NHL Update

The NHL quarterfinal round, featuring two “original six” team match-ups, is well underway.

In the Western Conference, in the 16th playoff series between the two original six teams, the favored Chicago Black Hawks and Detroit Red Wings, split the first two games in Chicago. The Black Hawks won eight of the previous fifteen playoff series between the teams.

Also in the West, the defending Stanley Cup Champion, Los Angeles Kings lead the San Jose Sharks two games to one in their series. The home team has won all the games in that series and neither team has lost at home so far in these playoffs.

In the other “original six” clash, this in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Bruins completed an incredible week by going up two games to none vs the New York Rangers. The Bruins had an incredible comeback victory vs the Toronto Maple Leafs in game seven of the preliminary round. They followed that with two home wins vs the Rangers in the quarterfinal round.

In the other Eastern Conference series, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a two games to one series lead vs the Ottawa Senators. In game two, star player, Sidney Crosby had the (three goal) “hat trick” for the Pens. Ottawa tied game three in the last minute of regulation play, before winning in the second overtime.

There were a record 17 overtime games in the preliminary round and the Ottawa win in game three was the third of the “quarters.” That double overtime game was the first of the 20 overtime games, to go beyond the first overtime.