The Wraparound is your daily look at the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’ll break down all of the NHL playoff games today with the all-important television and live streaming information included.
• Check out NHL Bubble Wrap to look back at all of Monday’s action.
• The NHL announced a fourth straight week without any positive COVID-19 tests.
• Alex Ovechkin is your NHL 21 cover athlete.
NHL PLAYOFF GAMES TODAY
Game 2: Bruins vs. Lightning (BOS leads 1-0) – 7 p.m. ET – NBCSN; livestream: In a matchup between the last two Presidents’ Trophy winners, Boston came out on top in Game 1. The Bruins scored three straight goals – one in each period, by Charlie Coyle, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand – before Tampa’s Victor Hedman scored midway through the third, and again with an extra attacker with 1:14 left, but the Lightning fell short as the Bruins took a 1-0 series lead.
David Krejci has tallied a point in each of the last seven games (3G-7A), the longest playoff point streak of his career. Krejci leads Boston with 10 points and seven assists this postseason. He has not led the Bruins in scoring in the postseason since 2013, when he scored an NHL-high 26 points as Boston reached the Cup Final. He also led Boston (and the league) with 23 points when they won the Stanley Cup in 2011.
Jaroslav Halak is 4-0 since taking over for Tuukka Rask, who opted out of the playoffs before Game 3 vs. Carolina. This is the first postseason Halak has played in since 2015 with the Islanders, but he’s been up to the task so far. He stopped 35 of 37 shots in Game 1 (including all 18 he faced in the second period) and has a 1.75 GAA, .936 SV% since Rask left the bubble.
[Full NHL Second Round schedule]
Game 2: Golden Knights vs. Canucks (VGK leads 1-0) – 9:45 p.m. ET – NBCSN; livestream: Vegas completely overwhelmed Vancouver and cruised to a 5-0 win in Game 1. Five different players scored for the Golden Knights, 11 players tallied at least a point and Robin Lehner stopped all 26 shots to earn his first career postseason shutout. It was Vegas’s biggest win, and Vancouver’s biggest loss, this postseason.
The Golden Knights are 8-1 so far this postseason.
Lehner has started each of the last three games, stopping 71 of 76 shots. He is 6-1 this postseason with a 2.10 GAA and .918 SV%. He is 9-1 since joining VGK.
Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith each scored a goal in Game 1, with Smith assisting on Marchessault’s opening tally. Since 2018, Marchessault and Smith have combined to score on a goal 22 times – tied for second-most in the NHL during that span. Smith and Marchessault are first and second, respectively, on the Golden Knights’ all-time playoff points list, and have recorded a point on 43.5% of Vegas’s all-time playoff goals (51 of 117).
[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]
WEDNESDAY’S NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Game 2: Islanders vs. Flyers, 3 p.m. ET - NBCSN (NYI lead 1-0)
Game 3: Lightning vs. Bruins, 8 p.m. ET - NBCSN (BOS leads 1-0)
Game 3: Avalanche vs. Stars, 10:30 p.m. ET - NBCSN (DAL leads 2-0)
