Category: Sports/Hockey/NHL

Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist as the Edmonton Oilers advanced through to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 2-0 Game 7 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

Cody Ceci also scored and Mike Smith made 28 saves for his second shutout of the playoffs for the Oilers, who last won a Game 7 in1998 and celebrated their first playoff series win since 2017.

Jonathan Quick made 39 saves in a losing effort for the Kings, who have not won a playoff series since they won their second Stanley Cup in 2014, also the last year they won a series in a Game 7.

Edmonton came close to scoring midway though the second when a puck was heading over the goal line in a scramble, but was fished to safety just in time by Kings forward Andreas Athanasiou.

The Oilers finally broke the deadlock with 6:45 remaining in the second period as McDavid fed a pass from behind the net to a pinching Ceci, who rifled a shot over Quick’s shoulder.

WATCH l McDavid’s 2-point effort leads Oilers past Kings in Game 7:

Connor McDavid leads Oilers to game 7 win over Kings

5 hours ago

Duration 3:24

Edmonton shuts down Los Angeles in game seven after goals from Cody Ceci and Connor McDavid, they defeat the Kings 2-0 advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Edmonton came close to extending its lead a couple times early in the third as Josh Archibald narrowly missed putting a puck through Quick’s legs and Kailer Yamamoto hit a post with most of an open net to shoot at.

The Oilers finally got some insurance with 3:53 left in the third on a terrific individual effort from McDavid, who drove behind the net before sending his second backhand attempt into it for his fourth goal and league-leading 14th playoff point. McDavid had multiple point efforts in six of the seven games in the series.

The Oilers will now advance to play the winner of the Calgary Flames/Dallas Stars series — which will be decided in a Game 7 of its own on Sunday.

Captain Connor McDavid has seen his team through to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

McDavid had a goal and an assist as the Edmonton Oilers advanced with a nerve-racking 2-0 Game 7 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

“It feels good to do it in that fashion,” McDavid said of the shutout. “There is always a lot of talk about the defensive side of the game, so for our group to step up in a big moment and play like that in a 2-0 win with (goalie Mike Smith) playing great and contributions from everyone, it feels good.”

“But that being said, it is just one round. There is a long way to go here. We’re happy to move on to the second round, but that is all we did, survived another day.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard a building so loud and I’ve been in the playoffs a few times with some pretty wild times, but that was incredible to be a part of,” Smith said. “The last couple of years with no fans has sucked, nobody in the building was disappointing. To win a Game 7 before home fans who gave us a boost before the drop of the puck, that was an incredible feeling and hopefully it’ll stick around for the next round.”

WATCH l McDavid’s 2-point effort leads Oilers past Kings in Game 7:

Connor McDavid leads Oilers to game 7 win over Kings

6 hours ago

Duration 3:24

Edmonton shuts down Los Angeles in game seven after goals from Cody Ceci and Connor McDavid, they defeat the Kings 2-0 advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Jonathan Quick made 39 saves in a losing effort for the Kings, who have not won a playoff series since they won their second Stanley Cup in 2014, also the last year they won a series in a Game 7.

Kings coach Todd McLellan felt the experience was an important one, even if it is hard to see right now.

“I think they’re small picture, big picture,” he noted. “Small picture, we’re disappointed. We said all along we were in it to win it, we weren’t just coming here just to gain experience and when you’re all in and you want to win and you don’t, it’s disappointing. We were all-in and it stings right now.”

There was no scoring in a tense opening period, with the Oilers putting 10 shots on Quick in the L.A. net, while the Kings sent seven on Edmonton starter Smith. Quick came into the game with a 4-0 career record in Game 7s.

Edmonton came close to scoring midway though the second when a puck was heading over the goal line in a scramble, but was fished to safety just in time by Kings forward Andreas Athanasiou.

The Oilers finally broke the deadlock with 6:45 remaining in the second period as McDavid fed a pass from behind the net to a pinching Ceci, who rifled a shot over Quick’s shoulder.

The Oilers finally got some insurance with 3:53 left in the third on a terrific individual effort from McDavid, who drove behind the net before sending his second backhand attempt into the net for his fourth goal and league-leading 14th playoff point. McDavid had multiple point efforts in six of the seven games in the series.

The loss represented the final game for Kings star forward Dustin Brown, who announced that this was his final season prior to the playoffs.

The Oilers will now advance to play the winner of the Calgary Flames/Dallas Stars series — which will be decided in a Game 7 of its own on Sunday.

This playoff heartbreak felt different for the Maple Leafs.

In the end, however, the result was the same — and perhaps even more crushing because of what might have been.

