NHL: Boston beats Carolina, Pittsburgh loses to Winnipeg, Florida defeats Dallas.

1 day ago7 min read

The ice was hot last night as the NHL served up a slate of games that had a little bit of everything for the hockey junkie, from nail-biting goaltender duels to offensive explosions that felt like a video game on rookie mode. Let’s break it down like we’re dissecting the final play of an NBA Finals game.Up in Boston, the Bruins and Hurricanes engaged in a classic, grind-it-out Eastern Conference heavyweight bout that was tighter than a new pair of skates. For two periods, it was a pure goalie showdown between Jeremy Swayman and Frederik Andersen, a defensive chess match where every inch of ice was contested.The deadlock was finally broken in the third when Casey Mittelstadt, with assists from Pavel Zacha and the ever-reliable Charlie McAvoy, found the back of the net. The B's quickly doubled their lead thanks to Viktor Arvidsson, with McAvoy picking up another helper, proving his value as the quarterback on the blue line.Carolina’s Alexander Nikishin managed a late goal to make it interesting, but Swayman stood tall, turning away 28 of 29 shots to seal a character-building 2-1 win for the Bruins, the kind of victory that builds resilience for the long playoff haul ahead. Meanwhile, out in Winnipeg, the story was all about the Jets’ top line absolutely feasting.They came out flying, putting two past Pittsburgh’s Arturs Silovs in the first two minutes—a goal from Gabriel Vilardi followed just 64 seconds later by one from Brad Lambert, a start so devastating it probably had Penguins coach Mike Sullivan considering a timeout before some fans had even found their seats. Vladislav Namestnikov and Kyle Connor extended the lead to a commanding 4-0, effectively putting the game to bed before Pittsburgh’s superstars could even get going.Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the aging legends, did connect to get the Penguins on the board, a reminder of their enduring brilliance, but it was too little, too late. Connor iced it with an empty-netter for his second of the night, handing the Penguins a sobering 5-2 loss and raising familiar questions about their depth beyond their iconic core.The night’s most dramatic finish, however, belonged to Sunrise, Florida, where the Panthers and Dallas Stars treated us to a playoff-intensity thriller. Florida built a 2-0 lead on goals from Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart, but the Stars, showcasing the firepower that makes them a Western Conference favorite, clawed back with two quick goals in the second from Wyatt Johnston and a defender.Sam Bennett thought he’d won it for Florida with a third-period goal, but with just three minutes left in regulation, Mikko Rantanen—because of course it was him—tied it up for Dallas, sending the game to overtime and eventually a shootout. In the skills competition, it was Sergei Bobrovsky, the two-time Vezina winner, who emerged as the hero, stoning all three Dallas attempts to secure a gutsy 4-3 victory for the Panthers, a statement win against a top-tier opponent.Beyond those headliners, the league was buzzing with action. Nashville jumped out to a 3-0 first-period lead on Calgary and held on for a 4-2 win, San Jose stunned Colorado 3-2 in a shootout with young Yaroslav Askarov outdueling his counterpart, and Minnesota, powered by a three-point night from Vladimir Tarasenko, handled Vancouver 4-2.Other games saw Washington and Buffalo locked in a 3-3 battle, Columbus edging St. Louis 3-2, and Montreal and Ottawa finishing deadlocked at 2-2.In a matchup of teams looking to find their identity, Toronto overcame an early deficit to defeat Philadelphia 4-1, while New Jersey’s Nico Hischier scored just 61 seconds into the game, which held up as the only goal in a 1-0 win over Los Angeles. Late games featuring Seattle vs.the New York Rangers and Edmonton vs. Chicago were still to come, capping off a night that perfectly encapsulated the grueling, unpredictable, and utterly captivating 82-game marathon that is the NHL regular season.

#featured

#NHL

#Boston Bruins

#Carolina Hurricanes

#Pittsburgh Penguins

#Winnipeg Jets

#Florida Panthers

#Dallas Stars

#Washington Capitals

#game results