Maple Leafs’ Komarov exits Game 2 with injury

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov exited Saturday's game in the second period and did not return for the third after suffering a lower-body injury, the team announced.

Komarov appears to have been injured on a hit from Boston Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller.

Komarov began Game 2 playing on the club's top line alongside Auston Matthews and William Nylander.

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Bruins chase Andersen with 3 goals on 5 shots en route to 4-goal 1st period

Frederik Andersen didn't last 13 minutes in Game 2.

The Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender was pulled and replaced by Curtis McElhinney after allowing a Kevan Miller goal that gave the Boston Bruins a 3-0 lead just over 12 minutes into Saturday night's opening frame.

Andersen gave up three goals on five shots in a span of 6:47.

David Pastrnak opened the scoring with a dandy less than six minutes after the opening faceoff, and Jake DeBrusk followed suit about four minutes later.

McElhinney didn't fare much better, giving up a goal to Rick Nash on one of the three shots he faced before the first-period buzzer sounded.

Andersen allowed five goals on 40 shots in Toronto's 5-1 loss in Game 1 on Thursday night.

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Lightning’s 2nd line wreaking havoc on Devils through 2 games

The New Jersey Devils surely game-planned about how they would counter the Tampa Bay Lightning's top line - which features Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos - but they may now want to do the same for the club's next trio.

The Lightning have jumped out to a 2-0 series lead after taking both games on home ice by a combined score of 10-5. And while Tampa Bay's top line has put up respectable numbers early, the Lightning's second line of Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point, and Tyler Johnson has been dynamite.

Through the first two games the trio has combined for 10 points, with nine of them coming at even strength.

Player Goals Points Shots
Palat 1 4 4
Point 1 3 2
Johnson 2 3 6

For Johnson, he's once again proving that when the playoffs come around he ups his game. His three points through the first two games give him 45 points in 49 career playoff games. Meanwhile, Palat is now up to 33 points in 48 career postseason contests.

The Lightning are now just two wins away from advancing to the second round. If the Devils have any chance of getting back into the series they will need to find a way to cool down the Lightning's high-octane offense. And as weird as it may sound, that might mean addressing the Lightning's simmering second line.

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Oilers sign Rattie to 1-year deal worth reported $800K

The Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Ty Rattie to a one-year contract.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports it's worth $800,000.

Rattie signed a one-year, $650,000 contract with the Oilers last summer, and split the season between the AHL's Bakersfield Condors (21 goals, 22 assists in 53 games) and the NHL club (five goals, four assists in 14 games).

The 25-year-old was drafted 32nd overall by St. Louis in 2011.

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Report: Bruins rookie Donato to make playoff debut in Game 2

Boston Bruins forward Ryan Donato will reportedly get his first taste of the NHL postseason Saturday, according to Joe McDonald of the Boston Sports Journal.

The 22-year-old is expected to take the place of the injured Tommy Wingels in Game 2. Wingels left Thursday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs after taking a vicious hit from Nazem Kadri, which earned the Maple Leafs center a three-game suspension.

Donato showed promise in his limited action with the Bruins at the end of the season. He potted five goals and nine points in 15 games.

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Inconvenient whiteout: Jets’ flight diverted by massive snowstorm

The Winnipeg Jets benefited from a whiteout within the confines of their home rink, but Mother Nature is hitting back.

Up 2-0 in their series against the Minnesota Wild, the Jets' road to Game 3 is anything but smooth.

The team was trying to fly into Minneapolis on Saturday, but a strong winter storm forced the plane to be rerouted upstate.

The National Weather Service posted an ominous blizzard warning for Minnesota on Saturday afternoon, saying it's "shaping up to be a historic storm" and forecasting that "several rounds of very heavy snow" will fall through the afternoon and evening.

According to Elisha Dacey of CBC News, there was no immediate word on the Jets' next step; they could either wait out the weather and take off later in the day, or try to bus to Minneapolis.

"I'm not flying the plane. I don't know about the weather," said Patrik Laine. "I'm just going to sit on the plane and hopefully we're going to land in Minneapolis."

The snow is supposed to taper off but will continue overnight. Game 3 is set for Sunday in St. Paul at 7 p.m. ET.

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Schneider makes 1st playoff appearance since 2013 after Kinkaid pulled

For the first time in five years, Cory Schneider is playing playoff hockey.

The New Jersey Devils netminder was thrust into action late in the second period Saturday after the Tampa Bay Lightning went up 5-1, chasing starter Keith Kinkaid.

Schneider made his last playoff appearance in 2013 in Games 3 and 4 of the Vancouver Canucks' opening-round series against the San Jose Sharks. Schneider lost both those games en route to a Sharks sweep.