Nick Paul scored twice, including an incredible individual effort on the winner late in the second period, as the Tampa Bay Lightning topped Toronto 2-1 in Game 7 on Saturday to win the team’s first-round playoff series 4-3 in Toronto.

“It’s hard to explain,” Leafs captain John Tavares said in the wake of another devastating post-season setback for a franchise that hasn’t reached the second round since 2004. “It’s frustrating, hard to fathom.

“It stings, it hurts, it’s disappointing.”

WATCH | Paul leads charge as Lightning top Maple Leafs:

Paul scores twice to lead Lightning over Leafs in Game 7

9 hours ago

Duration 1:04

Nick Paul scored both of Tampa Bay’s goals to eliminate Toronto in their first-round series.

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves for a team not yet ready to relinquish its crown despite losing star winger Brayden Point to an apparent leg injury late in the first period.

“A game of inches,” said Leafs star Auston Matthews, who scored 60 goals during the regular season and four more in playoffs. “Unfortunately we’re on the bad side of things tonight. It’s really frustrating.

Toronto had Tampa Bay, which will now meet the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Florida Panthers in the next round, on the ropes in Thursday’s Game 6 before the Lightning, as they so often have during their consecutive title runs, found a way to punch back.

“They’ve been through a lot of tough losses, heartbreak,” Matthews added. “And they’ve climbed the way to the top two years in a row.

“We’re right there … we’re right there.”

‘Getting sick and tired of feeling like this’

Morgan Rielly replied for Toronto, which hasn’t moved onto the second round in 18 years and is 0-9 in games where it can eliminate an opponent over the last five post-seasons. Jack Campbell stopped 23 shots.

Despite their best efforts, the Leafs were once again unable to push through and finally flip an long, ugly narrative of playoff failures for a franchise that has now lost its last seven series, including six straight dating back to 2017.

“We’re getting sick and tired feeling like this,” Toronto winger Mitch Marner said. “It’s gonna sting for a while.”

Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe was behind the bench for the 2020 post-season loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the bubble and a seven-game collapse against the Montreal Canadiens last spring after building a 3-1 lead — a pair of series where the group’s character was called into question by fans and media alike.

There’s unlikely to be any such qualms in 2022.

“This one hurts more because this was a really good team that really played hard,” Keefe said. “You can debate the merits of any sort of credit that you might want to give our team. But I don’t know if you can debate anything that you give the Tampa Bay Lightning, and who they are and what they stand for and what they’ve accomplished.

“And we’re right there standing with them.”

Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said the series was one of the toughest his club has faced over the last three playoffs.

“A great hockey team,” he said of the Leafs. “They’ve got all the pieces. It’s not easy this time of the year.

“We’ve had some failures in the past … you just move on and you just gotta get over that hump.”

Missed chances, goal called off

Down 1-0 after 20 minutes Saturday, the Leafs appeared to tie the game at 11:28 of the second when Tavares roofed a shot on Vasilevskiy, but the goal was disallowed after Toronto defenceman Justin Holl was whistled for interference.

Campbell had to make a couple of desperation stops on the ensuing penalty kill to set the stage for Rielly’s equalizer off set-up from Marner and Matthews to score his third of the playoffs at 6:35 to send the crowd of 19,316 into a chaotic frenzy.

William Nylander then missed high on a breakaway before the Tampa goaltender robbed Matthews with the Leafs buzzing.

Paul scored his second of the night — and second ever in the playoffs — moments later with 3:28 remaining in the period on a terrific play where he kicked the puck from his skate to his stick.

“The electricity in this building was nuts,” said the native of Mississauga, Ont. “To come in and work as hard as we did, there was no doubt in our game. We stuck together.”

Mixed emotions following loss

Vasilevskiy was under siege throughout a Leafs’ power play just over six minutes into the third, but kept the home side at bay despite some furious pressure.

Toronto continued to press inside an anxious, tension-filled rink as the clock ticked down.

The Leafs, however, just couldn’t find a way through with Campbell on the bench for an extra attacker.

“Lots of reasons to be proud,” Keefe said. “Yet lots of reasons to be devastated and upset.”

Point, who scored the winner in Tampa’s Game 6 victory to extend the series, was injured late in the first when his right leg got caught underneath him as he fell to the ice. He tried to return after the intermission, but shut it down after a brief shift.

“When Pointer got hurt it seemed to lock the entire team in,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “I don’t think we looked back.”

The Lightning were playing in just their second Game 7 since the start of the 2020 playoffs after defeating the New York Islanders 1-0 in the semifinals last June.

