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The Wraparound: Blues, Canadiens look to force Game 7s

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Keith Jones and Patrick Sharp explain exactly why no one is looking forward to playing the Islanders going forward in these playoffs.

The Wraparound is your daily look at the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’ll break down all of the NHL playoff games on Friday with the all-important television and live streaming information included.

Check out NHL Bubble Wrap to look back at all of Thursday’s action.

• Brendan Gallagher will miss the rest of the First Round with a broken jaw.

• Matt Niskanen has been suspended for Game 6 after cross-checking Gallagher Wednesday night.

NHL GAMES TODAY

Game 6: Flyers vs. Canadiens (PHI leads 3-2) – 7 p.m. ET – NBCSN; livestream: The Canadiens wasted no time in attacking Game 5, as Joel Armia put the Habs ahead 1-0 with a shorthanded goal less than three minutes into the game. The game swung in the Flyers favor in the second, when Jesperi Kotkaniemi was handed a five-min major and a game misconduct for a hit on Travis Sanheim. Philadelphia scored twice on the ensuing power play - both from Jakub Voracek – to take a 2-1 lead. Montreal quickly responded with two goals in a 1:18 span to carry a 3-2 lead into the third period. The Flyers pulled momentum back with Joel Farabee’s game-tying power play goal, but just 22 seconds later Nick Suzuki put one past Carter Hart to retake the lead for the Canadiens as they went on to win 5-3.

Tempers flared throughout Game 5 – from Kotkaniemi’s hit on Sanheim, to a cross-check from Matt Niskanen to Brendan Gallagher’s mouth and then a late hit from Sean Couturier on Artturi Lehkonen as the empty-net goal went in for Montreal. Plenty of blood was shed in a heated affair.

Gallagher will miss the rest of the series with a broken jaw. Niskanen has been suspended for Game 6.

[Full NHL First Round schedule]

Game 6: Blues vs. Canucks (VAN leads 3-2) – 9:45 p.m. ET – NBCSN; livestream: The Canucks struck first in Game 5, with Tyler Motte’s slick move to get past the Blues defense and score a shorthanded goal. St. Louis responded with three straight goals, from Brayden Schenn, Ryan O’Reilly and Zach Sanford, to take a 3-1 lead. Vancouver refused to go away though and scored three unanswered goals of their own, as J.T. Miller and Jake Virtanen each scored to tie the game at three before Motte’s second of the night became the eventual game winner.

The Blues are hoping to avoid becoming the second straight defending champion to get eliminated in the First Round after the Caps fell to the Hurricanes in the First Round last postseason. The Canucks are a win away from advancing to the Second Round for the first time since making the Cup Final in 2011.

[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

SUNDAY’S POTENTIAL NHL SCHEDULE
Game 7: Flyers vs. Canadiens, TBD* (*if necessary)
Game 7: Blues vs. Canucks, TBD* (*if necessary)

PHT’s 2020 Stanley Cup playoff previews
Flyers vs. Canadiens

Blues vs. Canucks

First Round predictions
Roundtable: NHL playoff surprises; vulnerable top seeds