New York. The Edmonton Stars started pointing the puck with the chin.
So it was no surprise that the Los Angeles Kings didn’t stand much of a chance in their fifth Stanley Cup duel tonight at Rogers Place.
– If this is the playoffs, then so be it, Matthias Ekholm told Sportbladet after the 6-3 win.
And at the end of the second period, Zach Hyman gave the concept of “eating the disc” a whole new meaning.
In one of the Oilers’ deadly power plays, he was standing in front of the box when defenseman Evan Bouchard fired a holeshot – then the puck went through Hyman’s chin and into the box.
– It was just a small wound, says the death-defying Canadian.
– I rolled the disc and it bounced on my chin. If “Bouch” gets a perfect score, the score probably won’t be the same.
Teammate Matthias Ekholm laughs out loud when we talk about the current situation next.
– If this is the playoffs, then so be it, he says.
– I think he was very important to our effort tonight.
who was the best and most outstanding of the entire Holm gang against the Kings – the highlight of the playoffs so far.
“Well, I think by itself it was a bit unnecessary to let them in and we were only up 3-2 after the first period,” Mathias continued.
– but the second period was perhaps the most mature yet. We just had contact with her and managed to score some ridiculous goals too, at controls etc. This type of game must also be mastered in the playoffs.
The 32-year-old Maas provided two new assists and was very stable in his game – again.
– It felt good, but it also helps that I play a lot with 97 (Connor McDavid) and 29 (Leon Dricetel). He says it’s just a matter of making sure they get the disc whenever possible.
On the Kings, Adrian Kempe counted another goal, as well as an assist, and Carl Grundström was also noted for getting an assist.
Now the series is taking an oddly long break. The next game won’t be played until Sunday night – in Los Angeles.
– Yes, it is very unusual for you to have three days off. But we have to try to rest and keep the momentum going,” says Ike.
As for the Swedish Colonial Minnesota Wild, it made a stark stop in Texas last night.
They were, as the first team in the playoffs this year, 0-0 against the inspired and toxic Dallas.
The fourth victory is always the hardest to salvage, but we have the ball of the match in Minnesota next time and play well away from home. The guys are excited, says coach Pete DeBoer after the 4-0 blow.
But Wild players aren’t planning to pounce on them.
– The series is not over yet, that’s how it is, says defender Matt Dumba.
Dallas’ Finnish defender Miro Heiskanen was responsible for another monster attempt, playing over 28 minutes and contributing an assist – and in the box, the superb Jake Oettinger kept a clean sheet after stopping 27 shots.