The Leafs didn’t make the playoffs again until 2013 when they collapsed in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins. Toronto’s new generation of stars made the post-season for the first time in 2017, but has since suffered a string of heartbreak that continued Saturday.

“Because the feeling is the same, the outcome is the same, whether or not there’s differences or more positives or whatever, it’s going to take some time to figure that out,” Rielly said of if this sixth straight series loss.

“Ultimately, the outcome is the same, which is very disappointing.”

Keefe said the tone of the handshake line, however, was different from past playoff setbacks.

“We’re certainly earning respect in the league,” he said. “But we’re not in the respect game. We’re in the winning game. We’ve got to find a way.”

That quest starts anew in the fall for a team that hasn’t hoisted the Cup since 1967.

This playoff heartbreak felt different for the Maple Leafs.

In the end, however, the result was the same — and perhaps even more crushing because of what might have been.

Nick Paul scored twice, including an incredible individual effort on the winner late in the second period, as the Tampa Bay Lightning topped Toronto 2-1 in Game 7 on Saturday to win the team’s first-round playoff series 4-3 in Toronto.

“It’s hard to explain,” Leafs captain John Tavares said in the wake of another devastating post-season setback for a franchise that hasn’t reached the second round since 2004. “It’s frustrating, hard to fathom.

“It stings, it hurts, it’s disappointing.”

WATCH | Paul leads charge as Lightning top Maple Leafs:

Paul scores twice to lead Lightning over Leafs in Game 7

9 hours ago

Duration 1:04

Nick Paul scored both of Tampa Bay’s goals to eliminate Toronto in their first-round series.

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves for a team not yet ready to relinquish its crown despite losing star winger Brayden Point to an apparent leg injury late in the first period.

“A game of inches,” said Leafs star Auston Matthews, who scored 60 goals during the regular season and four more in playoffs. “Unfortunately we’re on the bad side of things tonight. It’s really frustrating.

Toronto had Tampa Bay, which will now meet the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Florida Panthers in the next round, on the ropes in Thursday’s Game 6 before the Lightning, as they so often have during their consecutive title runs, found a way to punch back.

“They’ve been through a lot of tough losses, heartbreak,” Matthews added. “And they’ve climbed the way to the top two years in a row.

“We’re right there … we’re right there.”

‘Getting sick and tired of feeling like this’

Morgan Rielly replied for Toronto, which hasn’t moved onto the second round in 18 years and is 0-9 in games where it can eliminate an opponent over the last five post-seasons. Jack Campbell stopped 23 shots.

Despite their best efforts, the Leafs were once again unable to push through and finally flip an long, ugly narrative of playoff failures for a franchise that has now lost its last seven series, including six straight dating back to 2017.

“We’re getting sick and tired feeling like this,” Toronto winger Mitch Marner said. “It’s gonna sting for a while.”

Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe was behind the bench for the 2020 post-season loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the bubble and a seven-game collapse against the Montreal Canadiens last spring after building a 3-1 lead — a pair of series where the group’s character was called into question by fans and media alike.

There’s unlikely to be any such qualms in 2022.

“This one hurts more because this was a really good team that really played hard,” Keefe said. “You can debate the merits of any sort of credit that you might want to give our team. But I don’t know if you can debate anything that you give the Tampa Bay Lightning, and who they are and what they stand for and what they’ve accomplished.

“And we’re right there standing with them.”

Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said the series was one of the toughest his club has faced over the last three playoffs.

“A great hockey team,” he said of the Leafs. “They’ve got all the pieces. It’s not easy this time of the year.

“We’ve had some failures in the past … you just move on and you just gotta get over that hump.”

Missed chances, goal called off

Down 1-0 after 20 minutes Saturday, the Leafs appeared to tie the game at 11:28 of the second when Tavares roofed a shot on Vasilevskiy, but the goal was disallowed after Toronto defenceman Justin Holl was whistled for interference.

Campbell had to make a couple of desperation stops on the ensuing penalty kill to set the stage for Rielly’s equalizer off set-up from Marner and Matthews to score his third of the playoffs at 6:35 to send the crowd of 19,316 into a chaotic frenzy.

William Nylander then missed high on a breakaway before the Tampa goaltender robbed Matthews with the Leafs buzzing.

Paul scored his second of the night — and second ever in the playoffs — moments later with 3:28 remaining in the period on a terrific play where he kicked the puck from his skate to his stick.

“The electricity in this building was nuts,” said the native of Mississauga, Ont. “To come in and work as hard as we did, there was no doubt in our game. We stuck together.”

