Wednesday’s action for the Stanley Cup playoffs kicks off with Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, one game up, hosting the Montreal Canadiens for Game 2. The Caps are the biggest series favorite (-550) of the six teams on the ice tonight. Next up, the Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche series moves to Denver tied 1-1. The night ends with the Edmonton Oilers in California against the Los Angeles Kings, looking to even the series in Game 2.
Viewing guide for Wednesday
GameTime (ET)TVStreamU.S.: ESPN, MNMT
CAN: Sportsnet, TVA Sports
U.S.: ESPN, Victory+, ALT
CAN: SN360
U.S.: TBS
CAN: Sportsnet, CBC
Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.
Montreal Canadiens at Washington Capitals
Capitals lead series 1-0
Series odds: Capitals -550, Canadiens +400
Washington got off to a strong start in Game 1. The Capitals drove right to the middle of the ice at five-on-five, exposing the Canadiens’ defensive struggles. Alex Ovechkin’s power-play goal pulled the Caps ahead late in the first, and Anthony Beauvillier doubled the score in the second.
But Montreal pushed back when it mattered most. Cole Caufield’s power-play goal energized his team. The Canadiens picked up the pace with a 29-16 edge in five-on-five shot attempts in the third and a 75 percent expected goal rate, according to NaturalStatTrick. Nick Suzuki took advantage of Logan Thompson’s overcommitment out of the blue paint and evened the score. Ovechkin’s first-ever playoff overtime goal ended this one.
The Caps secured an early win at home, which got their postseason off to a promising start. But the Canadiens’ third-period resilience — a theme from the regular season — could give this team a boost heading into Game 2.
—Shayna Goldman
Expert picks
Dallas Stars at Colorado Avalanche
Series tied 1-1
Series odds: Avalanche -200, Stars +165
Despite some crushing absences in Dallas, Stars-Avalanche is living up to the hype through two games.
The Stars failed to convert on three power plays in the second period in Game 2. Even more crushing was that Logan O’Connor scored the go-ahead goal to swing momentum after the Avs killed off that last penalty. But lineup adjustments paid off in the third for Dallas; Evgenii Dadonov tied the game 3-3 after moving to the third line, to force overtime. Then fourth-liner Colin Blackwell, who was scratched for Game 1, scored the overtime-winner with just over three minutes to go.
The Stars’ five-on-five game plummeted over the last two months with Miro Heiskanen sidelined, so earning a 66 percent expected goal rate in Game 2 was serious progress. The return of Tyler Seguin has been a difference-maker, too, but Dallas still needs more from the top of their lineup. That is the only way to capitalize on the momentum of a Game 2 win, as the series shifts back to Colorado, with the potential return of Gabriel Landeskog looming.
—Shayna Goldman
Expert picks
Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings
Kings lead series 1-0
Series odds: Kings -235, Oilers +195
The Los Angeles Kings have a 1-0 series lead over the Edmonton Oilers heading into Game 2 at Crypto.com Arena. They almost didn’t, though.
A 6-5 Game 1 thriller saw the Kings lose leads of 4-0 and 5-2 before Phillip Danault scored his second goal of the game with 41.1 seconds remaining to seal the win. The Oilers looked out of sorts for the first 40 minutes, and it looked as if LA finally had a hold on stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and their supporting players, but McDavid and company were still able to take over.
The Oilers hope to clean up their defense as they remain without defensemen Mattias Ekholm and Troy Stecher. Also of note: Game 1 marked the first playoff appearance for NHL veteran Jeff Skinner, whose career includes stretches with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Buffalo Sabres. Skinner picked up one assist.
—Sarah Jean Maher
Expert picks
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(Photo of Alex Ovechkin: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
