Five things to know about the NHL playoffs

The Boston Bruins opened their second round with a little revenge, and the New York Rangers are trying to remain undefeated.

Here are five things to know entering Tuesday’s post-season action:

BRUINS STRIKE FIRST

Jeremy Swayman stood on his head with 38 saves to help Boston take down the Florida Panthers 5-1 in Game 1 of their second-round series.

The Bruins temporarily exorcised some demons from last year, when the Panthers pulled off a 3-1 comeback in the first round to eliminate Boston after a record-setting regular season.

Boston got help from five different goal scorers Monday, including Brandon Carlo. The Bruins defenceman spent the morning with his wife, Mayson, while she gave birth to their second child before flying to Florida and scoring to give Boston a 3-1 lead.

MAINTAINING PERFECTION

The New York Rangers look to extend their perfect start in Game 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

New York is seeking its sixth straight win after sweeping the Washington Capitals and defeating Carolina 4-3 in Game 1.

Netminder Igor Shesterkin earned wins in all five games so far. He can become the fourth goalie since 2003-04 to post a six-game win streak to open a post-season.

Carolina, meanwhile, looks to get its special teams back on track after New York scored twice in 23 seconds of power-play time in Game 1. The Hurricanes went scoreless in five opportunities.

QUICK SHIFTS

The Dallas Stars knocked down the defending Stanley Cup champions on Sunday. Two days later, they’re up against the 2022 winners.

After defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in a seven-game thriller, the Stars quickly shift to hosting the Colorado Avalanche after one day of rest.

Well-rested Colorado, meanwhile, hasn’t played in a week after sending the Winnipeg Jets packing in five games last week. The high-flying Avalanche filled the net against one of the league’s best defences with 28 goals in the series.

'WE DON’T CARE'

The Edmonton Oilers lost all four of their matchups against the Vancouver Canucks this season. But Oilers star Leon Draisaitl insists they don’t care as the two teams prepare for a second-round playoff matchup beginning Wednesday in Vancouver.

Three of those losses came under since-fired head coach Jay Woodcroft during a disastrous start to the season for Edmonton. In the latest defeat last month, the Oilers were without superstar captain Connor McDavid.

The winner of the series will advance to the Western Conference final and be the lone Canadian team standing.

BONES HANGS 'EM UP

After 2,726 games on an NHL bench over 38 seasons, Rick Bowness is calling it a career.

Bowness, Winnipeg’s head coach the last two seasons, announced the decision Monday after the Jets fell to the Avalanche in the first round.

The 69-year-old from Moncton, N.B., coached eight different franchises and totalled more games as a head coach, associate coach or assistant coach than anyone in NHL history.

Bowness goes out as a first-time finalist for the Jack Adams Award as the league’s top coach.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2024.

The Canadian Press