The kids are taking over the NHL playoffs

Key Takeaways

- Alex Newhook has five goals in 10 playoff games after scoring 13 in 42 regular-season games — a player who looks like he's chasing a second Cup with Montreal, not Colorado. - Jakub Dobes is 4-0 with a .946 save percentage in starts following losses, posting .918 overall with a 2.13 GAA through 10 playoff starts. - Beckett Sennecke, 20, ended Anaheim's 0-for-11 power play drought with two man-advantage goals in Game 4 against Vegas. - Kirill Kaprizov leads all playoff scorers with 14 points in nine games, dragging Minnesota back into a series they trailed 3-0. - Montreal needs two road wins to close out Buffalo. Anaheim heads to Vegas tied 2-2. The Calder Trophy finalists are dominating in the second round.

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Alex Newhook scored 13 goals in 42 games during the regular season. In 10 playoff games he's got five.

That's not a hot streak.

That's a player flipping a switch nobody knew was there.

His Game 3 had an asterisk attached.

His second goal was an awarded empty-netter after Rasmus Dahlin hooked him on a clear path to goal. The puck never crossed the line. Dahlin's stick did all the work. Officials got it right, and Newhook was credited with his fourth goal in two games.

He's now one of three players from Newfoundland to win a Stanley Cup.

He looks like he's chasing a second with Montreal instead of Colorado. Players who've felt that kind of winning don't panic when the lights get bright.

They get louder.

Jakub Dobes isn't playing like a rookie anymore

Dobes has a .918 save percentage and a 2.13 GAA through 10 playoff starts.

These aren't backup numbers.

These are franchise goaltender numbers.

The kid from Czechia has been especially lethal after losses this postseason. Four starts following a loss. Four wins. A .946 save percentage when Montreal's back is against the wall.

That's not luck.

That's a goalie who belongs on this stage.

Buffalo's emotions boiled over in Game 3. The Sabres got pushed around in their own building.

That's a terrible sign for a young team trying to survive in Montreal.

How the Canadiens are overwhelming Buffalo

Montreal dressed six different goal scorers in Game 3's 6-2 win.

Newhook had two. Caufield and Slafkovsky both snapped goal droughts.

Bolduc and Dach found the net too.

The Canadiens are getting contributions from everywhere.

Buffalo's young core is cracking under the pressure in front of a raucous Bell Centre crowd.

Montreal needs just two road wins now to close out a series most people expected the Sabres to take.

Beckett Sennecke is making the Calder race look absurd

Sennecke is 20 years old.

Twenty.

He had 23 goals and 60 points in the regular season. He wasn't even supposed to be this good this fast.

Now he's got a three-game goal streak and four playoff goals total for Anaheim.

He's threatening Trevor Zegras' rookie playoff scoring records.

He was drafted third overall less than a year ago.

The Calder Trophy finalists don't usually show up in the second round playing like veterans.

Here's the real kicker: Anaheim's power play was 0-for-11 through Games 1 through 3 against Vegas. Then Game 4 happened. Two power play goals. Both Sennecke. Both Killorn.

The Ducks needed that response exactly when it mattered.

They were down 2-1 in the series and looking dead after Game 3.

Now they're tied 2-2 heading back to Vegas with everything to gain.

One road win. That's all they need to take control of a series nobody gave them a chance to win.

Kirill Kaprizov is doing things nobody else can

Kaprizov has 14 points in nine playoff games. He leads all scorers in these playoffs.

His Game 3 against Colorado included a bar-down goal, two assists, and a plus-5 rating.

The Wild were down 3-0 in the series before he dragged them back into it.

That's what a difference-maker looks like.

That's what a player worth building around looks like.

Montreal goes for a 3-1 series lead Monday night. Colorado tries to eliminate Minnesota. The Ducks head back to Vegas with real momentum.

The kids aren't just playing.

They're taking over.

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