Ramblings: Introducing Matvei Michkov, OEL on the Block, Brodin, Dumba & Hedman (Sept 16)

The Isles and Bolts went to the wall in Game 5 on Tuesday. During these strange bubble times, it had been posited that elimination games were a bit easier to close out with teams more readily able to fold and go see their families for the first time in weeks. However, New York wasn’t going down without a fight.

Ryan Pulock got them on the board first, but Victor Hedman tallied a second-period marker to knot things up at one. We then had two more scoreless periods before heading into double overtime. It was there that Jordan Eberle played hero.

We always knew Eberle would come up clutch in a playoff game on Edmonton ice. Right?

We’ll have a Game 6 in the East while the Stars rest up and prepare.

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This is damn impressive.

I had a Patreon member express a lot of concern with Mikhail Sergachev stealing PPTOI from Hedman – and it was a situation to keep a close eye on. Hedman has seen just 43 percent of Tampa’s power-play action this postseason. However, he has at least 60 percent in each of the last three games. It’s helped that