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NHL's Top Stats, Best Highlights, Updated Playoff Picture from Aug. 8 Results
August 9, 2020
The Philadelphia Flyers and Vegas Golden Knights secured the top seeds in the NHL Eastern and Western Conferences during Saturday's round-robin play.
Both teams netted four goals in their respective victories, but the triumphs occurred in contrasting fashions. Philadelphia jumped out to a multiple-goal advantage before the first intermission, while Vegas lost the lead on three occasions before coming out on top in overtime.
With their losses Saturday, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche settled into the No. 2 seeds in their respective conferences.
The third and fourth seeds in both conferences will be determined by Sunday's round-robin games between the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars.
Only one spot is left up for grabs in the round of 16. That will go to the winner of Sunday's qualifying-round game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs.
August 8 NHL Results, Stats, Highlights
Vegas 4, Colorado 3 (Final/Overtime)
Jonathan Marchessault (VEG): 2 goals
Shea Theodore (VEG): 2 assists
J.T. Compher (COL): 1 G, 1 A
Nazem Kadri (COL): 2 A
Vegas needed 16 seconds in overtime to create the final piece of separation between itself and Colorado for the West's top seed.
Alex Tuch struck for his third postseason goal off Mark Stone's third playoff assist to set up a matchup with the 12th-seeded Chicago Blackhawks.
The Golden Knights and Avalanche traded goals in the final two periods to set up the extra frame.
Jonathan Marchessault scored the opening tally in the second period and finished a penalty shot with three minutes and two seconds left in the third stanza.
Nathan MacKinnon and J.T. Compher produced the equalizers to Marchessault's pair of goals. Nazem Kadri and Mikko Rantanen earned assists on both of the tallies.
Vegas had the more active goalie, as Robin Lehner turned away 32 shots. Philipp Grubauer was only forced into 22 denials.
Philadelphia 4, Tampa Bay 1
Nicolas Aube-Kubel (PHI): 2 G
Joel Farabee (PHI): 1 G, 1 A
Carter Hart (PHI): 23 saves
Tyler Johnson (TB): 1 G
Philadelphia left no doubt that it would go undefeated in the round-robin games.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel scored a pair of goals six minutes and 20 seconds apart to open up an advantage that the Lightning would not come close to reaching.
Aube-Kubel became the first Flyers rookie to score multiple goals in a playoff game since 2012, per NHL Public Relations:
Tyler Johnson produced Tampa Bay's lone goal on the power play in the second period, but the Flyers answered that with Joel Farabee's first playoff goal.
Philadelphia finished off the victory with Tyler Pitlick's empty-net goal with 80 seconds left in the final stanza.
Carter Hart starred in net for the East's No. 1 seed, as he turned away 23 shots. The Flyers defense only allowed two Lightning players to record more than two shots on goal.
Playoff Picture
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Philadelphia vs. No. 12 Montreal
No. 2 Tampa Bay vs. No. 8 Toronto/No. 9 Columbus
Boston/Washington winner vs. No. 6 New York Islanders
Boston/Washington loser vs. No. 5 Carolina
Western Conference
No. 1 Vegas vs. No. 12 Chicago
No. 2 Colorado vs. No. 11 Arizona
St. Louis/Dallas winner vs. No. 8 Calgary
St. Louis/Dallas loser vs. No. 7 Vancouver
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from NHL.com.