BLUES SWEEP TRIP TO CHICAGO, PUSH DEFENDING CHAMPS TO BRINK . . .
The Blues overcame a 2-1 deficit for the second straight game – powered by 2-1—3 fromVladimir Tarasenko – to pick up their second straight win at United Center and push the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks to the brink of elimination.
* The Blues earned consecutive postseason victories at United Center for the first time since Games 3 and 4 of the 2002 Western Conference Quarterfinals. Only one team has earned back-to-back playoff wins in Chicago since (34 GP): the Coyotes in the 2012 CQF.
* Via Elias, the Blues overcame a deficit to win in consecutive playoffroad games for just the second time in franchise history. They also achieved the feat in the 1969 Semifinals, when they rallied to win Games 3 and 4 in Los Angeles to advance to their second straight Stanley Cup Final.
* Tarasenko, who matched a career high for points in a postseason game (also Game 2 of 2015 FR vs. MIN: 3-0—3), has scored 13 goals in 17 career playoff contests (13-3—16). He has collected at least one point in eight of his last 10 outings vs. CHI dating to Feb. 8, 2015 (9-4—13).
. . . LIGHTNING ALSO MOVE WITHIN ONE WIN OF SECOND ROUND
Tampa Bay had their 2-0 lead erased late in the second period, but Ondrej Palat (1-0—1) scored the go-ahead goal with 2:59 remaining in regulation to help the defending Eastern Conference champion Lightning move within one victory of the Second Round.
* Nikita Kucherov (2-1—3) and Jonathan Drouin (0-3—3) each factored on all three goals. Kucherov established a franchise record with his fifth career three-point playoff game (32 GP), while Drouin set career highs for assists/points in a game (regular-season and playoffs).
* Kucherov leads the NHL with five goals in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs (5-3—8), one shy of tying the franchise record for most in a single series – a feat he was the last to achieve (2015 SR vs. MTL).
3-1 LEADS
Via Elias, teams that hold a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoffs series own an all-time series record of 255-28 (90.1%). The Blues own an all-time series record of 7-1 in that scenario, while the Lightning are 2-0.
PENGUINS MAKE POSTSEASON HISTORY WITH GAME 3 VICTORY
In his return to the Penguins lineup, Matt Murray made 16 saves in his postseason debut to help Pittsburgh win Game 3 and take a 2-1 lead in their First Round series with the Rangers.
* Murray started the final five games of the regular-season – going 4-0-0 – with No. 1 netminder Marc-Andre Fleury sidelined, but sustained an injury himself in the regular-season finale at PHI. Jeff Zatkoff started the first two games of the series, winning his playoff debut in Game 1.
* Via Elias, the Penguins became the first team in NHL history to have multiple goaltenders win their playoff debuts in the same series.
* The last team to have multiple goaltenders make their postseason debut in the same series was the Flyers in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. BOS (Michael Leighton and JohanBacklund).
DID YOU KNOW?
New York’s Antti Raanta also made his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut in Game 1 of the Penguins-Rangers series. Via Elias, the last time three goaltenders made their playoff debuts in the same series was in the 1994 Conference Quarterfinals between the Sharks and Red Wings (SJ – Arturs Irbe and Jimmy Waite, DET – ChrisOsgood).
ANDERSEN FLAWLESS IN DUCKS’ FIRST WIN
Frederik Andersen denied all 27 shots he faced in his return to the crease to help the Ducks cut their series deficit to 2-1 against the Predators.
* Andersen posted his second career playoff shutout (also Game 2 of 2015 SR vs. CGY: 30 SV). He recorded three clean sheets during the 2015-16 regular-season, all in his final 22 appearances in which he posted a 17-1-2 record (2.11 GAA, .924 SV%, 3 SO).
* Jamie McGinn, who was acquired from the Sabres on Feb. 29, scored his first career playoff game-winning goal (32 GP).
MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS
* Kris Letang scored his 16th career playoff goal (all w/ PIT) to move past Larry Murphy(15) into sole possession of first place in franchise history among defensemen.
* Predators captain Shea Weber played in his 48th career playoff game to move pastDavidLegwand (47) for the most in franchise history.
LOOSE PUCKS
On the heels of a playoff career-high 44-save performance in Game 3, Blues goaltenderBrianElliott made 39 saves to earn the victory . . . The NHL announced the start times for Game 5 of both the Capitals-Flyers (7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 22, if necessary) and Kings-Sharks series (10:30 p.m. ET on Friday, April 22) . . . The Department of Player Safety suspended Flyers forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare for one game for an illegal check from behind to Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov . . . NHL LiveWire: Wild forwardCharlie Coyle and Stars defenseman Alex Goligoski were both mic’d during Game 3 of their series. Kings captain Dustin Brown was also mic’d during his club’s overtime victory.
SNEAK PEEK AT WEDNESDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Washington @ Philadelphia, WSH leads 3-0, 7:00 p.m., NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, CSN-PH, CSN-DC
Florida @ NY Islanders, NYI leads 2-1, 8:00 p.m., USA, SN, TVAS2, MSG+, FS-F
Dallas @ Minnesota, DAL leads 2-1, 9:30 p.m., NBCSN, SN360, TVAS3, FS-N, FS-WI, FS-SW
Los Angeles @ San Jose, SJS leads 2-1, 10:30 p.m., USA, CBC, TVAS, CSN-CA, FS-W
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