Well, that “U.S. backup” has Dallas on the verge of its third consecutive trip to the Western Conference Final. Oettinger mostly has outplayed Hellebuyck throughout these NHL playoffs and in the second-round Western Conference series that the Stars lead 3-1 over the top-seeded Jets.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman watched firsthand when the Winnipeg Jets defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-3 in double overtime in Game 7 of the Western Conference First Round and put that magical game in historic perspective.

The refereeing in the Jets-Stars series has not been great, and two anonymous NHL officials put them on blast for favoring Dallas in Round 2. A heated playoff series between the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets has created immense controversy after two altercation-filled instances in Game 3 on Sunday: a stick swipe at a referee and a disputed goal.

With three Canadian teams in the NHL playoffs, fans across the country are cheering from the sidelines, including those who newly call Canada home, some of whom say celebrating hockey during playoff season helps them connect with the national identity.

The SportsLine Projection Model revealed its best bets for Alex Ovechkin in Thursday's Game 5 between the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes