By JESSICA SCHIEBER, News Editor
The National Hockey League playoffs started Saturday April 19.
16 teams make the playoffs and compete in up to seven game rounds until they get beat out or eventually make it to the Stanley Cup final game.
The 16 teams that made it this year are the Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
These players fight through pain all season long just for a chance to lift the Stanley Cup when the final game buzzer sounds.
Each player works through blood sweat and tears just to do what every hockey player dreams of doing.
So far in round one in the Western conference the Jets lead over the Blues 2-0, the Stars and Avalanche are tied 1-1, the Golden Knights are tied with the Wild 1-1 the King are leading the Oilers 1-0.
In the Eastern conference the Leafs are leading the Senators 2-0, Panthers lead the Lightning 1-0, the Capitals lead over the Canadiens 1-0, and the Hurricanes are leading the Devils 2-0.
Each team has the same goal in mind and that is to win.
No one is counting their selves out of the run yet despite being down.
Each game is a new one and no one lets what the past game said define how they are going to fight in the next.
The Stanley Cup is commonly referred to as the hardest trophy to win in sports.
This is because to even get a chance to win it teams have to compete in four grueling rounds of a best of seven series, due to this push for the cup many sportscasters call it the hardest to win.
It isn’t like the NFL where you play one game and move on and it’s not like the NBA that has rules in place against fighting while on the court. In fact, on ice it’s encouraged to show how much you want this cup and how much emotion you have for it via fighting.
Sure, you may end up with your team on the power kill, being down a player while you serve a penalty, but no one would fault you for fighting for the cup.
On April 21 the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers played their game one.
This was the team’s fourth consecutive meeting in the postseason it was also the first time the Kings had home-ice advantage.
The Kings held a lead in the game for 55 minutes and 39 seconds before the chaos of playoff hockey made its appearance.
The Kings started the game with a power-play goal from Andrei Kuzmenko 2 minutes and 49 seconds into the game.
Quinton Byfield made the next goal putting the Kings ahead 2-0 in the first 20 minutes of the game. The Kings added to their lead with 5 minutes and 13 seconds left in the second period.
Phillip Danault expanded the lead to 4-0 just under three minutes later. Leon Draisaitl made a one-timer goal with six seconds left in the period making the goal 4-1 with the Kings still having a three-point lead.
2 minutes and 19 seconds into the third period the Oilers made the game a two-point game now being 4-2.
The Kings were quick to respond with another power play goal making the game 5-2.
The Oilers were quick to cut the lead back down to two making the game 5-3 with Corey Perry scoring.
With 2 minutes and 4 seconds left the Oilers aced quick with Zach Hyman scoring and 36 seconds later Connor McDavid evened the game to 5-5.
Just when it seemed the game would go into overtime with 42 seconds left on the game time clock Danault made a one-timer and the game ended in 6-5 with a Kings win.
All eyes are on the Washington Capitals this year as captain Alex Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky’s all time goal record.
Ovechkin has played 20 NHL seasons and he opened the scoring for the Capitals with 1 minute and 26 seconds left in the first period. His goal was assisted by Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome. Ovechkin’s goal was the only one in the first period.
The game continues to be back and forth with no one scoring until Anthony Beauvillier made the game 2-0 with 7 minutes and 51 seconds left in the second period. His goal was assisted by Ovechkin and Dylan Strome.
With 3 minutes and 42 seconds left the Canadiens take a penalty for high-sticking.
The period came to an end with the score being 2-0.
With 9 minutes and 28 seconds left the Canadiens get their first goal. Cold Caufield made a wrist shot that was assisted on by Patrik Laine and Lane Hutson.
This goal made the game 2-1 and brought back a fire to the Canadiens. With 4 minutes and 15 seconds left the Canadiens get their second goal this one was made by Nick Suzuki and assisted by Alexandre Carrier and Hutson.
With not much time left the Capitals fight to get another goal but fail to do so bringing the game into overtime.
With 17 minutes and 34 seconds left in overtime Ovechkin brings the win to the Capitals with another goal. This goal was assisted by Beauvillier and Strome.
The Wild and Knights played each other on April 22 with a late night game. The starting face-off by the Wild.
30 seconds after the face-off win Jonas Brodin gaveaway the puck.
With 10 minutes and 4 seconds left Matt Boldy makes the starting goal. His goal was assisted by Kirill Kaprizov and Jonas Brodin.
The Wild, now feeling alive starts playing harder and with 8 minutes and 25 seconds left Marcus Foligno makes the Wild second goal making the game a 2-0 lead. His goal was assited by Ryan Hartman.
With two minutes and 45 seconds left the Wild make another goal making the game 3-0. This goal was made by Mats Zuccarello. It was assisted by Marcus Johansson.
The period ended with 3-0 in favor of the Wild. With a strong start in the first for the Wild they continue it on in the second.
Kirill Kaprizov makes a goal with 16 minutes and one second left. His goal was assisted by Matt Boldy.
With seven minutes and 56 seconds left Noah Hanifin opens the goals for the Knights. His goal was unassisted and made the game 4-1.
Boldy had a takeaway with 2 minutes and 40 seconds left but Joel Eriksson ek’s shot missed.
With 2 minutes and 3 seconds left in the second period Mark Stone had a takeaway which led to nothing happening.
The thrid period opened with a few blocked shots and with 17 minutes and 34 seconds left Tomas Hertl makes the second goal for the Vegas Golden Knights. His goal was assisted by Alex Pietrangelo and Brandon Saad.
With eleven minutes and four seconds left the Knights take a penalty for holding.
With 4 minutes and 38 seconds left in the third Vegas starts to get desperate and throws some punches.
With 2 minutes and 26 seconds left in the game Kirill Kaprizov makes an unassisted goal, after the goal the teams went back and forth but no team made anything of it. The final score was 5-2.