Wake With Elias- May 4, 2022: Penguins Win 3OT Thriller, Flames Take Game One

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 4 NEW YORK RANGERS 3 (3OT) (Penguins lead 1-0)

Maybe it was the spicy pork? Former Canucks G Louis Domingue played just two regular season games this year, but he was a perfect 17 for 17 after he was forced to come in when Casey DeSmith left the game in the middle of the 2nd OT period, keeping the door shut to allow Evgeni Malkin to notch the winner in the 3rd OT last night. Domingue joked afterwards about eating spicy pork during the first OT intermission, never dreaming he was minutes away from entering the biggest game of his career.

It did overshadow a fantastic outing from Igor Shesterkin, who had 72 saves in a losing cause for the Rangers. As far as Game Two, the Penguins goalie situation is a little murky at the moment.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS 4 FLORIDA PANTHERS 2 (Capitals lead 1-0)

Heavy is the head that wears the crown, eh? The regular season champions dropped the opener as the Caps scored three times in the final frame, including the winner from TJ Oshie en route to a 4-2 win. It could be a costly win for them, though. Tom Wilson, who opened the scoring early in the first, played just three shifts and did not return. No word yet on whether he’ll be able to play in Game Two, but that dramatically alters Washington’s game plan, and the way Florida can plan their attack strategies.

COLORADO AVALANCHE 7 NASHVILLE PREDATORS 2 (Avalanche lead 1-0)

In our Western Conference preview, we talked about how the Predators could be in trouble if they can’t get Juuse Saros back in the lineup, and boy did the Avs hammer that point home. Colorado pumped 5 goals in 13 shots on ‘Big Save’ Dave Rittich, who was pulled in the first as they dropped Game One 7-2. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar had three point nights for the Avs in this one. Game Two goes Thursday night in Denver.

CALGARY FLAMES 1 DALLAS STARS 0 (Flames lead 1-0)

Jacob Markstrom had an easy night in Game One, facing just sixteen Dallas shots as the Flames took a 1-0 win and 1-0 series lead last night. A checking to the head penalty by Jani Hakanpaa was costly, as Elias Lindholm scored on the ensuing power play for Calgary. It also featured fifty minutes of penalties in the first period, the majority of them coming at the end of the period, which saw two fights: Matthew Tkachuk getting his lunch fed to him by Michael Raffl and John Klingberg and Rasmus Andersson, who were both ejected for engaging in a secondary fight.

The Department of Player Safety was busy yesterday, handing out one suspension and a handful of fines following Monday night’s action. The league fined Toronto’s Wayne Simmonds and Tampa’s $2250 and Tampa’s Corey Perry $2500 for unsportsmanlike conduct. Minnesota’s Jared Spurgeon is the recipient of the first fine that should have been a suspension, dinged $5000 for a gutless crosscheck on Pavel Buchnevich of the St. Louis Blues.

And as expected, Toronto’s Kyle Clifford will sit for one game for that ridiculous hit on the Lightning’s Ross Colton.

Four games on tap tonight, as Tampa, Boston, Minnesota and Edmonton all look to even their respective series’ up at one game a piece. We’ll have an open thread later today previewing all these matchups.