The chase for the Cup is heating up in the first round with some exciting action early on. Of the eight playoff series, seven of them have at least one game that wasn’t settled in regulation and needed overtime to declare a winner. One of the most exciting games of the postseason was Game 4 with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Nashville Predators in triple overtime by a snipe from Chicago defenseman Brett Seabrook to take a 3-1 lead in the series.
The only series that has been decided so far was the Anaheim Ducks sweeping the Winnipeg Jets in four straight games to reach the Western Conference semifinals. The biggest shock of the playoffs thus far is the series between the Minnesota Wild and the St. Louis Blues. The Wild snuck in with a wild card berth while the Blues had locked up their division quite easily, but the series is currently tied 2-2.
The leader in points for the playoffs through the first round so far is tied between right winger Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk of the St. Louis Blues with 7 points (3 goals, 4 assists) and (0 goals, 7 assists) respectively. Vladimir Tarasenko of the St. Louis Blues has lit up the playoffs with 5 goals in 4 games, becoming unstoppable thus far.
The Blackhawks’ starting goalie Cory Crawford was atrocious in Game 1, allowing 3 goals in the first period. His record so far is 0-1 in two games, and he was pulled in his second start. The team had to make the shift to Scott Darling, who has wowed in his four starts with a 3-1 record, bringing the Blackhawks a new spark of life.