Sunday April 26 2pm
After coming away with a split of their first two games, the New Jersey Devils will try to take the lead in their playoff series when they meet the Ottawa Senators at the Corel Centre today. Doug Gilmour's goal with 62 seconds to play in the second period snapped a tie as New Jersey rebounded from a Game One loss to post a 3-1 victory over Ottawa on Friday.
Gilmour, who missed 18 games late in the season with a knee injury, has had a hand in all four New Jersey goals in the series. The Devils split two games in Ottawa this season, including a 21-save shutout by Martin Brodeur on February 2nd.
Chris Murray scored the lone goal for the Senators in Friday's loss. Alexei Yashin, Ottawa's leading scorer during the regular season, has a goal and an assist and goaltender Damian Rhodes has stopped 57 of 61 shots in two playoff games thus far. The Senators need to improve their power play. Ottawa is scoreless in nine power-play chances through two games. Game Four of the best-of-seven series will be played in Ottawa on Tuesday.
#2 PITTSBURGH PEGUINS vs #7 MONTREAL CANADIENS
Monday April 27 7:30pm
The Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins will both be looking to take a one-game lead tonight when the teams face off in Game Three of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. The Canadiens opened the series with a 3-2 overtime victory on Thursday but the Penguins rebounded with a 4-1 win on Saturday.
A win in regulation would be the first priority, but Montreal should feel very comfortable should this game go into an extra session. Thursday's win was the Canadiens' 14th straight playoff overtime victory, a streak that stretches back to April 22nd, 1993.
Captain Vincent Damphousse leads the Habs with three points and defenseman Vladimir Malakhov is second with two. Although veteran Andy Moog split time with Jocelyn Thibault during the regular season, it appears Montreal coach Alain Vigneault, who will be making his home playoff debut, is going to stick with the much more experienced goaltender. Moog is 65-53 lifetime in the postseason, while Thibault is 3-9.
The Canadiens are 2-for-10 on the power play, while allowing the Penguins one power-play goal in nine opportunities.
Stu Barnes had two goals and one assist and Jaromir Jagr set up three goals for the Penguins in Saturday's victory. Barnes and Jagr each have four points to lead Pittsburgh.
Saturday's win improved goaltender Tom Barrasso's career postseason record to 52-40.
Game Four is Wednesday in Montreal.
#3 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS vs #6 BUFFALO SABERS
Monday April 27 7:30pm
Now that they know Buffalo's Dominik Hasek is beatable, the Philadelphia Flyers will try to take a 2-1 lead over the Sabres tonight when their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series shifts to Marine Midland Arena. Philadelphia came out on the short end of a 3-2 score in Wednesday's series opener but rebounded for a 3-2 victory on Friday as John LeClair's power-play goal with 3:32 left capped a wild third period.
The Flyers only got 24 shots on Hasek in the loss but peppered him with 38 in the win.
It appears coach Roger Neilson is going to ride Sean Burke, at least for a little while. Burke had not won a playoff game before Friday since going 9-8 for the New Jersey Devils in 1988. He is 10-10 lifetime in the postseason. Chris Gratton, Eric Lindros, John LeClair, Rod Brind'Amour and Dan McGillis all have two points for Philadelphia, but Gratton is the only Flyers with two goals.
Philadelphia is 1-for-16 on the power play through the first two games, while Buffalo is 1-for-9.
Hasek has not enjoyed the same success in the playoffs as he has in the regular season. He owns a lifetime mark of 7-12 in the postseason, compared to his 165-121-48 record during the regular season.
Michal Grosek, Dixon Ward, Matthew Barnaby and Derek Plante have two points to lead the Sabres.
The teams rested on Saturday and Sunday, meaning Philadelphia has a chance to see the return of defenseman Petr Svoboda, who suffered a neck burner in Game One, and right wing Mike Sillinger, who sustained a concussion in the opener.
Game Four is Wednesday in Buffalo.
#4 WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs #5 BOSTON BRUINS
Sunday April 26 2pm
After splitting the first two games of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, the Boston Bruins return to the FleetCenter to take on the Washington Capitals in Game Three of the best-of-seven series today. Darren Van Impe's second goal of the game, 54 seconds into double overtime, matched his season total and lifted Boston to a 4-3 win over Washington on Friday, tying the series at one game apiece.
Jason Allison, a former Capital who led the team in scoring during the regular season, has a goal and three assists during the series. The Bruins have fired 68 shots on net during the two games and have killed off three of the four shorthanded situations they have faced.
Sergei Gonchar and Esa Tikkanen each scored for the second straight game and Calle Johannson added a goal and an assist for the Capitals in Friday's loss. Tikkanen, who had nine goals in 15 playoff games for the New York Rangers last season, moved past Mario Lemieux and Claude Lemieux into ninth place on the all-time list. Washington may be without sniper Peter Bondra for today's game. Bondra suffered a severe ankle injury in Game One and aggravated the injury on Friday before sitting out most of the contest.
The Capitals ended the regular season with 17-18-6 road mark. Boston had a 19-16-6 record at home.
Game Four of the series will be played Tuesday night in Boston.
