Captains are leading the way into the second round of the NHL playoffs. Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog had eight points in a sweep of St. Louis. Boston’s Patrice Bergeron scored twice in the clincher against Washington. Blake Wheeler was tied as Winnipeg’s leading scorer and blocked a shot in the midsection at a key moment. Every team with a healthy captain that advanced got significant contributions from him. Meanwhile the New York Islanders without injured Anders Lee and Toronto Maple Leafs since losing John Tavares have rallied around the absence of their captains. All this a year after Tampa Bay won the Cup with Steven Stamkos missing all but one game.
