The defending champs are still alive, the Ducks have drawn even, the Rangers are on the ropes and Detroit icon Pavel Datsyuk may have played his final NHL game.
Let’s get to Thursday’s bests and worst from an eventful night in the NHL playoffs.
Three stars:
1. Evgeni Malkin, F, Pittsburgh Penguins: Two goals, two assists in win over Rangers
2. Ben Bishop, G, Tampa Bay: 34 saves in shutout of Detroit
3. Patrick Kane, F, Chicago: Game-winning OT goal and an assist in win over St. Louis
Best game: Duh! Chicago 4, St. Louis 3 (2OT)
Even when they lose playoff series — which is not often — the Stanley Cup era Chicago Blackhawks do not go quietly. That proved true again on Thursday in St. Louis.
Outshot 46-34, out-chanced and simply outplayed, Chicago stayed alive when Patrick Kane unveiled his rare set of stick skills by faking out three Blues, putting a shot on net and then circling the net to pick up his rebound and tuck it in the open side at 3:07 of the second overtime.
Double OT with the season on the line. #Showtime. @Vegas #RoadWarriors #StanleyCuphttps://t.co/08Rd8c2o9J
— #StanleyCup Playoffs (@NHL) April 22, 2016
Since winning its first Stanley Cup of this era in 2010, Chicago has lost three playoff series. Two went to seven games (Vancouver and Los Angeles), one went to six (Phoenix). By winning in St. Louis, the Hawks are assured of at least pushing this series to six games.
This was the fifth overtime game between these two teams this season. (St. Louis won the previous four) and it was the fifth one-goal game in this five-game series.
Best individual performance: Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins
Remember that narrative about the Penguins being better without Malkin, who was injured at the start of this series? Yeah, right. Geno looked like the dominant Geno of old as the Penguins pushed their playoff nemesis to the brink of elimination.
Malkin had two goals and two assist and this power-play blast early in the second period took all the suspense out of the game as Pittsburgh took a 4-0 lead. In 104 career playoff games, Malkin has 117 points. His 1.125 points per playoff game represents the 12th best average in NHL history.
Malkin goal pic.twitter.com/sceJzdqV5h
— Stephanie (@myregularface) April 22, 2016
Best visual: Artemi Panarin’s buzzer beater
With the clock winding down in the second period, Kane sent a cross-ice, backdoor feed to Panarin, who was stationed off the left post. Panarin’s one-timer beat the buzzer and gave the Blackhawks a crucial two-goal lead heading to the third period.
it counts pic.twitter.com/vnFRmFPQZR
— Stephanie (@myregularface) April 22, 2016
Best stat: The upside down Chicago-St. Louis series
The team that has been outshot has won every game in the Blackhawks-Blues series.
Worst gaffe: Peter Mrazek, Detroit Red Wings
Late in a scoreless game, Mrazek fetched a puck behind his net and tried to pass it to defenseman Danny DeKeyser. He didn’t get enough on it, Bolts forward Ryan Callahan intercepted it and fed Alex Killorn in front for the game-winning goal that ended the Wings’ season.
Killorn goal pic.twitter.com/wxnhZ6Ijyn
— Stephanie (@myregularface) April 22, 2016
Best goaltending performance: Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay
How good was Bishop in a 34-save shutout of Detroit? He stopped three breakaways in the third period alone, robbing Darren Helm and Riley Sheahan shorthanded, and Dylan Larkin minutes later.
#tblightning Cooper on Bishop: "If you give our team a C and their team an A, Bishop was an A+, and the A+ trumped the A."
— Joe Smith (@TBTimes_JSmith) April 22, 2016
Bishop also shut out the Wings in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series last season.
Best tribute: Every NHL arena that hosted a game Thursday
We lost count of the Prince songs we heard to honor the late musician, who died Thursday at age 57.
Worst feeling: Nashville Predators
The Preds won both games in Anaheim to give their fans realistic hopes for an upset. Then they lost both games at home — and scored one goal — to hand momentum back to the Ducks.
Best goaltending switch, repeated: Coach Bruce Boudreau, Anaheim
In the two games since Frederik Andersen replaced John Gibson, Andersen has allowed one goal on 58 shots (.983 save percentage) and the Ducks have rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie the series.
Worst stat: New York Rangers
The Rangers had never lost five straight home playoff games before laying an egg against the Penguins on Thursday. The Rangers’ streak stretches back to three home losses in the Eastern Conference Final to Tampa last season.
Worst ending to a great career (maybe): Pavel Datsyuk
We still don’t know for certain if Datsyuk will end his NHL career with a year left on his contract to return to his native Russia for family and health reasons. If this was the Magic Man’s last game, we wish it hadn’t ended with his team getting shut out.
"I had a great time wearing the Red Wings logo and jersey and playing in front of those 20,000 fans." – Datsyuk, who made nothing official.
— Dave Hogg (@Stareagle) April 22, 2016
Best quote: Alex Killorn, Tampa Bay after his series-clinching goal against Detroit
“I’m so happy I don’t have to get on a plane tomorrow.”
Best quote (Part II): Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis following Chicago’s OT goal
Alex Pietrangelo: “It’s going to be fun to win it in Chicago. That’s the game plan right now. Their backs are still up against the wall.”
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) April 22, 2016
Best thing to look forward to Friday: Sharks-Kings Game 5
San Jose has another chance to close out the Kings. Can the Sharks exorcise their demons with a win at Staples Center?
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