BC in the NHL Playoffs, May 14: Pens, Kings Win

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The first games of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs are in the books, and the two teams with Boston College players have taken leads in their respective series.

In Pittsburgh, the Penguins came up with a big 4-1 win over a tenacious Ottawa Senators team to go ahead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Brooks Orpik was quiet in the points column but he did make an impact on the defensive end of the ice, poking some pucks away in the Penguins own zone and registering four hits. Orpik also blocked two shots.

On the other side of the country, the defending Cup champion Los Angeles Kings hosted the San Jose Sharks, and former Hockey East goalie Jonathan Quick pitched a 2-0 shutout. Ex-Eagle Rob Scuderi may be a defenseman, but he did have an offensive impact, assisting on the Kings’ second goal in the second period and being on the ice for both Los Angeles scores. He also blocked a shot and threw a hit.

On Wednesday, the Detroit Red Wings of Patrick Eaves will face Ben Smith’s Chicago Blackhawks, though Smith is not expected to appear. Meanwhile, the AHL’s Calder Cup playoffs on Wednesday will see a number of former Eagles in action, particularly in the Providence vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton series. Five ex-Eagles are there, including four for the Pittsburgh AHL affiliate and one, Tommy Cross, playing for the Bruins’ minor league team.