NEWSLETTER
If you haven’t won a #bucciovertimechallenge yet, that’s on you. There have been an incredible amount of overtimes already played this postseason and are on pace to potentially land one of the top-ten or even top-five most in Stanley Cup Playoff history if these 2021 Playoffs continue on this pace. I’m here for it, since it’s much easier to stomach when you don’t have a rooting interest in either team playing in the overtime.
• The Bruins and Islanders and the Hurricanes and Lightning both played Game Three last night and both needed extra time to decide the winner.
• Tied 1-1 in the series, the Bruins were able to grab hold of a 2-1 series lead back over New York with a 2-1 win in overtime thanks to a bad-angle shot from Brad Marchand that got by Semyon Varlamov.
2-1 series lead for the @NHLBruins, courtesy of Brad Marchand (@Bmarch63)! #StanleyCup
NHL x @massmutual pic.twitter.com/pYWdGXf4kR
— NHL (@NHL) June 4, 2021
• That’s one that Varlamov would love to have back, I’m sure. But hey, shots from bad angles are still shots right?
• Marchand, ever the thorn in my side of enjoying hockey, is such a talented player. You have to give him props for his skill, even if you can’t stand everything else about his game.
Brad Marchand's third career overtime goal in the playoffs propelled the @NHLBruins to a 2-1 series lead against the Islanders. #StanleyCup#NHLStats: https://t.co/8FonZt3LJu pic.twitter.com/4LxfB5Nbrn
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 4, 2021
• The Bruins came into the series looking ready to roll their way into the final four after dispatching the Capitals in five games. But these Islanders are no pushover team. Would not be surprised if the series ended up in a hard-fought six games, or even seven.
• In the second game of the evening, the Hurricanes and Lightning played to a 2-2 tie heading into overtime. Down 0-2 in the series and heading to Tampa, the Hurricanes were in desperate need of a win to not fall into a insurmountable hole. They took a 2-0 lead in the game before the Lightning fought back to tie it 2-2. But in the end, your big players are what get you the big moments.
Take warning, we've got a @Canes OT winner inbound❗ #StanleyCup
NHL x @massmutual pic.twitter.com/DPwvtAc9IM
— NHL (@NHL) June 4, 2021
• Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal connect on the game-winner, credited to Staal to get Carolina back in the series, cutting the Lightning series lead to 2-1.
• Staal following his brother Eric’s footsteps as the leader of the Hurricanes, has tied an overtime goal record that the Hurricanes haven’t seen since Eric was part of the Stanley Cup-winning 2006 Hurricanes.
Jordan Staal scored his second overtime goal of the 2021 #StanleyCup Playoffs (also Game 5 of R1), tying Niclas Wallin (2002) and Cory Stillman (2006) for the most in a single playoff year in @Canes / Whalers history. #StanleyCup #NHLStats: https://t.co/JXGxh5lOL6 pic.twitter.com/tmRblq9yhf
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 4, 2021
• Yes, that’s Riley Stillman’s Dad, too.
• Not to be lost in the Hurricanes Game Three win is the two assist effort from former Blackhawks draft pick Teuvo Teravainen, including this between-the-legs touch pass.
Teuvo…pic.twitter.com/KW0p42dzYX
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) June 4, 2021
• Gah! I will be sad, forever, about the Blackhawks losing Teravainen in the fashion they did.
• Tonight we’ll see Game Three of the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche series and Game Two of the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens series. Avalanche hold a 2-0 series lead, and the Canadiens have a 1-0 series lead. The Jets will be without Mark Scheifele tonight and for the next four games after his hit on Jake Evans in Game One.
Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele has been suspended for four games for Charging Montreal’s Jake Evans. https://t.co/MhMHK55lmC
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) June 4, 2021
• I thought that Scheifele deserved more games and probably shouldn’t have seen the rest of the series and postseason for the hit. The NHL Department of Player Safety gives him four games, which if Montreal plays well, could eventually mean the rest of the series and the postseason for Scheifele. If the Canadiens and Jets series gets to Game Six, prepare for the wheels to fall off the game when Scheifele returns.
• These infographs are always fun. Blackhawks have the fifth-most series victories in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. Helps being an Original Six club, though.
Which team has the most all-time series wins in the #StanleyCup Playoffs? 🤔
(NHL x @awscloud) pic.twitter.com/Bn6g1YLFYO
— NHL (@NHL) June 4, 2021
• While the Blackhawks are not in the postseason, nine players and prospects have been dueling it out in Latvia in the IIHF World Championships. Yesterday in the Quarterfinal round, five of those players and prospects moved on to the Semifinal Round.
• Canada, Germany, Finland, and the United States are the final four teams battling for World Championships Gold. Brandon Hagel, Brandon Pirri, Nicolas Beaudin, Drew Commesso, and Lukas Reichel are still alive in the tournament with the Semifinals commencing early on Saturday morning.
https://twitter.com/IIHFHockey/status/1400541975590363137?s=20
• Finland, which doesn’t have any Blackhawks players, is looking to defend their 2019 IIHF World Championship Gold Medal, which Kevin Lankinen helped them win two years ago.
• None of the five Blackhawks players have represented their countries in the World Championships before and therefore are all playing for their first international medals of their careers. The Gold Medal and Bronze Medal games are slated for Sunday.
• The Blackhawks earned the 11th overall pick in the NHL Draft on Wednesday. We’ve already covered a number of draft prospects that the Blackhawks could and should be targeting with their first round pick (You can find that information here, here, over here, and here.) Yesterday we saw The Athletic’s Scott Powers pick Chicago Steel forward Matthew Coronato in their lottery mock draft. Adam Kimelman and Mike Morreale gave their own lottery pick mock draft with a few names that Blackhawks fans should be familiar with.
Which player will your team select in next month's #NHLDraft? @NHLdotcom predicts ➡️ https://t.co/qc8IkUnWFe pic.twitter.com/v2LttT9sVB
— NHL (@NHL) June 3, 2021
• Like I have said all along with draft coverage this year, it’s all over the board and when it comes to forecasting where the Blackhawks might go with their 11th overall pick, your guess may be just as good as mine.
• But that’s the fun of it, right?
• That’ll do it for today. Enjoy your Friday!
