The Wraparound is your daily look at the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’ll break down all of the NHL playoff games Saturday with the all-important television and live streaming information included.
• Check out NHL Bubble Wrap for the details on Saturday’s three playoff games.
• Nick Ritchie could be facing a suspension for a hit on Yanni Gourde that already drew a five-minute major.
• Here is the updated NHL schedule for the rest of the Second Round.
NHL PLAYOFF GAMES SUNDAY
Game 4: Avalanche vs. Stars (DAL leads 2-1) - 6 p.m. ET, NBCSN (livestream): More than once during Game 3, it looked like the Stars might take a 3-0 series lead. It looked dicey for the Avalanche when the Stars earned a 1-0 lead through the first period, then when the Stars roared back from a 3-1 deficit to grab a 4-3 lead in the third period. But Colorado just kept pushing, and ultimately won 6-4.
(Yes, Game 3 went places before the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs went on pause for reasons that transcend sports.)
Will Nathan MacKinnon & Co. carry over that tumultuous win into a series tie, or will the Stars nail this next chance to push Colorado to the brink of elimination?
Game 4: Flyers vs. Islanders (NYI lead 2-1) - 8 p.m. ET, NBC (livestream): Generally speaking, when the Flyers gain a 1-0 lead, they’ve been getting the job done for a while now. Then again, maybe nearly losing Game 2 after building a 3-0 lead was as sign that was running out.
Either way, the Islanders absolutely dominated Game 3 from that point. Anders Lee and Mathew Barzal lifted the Islanders as one might expect. But beyond that, the Isles received help from depth players, with Game 3 goals from Leo Komarov and Matt Martin.
If the Flyers don’t get more from stars and pluggers alike, this series could get short, fast.
[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]
Game 4: Canucks vs. Golden Knights (VGK leads 2-1) - 10:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN (livestream): Much like Flyers - Islanders, Canucks - Golden Knights closes off a back-to-back set after that pause. Might that benefit the winner or loser more?
Maybe it depends. For one thing, will the Golden Knights roll with Robin Lehner after he shut the Canucks out for the second time during this series? Or will the Golden Knights rest Lehner and start Marc-Andre Fleury, waiting in the wings after ... all that?
While the Flyers played very poorly, the Canucks pushed Vegas at least early in Game 3. They may believe that they can build on that in Game 4, and it probably doesn’t hurt that their cupboard is well-stocked with young stars. But much like the Flyers, if the Canucks don’t start creating more offense soon, they could find themselves leaving the weekend in serious trouble.
MONDAY’S NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Game 5: Lightning vs. Bruins (TBL leads 3-1) - 7 p.m. ET - NBCSN (livestream)
Game 5: Stars vs. Avalanche (DAL leads 2-1) - 9:45 p.m. ET - NBCSN (livestream)
