Islanders & NHL Playoff News: 2-1, 2-2, that’s the way

The second round series all behave as requested.

It was a big and busy weekend in the second round of the NHL playoffs, with the most important outcome for the neutral: no series went to 3-0.

The Panthers responded at home to their 0-2 deficit, the Knights did likewise on the road after dropping two at home (and stunning the Edmonton crowd with .4 left), meanwhile Stars-Jets and Hurricanes-Capitals were already split, while the home team but lower seed took a 2-1 series lead in each.

No public changes in the Isles’ GM search over the weekend, but we can safely assume they’re working their way through the process. Former Blue Jacket, Predator, Shark, Lightning and Canadien (and current Lightning AGM) Mathieu Darche is believed to have an interview.

UPDATE: Arthur Staple posted a new piece later in the morning that has the GM search as…complicated. With dual-role types (Holland, Gorton) declining consideration, the opening for Lou Lamoriello to still have some kind of role is apparently still there. (Chris Botta further riffed on this dynamic here.)

Islanders News

• Bo Horvat and Noah Dobson got off to a good start at the Worlds. [THN]
• Larry Brooks says the Isles should take “one wild swing” to fill their GM with … Jon Cooper? Okay, Brooksie. [Post]
• Calum Ritchie stayed hot in the OHL final, though his Oshawa team dropped Game 2 to Spawn of Hunters. [THN]
• Some “updated” draft rankings, with Schaefer-Misa at 1-2 (and Hagens at #3). [ESPN]

Elsewhere

At the end of last night’s Maple Leaf’s loss, Max Domi delivered this absolute trash dirty hit at the buzzer. As hockey fans we’re lucky Alex Barkov isn’t injured from this. That shouldn’t keep Domi from getting suspended:

• So the Panthers tied the series after thoroughly outplaying the Leafs, though Joseph Woll had an outstanding game to keep it close at 1-0 for most of the game. Sam Bennett made it 2-0 when pounced on a turnover and made a great play on a 2-on-2 after Jake McCabe chose poorly.
• Evan Rodriguez left the game after a headshot that was marked back down to a minor upon video review. No penalty for embellishment though! [TSN]
• Vegas got back in its series with Edmonton on a stunner: After clinging to a 3-2 lead amid a third-period barrage, they gave up a tying goal to Connor McDavid on a fortunate bounce. Things seemed headed to overtime when William Karlsson was allowed to dump the puck in and win it back on a 1-on-3 forecheck, then feed Reilly Smith, who faked a shot in the slot and waited out Stuart Skinner to send a shot toward the net with 0.4 seconds left. Leon Draisaitl’s desperation block ended up putting in a shot that was actually heading wide. So it goes.
• Carolina cruised past the Capitals 4-0 in Game 3, though Frederik Andersen had to be huge early on to allow that cruising to happen.
• The Stars dispatched the Jets to take a 2-1 series lead, though it came on a controversial go-ahead goal that saw an over five-minute video review for “kicking motion.” Oddly, they apparently determined it was a kick (dubious) but that Connor Hellebuyck played it (also dubious) in the net. Devon Toews vs. the Canes would like a word.
• Jets coach Scott Arniel, naturally, disagreed with the ruling. [TSN]
• Mark Stone left Game 3 with an injury…ripe for another LTIR maneuver? Heh. [NHL]
• Why David Carle is not leaving Denver University any time soon. [Athletic]
• The Ducks are excited to have Joel Quenneville. [NHL]
• I’m not linking it, but S*ean Av*ry is now a romance co-novelist.
• And I’m not paying any attention to the Quarter Century Team this and that, but here are players who made it despite debuting after 2010. [NHL]