More playoff pucks, with four games on the schedule for Friday.

Islanders 5, Hurricanes 1 (Hurricanes lead series 2-1)

The final score is a bit misleading, as Kyle Palmieri broke a 1-1 tie with just under four minutes left in regulation on an Islanders power play. The Isles scored four goals in 2:18 late in the third period, which set a playoff record for the fastest four goals. Regardless, it was a much-needed win for the Isles, who avoid going into a 0-3 hole in the series.

Palmieri now has a goal and an assist in back-to-back games. In addition, he is adding a physical presence to the series with four hits in each of the first three games.  

The Islanders could have had yet another goal if this puck hadn't been kept out by the slimmest of margins.

WHAT A SAVE BY SETH JARVIS 😱 pic.twitter.com/LCgwAsjn73

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 22, 2023

Alexander Romanov returned to the Islanders lineup. Although he did not record a point, he was a plus-3 and was credited with four hits.

With Frederik Andersen still out, Antti Raanta started again for the Canes. Raanta allowed four goals on 36 shots.

Because of all the injuries up front (Andrei Svechnikov, Teuvo Teravainen, and do we count Max Pacioretty?), Jack Drury was moved up to a line with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis. Drury hadn't been a regular with the Hurricanes throughout the season, but in spite of not scoring a point in this series, he has logged at least 15 minutes in back-to-back games.

This series has had its share of physical play. Through three games, only the Oilers and Kings have more hits than the Islanders (141 Hits).

NECAS GETS HIT INTO THE ISLES BENCH AND THEN PUNCHES SOMEONE 😳 pic.twitter.com/QYjsPyKMvA

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 22, 2023

Bruins 4, Panthers 2 (Bruins lead series 2-1)

Despite various injuries and game-time decisions, the Bruins were able to pull off a victory in Florida. In fact, "pull off" isn't necessarily the best term, as they accumulated a 4-0 lead before the Panthers scored two goals late in the third period to make it kind of close.

With Linus Ullmark missing the morning skate, Game 3 seemed like a prime opportunity for a Jeremy Swayman start. Yet in a bit of a surprise, the Bruins turned back to Ullmark to start Game 3. In the playoffs, I figured the Bruins would need to divert from alternating between Ullmark and Swayman as they had during the regular season, but I wasn't sure how that would happen. Regardless, teams still don't seem to be ready to divert from riding one goalie or at least the hot hand throughout the playoffs. Whatever was ailing Ullmark didn't seem to affect him, as he stopped 29 of 31 shots to earn the W.

Once the number of playoff games decreases, I'll have quite a bit more on Ullmark, who was the MVP of many fantasy teams this season. What I mean is that I might even write an entire Ramblings post just on Ullmark, so be prepared. Or maybe it's something to look forward to.

Patrice Bergeron was out again for Game 3, but he is expected back for Game 5. Bergeron was reportedly injured during the final regular-season game, which is ironic since the Bruins were resting numerous players down the stretch. Teams that have clinched playoff positions and seeding will continue to practice load management, which is all the more reason to finish your fantasy league's season a week or two before the NHL season ends.

David Krejci also missed the game with an upper-body injury, which elevated Charlie Coyle to a spot in the top 6. Coyle scored a goal while taking five shots, so he might be a good short-term pickup in playoff pools that allow adds.

Taylor Hall wasn't in the top 6, but he's been scoring in the playoffs anyway. Hall has scored goals in back-to-back games while adding an assist in Game 3. Hall's scoring fell off considerably this season from a 62-point pace to a 48-point pace over 82 games, while his shot rate, power-play time, and overall icetime only decreased slightly. The Bruins have the kind of depth to keep the former Hart Trophy winner in a secondary scoring role.

Alex Lyon started again for the Panthers, although he was eventually relieved by $10 million man Sergei Bobrovsky in the third period after allowing three goals on 26 shots. If you need a crash course in what the Florida goaltending situation will look like next season, Bobrovsky has three more years left on his contract at the above-noted amount, while former first-round pick Spencer Knight will be vying for his opportunity. Lyon, who is a UFA at season's end, is stating his case for an NHL job somewhere next season. A number of teams will be considering him for at least a backup role.

Injury alert: Aaron Ekblad left this game after colliding with Charlie McAvoy. No update was provided after the game regarding his status for Game 4.

