New York. Linus Ullmark is Linus Ullmark even when the temperature rises.
He had a stellar performance against the Florida Cats last night, stopping 31 shots – and earning his first playoff win.
– Yeah, now it’s just about winning another fifteen, says Ångermanlander after the initial 3-1 victory
He’s been great all season, Vezina-Linus, but his experience in the Stanley Cup heat is somewhat limited, so there were some who wondered how he would handle the pressure when the Super Series winners opened the playoffs against the Florida Panthers at home at the TD Garden last night.
It turns out they weren’t worried.
The Panthers played a really good game and created a lot against the Bears, who were completely unrecognized as the cold was raging on the team and a key piece like Patrice Bergeron was missing – but on Lugnvik’s Linus it was tough as usual to score.
He made several great saves and stopped 31 of 32 shots, leading the candidates to a 3-1 victory.
– I think Linus was excellent, says coach Jim Montgomery.
– Cool, quiet and safe. And make sure he saw the disc the whole time.
The 29-year-old is also content with his role in what was the first playoff win of his NHL career.
– Yes, it was nice. Now it’s just about winning fifteen more games, he says.
The opening round between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Islanders in Raleigh was tight, even, and low-scoring.
Sebastian Aho – the Finn – scored a powerful goal for the hosts early in the first half, Stefan Nusen managed the same early in the second half and that was enough to win 2-1.
– But we still take a lot of positives from this match. “We created a lot of chances and we just have to make sure we put in more pucks,” said Islanders coach Len Lambert.