NHL playoff scores 2017: Henrik Lundqvist is still king in the postseason

This year certainly wasn’t Henrik Lundqvist’s best regular season, but there’s a reason why so many call the NHL playoffs the great equalizer. The previous 82 games are thrown out the window, and all that matters is the here and now.

Posturing aside, Lundqvist answered one of the playoff’s biggest questions quite definitively on the opening night of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Rangers’ goaltender shut out the Canadiens 2-0 with a 31-save performance, putting Lundqvist at 10 career playoff shutouts.

We named Lundqvist the player to watch before Wednesday’s game, for good reason. The 2016-17 season was the worst of Lundqvist’s 12-year NHL career, as The King put up a save percentage of .910, just below the league’s average. Lundqvist was benched for four straight games, a career first, back in December as Rangers’ management clearly started to question their normally stalwart starter.

On Wednesday, however, Lundqvist showed the hockey world that he’s not done quite yet. He out-dueled Carey Price — who, by all accounts, had an incredible night as well stopping 29 shots — and gave the Rangers exactly the playoff start they were hoping for.

Oh, and Tanner Glass had the first goal of the playoffs, which ended up being the game winner for New York.

Anything really can happen in the playoffs.

Bruins 2, Senators 1
Rangers 2, Canadiens 0
Penguins 3, Blue Jackets 1
Blues 2, Wild 1 (OT)
Sharks 3, Oilers 2 (OT)

1. Newly freed Brad Marchand was the difference for the Bruins

Boston didn’t let a shot-less second period stop them from taking the series lead on the Senators. Marchand, back from a two-game suspension, got the game-winner for the Bruins in the closing moments of Game 1 to break a 1-1 tie in Ottawa.

Credit to the Senators, they played a great two periods to start a series many have already counted them out in. Unfortunately, the Bruins played through the period that mattered the most in the win.

2. The Penguins were right not to trade Marc-Andre Fleury

Once again, the Penguins postseason quest started with a bit of goaltending trouble. Matt Murray injured his lower body in warmups, prompting Fleury to take over for the Penguins’ starter with no warning. But of course, Fleury is a playoff veteran and handled the move with ease as he saved 31 shots in the Penguins 3-1 win.

Offensive depth certainly backed up Fleury’s solid night between the pipes too, as everyone’s favorite Phil Kessel got the eventual game winner.

3. The playoffs are extremely orange in Edmonton

Seriously, this is something else.

Also, the Oilers blew a 2-0 lead in a learning moment for the young group as the Sharks stormed back to force overtime before San Jose won. Melker Karlsson got the extra time winner as the Sharks take a 1-0 series lead.

Jake Allen has established himself alongside Lundqvist as a goaltender to watch in the playoffs, as he held a shutout until the final seconds in Minnesota.

Of course, the Wild tied it in the dying moments to force overtime.

Joel Edmundson, however, helped out his goaltender with the overtime win