3-0-0, 6 points)
Second Seed: Avalanche (2-0-1, 5 points)
Blues (0-2-0, 0 points)
Stars (0-2-0, 0 points)
SUNDAY‘S NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Round-robin: Bruins vs. Capitals, 12 p.m. ET – NBCSN
Round-robin: Stars vs. Blues, 3 p.m. ET – NBC
Game 5: Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs, 8 p.m. ET – NBCSN
Some Golden Knights – Avs notes
- Ryan Reaves helped set a nasty tone — at least by round-robin standards. It wasn’t “playoff-level,” but the Avs and Golden Knights brought a greater energy to this one. Not shocking with home-ice advantage on the line, but noteworthy.
- Nathan MacKinnon displayed passion — maybe too much. He received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which preceded a Vegas power play goal. Naturally, MacKinnon redeemed himself by … being Nathan MacKinnon.
- Interestingly, Robin Lehner started for the Golden Knights, not Marc-Andre Fleury. Lehner played in two of the three round-robin games. This doesn’t guarantee that Peter DeBoer leans toward Lehner being the starter for Game 1, yet it gives that impression.
- Alex Tuch scored the overtime game-winner after a nice defensive play by Mark Stone. Tuch had a nice round-robin run, and could be crucial to Vegas, especially if Max Pacioretty continues to be “unfit to play.”
MORE:
• 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Qualifiers schedule
—
James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.