NHL Playoffs 2017: 1st Round Sets Record with 18 Overtime Games

The Washington Capitals advanced past the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 2-1 overtime victory Sunday at Air Canada Centre and helped the NHL set some history in the process.According to NHL Public Relations, 18 of the 42 first-round playoff games to this point have reached overtime this year, which is a league record.Washington's thrilling 4-2 series win over Toronto was the primary catalyst behind the record, as five of the six contests went into overtime. The Maple Leafs' Game 2 win went into double-overtime.Just a cursory look at this season's standings indicates how close the league was, which has played out with so many overtime games in the postseason.A mere eight points separated the first-place Montreal Canadiens from the fourth-place Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division, four teams scored more than 100 points in the Metropolitan Division, three points differentiated the first-place Chicago Blackhawks from the second-place Minnesota Wild in the Central Division and two points separated the first-place Anaheim Ducks from the Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division."To me, this is much the same," Nashville Predators general manager David Poile said of the overtime pace in the playoffs, per Kevin Allen and Peter Barzilai ofUSA Today. "The parity of the regular season has just carried over into the playoffs."That parity promises for a thrilling remainder of the playoffs if the first round is any indication.For more news, rumors and related stories about the NHL, check out the NHL stream on Bleacher Report's app.
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