The Wild announced that the pre-game party for Sunday’s game has been cancelled. Connor scored 31 goals in the regular season but has been held pointless in the first two games.
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The power play also suited the Wild. At 19 years, 100 days, he became the youngest player in franchise history to score a playoff goal.
The Flyers struggled to sustain pressure on Murray but took advantage of what few opportunities they created. The Wild are 276-7-1 in home games this season, so the window to get back in this series is there. It is that Elliott had been up-and-down most of the season, while the entire goaltending situation was once again unsettled, a Flyers tradition unlike any other. Winnipeg’s attack seemed to run in spurts, with a handful of chances coming every two or three minutes.
To make that faster change could require changing tactics though as when the Wild have gained possession in their zone they literally take off as fast as they can to get the puck out. Instead, Elliott calmly snagged Crosby’s backhand out of the air and kept the Penguins off the board. Crosby broke in alone just past the game’s midway point but Elliott’s glove swallowed up the Pittsburgh captain’s backhand attempt.
Kadri was tossed from Toronto’s Game 1 loss at Boston for boarding Wingels, and Blue Jackets winger Josh Anderson was thrown out of their overtime victory at Washington for a hit from behind that injured Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny.
The Wild, who along with Anaheim and Pittsburgh are among only three teams in the National Hockey League to make the playoffs in each of the past six consecutive seasons, headed home Friday night in a sadly familiar position. Picking up his second assist of the game on Copp’s first was the aforementioned Jack Roslovic, who drew back into the Jets’ lineup following an injury to Mathieu Perreault in game one. The goal came on the power play after Jets forward Brandon Tanev was called for hooking with 59 seconds left.
Hellebuyck made 16 saves.
Three minutes later Winnipeg’s Tyler Myers drilled a slapper past Minnesota netminder Devan Dubnyk to make it a one-goal edge. The Jets have won 11 games in a row at home, a streak that dates back to February.
Up front, Winnipeg’s stars continued to crush Minnesota’s top six forwards.
Wilson was suspended two preseason games for interference and then for the first four regular-season games for boarding but had cleaned up his game since. It marked the first opening-period goal in the series for either team.
The Western Conference might be home to the first-round matchup with the hottest team of the 2017-18 Stanley Cup playoffs, and that matchup has nothing to do with the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Nashville Predators.
Kinkaid, whose stellar play since January helped New Jersey finish strong and claim its first playoff berth since 2012, yielded five goals on 15 shots.
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Colorado at Nashville, 2 p.m.
