Toronto Maple Leafs defeat Ottawa Senators in Game 6, clinch second-round berth

The GIST: Being in the running for an individual award is nice, but Lord Stanley is the most coveted accolade for these NHLers. And after last night’s action, three teams clinched their first-round series to move one skate closer to the most famous trophy in sports. Buckle up.

Toronto Maple Leafs meet the moment, advance to second round: The Leafs shook off their demons and topped the Ottawa Senators 4–2 in last night’s Game 6. But after ousting one Tkachuk brother, the Buds must face another, taking on Matthew and the defending champion Florida Panthers in the upcoming second round.

• Similarly, the Vegas Golden Knights advanced with a tightly-contested 3–2 dub over the Minnesota Wild last night. Even more impressive? The Knights have now reached the second round in five of their eight seasons in existence. Sheesh.

Late-night slate features two high-scoring affairs: After three back-and-forth periods, the Colorado Avalanche snuck away with a 7–4 win over the Dallas Stars, extending their feel-good playoff run to tomorrow’s sure-to-be-epic 8 p.m. ET Game 7 back in Dallas.

• Five total goals were scored in just the first period of the Edmonton Oilers’ 6–4 win over the LA Kings, sending the City of Stars squad out of the postseason in the first round for the fourth straight season. As for the Oil, it’s onto the next one, aka, the aforementioned Knights.