The 2019-20 NHL season was unlike anything seen by the game. The COVID-19 epidemic forced the league to suspend its season and did not return until August.
Tampa Bay Lightning lost just four games in the entire postseason on their way to the second Stanley Cup title in franchise history in the NHL bubble in Canada. Tampa Bay beat the Dallas Stars in six games to win the Conn Smith Trophy for Lighting Star Defender Victor Headman Stanley Cup Finals MVP.
On Wednesday, the league returned to play and offered a very fun five-game slate.
The action began with the Battle of Pennsylvania in which the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-3. The Flyers got the product up and down from their roster, but winger Joel Farabi was a story. Farabi recorded four points (one goal and three assists) and helped the team to two power play goals.
One of the most impressive stories of the night proved defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning looked quite dominant against the Chicago Blacks as they came away with a 5-1 win. Tampa Bay jumped all over Chicago in the opening period with goals from Amp Andrej Platt, Matthew Joseph and Anthony Cirelli. It also didn’t hurt that goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevsky had a brick wall in the net as he closed 22 shots at night.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were also in action as they moved to the Montreal Canadians and were preparing to exit the postseason early last year. Montreal was definitely impressive outside the gate and took a 3-1 lead in the second half. However, Maple Leafs scored four goals in the final five games of the game, including the overtime winner in Morgan Rally’s over-4 victory. John Towers and William Nilender each had a three-point record for speeding in Toronto.
In the second match north of the border, the Vancouver Canucks were looking to make their playoff run in 2020, after losing the postseason in the previous four campaigns. The Edmonton Oilers found themselves playing against the Canucks all night. Each time the Ilers tied the Eilers game, the Cuckoos would regain the lead by scoring knuckles. Winger Brock Bozer paired the way for the Vancouver team, who started their season with a season-3 win.
For the evening cap cap, the two most talented teams from the Western Conference fought, as the Colorado Avalanche hosted the St. Louis Blues. Andre Burakowski showed his lethal offense early on when he scored on a timer just five minutes into the game. However, the Blues responded with three goals in a row, including Oscar Sundakvist (two goals), Jordan Currow, and Kyle Clifford and St. Louis. Galli Jordan Binningt turned 26 shots to slow down Colorado’s offensive attack.
Wednesday schedule
