Andrei Svechnikov’s hat trick helped the Carolina Hurricanes overcome the loss of goalie Frederik Andersen to beat the New Jersey Devils 5-2 in Newark, N.J., on Sunday and take a commanding 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals series.
Svechnikov, the lone player in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history to post a hat trick in a postseason game, did it for the second time on Sunday. He scored in the opening minute of the first and second periods and then iced the win with an empty-netter with 3:17 left in the third.
Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns also scored for Carolina. Andersen earned the win by stopping six of seven shots before he was injured with 15:41 left in the second. Pyotr Kochetko made 14 saves in relief in his first action since April 16.
Nico Hischier scored on the Devils’ final shot against Andersen 2:45 into the second. Timo Meier, who assisted on Hischier’s goal, pulled New Jersey within 3-2 fewer than three minutes after Kochetkov entered. Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom recorded 24 saves.
Capitals 5, Canadiens 2
Andrew Mangiapane scored the go-ahead goal with 3:37 remaining in the third period and visiting Washington beat Montreal to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Dylan Strome controlled a stretch pass at center ice from Trevor van Riemsdyk, crossed the blue line and dropped the puck to Mangiapane, who scored his first goal of the series on a high wrist shot from the slot. Brandon Duhaime scored into the empty net with 2:39 left and Tom Wilson did the same with 55 seconds remaining for the 5-2 final.
Duhaime scored two third-period goals and Strome had a goal and an assist for the Capitals, who are the No. 1 seed. Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield scored for the Canadiens, who are the second wild card.
Blues 5, Jets 1
Jake Neighbours scored his first playoff goal and added two assists as host St. Louis defeated Winnipeg tie their Western Conference first-round playoff series at two games apiece.
Captain Brayden Schenn had a goal and an assist while Robert Thomas and defensemen Tyler Tucker and Justin Faulk also scored for the Blues. Defenseman Colton Parayko had two assists and Jordan Binnington stopped 30 shots.
Kyle Connor netted the goal for the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck made 13 saves on 18 shots before being pulled early in the third period. It is the second consecutive game that Hellebuyck has been removed; he has allowed 11 goals on 43 shots in the last two contests. He was replaced by Eric Comrie, who stopped six shots.
Oilers 4, Kings 3 (OT)
Leon Draisaitl scored his first career playoff overtime goal to cap a four-point performance as host Edmonton came back to beat Los Angeles and even their series at 2-2.
Evan Bouchard scored twice and Corey Perry added a single for the Oilers, who erased a two-goal third-period deficit to force overtime. Connor McDavid netted two helpers and goaltender Calvin Pickard made 38 saves.
Trevor Moore, Warren Foegele and Kevin Fiala scored for the Kings, who have blown third-period leads in three of four games this series. Phil Danault collected two assists and goalie Darcy Kuemper stopped 44 shots.