Mixed emotions following loss

Vasilevskiy was under siege throughout a Leafs’ power play just over six minutes into the third, but kept the home side at bay despite some furious pressure.

Toronto continued to press inside an anxious, tension-filled rink as the clock ticked down.

The Leafs, however, just couldn’t find a way through with Campbell on the bench for an extra attacker.

“Lots of reasons to be proud,” Keefe said. “Yet lots of reasons to be devastated and upset.”

Point, who scored the winner in Tampa’s Game 6 victory to extend the series, was injured late in the first when his right leg got caught underneath him as he fell to the ice. He tried to return after the intermission, but shut it down after a brief shift.

“When Pointer got hurt it seemed to lock the entire team in,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “I don’t think we looked back.”

The Lightning were playing in just their second Game 7 since the start of the 2020 playoffs after defeating the New York Islanders 1-0 in the semifinals last June.

The Leafs didn’t make the playoffs again until 2013 when they collapsed in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins. Toronto’s new generation of stars made the post-season for the first time in 2017, but has since suffered a string of heartbreak that continued Saturday.

“Because the feeling is the same, the outcome is the same, whether or not there’s differences or more positives or whatever, it’s going to take some time to figure that out,” Rielly said of if this sixth straight series loss.

“Ultimately, the outcome is the same, which is very disappointing.”

Keefe said the tone of the handshake line, however, was different from past playoff setbacks.

“We’re certainly earning respect in the league,” he said. “But we’re not in the respect game. We’re in the winning game. We’ve got to find a way.”

That quest starts anew in the fall for a team that hasn’t hoisted the Cup since 1967.

Most Calgary Flames players lack Game 7 experience in the NHL playoffs, but their coach doesn’t.

Darryl Sutter owns the best all-time record among NHL head coaches at 7-3 in best-of-seven series’ that reach a Game 7 finale.

His 11th Game 7 will come Sunday when the Flames and Dallas Stars close out their conference quarter-final at the Saddledome.

The 63-year-old from Viking, Alta., will move to the top of the list ahead of Claude Julien, Mike Keenan and Mike Babcock, who all have 10.

The Flames haven’t played a Game 7 in a series since 2008. Ten players in Calgary’s current lineup have never won a playoff series, while all but four Stars have done so.

The Flames beat the Vancouver Canucks in overtime in the opening round to advance, but lost to the Lightning in a Cup final that went the distance.

“I’ve been through a lot of them,” Sutter acknowledged Saturday. “I’ve been through them here. The last time this team went the finals, we lost a Game 7, but to get to that Game 7, you had to win in a Game 7.”

Sutter returned to the Flames just over a year ago. He navigated the Flames (50-21-11) to the top of the Pacific Division in his first full season back behind Calgary’s bench.

So there’s considerable weight on the Flames to close out the series with a win at home Sunday and get past the first round for just the second time since that 2004 Cup final.

“Pressure is a good thing,” Sutter said. “In the long run, that’s what separates you and I’ve been through several of those game sevens. That’s, in the end, what separates you from where you stand in the league too as a player.

“For guys that haven’t been in game sevens, it’s time to step up too. There’s guys in this series that haven’t been as productive as they’d like. It’s an opportunity to be a hero too.”

WATCH | Stars best Flames to force Game 7:

Heiskanen scores winner as Stars beat Flames to force Game 7

1 day ago

Duration 1:03

Dallas wins 4-2 in Game 6. The series finale of the first round series will be played Sunday in Calgary.

The Stars doubled the Flames 4-2 in Friday’s Game 6 at American Airlines Arena to even the series and send it back to Calgary for a high-stakes conclusion.

Due in large part to the work of Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger and Calgary counterpart Jacob Markstrom, the series has been low-scoring. The Flames produced seven even-strength goals while the Stars had six over the first six games.

“This series deserved to have a Game 7,” Sutter said.

Injuries on both sides

Both clubs face injury issues heading into Game 7. Stars forward Luke Glendening didn’t play Friday’s third period after taking an open-ice hit from Calgary defenceman Nikita Zadorov.

Stars coach Rick Bowman said the forward passed concussion protocol, and a lower-body injury kept him on the bench in the third.

No penalty was called on the play, yet Zadorov was summoned to an NHL Player Safety hearing Saturday for an illegal check to the head.

There was significant head contact, the NHL said in its ruling, but Zadorov took the proper angle of approach, did not extend outward or upward, and hit through Glendening’s core. Head contact was deemed unavoidable.

“It was a hockey play,” Sutter said. “I totally disagree there should be a hearing considering there’s been slewfoots in this series.”

