Teeth were being tossed all over the place in the first couple of contests, but in Game 3 between the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, fists were flying in what turned out to be an on-ice brawl. Overtime solved a couple of other games, and the Canucks now find themselves in a 3-0 series hole. All of that and more made up the Stanley Cup Stories from Sunday night.
1. The Ottawa Senators-Montreal Canadiens series is turning out to be downright nasty. Ottawa manhandled Montreal in Game 3 Sunday night, 6-1, in a contest that was overshadowed by several fights and an on-ice brawl in the third period as frustrations boiled over. The truculent tilt also took away from a hat trick by youngster Jean-Gabriel Pageau and gave rise to a social media stir. But the animosity wasn't reserved only for the two opposing sides; even teammates P.K. Subban and Max Pacioretty exchanged some words on the bench. Watch as our Hockey Night Online Post-Game Show hosts Andi Petrillo and Elliotte Friedman recap the affair in its entirety. You can vote on who you think will win Game 4, which is scheduled for Tuesday night (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET). Ottawa holds a 2-1 series edge.
2. Those who oppose the shootout must be salivating. So far, overtime has been one of the dominant themes of the playoffs. Seven games have been decided in an extra frame, including two more on Sunday. Chris Kunitz capped off a wild one with his overtime goal in a 5-4 victory for the Pittsburgh Penguins over the New York Islanders. But despite a 2-1 series lead, the Penguins might have reason to be concerned. Elsewhere, Jason Zucker played the OT hero for the Minnesota Wild with a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Game 4 of their series goes Tuesday (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 9:30 p.m. ET).
3. Just because it's the post-season doesn't mean Brendan Shanahan's job has gotten any easier. The NHL's head of player safety has been a busy man so far in the playoffs. He suspended Detroit Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader on Sunday for two games following a charging incident that happened Saturday night against Anaheim Ducks defenceman Toni Lydman. Vote on whether you think the penalty was warranted, or was it too harsh?
4. Calling all Leafs fans: a city starved for the post-season will finally satisty its appetite when Toronto hosts its first playoff game since 2004 as the Leafs welcome the Boston Bruins to town Monday (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET). Senior hockey writer Tim Wharnsby's latest blog covers how loyal the legions of Leafs supporters have been over the years. Also on the Monday night Hockey Night in Canada has the St. Louis Blues visiting the Los Angeles Kings for Game 4 (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 10 p.m. ET). The Kings, down 2-1 in the series, may stick to an unconventional lineup.
5. For most of the season, talk about the Vancouver Canucks swirled around their goaltending. But after Sunday night, the panic button can officially be pushed. The Canucks suffered a deflating 5-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks, putting them in a crippling 3-0 hole in their series.
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