GWG Rewind: Bruins vs. Leafs (GM 3), Golden Knights vs. Stars (GM 2) & Kings vs. Oilers (GM 2)
Captains lead the way
Bruins-Leafs Game 3
Toronto’s DZ board play was the main culprit in its Game 1 loss, and it reared its ugly head again in Game 3—only this time, the issue was puck management rather than coverage.
Even without the inside track, Boston’s F1 (Trent Frederic, BOS 11) bothers Timothy Liljegren (TOR 37) enough to prevent a D-to-D pass:
Auston Matthews (TOR 34) drops in to provide Joel Edmundson (TOR 20) with a clean touch, but the veteran blueliner banks his rim attempt off the center’s skate and into Danton Heinen’s (BOS 43) grasp. Never known for his defensive acumen, Max Domi (TOR 11) remains parked on the half-wall when he should sink toward the middle of the ice to fortify Toronto’s posture.
Heinen promptly locates Brad Marchand (BOS 63) in the slot, and the most hated player of his generation unleashes a catch-and-release laser into the top corner:
28 seconds after the Leafs climbed back into the contest, their sloppiness along the boards seals their fate. An especially deflating goal for a team that’s staring down both an opportunistic foe and enormous mental block.
Golden Knights-Stars Game 2
Everyone raves about Vegas’ size on the back end, but the club is equally solid at the offensive point of attack. The forwards’ determination and close-range puck skills make life miserable for opposing D-men.
Wednesday night’s contest was no exception:
On an OZ recovery, the Golden Knights’ fourth line of Nicolas Roy (VGK 10), William Carrier (VGK 28) and Keegan Kolesar (VGK 55) systematically moves the puck into the teeth of Dallas’ defense. Boards —> dot lane —> slot. Is it pretty? No. Do they enjoy a fortunate bounce here? Sure. That’s the benefit of consistently leaning on your counterparts.
Noah Hanifin (VGK 15) sniffs out the scramble, pinches down from the point and fires the loose puck on goal:
Jake Oettinger (DAL 29) would definitely like this one back. With that said, the buildup is Vegas to a tee. It simply understands how to win in front of the net.
Kings-Oilers Game 2
The Kings won’t steamroll the Oilers in this series. They’re built to weather the storm and capitalize on sporadic bursts of offense.
In Game 2, Quinton Byfield (LA 55) conjured a moment of magic by deflecting an atrocious Mikey Anderson (LA 44) “pass”—it’s ~2 feet off the ice and destined for icing—right onto Anze Kopitar’s (LA 11) stick in transition:
Darnell Nurse (EDM 25) isn’t ready for this admittedly insane tip and lets L.A.’s captain cut across his face for a partial breakaway. Goaltender Stuart Skinner isn’t set either, sitting too deep in his net and thus conceding more daylight than he should to a good if often unwilling shooter:
Kopitar makes no mistake.
Following a wide-open, freewheeling Game 1, L.A. returned to its structured roots on Wednesday night. Staying composed and within striking distance allowed them to deal the knockout blow in OT.