A number of notable NHL players will return to the playoff ice on Tuesday with 1-0 series advantages, including Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk in Florida, Connor Hellebuyck in Winnipeg, and Brock Boeser in Vancouver.
Matt Rempe, as well.
He’s the New York Rangers’ rookie, and his popularity is increasing after scoring a goal in his playoff debut on Sunday.
Rangers coach Peter Laviolette praised Rempe's impact on the team, fans, and the city, noting his positive attitude and love for the game.
Rempe, who isn't used to making reservations, struggled to find a place to eat when his mother came to town the night before Game 1.
He may find it easier to get a table now.
Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey acknowledged Rempe's significant impact on the game whenever he's in the lineup.
All Tuesday NHL playoff games are rematches of Sunday's series-openers, where the home teams all emerged victorious.
The Panthers secured their first-ever series lead over Tampa Bay and matched their goal tally from the entire four-game sweep by the Lightning in 2022.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice expressed the need for both teams to identify areas for improvement and leverage their strengths for the next game.
The Jets-Avalanche game featured two separate periods with at least six goals scored, making it the first such game this season and not just in the playoffs.
Jets coach Rick Bowness acknowledged that the game didn't go as planned, but accepted the result.
Despite Nashville's strong track record when leading after two periods, Vancouver's quick back-to-back goals in the third allowed them to rally and win Game 1.
CAPITALS at RANGERS
The Rangers hold a 1-0 lead, with the game scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN).
The home teams have a perfect 5-0-0 record in the seasonal series between these two clubs, a trend the Rangers aim to continue.
Rangers captain Jacob Trouba emphasized the need to quickly move on from the first game, noting that it's a long series.
Laviolette is familiar with many players in the Washington locker room from his coaching tenure there, but the Capitals, who have struggled to advance past the first round since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018, are likely in need of a positive turn of events in order to succeed.
In the last three seasons, Washington has only won 1 game out of 46 when they scored less than two goals.
The game between LIGHTNING and PANTHERS is at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2), with Panthers leading 1-0.
After losing Game 1 at Florida, Lightning coach Jon Cooper was not worried. Winning Game 1 doesn't guarantee success.
Since taking over in Tampa Bay, Cooper’s teams have won nine different series even after losing Game 1, including the 2020 Stanley Cup final.
'Have you seen us play in the playoffs for the last decade? These boys have weathered all the frustration they possibly can, and we’ve seen it every different way,' said Cooper. 'Florida is an exceptional team. They’re going to do this. They’ve done it to teams all year and they’re going to do it to us for the rest of the playoffs. And so, it’s our job to fight through it.'
Last year, Florida also lost Game 1 of Round 1 in Boston — and still made it to the Stanley Cup final.
Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, who scored Sunday and has 58 goals this season, said, 'We know there’s a long way to go.'
AVALANCHE is playing against JETS.
The game between Avalanche and Jets is at 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN).
This season, Colorado lost all four games against the Jets and was outscored 24-10. Winnipeg is the only team to have scored seven goals against Colorado this season, doing so twice in the last week and a half. The Jets beat the Avs 7-0 on April 13.
Before Sunday, the Avalanche had won 79 consecutive games when scoring six goals. Winnipeg had lost 55 straight games (0-52-3) when allowing six goals.
PREDATORS is playing against CANUCKS.
The game between Predators and Canucks is at 10 p.m. ET (ESPN2).
Vancouver’s Dakota Joshua had only scored two goals in his first 177 NHL games. However, in his last 10 games, he scored two goals twice, with the second happening during Sunday night's game which was only his second NHL playoff game.
Nashville managed to get into the playoffs with a 16-2-0 run at the end of the regular season. However, they're only 4-6-1 since then and have a worrying record of 0-4-0 against the Canucks this season, being outscored 17-8 in those games.