Chris Tanev also didn’t finish out Game 6. Calgary’s top shutdown defenceman was injured early in the second period and didn’t return to the game.

Tanev walked through the team’s charter flight terminal Saturday without noticeable impediments, but Sutter wouldn’t predict Tanev’s status for Sunday.

“He’ll see doctors and get some treatments today,” the coach said.

‘Want to have emotion, but there’s a balance’

Winger Milan Lucic is the most experienced Flame in seventh games with a 4-6 record in 10 appearances.

“You want to have emotion, but there’s a balance,” Lucic said. “You want to have the emotion where you’re bottling up and using it in the right way, and not letting it get the best of you.

“You remember when you’re a kid and you’re about to run a big race, and you feel like you get punched in the stomach right before you start. It’s that kind of feeling.

“You want to bottle that up and put it in to a positive thing. This is a time when big players make big plays and get it done.”

When it comes to the pressure of a Game 7, Sutter embraces standing in the eye of the hockey hurricane.

“It’s a quiet place,” the coach said. “I love that part of it. It’s like being in the middle of it and I’ve always enjoyed it.”

Most Calgary Flames players lack Game 7 experience in the NHL playoffs, but their coach doesn’t.

Darryl Sutter owns the best all-time record among NHL head coaches at 7-3 in best-of-seven series’ that reach a Game 7 finale.

His 11th Game 7 will come Sunday when the Flames and Dallas Stars close out their conference quarter-final at the Saddledome.

The 63-year-old from Viking, Alta., will move to the top of the list ahead of Claude Julien, Mike Keenan and Mike Babcock, who all have 10.

The Flames haven’t played a Game 7 in a series since 2008. Ten players in Calgary’s current lineup have never won a playoff series, while all but four Stars have done so.

The Flames beat the Vancouver Canucks in overtime in the opening round to advance, but lost to the Lightning in a Cup final that went the distance.

“I’ve been through a lot of them,” Sutter acknowledged Saturday. “I’ve been through them here. The last time this team went the finals, we lost a Game 7, but to get to that Game 7, you had to win in a Game 7.”

Sutter returned to the Flames just over a year ago. He navigated the Flames (50-21-11) to the top of the Pacific Division in his first full season back behind Calgary’s bench.

So there’s considerable weight on the Flames to close out the series with a win at home Sunday and get past the first round for just the second time since that 2004 Cup final.

“Pressure is a good thing,” Sutter said. “In the long run, that’s what separates you and I’ve been through several of those game sevens. That’s, in the end, what separates you from where you stand in the league too as a player.

“For guys that haven’t been in game sevens, it’s time to step up too. There’s guys in this series that haven’t been as productive as they’d like. It’s an opportunity to be a hero too.”

WATCH | Stars best Flames to force Game 7:

Heiskanen scores winner as Stars beat Flames to force Game 7

1 day ago

Duration 1:03

Dallas wins 4-2 in Game 6. The series finale of the first round series will be played Sunday in Calgary.

The Stars doubled the Flames 4-2 in Friday’s Game 6 at American Airlines Arena to even the series and send it back to Calgary for a high-stakes conclusion.

Due in large part to the work of Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger and Calgary counterpart Jacob Markstrom, the series has been low-scoring. The Flames produced seven even-strength goals while the Stars had six over the first six games.

“This series deserved to have a Game 7,” Sutter said.

Injuries on both sides

Both clubs face injury issues heading into Game 7. Stars forward Luke Glendening didn’t play Friday’s third period after taking an open-ice hit from Calgary defenceman Nikita Zadorov.

Stars coach Rick Bowman said the forward passed concussion protocol, and a lower-body injury kept him on the bench in the third.

No penalty was called on the play, yet Zadorov was summoned to an NHL Player Safety hearing Saturday for an illegal check to the head.

There was significant head contact, the NHL said in its ruling, but Zadorov took the proper angle of approach, did not extend outward or upward, and hit through Glendening’s core. Head contact was deemed unavoidable.

“It was a hockey play,” Sutter said. “I totally disagree there should be a hearing considering there’s been slewfoots in this series.”

Chris Tanev also didn’t finish out Game 6. Calgary’s top shutdown defenceman was injured early in the second period and didn’t return to the game.

Tanev walked through the team’s charter flight terminal Saturday without noticeable impediments, but Sutter wouldn’t predict Tanev’s status for Sunday.

“He’ll see doctors and get some treatments today,” the coach said.

‘Want to have emotion, but there’s a balance’

Winger Milan Lucic is the most experienced Flame in seventh games with a 4-6 record in 10 appearances.

