Linus Ullmark made 27 saves for his first career playoff shutout in the Ottawa Senators’ 4-0 win over the host Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference best-of-seven first-round playoff series.
The Maple Leafs lead the series 3-2, but the Senators have claimed the last two and host Game 6 on Thursday.
Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk each had a goal and two assists and defenseman Thomas Chabot and Dylan Cozens also scored for the Senators.
Anthony Stolarz stopped 15 of 17 shots for the Maple Leafs, who have lost 13 of their last 14 chances to close out a playoff series.
Chabot gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead 3:46 into the second period.
Stutzle won the face-off and he and Tkachuk combined to get the puck to Chabot at the left point. He moved to the center of the ice and, from just inside the blue line, beat Stolarz with a wrist shot for his first career playoff goal.
Cozens’ short-handed goal 8:24 into the third period stretched the Senators’ lead to 2-0. He scored from the slot off the rush after taking a pass from Adam Gaudette. It was also Cozens’ first career playoff marker.
Stutzle produced an empty-net goal with 2:51 left and Tkackuk added another empty-netter with 47 seconds left.
The Maple Leafs outshot the Senators 12-3 in the first period, but Ottawa came the closest to scoring in the first 20 minutes.
After Perron hit the goal post from the left circle 2:06 into the game, the puck caromed off of Stolarz’s equipment and was sliding toward the goal line, inches away from it, before Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly knocked it away and under Stolarz.
After Chabot gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead, Toronto’s Steven Lorentz was poised to get the equalizer late in the second. He took a stretch pass from Stolarz and appeared to be in alone on Ullmark, but defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo and forward David Perron combined to bother Lorentz and knock the puck away.
Carolina Hurricanes eliminate New Jersey Devils with 2OT win
Sebastian Aho scored his second goal of the game at 4:17 of the second overtime period, and the Carolina Hurricanes advanced to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 5-4 win against the New Jersey Devils in Game 5 on Tuesday in Raleigh, N.C.
With less than a minute remaining on a high-sticking double minor to New Jersey’s Dawson Mercer, Aho beat goalie Jacob Markstrom with a one-timer from the right circle.
Aho also had an assist and Pyotr Kochetkov made 31 saves for the Hurricanes, who overcame a three-goal deficit on Tuesday to capture the best-of-seven series. Taylor Hall, Jackson Blake and Andrei Svechnikov also scored for Carolina, which will face the winner of the Washington Capitals-Montreal Canadiens series in the next round.
Carolina’s Shayne Gostisbehere and Seth Jarvis each logged two assists.
Stefan Noesen had a goal and an assist, and Brett Pesce had two assists for the Devils. Dawson Mercer, Timo Meier and Nico Hischier added goals, and Markstrom made 48 saves.
Vegas Golden Knights top Minnesota Wild in OT
Brett Howden scored at 4:05 of overtime to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild in Game 5 of the Western Conference first round on Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
Howden, alone at the bottom edge of the left circle, one-timed a backhand pass from Tanner Pearson from the end boards inside the far post. It was his third goal of the playoffs and second career overtime winner with the Golden Knights.
William Karlsson scored a shorthanded goal, Jack Eichel had two assists and Mark Stone also scored for Vegas, which took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Adin Hill made 20 saves for the Golden Knights, who can wrap up the series with a Game 6 win on Thursday night in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Mattias Janmark scores game-winner to lift Edmonton Oilers past LA Kings
Mattias Janmark scored the third-period game-winning goal to give the visiting Edmonton Oilers a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday and put them one win away from advancing in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Evander Kane and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored for the Oilers in yet another comeback victory, which gives them a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series.
Goaltender Calvin Pickard made 21 saves.
Leon Draisaitl collected an assist to tie a franchise record with his 19th consecutive playoff game against the Kings with a point. He has netted 17 goals and 19 assists in that run.
The Oilers will try to close out the series Thursday at home. Edmonton is looking to knock out the Kings in the first round for the fourth consecutive year.
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