NHL playoff scores 2017: Ottawa owes their barnburner win to one Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Have yourself a game, Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

The Senators and Rangers played in one of the wackiest Stanley Cup playoff games on Saturday. A 6-5 double-overtime tilt ended after New York squandered a pair of leads and Pageau capped off his historic evening with his fourth goal.

Yes, four goals. A hat trick plus some. In a Stanley Cup playoff game. Only 11 players in NHL history have hit that mark in the postseason, with Johan Franzen being the last to do so in 2010.

Those types of games are series-changing statement games. Instead of heading into New York tied 1-1, the Senators have a two-game lead with the potential to do some real damage to the Rangers at home. After being given the short shrift by many for being a boring team, the Senators countered with quite the offensive comeback.

And, while of course it’s nice to write about Henrik Lundqvist and Craig Anderson standing on their head, high-scoring hockey games in the postseason are a nice change of pace. Especially heart-stopping, overtime ones decided by a player’s fourth goal of the game.

Senators 6, Rangers 5 (2OT) (Ottawa leads 2-0)
Penguins 6, Capitals 2 (Pittsburgh leads 2-0)

1. The Capitals are falling apart

Washington did everything right in the first period of their Game 2 against the Penguins ... except score. The shot count read at 16-5 in favor of the Capitals after 20 minutes, but it took a minute and 15 seconds for the Penguins to score into the second period.

The game spiraled from there, which saw Braden Holtby let in three goals on 14 shots and sit out the third period in place of Philipp Grubauer. Now they head into Pittsburgh down two games in the series. Gulp.

2. Brady Skjei has been the Rangers best defenseman

The 23-year-old defenseman was all over the ice for New York in Game 2, playing almost every role imaginable as the Rangers played to an overtime loss. Skjei had two goals, four shots on goal, and two blocks in 22 minutes of ice time. It’d be a crime if Alain Vigneault doesn’t bump up his minutes from here on out.

3. The depth scoring in Pittsburgh is remarkable

Once again, the Penguins benefited from incredible depth scoring down their lineup. Phil Kessel had a pair, Jake Guentzel had two, and Matt Cullen had his first. Hard to stop a lineup like that, even with Washington’s improved defense.

Evgeni Malkin’s 5-2 goal stole any momentum the Capitals had just minutes after they scored, and it was originally called no goal on the ice too!

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 34 shots in maybe his biggest game of the postseason so far.