“You want to have emotion, but there’s a balance,” Lucic said. “You want to have the emotion where you’re bottling up and using it in the right way, and not letting it get the best of you.

“You remember when you’re a kid and you’re about to run a big race, and you feel like you get punched in the stomach right before you start. It’s that kind of feeling.

“You want to bottle that up and put it in to a positive thing. This is a time when big players make big plays and get it done.”

When it comes to the pressure of a Game 7, Sutter embraces standing in the eye of the hockey hurricane.

“It’s a quiet place,” the coach said. “I love that part of it. It’s like being in the middle of it and I’ve always enjoyed it.”

Most Calgary Flames players lack Game 7 experience in the NHL playoffs, but their coach doesn’t.

Darryl Sutter owns the best all-time record among NHL head coaches at 7-3 in best-of-seven series’ that reach a Game 7 finale.

His 11th Game 7 will come Sunday when the Flames and Dallas Stars close out their conference quarter-final at the Saddledome.

The 63-year-old from Viking, Alta., will move to the top of the list ahead of Claude Julien, Mike Keenan and Mike Babcock, who all have 10.

The Flames haven’t played a Game 7 in a series since 2008. Ten players in Calgary’s current lineup have never won a playoff series, while all but four Stars have done so.

The Flames beat the Vancouver Canucks in overtime in the opening round to advance, but lost to the Lightning in a Cup final that went the distance.

“I’ve been through a lot of them,” Sutter acknowledged Saturday. “I’ve been through them here. The last time this team went the finals, we lost a Game 7, but to get to that Game 7, you had to win in a Game 7.”

Sutter returned to the Flames just over a year ago. He navigated the Flames (50-21-11) to the top of the Pacific Division in his first full season back behind Calgary’s bench.

So there’s considerable weight on the Flames to close out the series with a win at home Sunday and get past the first round for just the second time since that 2004 Cup final.

“Pressure is a good thing,” Sutter said. “In the long run, that’s what separates you and I’ve been through several of those game sevens. That’s, in the end, what separates you from where you stand in the league too as a player.

“For guys that haven’t been in game sevens, it’s time to step up too. There’s guys in this series that haven’t been as productive as they’d like. It’s an opportunity to be a hero too.”

WATCH | Stars best Flames to force Game 7:

Heiskanen scores winner as Stars beat Flames to force Game 7

20 hours ago

Duration 1:03

Dallas wins 4-2 in Game 6. The series finale of the first round series will be played Sunday in Calgary.

The Stars doubled the Flames 4-2 in Friday’s Game 6 at American Airlines Arena to even the series and send it back to Calgary for a high-stakes conclusion.

Due in large part to the work of Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger and Calgary counterpart Jacob Markstrom, the series has been low-scoring. The Flames produced seven even-strength goals while the Stars had six over the first six games.

“This series deserved to have a Game 7,” Sutter said.

Injuries on both sides

Both clubs face injury issues heading into Game 7. Stars forward Luke Glendening didn’t play Friday’s third period after taking an open-ice hit from Calgary defenceman Nikita Zadorov.

Stars coach Rick Bowman said the forward passed concussion protocol, and a lower-body injury kept him on the bench in the third.

No penalty was called on the play, yet Zadorov was summoned to an NHL Player Safety hearing Saturday for an illegal check to the head.

There was significant head contact, the NHL said in its ruling, but Zadorov took the proper angle of approach, did not extend outward or upward, and hit through Glendening’s core. Head contact was deemed unavoidable.

“It was a hockey play,” Sutter said. “I totally disagree there should be a hearing considering there’s been slewfoots in this series.”

Chris Tanev also didn’t finish out Game 6. Calgary’s top shutdown defenceman was injured early in the second period and didn’t return to the game.

Tanev walked through the team’s charter flight terminal Saturday without noticeable impediments, but Sutter wouldn’t predict Tanev’s status for Sunday.

“He’ll see doctors and get some treatments today,” the coach said.

‘Want to have emotion, but there’s a balance’

Winger Milan Lucic is the most experienced Flame in seventh games with a 4-6 record in 10 appearances.

“You want to have emotion, but there’s a balance,” Lucic said. “You want to have the emotion where you’re bottling up and using it in the right way, and not letting it get the best of you.

“You remember when you’re a kid and you’re about to run a big race, and you feel like you get punched in the stomach right before you start. It’s that kind of feeling.

“You want to bottle that up and put it in to a positive thing. This is a time when big players make big plays and get it done.”

When it comes to the pressure of a Game 7, Sutter embraces standing in the eye of the hockey hurricane.

“It’s a quiet place,” the coach said. “I love that part of it. It’s like being in the middle of it and I’ve always enjoyed it.”

