NHL Playoffs: Capitals, Stars, Kings earn dramatic wins on same night

The NHL likes to say there’s no better drama in sports than the Stanley Cup playoffs, and on Monday night, April 21, no one was going to argue with that sentiment. Three of the four playoff matchups had fantastic finishes, with two of them coming in overtime.

How did Washington pull an overtime win?

In Washington, D.C., the top-seeded Capitals and newly crowned all-time goal-scoring leader Alex Ovechkin had a precarious two-goal lead, entering the third period against the upstart Montreal Canadiens.

Sure enough, midway through the third, Montreal scored twice in a five-minute span to send the game into overtime.

The Capitals haven’t won a playoff series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018 and were in jeopardy of another collapse in their very first test this year.

However, Ovechkin, who broke former player Wayne Gretzky’s record on April 6, pulled his team out of the fire. He scored the game winner 2:26 into overtime, making history again, this time with his first career playoff overtime winner. The stat sheet read two goals and an assist for Ovechkin. Washington currently has a 1-0 series lead.

“He’s a beast. He’s a machine when he’s out there, creating energy for our team… he does it all, he does everything for us. That’s what a leader does,” Capitals forward Tom Wilson said. “It’s one thing to be good all season long, but the guys that show up and hit and block shots and lead the team — that’s why he’s a legend.”

Who was the hero for the Dallas Stars?

In Dallas, the Stars had their backs against the wall in game two of their series with the Colorado Avalanche.

Down 3-2 in the game and 1-0 in the series, they got a massive boost when Evgenii Dadonov scored the tying goal to eventually send it into overtime.

It took nearly the entire first overtime period, but the Stars are back in the series after Colin Blackwell scored the first overtime game winner of his career, putting his own rebound past Mackenzie Blackwood. The fourth line center, who didn’t play in the first game of the series, was glad to contribute Monday, April 21.

“I love this group; it’s been a hell of a year and a lot of fun,” Blackwell said. “I’m just excited to do whatever I can to help the team win.”

He added that “(to) get a taste of playing in the playoffs is what everyone dreams for.”

How did the Los Angeles Kings beat Edmonton?

The late game in Los Angeles was also a wild affair.

The Los Angeles Kings took a four-goal lead over the Edmonton Oilers, but the player they call “Connor McJesus” helped his team rally in the third period. Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists, and the Oilers scored twice in the final two minutes to tie it up, all with an empty net at the other end.

However, that comeback was for naught, as the Oilers allowed Kings forward Phillip Danault to score the game winner with 42 seconds left in regulation.

Los Angeles is just the fourth team in Stanley Cup playoff history to win in regulation despite blowing a four-goal lead. Danault’s fluttering shot gave the Kings a 1-0 series lead.

“That was a little bit scary,” Danault said. “There were ups and downs, we were up 4-0, and they come back. We know they have an offensive machine, and we have to learn from this and move on.”

What’s on tap for Tuesday night, April 22?

Tuesday night, April 22, promises more drama with the first game in the “Battle of Florida” between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers. This series is as evenly matched as can be. The two teams have met four of the last five postseasons, but more impressively, in those five seasons, either the Lightning or the Panthers have represented the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals.

“They know us, and we know them,” Lightning forward Brayden Point said. “We’re looking forward to it. They’re always tight series, and it’s going to be a good one.”