NCAA Alumni Boost Habs to Playoff Win

The Montreal Canadiens clawed their way back into their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series tonight, thanks to contributions from several former NCAA skaters.

Cole Caufield (Wisconsin) and Alex Newhook (Boston College) each tallied a goal and an assist, and rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) stopped seven of eight shots in 20 minutes of relief to pick up the win in Montreal's 6-3 victory tonight over the visiting Washington Capitals. The Canadiens now trail the best-of-seven NHL postseason series, two games to one. 

Jake Evans (Notre Dame), Lane Hutson (Boston University) and Mike Matheson (Boston College) also recorded assists, as the Habs won their first postseason contest since the 2020 Stanley Cup Final against Tampa Bay. Game Four against Washington is slated for Sunday at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

ADDENDUM: New Jersey also rebounded in its series against visiting Carolina, winning 3-2 in overtime on Friday to close within two games to one as defenseman Brian Dumoulin (Boston College) recorded 36-plus minutes of ice time for the victors. Edmonton did likewise in Game Three of its series Friday with visiting Los Angeles, winning by a 7-4 count as Zach Hyman (Michigan) notched two assists to help make it a two to one series. 

2018 National Hockey Title Game Matchup Set

Louie Roehl and Jared Thomas scored 1:11 apart in the the first four minutes of play, and the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs held on for a 2-1 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes in the early NCAA Frozen Four men's hockey semifinal on Thursday in St. Paul, Minn.

Tanner Laczynski finally got the Buckeyes on the board on a power play with 10:33 remaining in regulation, but that was as close as OSU would get in its first Frozen Four appearance in 20 years. Hunter Shepard made 19 saves for UMD as the Bulldogs advanced to the national title game for the second straight season, and also eliminated OSU in the NCAAs for the second consecutive year.

Sean Romeo finished with 26 saves for the Buckeyes, who were outshot, 28-20, overall, including 17-4 over the opening 20 minutes.

In the nightcap at the XCel Energy Center, Notre Dame outlasted Michigan as Jake Evans drove to the net and scored with 5.2 seconds left on the clock for a 4-3 win for the Fighting Irish.

Evans scored two goals and set up another as Notre Dame rallied from a 2-0 first-period deficit to take a 3-2 third-period lead. After Michael Pastujov scored for the Wolverines with just over five minutes remaining in regulation to tie the contest, the game appeared headed to overtime until Evan's last-second heroics.

Tony Calderone and Dexter Dancs had a goal and an assist apiece for Michigan, while Andrew Oglevie (power-play goal) and Cal Burke tallied the Irish's other goals. Notre Dame outshot Michigan, 29-28, and also got 25 saves from Cale Morris, while Hayden Lavigne made 25 stops for the Wolverines.

The Bulldogs and Fighting Irish will meet on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) to decide the 2018 national championship. UMD won its first NCAA crown in 2011, when it defeated Michigan in OT in St. Paul. Big Ten champion Notre Dame is seeking its first-ever national hockey title, having last appeared in the NCAA championship tilt in 2008 when it fell to Boston College in Denver.