Wild 5, Stars 1 (Wild lead series 2-1)

The intensity gets ramped up during playoff time, with teams getting testier than normal as they face the same opponent multiple games in a row. This series has had at least its share of spiciness, with the coaches even engaging in a war of words. After Dean Evason accused the Stars of diving, Peter DeBoer replied with a witty backhanded compliment: "There's a hockey term for that. It's called deflection. You know what, if I were coaching one of the most penalized teams in the league, I'd probably be doing the same thing. That's good coaching." The Wild finished sixth in the NHL with 935 penalty minutes this season. The Stars finished 27^th with 637 penalty minutes. An interesting contrast of styles playing out in real time.  

This is Ryan Hartman's kind of series, and he has shown why. After missing Game 2 with a lower-body issue, Hartman scored a goal and added two assists with a plus-3. He's posted at least 90 penalty minutes in each of his last two seasons, so he's done his part to contribute to that Wild penalty minute total.

Mats Zuccarello scored a pair of goals, giving him points in all three games of this series. As Chris Kane pointed out in the most recent Frozen Tools Forensics, Zuccarello slumped mightily during the fantasy playoffs with Kirill Kaprizov out of the lineup. Kaprizov has returned, which means that Zuccarello is back in business. Without Kaprizov, Zuccarello scored at a 47-point pace in 2019-20, his first season with Minnesota. Yet since Kaprizov arrived in Minny, Zuccarello has scored at 82-game paces of 68, 93, and 70 points. A completely different player.

After missing the first two games with a lower-body injury, former Star John Klingberg drew in for Game 3. He recorded two assists while playing the point on the first-unit power play.  

Joel Eriksson Ek's return was short-lived, as he played just 19 seconds before leaving the game. He most likely re-aggravated his injury, so he seems doubtful for Game 4 and likely beyond that.

In his 12^th career playoff game, Jake Oettinger was tagged with his first really bad start. He has allowed at least three goals in each of the three games in this series.

Kings 3, Oilers 2 – OT (Kings lead series 2-1)

Trevor Moore scored the overtime winner 3:24 into overtime to seal a Game 3 win for the Kings.

GAME 3 GOES TO THE KINGS! 👑

After review, the call on the ice stands and Thousand Oaks native Trevor Moore secures the @SubwayCanada OT win for the @LAKings over the Oilers. pic.twitter.com/YsMQUuofTB

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 22, 2023

The goal wasn't without controversy, though. It looked like the play should have been blown dead a moment earlier when the puck hit a high stick, but there didn't seem to be 100% conclusive evidence that the puck changed direction because it hit the blade of the stick. Because of the reasonable doubt, the call on the ice stood. I'm not saying I agree with the call, but I'm just explaining why it would have been called that way. Tough break for the Oilers, but I’ve watched playoff overtime hockey long enough to know that luck can factor into the result.

Pretty hard to tell if Vilardi's stick touched the puck, even when the clip is slowed down and focused in#GoKingsGo | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/NwZUPO0zdr

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) April 22, 2023

Game 1 overtime hero Alex Iafallo scored again for the Kings. With Kevin Fiala out of the lineup, Iaffalo is back on the first power play. Fiala missed the bulk of the final quarter of the season, which is when Iafallo has posted his highest quarterly power-play total (4 PPP). Iaffalo was a regular on the Kings' top power play before the Kings traded for Fiala last offseason, but he has never reached double-digit power-play points in his career. That's probably why he was the odd man out on PP1 when Fiala arrived.

Surprisingly, Connor McDavid had been held without a goal during the first two games of the series. He took care of that in Game 3, scoring a pair of power-play goals along with seven shots and five hits.  

I caught at least glimpses of each of the four playoff games today. Between the exciting style of play and the simmering level of hatred between the two teams, this game drew me in the most out of any of Friday's games. Like if I took my eyes off the game for a few minutes while I type this, I might miss something. A highlight-reel goal, an incredible save, a crushing hit, or a nasty brawl. That was my thought even before the OT. Looking forward to Game 4 of this series.

Like I said with the Leafs and Lightning yesterday, I'm more convinced that this series will go seven games than I am about which team will win it. I picked the Oilers in 7 in our Experts Panel.

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Follow me on Twitter @Ian_Gooding for more fantasy hockey.