Day 5 of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs involved some big returns.
Gabriel Landeskog led the headlines, making his first appearance in nearly three years for the Colorado Avalanche.
The Edmonton Oilers got a couple of veterans back in their lineup, and the popular harmonica group returned for a second straight performance of the American national anthem at Crypto.com Arena.
Here are the storylines from the three games from Wednesday.
Washington Capitals Defeat Montreal Canadiens 3-1 (WSH Leads Series 2-0)
Aside from the Battle of Florida series, every Eastern Conference matchup has a standout goaltender. The Carolina Hurricanes have Frederik Andersen, the Toronto Maple Leafs have Anthony Stolarz, and the Washington Capitals have Logan Thompson.
The 28-year-old had a solid outing in Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens, but because of the Habs’ late push to force overtime, he was overlooked. However, it was impossible to miss his performance in Game 2.
In this contest, the undrafted netminder posted a .962 save percentage, stopping 25 of 26 shots on goal. He was forced to make some outstanding saves, but was there for the Capitals when they needed him.
It wasn’t a one-man effort, as Washington’s defense played a role in only allowing one goal. The Canadiens went through nine minutes in the second period without registering a shot attempt.
When talking about his game, Thompson couldn’t wait to get the classic hockey cliche answers to the reporters.
“Luckily, things went my way tonight, and we got the two points.”
Capitals center Dylan Strome quickly reminded him there are no two points to earn in the playoffs.
Dallas Stars Defeat Colorado Avalanche 2-1 OT (DAL Leads Series 2-1)
It wasn’t difficult to find a storyline to highlight from Game 3 between the Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars. Gabriel Landeskog played his first NHL game since he hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2022, 1,033 days ago.
Colorado’s captain received plenty of cheers, chants, and salutes from the home fans at Ball Arena. He also had a friendly exchange with former teammate Mikko Rantanen at the opening faceoff. Not long after, Landeskog knocked over Rantanen and was immediately involved in the game.
Landeskog took 18 shifts and had 13:16 of ice time, adding six hits and one block to his name. “It felt great in all areas tonight, in terms of just being back,” he said.
He recalled how special a moment it was for him in his family. “That was as close as I got to losing it during warmup, when I looked over at that and seeing their big, smiling faces,” he said. “They’ve probably been thinking that I’ve been lying this whole time that I play hockey.”
Despite his return, the Stars took Game 3 in overtime for the second straight game. This time, the hero was Tyler Seguin, giving Dallas a 2-1 series lead.
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Los Angeles Kings Defeat Edmonton Oilers 6-2 (LA Leads Series 2-0)
After gaining plenty of attention from Game 1, the Harmonica Class from the Koreatown Senior and Community Center returned for another performance of The Star-Spangled Banner before Game 2, this time wearing Los Angeles Kings jerseys.
However, the harmonica players weren’t the only ones who returned for this contest. The Edmonton Oilers got two players back: left winger Evander Kane and defenseman John Klingberg.
Kane was out for the entire regular season with a sports hernia and a knee injury. Klingberg, who picked up an assist against the Kings, has been absent from the Oilers’ lineup since March 28 with an undisclosed injury.
Despite getting healthier and having Klingberg record an assist, it wasn’t a good night for the Oilers by any stretch.
Goaltender Stuart Skinner allowed five goals for the second straight game, which resulted in Calvin Pickard switching places with him with just over nine minutes remaining in the third period.
Oilers right winger Corey Perry stood up for his goaltender, saying it’s not Skinner’s fault.
“He’s making good saves, playing hard and battling for us,” Perry told reporters. “It’s the play in front of him.”
Added Darnell Nurse: “We’ve been hanging our goalie out to dry.”
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