The playoffs for the Stanley Cup in the NHL are off to a good start for the Swiss stars. Nino Niederreiter and Winnipeg are already leading 2-0 against St. Louis.
22.04.2025, 07:21
22.04.2025, 08:09
SDA
However, Nino Niederreiter hasn't really been in top form in the first two playoff games. The 32-year-old Grisons native has just two shots on goal and one body check to his name. Niederreiter's Winnipeg Jets also won their second home game 2-1 after a 5-3 victory in Game 1. Mark Scheifele (1-0) and Kyle Connor (2-1) scored the goals. The next two games of the best-of-7 series will take place in St. Louis.
Drama in L.A.
Kevin Fiala got off to a strong start in the playoffs with the Los Angeles Kings. The 28-year-old from eastern Switzerland, who had scored twice in four of the last five games of the qualifiers, scored twice again in the first playoff game against the Edmonton Oilers. Fiala set up Andrei Kusmenko's power play goal after just 169 seconds to make it 1-0. And after 45 minutes, after last year's finalists from Edmonton had reduced the deficit from 0:4 to 2:4, Fiala seemingly secured the victory with the 5:2 in overtime.
But then came an almost unbelievable finish: the Edmonton Oilers made up for the 2:5 deficit. In the final 124 seconds, the Canadiens scored two goals without a goalie on the ice to go from 3:5 to 5:5, with superstar Connor McDavid contributing the 5:5 equalizer and three assists. However, 46 seconds after the 5:5 equalizer and 42 seconds before the final buzzer, Philip Danault scored to give the L.A. Kings a 6:5 home win.
In the last three seasons, the Kings were eliminated in the round of 16 by Edmonton - 3:4 (2022), 2:4 (2023) and 1:4 (2024).
2 goals from Ovechkin
The Dallas Stars with defenseman Lian Bichsel also got their first win, 4-3 after overtime against the Colorado Avalanche. This series is tied 1-1.
The Washington Capitals got off to a good start in the playoffs, winning 3-2 after overtime against the Montreal Canadiens thanks to two goals from superstar Alex Owetschkin.
