Daily Nuggets: Golden Knights in Trouble?; Barkov Injured, Sweep Watch

Good morning, folks. After the Minnesota Wild routed them in Game 3, the Vegas Golden Knights are down but not out. However, losing two consecutive games 5-2 is probably not a good sign. Despite the Wild holding a 2-1 series lead, the Golden Knights say it’s not time to panic. 

Elsewhere in the Daily Nuggets, the monkey’s paw curled for the Ottawa Senators. After making the playoffs for the first time since 2017, they’re in danger of getting swept by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The St. Louis Blues showed some fire as their offense exploded on home ice against the Winnipeg Jets. And on Thursday, Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov left Game 2 with an injury.

Golden Knights News

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before– the heavily favored Golden Knights allowed two quick goals to the underdog Minnesota Wild and eventually lost by a score of 5-2. Game 2 and Game 3 had striking similarities and the same outcome. Thursday’s game was full of uncharacteristic penalties and sloppy mistakes.

Fans might be panicking, but the team certainly isn’t. The Golden Knights know what they have to do to get back to their game, and they’re taking it one game at a time. 

Playoff Series Scores

Toronto Maple Leafs > Ottawa Senators; 3-0
Dallas Stars > Colorado Avalanche; 2-1
Winnipeg Jets > St. Louis Blues; 2-1
Minnesota Wild > Vegas Golden Knights; 2-1
Los Angeles Kings > Edmonton Oilers; 2-0
Carolina Hurricanes > New Jersey Devils; 2-0
Washington Capitals > Montreal Canadiens; 2-0
Florida Panthers > Tampa Bay Lightning; 2-0

NHL News, Rumors, & National Hockey Now

Sportsnet: Well, it looks like the Toronto Maple Leafs won’t be a first-round exit this year. They have a stranglehold over the Battle of Ontario and lead the series against the Ottawa Senators 3-0, thanks to a goal from an unlikely hero.

Sportsnet: The Sens might get swept, but the St. Louis Blues won’t. They gave their fans something to cheer for as they routed the Winnipeg Jets 7-2 on home ice.

Colorado Hockey Now: The Dallas Stars have led for just 62 seconds through three games. And yet, they have a 2-1 series lead over the Avalanche. What’s gone wrong for the Avs?

Florida Hockey Now: Despite not having home ice, the Panthers are up 2-0 in their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Unfortunately, fans are concerned about the wellbeing of captain Aleksander Barkov after he exited Game 2 on Thursday.

New York Islanders Hockey Now: There’s a new (unnamed) sheriff in town. That means the Islanders could finally see some roster turnover for the first time in a long time. Who will stay, and who will get the boot?

Philly Hockey Now: On Thursday, the Flyers announced that defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen underwent surgery in March to repair a ruptured tricep. Ouch. The projected recovery time is six months.

NHL History: On April 25th, 1964, Johnny Bower became the first goaltender to record a shutout in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.