Jesperi Kotkaniemi OT Winner Sends Habs to Game 7 against Toronto

 

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There's something I really like about Montreal Canadiens center Jesperi Kotkaniemi. On this Saturday night Hockey Night in Montreal, he sent a tremendous hockey game to a game seven with a game-winning overtime wrist shot that gave Montreal an unlikely 3-2 win over the -190 Maple Leafs in a game that oddsmakers thought they should have won handily. 

It was his 7th career Stanley Cup Playoffs goal. While he hasn't recorded an assist, there's something to be said for his prowess to find the net in these crucial playoff games in 15 career games and not yet 21 years of age. 

Also in this game that I watched on NBC Sports, Tyler Toffoli and Corey Perry scored for the Habs. Surely they lose game 7 right? 

The Canadiens are nothing if not pesky, and now the Maple Leafs look to avoid a game seven choke with seemingly all the pressure on them against a team playing with house money. It will be a Monday night thriller on Memorial Day. 

[Event Summary]

Incredible game in Boston tonight in the 2-2 series between the Maple Leafs and Bruins, and I watched every second.



Matthews broke a scoreless tie with his fourth goal of the series. Honestly, this could be the Maple Leafs year, as the number one seed is bounced on both sides (Calgary went down 5-1 tonight in Alberta to the Avs).

This is the first time in NHL history that both number one seeds have been eliminated in the opening round of the NHL playoffs.

Toronto will now be tasked with closing it out in Toronto on Easter Sunday. WOW.

Maple Leafs Force Game Seven Against Bruins

[Event Summary]

[NHL.com]

On a night where a terrorist attack happened in Toronto, on a night where the Columbus Blue Jackets were eliminated by the Washington Capitals in game six here in Columbus. The Toronto Maple Leafs played game six in their city like their lives were on the line. These guys sacrificed so much to force a game seven for their city, overcoming all odds and trying to advance in a series they trailed 2-0 and 3-1. 

The Maple Leafs entered as underdogs, but I saw a team play as a team. Frederick Andersen several times was out of position, only to have a Toronto skater make the save for him. Andersen made so many improbable saves on his own. He stopped 32 of 33 shots. Boston took the lead 1-0, but Toronto charged back from there and wouldn't be denied. 

Auston Matthews had an assist waved off for goalie interference on the Leafs. But this team is gutty. They'll look to him Wednesday night to do something he's never done before in his career. The biggest goal in the biggest moment wins and advances. One of these tremendous teams has to go home. 

The winner Wednesday night gets to face the #1 seed Lightning. 

Great Yahoo Article on the Impact of Matthews' Answering Critics Game Three

Game three was an absolute dream of a game for the Maple Leafs. I'm not sure if it's the apex of the entire season or not at this point.

So I'm trying to savor as much as I can of it before Thursday night arrives. The Leafs are installed as early -115 to -110 slight favorites over the Bruins. They went off at -105 the other night, so they have appeared to at least halt the Bruin momentum for the time being in the eyes of oddsmakers.

Great read here at Yahoo! about Auston Matthews answering the bell in game three with the biggest goal of the year.

Maple Leafs Win Game Three, Round One 4-2 Over Bruins

[Maple Leafs 4, Bruins 2]
[NHL.com]

My team really did it. I watched the entire game. The Maple Leafs will not be swept in futility as it looked in games one and two in Boston. My favorite player rose at the big moment and scored the biggest goal of the game to give his team the final lead.

This was an incredible game. The Leafs are very much alive; for now. Trying to hang on until Nazem Kadri returns from suspension and extend this series out long.

Here's a look at Auston Matthews' first goal of these playoffs, a beautiful snipe that gave the Maple Leafs a 3-2 lead. A lead that would hold up (Patrick Marleau later scored his second goal of the game to make it 4-2).



Frederick Andersen stood on his head for several saves to keep this a 3-2 game. These teams really played hard, and fast paced. Zdeno Chara scored an incredible goal to make it 2-2. This was action packed for three periods. The Toronto crowd was outstanding from the anthem to the final whistle.

It was a Monday night in Toronto, and all was safe and well for a night. The Maple Leafs extended the season against the seemingly unstoppable Bruins; for at least a game.

I can't wait for Thursday night.

The Deadspin Story of the Canucks Bender

This is AWESOME.

The Champions fall in Vancouver

[Nucks Misconduct]

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It would have been nice to have seen this game instead of getting a text in the form of an ESPN alert. But unless I was watching the game illegally on the net somewhere or paying extra dollars to have Versus, there was no way for me to watch this game.

From NHL.com:

"This is what legends are made of," Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo said, referencing what was spoken inside the relatively quiet room. "Game 7, OT. It doesn't get any better than that. Somebody is going to become a hero."

Take a bow Alex Burrows. It was you.

Burrows capped off one of the craziest emotional roller-coaster nights in the Canucks’ 40 NHL seasons in Vancouver by ripping a knuckling slap shot over Chicago goalie Corey Crawford's right shoulder 5:22 into overtime. Vancouver's 2-1 victory set off a wild celebration on the ice, in the stands and in the streets while relieving an insane amount of tension from the entire city.

The win sends the Canucks into the Western Conference Semifinals, where they will face the Nashville Predators. All Vancouver had to do was withstand a near-miraculous comeback from the Blackhawks, both in the series and in Game 7.

Chicago became the seventh team in NHL history to force a Game 7 after losing the first three games of a series, but the fourth to lose the final game after winning Games 4-6. The Hawks also trailed 1-0 heading into the final two minutes of regulation Tuesday, but Jonathan Toews scored a game-tying shorthanded goal to send this one into overtime.

The champs are all finished. Toews got them close but could not get them past the Canucks. The picture above says 1,000 words. It's a shame that more of this country can't see games like this to make them fall for hockey. The drama, irony, and all that is rich this time of year.