Marc-Andre Fleury on Tuesday had 31 saves for his 12th career playoff shutout as the Vegas Golden Knights became the first expansion team in the 100-year history of the NHL to sweep a playoff series in their first season with a 1-0 victory over hosts the Los Angeles Kings.
Ex-King Brayden McNabb scored the lone goal for Pacific Division winner Vegas, who won the best-of-seven series 4-0.
The Golden Knights are to play the winners of the San Jose Sharks-Anaheim Ducks series in the Western Conference semi-finals.
Photo: AFP
It was the 66th career playoff victory for Fleury, which moved him past Dominik Hasek into 11th place on the NHL’s all-time list for playoff wins for a goaltender.
Jonathan Quick stopped 20 shots for Los Angeles.
McNabb netted the first playoff goal of his career 4 minutes and 4 seconds into the second period. The score came after Fleury made a big save on Dustin Brown.
Vegas then broke out on a three-on-two rush ending with Reilly Smith sending a crossing pass to McNabb, who fired a one-timer from the dot in the right circle into the upper right corner of the net.
CAPITALS 3, BLUE JACKETS 2
Lars Eller scored 8 minutes, 59 seconds into the second overtime, giving visiting Washington the win against Columbus in Game 3 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, although the Blue Jackets still have a 2-1 lead in the series.
The decisive goal came on a wacky play in which the puck appeared to hit off of Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski at the crease, then bang off the foot of Eller near the right post and then past goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.
Braden Holtby got his first start of the series in goal for the Capitals after Philipp Grubauer’s strong late-season play earned him the start for Games 1 and 2.
Holtby came on in the third period of Game 2 and played well, then turned in a strong performance in Game 3, making 33 saves.
Game 4 is to be tonight in Columbus.
JETS 2, WILD 0
Connor Hellebuyck recovered from a shaky performance to notch 30 saves as visiting Winnipeg beat Minnesota to pull within one game of advancing to the Western Conference semi-finals.
Mark Scheifele scored both of Winnipeg’s goals, including an empty-net tally with 11 seconds to play as the Jets built a 3-1 lead in the series.
Scheifele’s first goal came with 28 seconds left in the first period after the Jets killed off the first Minnesota power play of the game.
Minnesota goalie Devan Dubnyk made 26 saves.
Game 5 is tomorrow night in Winnipeg, where the Jets dominated at times in the first two games.
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