Most Calgary Flames players lack Game 7 experience in the NHL playoffs, but their coach doesn’t.

Darryl Sutter owns the best all-time record among NHL head coaches at 7-3 in best-of-seven series’ that reach a Game 7 finale.

His 11th Game 7 will come Sunday when the Flames and Dallas Stars close out their conference quarter-final at the Saddledome.

The 63-year-old from Viking, Alta., will move to the top of the list ahead of Claude Julien, Mike Keenan and Mike Babcock, who all have 10.

The Flames haven’t played a Game 7 in a series since 2008. Ten players in Calgary’s current lineup have never won a playoff series, while all but four Stars have done so.

The Flames beat the Vancouver Canucks in overtime in the opening round to advance, but lost to the Lightning in a Cup final that went the distance.

“I’ve been through a lot of them,” Sutter acknowledged Saturday. “I’ve been through them here. The last time this team went the finals, we lost a Game 7, but to get to that Game 7, you had to win in a Game 7.”

Sutter returned to the Flames just over a year ago. He navigated the Flames (50-21-11) to the top of the Pacific Division in his first full season back behind Calgary’s bench.

So there’s considerable weight on the Flames to close out the series with a win at home Sunday and get past the first round for just the second time since that 2004 Cup final.

“Pressure is a good thing,” Sutter said. “In the long run, that’s what separates you and I’ve been through several of those game sevens. That’s, in the end, what separates you from where you stand in the league too as a player.

“For guys that haven’t been in game sevens, it’s time to step up too. There’s guys in this series that haven’t been as productive as they’d like. It’s an opportunity to be a hero too.”

WATCH | Stars best Flames to force Game 7:

Heiskanen scores winner as Stars beat Flames to force Game 7

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Duration 1:03

Dallas wins 4-2 in Game 6. The series finale of the first round series will be played Sunday in Calgary.

The Stars doubled the Flames 4-2 in Friday’s Game 6 at American Airlines Arena to even the series and send it back to Calgary for a high-stakes conclusion.

Due in large part to the work of Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger and Calgary counterpart Jacob Markstrom, the series has been low-scoring. The Flames produced seven even-strength goals while the Stars had six over the first six games.

“This series deserved to have a Game 7,” Sutter said.

Injuries on both sides

Both clubs face injury issues heading into Game 7. Stars forward Luke Glendening didn’t play Friday’s third period after taking an open-ice hit from Calgary defenceman Nikita Zadorov.

Stars coach Rick Bowman said the forward passed concussion protocol, and a lower-body injury kept him on the bench in the third.

No penalty was called on the play, yet Zadorov was summoned to an NHL Player Safety hearing Saturday for an illegal check to the head.

There was significant head contact, the NHL said in its ruling, but Zadorov took the proper angle of approach, did not extend outward or upward, and hit through Glendening’s core. Head contact was deemed unavoidable.

“It was a hockey play,” Sutter said. “I totally disagree there should be a hearing considering there’s been slewfoots in this series.”

Chris Tanev also didn’t finish out Game 6. Calgary’s top shutdown defenceman was injured early in the second period and didn’t return to the game.

Tanev walked through the team’s charter flight terminal Saturday without noticeable impediments, but Sutter wouldn’t predict Tanev’s status for Sunday.

“He’ll see doctors and get some treatments today,” the coach said.

‘Want to have emotion, but there’s a balance’

Winger Milan Lucic is the most experienced Flame in seventh games with a 4-6 record in 10 appearances.

“You want to have emotion, but there’s a balance,” Lucic said. “You want to have the emotion where you’re bottling up and using it in the right way, and not letting it get the best of you.

“You remember when you’re a kid and you’re about to run a big race, and you feel like you get punched in the stomach right before you start. It’s that kind of feeling.

“You want to bottle that up and put it in to a positive thing. This is a time when big players make big plays and get it done.”

When it comes to the pressure of a Game 7, Sutter embraces standing in the eye of the hockey hurricane.

“It’s a quiet place,” the coach said. “I love that part of it. It’s like being in the middle of it and I’ve always enjoyed it.”

Twice before, the Carolina Hurricanes had reached the playoffs only to see their ascent to becoming a serious Stanley Cup contender blocked by the Boston Bruins.

Mid-season acquisition Max Domi scored twice in the second period while Antti Raanta had 27 saves to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Boston Bruins 3-2 on Saturday to win their first-round playoff series.

Teuvo Teravainen also scored for the Hurricanes, who finally put away a team that swept them in the 2019 Eastern Conference finals then took a five-game first-round series in the Toronto bubble a year later.

