The Charlotte Checkers season came to a disappointing and sudden end when Julien Gauthier scored 14:50 into overtime to lift the Springfield Thunderbirds a 2-1 win in Game 3 at Bojangles Coliseum. Tobias Björnfot opened the scoring off an assist from Jack Studnicka 5:58 into the first period. The Checkers held the lead until Calle Rosen beat Cooper Black at 5:45 of the third. Springfield’s Georgi Romanov stopped 34 saves while Black made 22 saves for Charlotte, who didn’t get a goal from a forward in the final two games of the series.
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS (Saturday)
Sidney Crosby scored a first period power-play marker and then kicked the puck to Kris Letang for the decisive goal in the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Arturs Silovs took over the net and made 28 saves for the Penguins, who avoided elimination. The series will shift back to Pittsburgh with Philadelphia leading three games to one.
The Carolina Hurricanes swept aside the Ottawa Senators with a 4-2 victory at Canadian Tire Centre. Logan Stankoven scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, and Taylor Hall and Sebastian Aho (two empty-netters) also lit the lamp for the Hurricanes, who will await the winner of the series between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Matt Boldy deflected Jared Spurgeon’s shot past Jake Oettinger with 29 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Minnesota Wild a 3-2 win against the Dallas Stars in Game 4 at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul. Brock Faber and Marcus Foligno also scored and Jesper Wallstadt finished with 43 saves for the Wild, who evened the series at two games apiece.
BUFFALO SABRES at BOSTON BRUINS
- WHEN: 2 p.m. ET
- WHERE: TD Garden – Boston, MA
- SERIES: Buffalo leads 2-1
- ON THE TUBE: TNT
- PROJECTED STARTERS: Sabres: Lyon (1-0 .969 / 0.81 0SO) Bruins: Swayman (1-2 .931 / 2.38 0SO)
- PLAYER STATS: Buffalo / Boston
COLORADO AVALANCHE at LOS ANGELES KINGS
- WHEN: 4:30 p.m. ET
- WHERE: Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA
- SERIES: Colorado leads 3-0
- ON THE TUBE: TNT
- PROJECTED STARTERS: Avalanche: Wedgewood (3-0 .947 / 1.28 0SO) Kings: Forsberg (0-3 .922 / 2.28 0SO)
- PLAYER STATS: Colorado / Los Angeles
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING at MONTREAL CANADIENS
- WHEN: 7 p.m. ET
- WHERE: Bell Centre– Montreal, QC
- SERIES: Montreal leads 2-1
- ON THE TUBE: ESPN
- PROJECTED STARTERS: Lightning: Vasilevskiy (1-2 .880 / 2.76 0SO) Canadiens: Dobes (2-1 .892 / 2.45 0SO)
- PLAYER STATS: Tampa Bay / Montreal
EDMONTON OILERS at ANAHEIM DUCKS