Sunday night features two games on the Stanley Cup Playoffs slate, both with potential to be series clinchers.
The Ottawa Senators will aim to finish off the Boston Bruins, while the Toronto Maple Leafs look to stay alive against the Washington Capitals.
Here’s a closer look at those at those games.
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Game 6
Series: Senators lead 3-2
3 p.m. ET, Sportsnet
The Senators had the Bruins on the edge of the cliff in Game 5 before Boston fought its way back to a 3-2 double-overtime win. When a team begins to taste series victory, only to have it snatched away, it can have lingering effects and the Sens will need to guard against that.
Have the Bruins planted a seed of doubt in the minds of the Senators? We’ll see. But it’s not an overstatement to say that if Ottawa falls in Sunday’s contest, they’ll lose much of the their advantage heading into an anything-can-happen Game 7, even though it would be played at the Canadian Tire Centre.
“When you’re in that situation, a chance to close out the series, you wanna close out the series,” said Ottawa winger Mark Stone following Game 5. “And we didn’t get the job done.”
For a different outcome, Ottawa can start by improving on the power play, where it was 0-for-5 on Friday, including two failed occasions with the man advantage in the final six minutes of the third period.
Senators coach Guy Boucher said Sunday forward Viktor Stalberg will be a game-time decision, while Fredrik Claesson will replace Chris Wideman.
Boston, meanwhile, will have to make do without forward David Krejci, who left Game 5 with a lower-body injury suffered after a collision with Ottawa’s Wideman.
“With Krech out and some of the other guys out, we need some guys to step up,” veteran David Backes said on Friday night.
That’s true, but at least the Bruins now have a larger glimmer of hope.
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Game 6
Series: Washington leads 3-2
7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet
The Maple Leafs will be on home ice for a must-win Game 6, where they are 1-1 in this series, but 21-13-7 during the regular season.
Like the Sens, the Leafs need to be better on the power play. Toronto was just 0-for-4 in such situations during Friday night’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Capitals. The drop-off from what was a clear strength in the regular season is concerning, and Leafs coach Mike Babcock says he’s going to delve into the issue.
“Obviously, they got in our head a little bit there because we’re not coming with the same kind of pace we normally do on entries,” Babcock said after Friday’s defeat. “But we’re going to have to win some faceoffs, we’ve got to win some battles and compete in that area because any way you look at it our specialty teams have been real good in some ways, but it cost us tonight.”
Alex Ovechkin returned to Game 5 like a man possessed after absorbing a low hit from Nazem Kadri in the first period.
He appeared to have no lingering effects from the hit that initially kept him down on the ice for some time and it’ll be interesting to see how he fares in Game 6.
“I just needed a little break,” Ovechkin said.
Adrenalin can take a player a long way after an injury scare, but soreness usually kicks in the day after. The Caps hope an off day Saturday will serve No. 8 well.
After a first-round that’s been closer than anyone expected, you can bet Ovechkin and Co. will look to finish this series ASAP.
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