The NHL Stanley Cup playoffs continue with two Game 3s on Tuesday as two teams look to take commanding 3-0 series leads while the other pair hopes to claw their way into their best-of-seven sets.
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The focus is on the Western Conference Tuesday as the Minnesota Wild host the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 as their series shifts to St. Paul while the Calgary Flames hope a return to the Scotiabank Saddledome will help them notch a victory against the unbeaten Anaheim Ducks (6-0 this postseason).
With the lights set to come up on Game 3, with the Blackhawks-Wild game starting at 8 p.m. ET and the Ducks-Flame tilt opening at 9:30, here are the players to watch for each team.
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1) Patrick Kane: The Blackhawks forward was limited to 61 games and missed the end of the regular season due to a clavicle injury, but he's shown no ill effects of the ailment since returning for Game 1 of Round 1 against the Nashville Predators. Kane is tied for the Blackhawks team lead with 10 points, which is also knotted for second in the NHL this postseason. Kane is also tied for third in the league with five goals and five assists thus far while his plus-six rating is tied for second. Kane has found the back of the net three times through the first two games of the series.
2) Devan Dubnyk: The Wild netminder's arrival in Minnesota midway through the regular season sparked the team and the club will need him to once again thrive in the blue paint if it's going to get back into this series. Dubnyk, a Vezina Trophy finalist, finished 27-9-2 with an impressive 1.78 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage while posting five shutouts in 39 games in the regular season. After helping to lead the Wild over the St. Louis Blues in Round 1, Dubnyk allowed seven goals on 65 shots in the first two games of this series. Overall in his first career postseason, he is tied for the league lead by allowing 20 goals and he is 4-4 with a 2.64 GAA and a .907 save percentage. For Minnesota to win its first game of the series, Dubnyk may have to steal one for it in between the pipes.
3) Corey Perry: The Anaheim Ducks alternate captain has had a postseason to remember thus far. Perry enters Tuesday as the NHL leader with 13 points and tied for the league lead with eight assists. His five goals tie him for third in the playoffs while his plus-six rating knots him for second. After aiding the Ducks to an opening-round sweep of the Winnipeg Jets, Perry has made his stamp on Round 2. Perry has two tallies and four helpers through the first two contests as Anaheim has rolled out to a 2-0 series lead and 6-0 overall record this postseason.
4) Sam Bennett: The Flames forward may only be 18 years of age, but he has already made his stamp on the quest to the Stanley Cup. Calgary has been limited to just one goal in this series, and it came off the stick of Bennett in Game 1. Bennett, who has just one regular season NHL game under his belt compared to eight postseason matches, is tied for the team lead with three goals in the playoffs and has added one assist to rank tied for third on the club with four points.
The Stanley Cup playoffs continue with a pair of Game 3s Tuesday night in Minnesota and Calgary.
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