The 32-year-old has seen limited action of late, having made just one start in the team's previous 10 games.

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Avalanche’s Girard out for Game 2 with upper-body injury

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard will not play in Game 2 against the Nashville Predators due to an upper-body injury, the team announced.

Coincidentally, Girard was acquired by the Avs from the Preds as a part of the Matt Duchene-Kyle Turris blockbuster trade earlier this season.

Even at the age of 19, Girard has proven to be a key part of the Avs' blue line, picking up 20 points in 68 games with the club, while averaging 17:42 per night.

Colorado is also without Erik Johnson on the back end, making their matchup with the Predidents' Trophy-wining Predators even more daunting.

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Sink or swim: Are the Maple Leafs doomed without Kadri?

The Toronto Maple Leafs were already in tough to pull out a seven-game-series victory against a Boston Bruins squad stacked with talent up and down its lineup, but when Nazem Kadri was handed a three-game suspension on Friday for his hit on Tommy Wingels, things got even more challenging for Mike Babcock and Co.

Kadri is an integral part of Toronto's lineup, so naturally, fans and analysts have weighed in on what his absence from the Leafs' lineup will mean for the outcome of a series that has already provided its fair share of talking points.

With that in mind, NHL editors Josh Wegman and Flip Livingstone debate whether Toronto will sink or swim without its second-best center anchoring the middle of the ice.

Leafs will struggle without Nasty Naz

Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, David Pastrnak, and Rick Nash - a menacing crew of Bruins forwards you don't want to be squaring off against without your No. 2 centerman in the lineup. But that's exactly the task the Buds face for the next three contests.

Kadri might not be as flashy or as talented as Auston Matthews or Mitch Marner, but he's arguably just as important to Toronto's success, given his ability to play a complete game. A re-commitment to the defensive end since Babcock's arrival in 2015 has seen Kadri take his all-around ability to the next level, a fact showcased by his back-to-back 32-goal seasons.

In addition to leaving a big hole down the middle on the top power play (he was a 50-percent face-off man during the season), Kadri's absence will also be felt when matching up against the physical forward group mentioned above. His tenacious nature and sandpaper approach would have been crucial to the Leafs' plan over the next few games - a plan that will obviously need to be altered ahead of Game 2 on Saturday night.

Nothing against Andreas Johnsson or Patrick Marleau, the two forwards tasked with filling the majority of Naz's minutes, but they don't make up for the all-around quality that will be missing while Kadri serves his three-game suspension.

The obvious loss of scoring punch is mitigated by the rest of Toronto's potent lineup. But what it lacks is grit, aggressiveness, and a commitment to playing a two-way style. Three things that have become Kadri's trademark. -- Livingstone

Leafs are capable of taking 2 of 3 without Kadri

Even without Kadri in the lineup, the Leafs are still capable of winning two out of the next three games to even the series upon his return.

Will they be in tough to do so? Yes. Is Kadri a big loss? Certainly. But, in no way should anyone be sticking a fork in the Leafs just because they'll be without their No. 2 center for the next three games. But for this prophecy to come to fruition, other players will need to step up and a few battles will have to go Toronto's way.

First, Matthews needs to be much better. He had an even rating in Game 1, but the Bergeron line owned him. For the Leafs to be successful, Matthews and William Nylander can't be hemmed in their own end for entire shifts at a time. It's easier said than done, but they can't let Bergeron and Co. dictate the pace of the game.

The Leafs' special teams needs to step up. They went 0-for-3 on the power play and the Bruins went 3-for-6. If Boston's PK is going to give Marner tons of time and space on the power play, he needs to take advantage and shoot the puck.

Last, but not least, Toronto's top D pairing of Morgan Rielly and Ron Hainsey can't be anywhere near as bad as they were in Game 1. If they show signs of it early, Babcock needs to break them up and give rookie Travis Dermott more ice time.

A lot has to happen, but the Leafs are deep enough to go toe to toe with the Bruins without Kadri, as long as they play to their ability. -- Wegman

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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Capitals sticking with Grubauer for Game 2

Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz announced he's sticking with goaltender Philipp Grubauer for Game 2 against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.

Grubauer stopped 23 of 27 shots in the Capitals' 4-3 overtime loss in Game 1, but none of the goals appeared to be directly his fault.

Nonetheless, it's still surprising that Trotz wouldn't turn to his former Vezina-Trophy winner Braden Holtby, even though he had a poor season.

Unless the Caps win Game 2, or Grubauer stands on his head in a tight loss, you can bet Holtby will be back in there for Game 3.

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