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Lace 'em up. Time for the Morning Skate.
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WELL, THAT WAS FUN
We've reached the point of the playoffs where we get just one game on the schedule every other night. Which is totally fine when you get games like the one on Thursday.
It took awhile, but once the Penguins and Capitals got going in Game 1, it more than lived up to the pregame hype. The storylines within are nearly endless.
A 21-year-old rookie goalie going up against Vezina Trophy nominee Braden Holtby. Tom Wilson angering everyone with an ugly knee-on-knee hit. Nicklas Backstrom making ridiculous mid-air passes to Alex Ovechkin. Nick Bonino playing the best game of his life. And, of course, T.J. Oshie scoring three goals and a game-winner that was legal by inches.
Capitals-Penguins already embodies everything great about the playoffs. And it's only Game 1. We are all truly hashtag blessed.
SID vs. OVI UPDATE
A quiet game for both:
Sidney Crosby: No points, a minus-3 with one shot on goal
Alex Ovechkin: One assist, plus-3 with four shots on goal
Wow. This means that Ovechkin is better than Crosby. What a choker, right?
We're not going to do that. Especially since Game 1 was all about the secondary players.
SELKE TIME
NHL writers have nominated Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Kesler and Anze Kopitar as the best defensive forwards of the season. Bergeron has won four times, while Kopitar and Kesler now have seven nominations between them.
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- The second round continues with Game 1 between the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues. Here's how to watch.
- Dallas will need to change their game plan to take down the Blues.
- If the Blues keep generating high-danger scoring chances then they have a shot.
- The other game of the night is the opening game between the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks. Here's how you can watch that one.
- San Jose is riding high after defeating its biggest rival.
- And the Sharks seem to have a slight edge in goaltending.