Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

NHL Short Notes

05/28/2014 at 10:45am EDT

BOURQUE, CANADIENS RALLY TO FORCE GAME 6
The Rangers erased a 4-1 deficit in a 4:24 span of the second period, but the Canadiens – led by Rene Bourque – scored three unanswered goals to force a Game 6 in the Eastern Conference Final.

* With the game knotted at 4-4, Bourque scored the go-ahead and insurance markers to complete his first career playoff hat trick. He has three career hat tricks in the regular season, most recently Oct. 22, 2010 at CBJ (3-1—4 with CGY).

* According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Bourque became the first Canadiens player to post a hat trick in a game in which the team faced elimination since the 1945 Semifinals. Down 3-1 in the series, Maurice Richard found the back of the net four times in a 10-3 victory over the Maple Leafs in Game 5 (TOR ultimately won series 4-2).

* Since the Canadiens won their last Stanley Cup in 1993, only one other player has recorded a postseason hat trick for the team: Andrei Kostitsyn, who did so in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Capitals in Game 2 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

* Elias also says Bourque became the first Canadiens player to register a hat trick in the Conference Finals (or Semifinals) since 1975, when Guy Lafleur did so in Game 3 versus the Sabres.

* Bourque now is tied for second in the NHL with eight goals in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs (16 GP). He had nine goals in 63 games during the regular season. Bourque also recorded his second game-winning goal of the playoffs, equaling his total from the regular season.

* Five other Canadiens players posted multi-point games: Andrei Markov (0-3—3), Alex Galchenyuk (1-1—2), Max Pacioretty (1-1—2), Lars Eller (0-2—2) and Dale Weise (0-2—2).

* Markov set career highs for assists/points in a postseason game. After not registering a multi-point game in his first 58 career playoff outings, Markov now has three such performances in his last 12 contests (also Game 1 of 2nd Round at BOS: 0-2—2; Game 5 of 2nd Round at BOS: 0-2—2).

* P.K. Subban (5-9—14) collected an assist to tie Drew Doughty (3-11—14) for the League lead in points by a defenseman. Subban’s 14 points also pace the Canadiens, one ahead of Eller (5-8—13).

* The Canadiens snapped a five-game postseason losing streak to the Rangers in Montreal. Their most recent such win: Game 5 of the 1986 Eastern Conference Final.

* The Canadiens scored seven goals in a playoff game for the first time since Game 5 of the 1992 Adams Division Semifinals, a 7-4 victory over the Whalers. The last time they recorded at least seven goals in the Conference Finals (or Semifinals): Game 4 of the 1975 series versus the Sabres, an 8-2 win.

* The two teams combined for five goals in an 8:16 span of the second period. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it marked the fastest five goals in a Canadiens playoff game since Game 5 of the 1945 Semifinals – the same game in which Richard scored four goals. It also marked the fastest five-goal outburst in Rangers postseason history.

* ICYMI: Dustin Tokarski made 23 saves, including an incredible stick save on Carl Hagelin midway through the first period, to pick up his second career playoff victory . . . Brendan Gallagher made a pass from his back to set up the team’s third goal . . . Subban gave Tokarski a celebratory kiss following the win.

KREIDER-STEPAN-NASH LINE COMBINES FOR EIGHT POINTS
The Rangers’ line of Chris Kreider (1-3—4), Derek Stepan (2-0—2) and Rick Nash (1-1—2) combined for eight points as well as all four of the team’s goals.

* Kreider established a career high for points in one game, including the regular season. His three assists also set a playoff career high and matched a regular-season career high (Nov. 2, 2013 vs. CAR).

* Kreider posted 1-2—3 in the second period. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he became the first Rangers player to register three or more points in one period of a postseason game since Jaromir Jagr, who did so in the first period of Game 3 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. ATL (0-3—3).

* After suffering a broken jaw in Game 3, Stepan recorded his first career multi-goal playoff game in his return to the lineup. He has collected at least one point in each of his last six appearances, totaling 3-6—9 over that span.

* Nash registered his third multi-point performance of the postseason and now has 3-2—5 in his last five games.

MOORE HEARING SET FOR TODAY
Rangers defenseman John Moore will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety today for a hit on Canadiens forward Dale Weise during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final.

Moore was assessed a match penalty at 10:41 of the third period for his hit on Weise, who left the game briefly before returning to skate three more shifts.

The following grounds are being considered for supplemental discipline: illegal check to the head. However, the Department of Player Safety retains the right to make adjustments to the infraction upon review.

LOOSE PUCKS
With a 7.1 household rating for Game 5, New York delivered its best NHL rating ever on NBC or NBCSN. NBCSN also was the No. 1 network in the market during the game . . . The Rangers became the second team to erase a three-goal deficit in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The other: the Blue Jackets, who overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Penguins in Game 4 of the First Round (4-3 victory in OT) . . . Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh collected two assists and leads all players with seven helpers and nine points in the series . . . McDonagh became the first Rangers defenseman to register at least seven assists and nine points in one playoff series since Brian Leetch posted identical numbers in the 1995 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. QUE . . . Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec scored his fourth goal of the postseason, matching a career high set in 2008 and equaled in 2011 . . . Rangers goaltender Cam Talbot made six saves in relief of Henrik Lundqvist . . . The Blue Jackets signed head coach Todd Richards to a two-year contract extension through the 2016-17 season . . . The Blues hired Jim Corsi as their goaltending coach and signed forward Joakim Lindstrom from the Swedish Hockey League . . . Forward Erik Karlsson (CAR), goaltender Linus Ullmark (BUF) and forward Valentin Zykov (LA) signed entry-level contracts.

SNEAK PEEK AT WEDNESDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Los Angeles @ Chicago, Game 5, LA leads 3-1, 8:00 p.m., NBCSN, CBC, RDS

thanks to the NHL PR department for the above information


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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

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