Round Two of NHL Playoffs Starts Tonight

The second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs begins tonight, with eight teams remaining in the hunt.

Three of the top scorers so far in the NHL postseason were college-trained. Phil Kessel (Minnesota) is third overall with two goals and six assists for eight points for the Pittsburgh Penguins, while T. J. Oshie (North Dakota) is fifth with 3-4—7 points in six outings with the Washington Capitals. Jake Guentzel (Omaha) has posted 5-1—6 totals in six games with the Penguins as a rookie, and leads all NHl players in playoff goals so far this spring.

Among defensemen, Kevin Bieksa (Bowling Green) has four assists in four appearances with Anaheim, while in goal Cam Talbot (Alabama-Huntsville) led the Edmonton Oilers to their first playoff victory in 10 seasons with a 4-2 record (2.03, .927) and two shutouts in the first round against San Jose.

The Western Conference gets underway Wednesday, with Nashville visiting St. Louis and Edmonton dropping in on Anaheim. On Thursday, it's the Eastern Conference's turn to get going, as Ottawa will host the New York Rangers while Washington will entertain Pittsburgh.

NCAA Players Prominent in Start to NHL Playoffs

Former NCAA players made their mark during the first two days of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

On Wednesday, Tanner Glass (Dartmouth) backhanded home the game-winning goal for the New York Rangers in a 2-0 victory at Montreal, while rookie Frank Vatrano (UMass Lowell) tied the game for the Boston Bruins in an eventual 2-1 overtime win at Ottawa. Bryan Rust (Notre Dame), Phil Kessel (Minnesota) and Nick Bonino (Boston University) accounted for the Pittsburgh Penguins' goals in a 3-1 win over Columbus.

In Minnesota, Zach Parise (North Dakota) tied the game late for the host Wild, but Jaden Schwartz (Colorado College) set up the game-winner in OT to lift the St. Louis Blues to a 2-1 triumph. In Edmonton, Paul Martin (Minnesota) scored the tying goal and Joe Pavelski (Wisconsin) assisted on the overtime winner as the San Jose Sharks came back for a 3-2 win over the Oilers, who got 41 saves from Cam Talbot (Alabama-Huntsville).

On Thursday, James van Riemdsyk (New Hampshire) set up the first goal of the postseason for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the host Washington Capitals escaped with a 3-2 overtime victory, with T. J. Oshie (North Dakota) and Kevin Shattenkirk (Boston University) drawing assists on the evening. In Anaheim, Kevin Bieksa (Bowling Green) set up the tying goal and Patrick Eaves (Boston College) assisted on the winner as the Ducks edged the Calgary Flames, 3-2, despite 38 saves by Brian Elliott (Wisconsin).

NCAA Grads Duel in NHL Line Brawl

I went to a boxing match and ... oh, never mind.

The Vancouver Canucks hosted the Calgary Flames on Saturday night, and their NHL contest broke out in a line brawl at the opening face-off at Rogers Arena. In all there were 152 penalty minutes whistled—and the pleasantries all began at center ice between a pair of NCAA graduates.

Calgary's Kevin Westgarth (Princeton) faced off with Vancouver's Kevin Bieksa (Bowling Green), who moved up from the blueline to take the inaugural draw after trading words with Westgarth prior to the puck drop. (Bieksa won the draw, by the way, according to the Vancouver Sun.)

Nine players were ejected when all was said and done. Vancouver ultimately won, 3-2, in a shootout.

Westgarth played at Princeton from 2003 to 2007, where he tallied 47 points and 76 PIM over his last two campaigns with the Tigers. Bieksa was at BGSU from 2000 to 2004 and accumulated 75 points and 316 PIM in four seasons with the Falcons, according to hockeydb.com.