Vancouver, with among others Tre Kronor stars Jacob Markström and Elias Pettersson, got off to a heavy start in the playoffs for the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the first match in the best of five against Minnesota in Edmonton, the Swedish team was zeroed and lost 0-3 after goalkeeper Markström had a hard day on the ice.

First, Markström let in 1-0 in powerplay after a shot from the Swiss Kevin Fiala already 2.50 into the first period. The puck slipped under the Swede's left arm and he made a disappointed gesture out after the conceded goal.

Minnesota defender Jared Spurgeon then became a two-goal scorer after scoring 2-0 in the middle of the second period and 3-0 in the empty net during the final minute in the third.

At the 2-0 goal, also in powerplay, Markström failed to send the puck out of his own zone before the goal. But the Swede, who had a total save percentage of 93.3 percent after 28 saves on 30 shots, should not only be blamed for the loss. Offensively, the inefficiency was clear and the Swedish star center Elias Pettersson was one of all the players who were zeroed in points.

Minnesota, which finished in tenth place in the NHL's Western Conference while Vancouver took seventh place, now leads the game series in the top five. In the pot is a place in the Stanley Cup play-offs round of 16. Wild's 3-0 victory completed a packed Sunday, local time in Canada, during the second day of the NHL playoffs after a nearly five-month-long corona break and interrupted regular season.

In Toronto, Arizona first rallied, in eleventh place in the conference, with 4-3 against the conference six Nashville and leads the match series, in the best of five, with 1-0. Then Columbus zeroed the home team Toronto with 2-0, the team finished in ninth and eighth place respectively in the Eastern Conference, and leads the match series with 1-0.

In addition to the playoffs for the Stanley Cup play-offs in the round of 16, a sedation qualifier is also arranged in group stage format for the teams already ready for the play-offs, teams 1–4 in each conference. There, Boston, the NHL's league winner and winner of the Eastern Conference, went on a 1-4 loss to a Philadelphia, in fourth place in the conference, which impressed.

For the time being, the NHL playoffs will be held only in the cities of Edmonton, Rogers Place Arena, and Toronto, Scotiabank Arena, to reduce the risk of covid-19 infection.

CLIP: Zibanejad on Lundqvist's situation in Rangers (31 July 2020)

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