NHL Peachy: Morning Skate -- Special Edition: Stanley Cup Playoffs – May 21, 2017
SUNDAY’S RESULT
Home Team in Caps
PITTSBURGH 7, Ottawa 0 – PIT leads 3-2
OFFENSIVE OUTBURST LEADS PENGUINS TO 3-2 SERIES LEAD
Pittsburgh scored four goals in the first period en route to a 7-0 victory in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final. The Penguins moved within one win of reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight season and aim to become the first NHL team to make consecutive appearances since they faced the Red Wings in back-to-back years in 2008 (DET: 4-2) and 2009 (PIT: 4-3).
* The Penguins earned a margin of victory of at least seven goals in a playoff shutout for the fourth time in franchise history. In fact, Game 5 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Final marked just the third time in the past 10 playoff years that a team earned a shutout with a margin of victory of at least seven goals, and the second time this postseason (SJS: 7-0 W vs. EDM in Game 4 of FR).
* Elias notes that in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68), Game 5 marked just the fifth time a team earned a margin of victory of at least seven goals in a shutout in the Conference Finals/Semi-Finals or later, and the first since 2002 (DET: 7-0 W vs. COL in Game 7 of CF).
* It also marked the first seven-goal margin of any kind in a Conference Finals game since the same Detroit victory in 2002 (7-0 W vs. COL).
* Pittsburgh’s four goals in the first 20 minutes of Game 5 were two shy of the franchise playoff record for most goals in a period (6), achieved in the opening frame of Game 5 of the 1989 Division Finals vs. PHI (10-7 W).
* Evgeni Malkin collected three assists and leads all skaters with 6-17—23 in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (17 GP). Malkin (54-98—152 in 141 GP) became the 29th player in NHL history to record 150 career postseason points and leapfrogged Mario Lemieux (96) for second on the franchise’s all-time assists list. Malkin also skated in his 141st career playoff game (all w/ PIT) to pass Jaromir Jagr (140) for the most in franchise history.
* Matt Murray, who made his first start of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 4, denied 25 shots in Game 5 to record his second career postseason shutout (also Game 4 of 2016 FR at NYR). He improved to 17-6 in 24 career playoff appearances (1.97 GAA, .927 SV%, 2 SO).
* When teams are tied 2-2 in a best-of-seven series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the winner of Game 5 holds an all-time series record of 198-54, including a 5-0 mark this postseason.
CROSBY CONTINUES TO PRODUCE IN POSTSEASON
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (1-1—2) scored for the third straight game (3-2—5) and ranks second among all skaters with 7-12—19 in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (16 GP).
* Crosby (56-100—156 in 140 GP) became the 22nd player in NHL history to record 100 career postseason assists and just the second active skater, joining Jaromir Jagr (78-123—201 in 208 GP). Elias adds that only three players in the past 20 years have reached the 100-assist milestone in fewer playoff games: Adam Oates in 1998 (126 GP), Al MacInnis in 1999 (132 GP) and Peter Forsberg in 2006 (136 GP).
* Crosby has recorded 38 points versus the Senators in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, his most against any NHL opponent (17-21—38 in 25 GP).
LOOSE PUCKS
Penguins forward Carter Rowney (0-3—3) collected his first three career playoff points (12 GP) . . . Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta opened the scoring for the second straight game and has collected 2-5—7 in 17 games in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, matching his total from the 2016-17 regular season (1-6—7 in 55 GP) . . . Penguins forward Matt Cullen scored his second goal of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (17 GP). Elias adds that Cullen became the first player to score multiple goals in a single postseason at 40 years of age or older since Teemu Selanne in 2014 (2 w/ ANA) . . . Sweden defeated Canada in a shootout to win the gold medal at the 2017 IIHF World Hockey Championship, while Russia defeated Finland to earn the bronze . . . Actor Michael Keaton, a Pennsylvania native, was in attendance at PPG Paints Arena for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final . . . ICYMI: A big crowd of enthusiastic fans greeted the Predators at the airport as they returned to Nashville for Monday’s Game 6.
SNEAK PEEK AT MONDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Anaheim @ Nashville, NSH leads 3-2, 8 p.m., CBC, TVAS, NBCSN
PREDATORS AIM TO CLINCH FIRST-EVER BERTH IN THE STANLEY CUP FINAL
The Predators, who began play in 1998-99 and are competing in their 10th postseason, aim to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history when they host the Ducks in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final at Bridgestone Arena. Nashville owns a 3-2 series lead for the third time in franchise history and have won Game 6 in each of the two previous instances – the 2011 Conference Quarterfinals vs. ANA and the 2017 Second Round vs. STL. The Predators own a 6-1 record at home during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs while the Ducks are 5-2 on the road, including a 3-2 overtime victory in Game 4 to snap Nashville’s playoff home win streak at 10 games.
