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SPORTS Saturday 28 april 2018
Hellebuyck smothers Preds as

Jets grab 1-0 lead with 4-1 win

By TERESA M. WALKER utes before Nashville finally Minnesota in the first round.
AP Sports Writer scored. The Predators kept shoot-
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Mark Scheifele scored two ing away with Hellebuyck
Connor Hellebuyck made goals, including an empty- making every save, and
47 saves and the Winni- netter as the Jets were out- the Jets proved very oppor-
peg Jets beat the Nash- shot 48-19. Brandon Tanev tunistic. Stastny scored off
ville Predators 4-1 on Fri- and Paul Stastny also a rebound of Patrik Laine’s
day night in Game 1 of the scored to help the Jets — shot at 9:01 of the second
Western Conference semi- the NHL’s best home team on Winnipeg’s ninth shot for
final between the NHL’s — steal home-ice advan- a 2-0 lead. Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck (37) blocks a shot from
top teams in the regular tage. Filip Forsberg, Nashville’s Nashville Predators right wing Craig Smith (15) during the second
season. Kevin Fiala scored for Nash- postseason scoring leader, period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey second-round playoff series
Friday, April 27, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn.
Not only did the teams top ville, which had won 11 of hit the post on the power Associated Press
the standings, this series is its last 14 playoff games. play with 3:31 left. The Jets
the first between clubs with The Predators had the spar- killed off the penalty, and
the most combined points kling pregame show with Scheifele beat Rinne with
ever before a conference the retractable screen a long shot with 2:09 left in
finals after Nashville (117) dropping from the ceil- the second for a 3-0 lead
edged Winnipeg (114) for ing and country star Dierks that silenced the sold-out
the Presidents’ Trophy. Bentley singing the U.S. an- crowd.
Both the Jets and Predators them, and a couple catfish Fiala at least helped Nash-
brought a Vezina Trophy hit the ice before the puck ville avoid being shutout
finalist into this series, and drop to boot. Then they with his wrister 1:23 into the
the 24-year-old Hellebuyck pelted Hellebuyck with 15 third . Even pulling backup
outdueled veteran Pekka of the first 19 shots. goalie Juuse Saros with
Rinne, who was pulled af- Then the Jets scored the more than 2 minutes left
ter the second period af- game’s first goal for a sixth helped.
ter giving up three goals straight playoff game. NOTES: Nashville defense-
on 16 shots. Hellebuyck, Tanev’s wrister beat Rinne’s man Ryan Ellis went to the
who made his NHL post- outstretched right skate at locker room after being
season debut in the first 14:51 of the first. clipped on the cheek by
round where he finished off Nashville finished the pe- the skate of Jets Ben Chiar-
Minnesota with back-to- riod with 20 shots, a fran- ot early in the third. ... Aus-
back shutouts, picked up in chise postseason record for tin Watson, who had seven
Nashville where he left off a a period, with Hellebuyck points in the first round for
week ago. continuing his shutout Nashville, did not return af-
Hellebuyck stretched his streak started with consec- ter playing 4:09 of the first
shutout streak to 163 min- utive shutouts to finish off period.q

Matthews, Babcock deny rift

as Maple Leafs clean out lockers

the wake of a seven-game
loss to the Boston Bruins in
the first round of the play-
offs, Babcock and Mat-
thews addressed specula-
tion the coach had “lost”
his player during the series.
“I said, ‘What’s going on?’”
Babcock told reporters of
his conversation with Mat-
thews. “It’s interesting in
Toronto, you (media) do
such a good job. You’re
everywhere. You’re under
the bench, you’re in the
Toronto Maple Leafs NHL hockey player Auston Matthews
speaks to reporters in Toronto, Friday, April 27, 2018. The Boston crack in the door, you’re in
Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs. the car, you’re in the park-
Associated Press ing lot. You’re everywhere,
TORONTO (AP) — Mike Matthews. and any time anybody
Babcock was at his daugh- “I’ll find out in the morning,” does anything there’s a big
ter’s graduation when he the Toronto coach replied. story.
received a text message “I’ll meet him. I’ll ask him in “I asked him flat-out, ‘Do
from a friend about reports the morning.” we have any (issues)?’ He
of a strained relationship As the Maple Leafs cleaned was sitting right there. We
with star center Auston out their lockers Friday in don’t seem to.”q