NHL playoffs: Blues rip hits on defensemen; Connor McDavid shut down; Capitals, Bruins keep going to OT

The St. Louis Blues had a scare before Wednesday's game, but positive COVID-19 tests to Jordan Binnington, Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz and Marco Scandella ended up being negative during a retest.

They then took two major hits during the 6-3 Colorado Avalanche win when defensemen Robert Bortuzzo and Justin Faulk left the game with injuries.

Bortuzzo took an elbow to the head from Tyson Jost and was declared out of the game with an upper-body injury. Faulk was knocked out of the game by an illegal check to the head from Nazem Kadri, who received a match penalty.

"It was a greasy elbow by Josty there," Blues forward Brayden Schenn told reporters. "I understand he was going into the battle, but you have to know how to control your elbows. … And a guy like Kadri, he can't control himself. In the playoffs, he's a repeat offender. Bad hits."

Nazem Kadri about to get suspended in the first round AGAIN pic.twitter.com/qoBYHiS2X1

Blues coach Craig Berube didn't have an update on the defensemen after the game.

Kadri, who has five career suspensions, could be looking at a sixth one.

"It's got to be a suspension," forward Ryan O'Reilly said. "It's dangerous. He's a repeat offender. That's completely uncalled for. That's awful to see."

The Oilers' Connor McDavid and Jets' Neal Pionk battle during Game 1. (Photo: Codie McLachlan, Getty Images)

Jets shut down McDavid

The NHL playoffs keep showing that the regular season doesn't matter.

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid scored 22 of his league-best 105 points against the Jets this season, and Winnipeg had a 1-9 stretch before winning its final two games.

When Game 1 was over, the Jets were 4-1 winners and McDavid was left without a point. He didn't have a shot until the third period and finished with two.

The Jets used the Mark Scheifele line against McDavid and defenseman Neal Pionk also got into the Oilers center's face.

mcdavid is already experiencing the wrath of the pionk pic.twitter.com/3c8IMbEqce

"That's what I expect come playoffs," Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck told reporters. "It's not going to be easy for them, and we can't make it easy for them. You know they're going to come with some fire next game and we've got to be prepared for that."

McDavid had nine points in four games in a qualifying-round loss to the Chicago Blackhawks last season. He thought the Oilers, who outshot the Jets 33-22, played well in Game 1, in which the Jets scored two empty-net goals.

"I thought we did a lot of good things," he said. "I thought we had the puck a lot of the night, played in their zone, put a lot of pucks there. We just didn't find a way to get one. They get a tip, we didn't get a tip. That's playoff hockey."

Bruins, Capitals go to overtime again

The Washington Capitals have thrown all sorts of lineup curves at the Boston Bruins this postseason.

But the results have been the same: The game goes to overtime.

Craig Smith settled the latest one for a 3-2 Game 3 win that gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead in their playoff series.

The Capitals used their third different starting goalie in the series as Ilya Samsonov, along with forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, joined the lineup after exiting COVID-19 protocol.

DOUBLE OT WINNER FROM CRAIG SMITH!! ? #StanleyCuppic.twitter.com/yeDVHt2anj

Samsonov, who made 40 saves in his playoff debut and first action since May 1, stopped the puck in the trapezoid for his defense and was slow getting back to his crease. Smith outraced Justin Schultz to the puck and scored on a wraparound.

"It looked like one of them went for 'leave it' and one went for an outlet pass," Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said. "There was just a little bit of a miscommunication, so it was a tough break the way the game ended. I thought Sammy played a hell of a game for us."

The Capitals and Bruins have had 11 consecutive one-goal games in their playoff meetings. Four games in their 2012 series went to overtime.

Tonight’s playoff games

Florida at Tampa Bay, 6:30, USA. Lightning lead 2-0

Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, 7, NBCSN. Series tied 1-1

Montreal at Toronto, 7:30, NHL Network. Game 1 of series

Vegas at Minnesota, 9:30, NBCSN. Series tied 1-1

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