Deen’s Daily: Avs Playoff Hockey Today!; Talented, Tough Third Line; Dallas Gets Clobbered in Game 1

I might be in the minority, but the Tkachuks doing stuff like that to start a game isn’t doing it for me anymore. I’m not sure why, as captain, you need to set the tone by taking yourself out of the game for five minutes. Ottawa needs Tkachuk on the ice, not in the box. How does that help his team?

Game 1 Recap — Wild at Stars — (MIN leads 1-0)

The Wild went into Dallas for Game 1 and escaped with a commanding 6-1 victory. Everything was working for the Wild, from their power play to penalty kill, goaltending, and offense. The Stars didn’t quite get involved in this one the way we would’ve thought.

It was a pretty similar start to how Dallas looked against the Avs in the opening game last year. The only thing is, without Pete DeBoer behind the bench, will they be able to rebound as quickly?

Game 1 Recap — Flyers at Penguins — (PHI leads 1-0)

How great is it to watch these two teams go at it in the playoffs again? The Flyers and Penguins didn’t give each other much space to work with. They combined for just 37 shots, and the Flyers won 3-2 to snag the opening game. Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust scored for the Pens, the latter of which came with just 61 seconds left while trailing by two.

There was a lot the Penguins could’ve done better, and having a veteran group should be enough for them to rebound in Game 2. But at the same time, it’s promising for the Flyers that the young guys stepped up the way they did. Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale combined on the first goal, with Denver Barkey recording the secondary assist. Those were three forwards all making their playoff debuts.

And of course, Porter Martone had to put his stamp on this one by scoring what ended up standing as the game-winner.

Tonight’s Schedule

• Game 1: Los Angeles Kings at Colorado Avalanche (1 pm MT on TNT)
• Game 1: Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning (3:45 pm MT on TNT)
• Game 1: Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres (5:30 pm MT on ESPN)
• Game 1: Utah Mammoth at Vegas Golden Knights (8 pm MT on ESPN)

Around The NHL

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Inside a stubborn loss, and what must change for Pittsburgh before Game 2.

**Carolina Hockey Now:**Breaking down the Hurricanes’ opening game shutout, and the decision to go with Andersen between the pipes.

San Jose Hockey Now: Macklin Celebrini is eligible to sign a contract extension a year early on July 1. Here’s what he had to say about that possible scenario.

**Detroit Hockey Now:**The Red Wings aren’t in the playoffs, but several former Wings are.

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