“It’s such a different feeling coming into this one,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I think back in the other ones, if we would’ve won, you guys might have been a little surprised.

“This time around, I felt like it was our time. Our guys have matured. I think they felt that, too.”

Carolina moves on to the second round to face the winner of Sunday’s Game 7 between the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

One thing is certain: winning the Metropolitan Division title paved the way by securing home-ice advantage. This was a series in which neither team could manage a road win, with the Hurricanes eventually getting the final word backed by yet another rowdy home crowd.

“Obviously we needed one on the road, and we couldn’t do that,” Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron said.

Carolina hung on after squandering a 2-0 series lead and then a clunker performance in Thursday’s Game 6 loss with a chance to advance.

Domi was an unlikely star in this one. Carolina acquired him ahead of the March trade deadline, and he rewarded them with his first career postseason goals. He also assisted on Teravainen’s goal with a perfect pass to the top of the crease for the first-period putaway.

“Obviously I was pretty lucky to come to a team like this,” Domi said.

Raanta continues steady play in net

Then there’s Raanta, who joined Frederik Andersen in the team’s overhaul of its goaltender position. But with Andersen injured late in the regular season, Raanta took the lead in the crease despite never starting a postseason game before.

He was again steady in net. His biggest stop came early with a full-split save to deny Taylor Hall near the left post on a two-on-one chance in the first period of a scoreless game.

David Pastrnak scored one with 21.7 seconds left with Boston having pulled Jeremy Swayman for the extra attacker. From there, the Hurricanes had to hang on through one tense clock-killing shift before they could celebrate.

Jake DeBrusk scored in the second period for the Bruins, while Swayman finished with 28 saves. But the Bruins found themselves playing catch-up after Domi’s first goal, which had him skating in on the left side to bury a redirect attempt from Jordan Staal at 3:14 of the second.

Later, after DeBrusk had beaten Raanta from the top of the crease, Teravainen whipped a pass to Domi for a one-timer. The puck zipped past Swayman at 10:33 of the second for the 3-1 lead and another goal coming within a few feet of the crease.

“We pride ourselves on D-zone coverage, stuff we’ve done very well all year,” Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Two breakdowns that, yeah, they made plays, but more on us not to get the job done defensively — be in the right spots, good sticks.”

Bergeron’s future

Bergeron, the longtime No. 1 centre, can become an unrestricted free agent after 18 seasons with the team. He has declined to talk about a new contract during the year, creating a possibility he could leave or retire.

He wasn’t ready afterward to think about what’s next.

“It’s too fresh right now,” Bergeron said. “It still stings obviously from a hard-fought series. Came up short, so obviously I’m going to have to think about it. But I’m not there right now.

The Bruins were in their sixth straight playoffs. But this marks the first time Boston exited without winning a series since falling in a six-game series to Ottawa in 2017.

Max Domi scored twice in the second period while Antti Raanta had 27 saves to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the visiting Boston Bruins 3-2 on Saturday to win the deciding Game 7 of their first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C.

Teuvo Teravainen also scored for the Hurricanes, who finally put away a Bruins team that had ousted them from the playoffs in two of the past three post-seasons. That ended a series in which neither team could manage a road win, with the Hurricanes eventually getting the final word backed by yet another rowdy and loud home crowd.

Carolina advanced to the second round to face the winner of Sunday’s Game 7 between the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Raanta, who had never started a postseason game before this series, was again steady in net. He had probably his best stop on a full-split save to deny Taylor Hall near the left post in the first period of a scoreless game.

Jake DeBrusk scored a second-period goal for the Bruins, while David Pastrnak had one with 21.7 seconds left with Boston having pulled Jeremy Swayman for the extra attacker.

From there, the Hurricanes had to hang on through one final clock-killing shift to protect the lead before they could finally celebrate.

Swayman finished with 28 saves for Boston.

Later, after DeBrusk had beaten Raanta from the top of the crease, Teravainen whipped a pass to Domi for a one-timer that blasted the puck past Swayman at 10:33 of the second for the 3-1 lead.

The Bruins, a tested veteran squad, were in the playoffs for the sixth straight season. That run included a sweep of the Hurricanes in the 2019 Eastern Conference finals, as well as a five-game win in the first round of the Toronto bubble a year later.

This time, the Hurricanes never trailed in the series before finally grinding through after dominating the Bruins in three regular-season meetings. And the Bruins head into an off-season with some uncertainty about the future of captain and longtime No. 1 centre Patrice Bergeron, who can become an unrestricted free agent after 18 seasons with the team.