The Wraparound is your daily look at the 2021 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’ll break down the NHL playoff games today with the all-important television and live streaming information included.
• Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri is expected to appeal his eight-game suspension.
• According to the NHL, one in every three games this postseason has required overtime (10 of 30). The last playoff round to feature more than 10 overtime games was the 2017 First Round when an NHL-record 18 games required extra time.
• Want to catch up on each night’s action in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs? Read the NHL Playoff Buzzer.
No team wants to get eliminated. Beyond that, no one wants to get eliminated by way of a sweep.
Yet, even by those obvious standards, there’s a ton of pressure on the Oilers to shake off the Game 3 devastation from Sunday. And there’s not a lot of time to do so, either, as the Oilers and Jets close off a rare back-to-back with a potential elimination Game 4 on Monday (9:45 p.m. ET; NBCSN).
So, is Oilers coach Dave Tippett worried about the Game 3 gut-punch of giving up that 4-1 lead? It sounds like he’d be concerned about a lack of a response in Game 4.
“I’ll be worried if we don’t take the lessons that we should learn tonight and use them accordingly,” Tippett said after Sunday’s loss. “We did enough good things in this game tonight to win. We gave a game away and now we’ll see how we respond.”
[NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2021 First Round schedule, TV info]
From a practical standpoint, the Jets will probably be more concerned about wear-and-tear in a back-to-back set, but it’s relevant for the Oilers, too.
Yes, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl broke out with three-point games in Game 3. They also were leaned upon quite a bit. Draisaitl logged 28 minutes of ice time, while McDavid was out for almost 26.
But at least McDavid, Draisaitl, Ethan Bear, and Darnell Nurse are young, in-their-prime players. Can 39-year-old Mike Smith shake this off? Should the Oilers ask him to?
[NBC 2021 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]
Among the Jets, it might be interesting to see if Connor Hellebuyck sees any drop-off. He’s been outstanding through three games, but McDavid and Draisaitl broke through a bit -- but clearly not enough -- in Game 3.
At the earliest, the Maple Leafs - Canadiens series could end by Thursday (May 27, Game 5). With that in mind, the Jets could probably justify going all-out to end this with a sweep of the Oilers on Monday.
These are questions worth mulling over what can be a marathon of a postseason. McDavid, Draisaitl, and the Oilers must dig deep on Monday, or the Jets might end the First Round feeling like they merely went through a sprint.
MONDAY’S NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Game 5: Islanders at Penguins (Series tied 2-2), 7 p.m. ET - NBCSN (livestream) Game 3: Maple Leafs at Canadiens (Series tied 1-1), 7 p.m. ET - NHL Network (livestream) Game 5: Lightning at Panthers (TB leads 3-1), 8 p.m. ET - CNBC (livestream) Game 4: Oilers at Jets (WPG leads 3-0), 9:45 p.m. ET - NBCSN (livestream) Game 5: Wild at Golden Knights (VGK leads 3-1), 10:30 p.m. ET - CNBC (livestream)
TUESDAY’S NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Game 3: Maple Leafs at Canadiens (Series tied 1-1), 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN) (livestream) Game 5: Predators at Hurricanes (Series tied 2-2), 8 p.m. ET (CNBC) (livestream)
PHT’s 2021 Stanley Cup previews • Penguins vs. Islanders • Jets vs. Oilers • Maple Leafs vs. Canadiens • Lightning vs. Panthers • Hurricanes vs. Predators • Golden Knights vs. Wild
• Stanley Cup playoff predictions • Why your team can (and can not) win the Stanley Cup this season • NHL odds: Division winners, 2021 Stanley Cup champion • Which NHL playoff series has biggest upset potential?
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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.