NHL Peachy: Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Playoffs Edition – April 30, 2017
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
Home Team in Caps
OTTAWA 6, NY Rangers 5 (2OT) – OTT leads 2-0
Pittsburgh 6, WASHINGTON 2 – PIT leads 2-0
PAGEAU’S FOUR-GOAL GAME HIGHLIGHTS SENATORS COMEBACK
Jean-Gabriel Pageau completed a hat trick with two goals in the final 3:19 of the third period and then scored his fourth goal of the game at 2:54 of the second overtime to complete a multi-goal comeback and give the Senators a 2-0 series lead for the second time in franchise history (also 2007 CF vs. BUF).
* Per Elias, Pageau is just the second player in NHL history to cap a four-goal game in the playoffs with an overtime winner – Joffrey Lupul (4-0—4) accomplished the feat for Anaheim on May 9, 2006 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Johan Franzen was the last player to score four times in a playoff game (4-2—6 on May 6, 2010 vs. SJS w/ DET).
* Pageau, an Ottawa native, recorded the second playoff hat trick of his career (also May 5, 2013 vs. MTL). He is the first player in franchise history to score four goals in a playoff game and joins Daniel Alfredsson as the only Senators to record multiple hat tricks in the postseason.
* Ottawa became the first team to overcome a two-goal deficit in the final five minutes of regulation and win a postseason game since Anaheim on April 27, 2014, when Nick Bonino and Devante Smith-Pelly scored in the final 2:10 of the third period before Bonino netted the game-winner in overtime (Game 7 of FR, 5-4 W at DAL).
* The Senators improved to 3-0 in playoff overtime contests against the Rangers, including two wins in their previous meeting in the 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Rangers and Senators skated in the 19th overtime game of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (50 GP). Last year’s entire postseason saw just 20 contests extend past regulation (91 GP). Ottawa’s comeback also marked the 20th time in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs that a team overcame a deficit to win and the 10th game in which a club rallied to win when trailing by multiple goals.
OFFENSIVE OUTBURST POWERS PENGUINS TO 2-0 SERIES LEAD
Five different Penguins recorded multi-point games, led by three-point outings from Jake Guentzel (2-1—3) and Phil Kessel (2-1—3), to propel the Penguins to a 2-0 series lead in Washington.
* Guentzel – who scored his League-leading sixth and seventh goals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs – surpassed Bryan Rust (6 G in 23 GP in 2016) for the most goals by a Penguins rookie in a single postseason. He also moved into a tie with Michel Briere as the only rookies in franchise history to score three game-winning goals in the playoffs.
* Per Elias, Guentzel became just the third player since 1943-44 to score at least seven goals in his first seven playoff games, joining Maurice Richard (10 in 1943-44) and Dino Ciccarelli (7 in 1980-81).
* Sidney Crosby (1-1—2), who has at least one point in each of his past six contests (4-7—11), registered his 52nd career multi-point game in the postseason (all w/ PIT) to pass Mario Lemieux for the most in franchise history.
* Crosby (53-95—148 in 131 GP) surpassed Jaromir Jagr (65-82—147 in 140 GP) for sole possession of second on the Penguins all-time playoff points list, behind only Lemieux (76-96—172 in 107 GP).
* Four Penguins sit atop the playoff scoring race, with Evgeni Malkin (3-10—13), – who recorded multiple points for the fifth time in seven games – Kessel (4-7—11), Crosby (4-7—11) and Guentzel (7-3—10) occupying the top four spots, respectively.
WHEN TEAMS TAKE A 2-0 SERIES LEAD…
Per Elias, teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series own an all-time series record of 309-48 (86.6%), while teams that do so on the road own an all-time record of 69-18 (79.3%).
DEVILS WIN LOTTERY, EARN FIRST SELECTION IN 2017 NHL DRAFT
The Devils (who moved up from No. 5), Flyers (who moved up from No. 13) and Stars (who moved up from No. 8) own the first, second and third overall drafting positions, respectively, for the First Round of the 2017 NHL Draft as a result of the 2017 NHL Draft Lottery Drawing in Toronto. The expansion Vegas Golden Knights, who begin play in the 2017-18 season, will select sixth.
The order of selection for the first 15 drafting positions in the First Round, only, of the 2017 NHL Draft is as follows:
1. New Jersey Devils
2. Philadelphia Flyers
3. Dallas Stars
4. Colorado Avalanche
5. Vancouver Canucks
6. Vegas Golden Knights
7. Arizona Coyotes
8. Buffalo Sabres
9. Detroit Red Wings
10. Florida Panthers
11. Los Angeles Kings
12. Carolina Hurricanes
13. Winnipeg Jets
14. Tampa Bay Lightning
15. New York Islanders
The remaining positions are determined by the results of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Click here for more details.
LOOSE PUCKS
Michael Grabner and Derek Stepan each scored shorthanded goals, marking the first time the Rangers have scored twice shorthanded in a playoff game since Brian Leetch and Darren Turcotte did so on May 1, 1992 (Game 7 of the DSF vs. NJD) . . . Brady Skjei (2-0—2) earned the first multi-goal game of his career (regular season and playoffs; 100 GP), becoming the first Rangers rookie defenseman to score two goals in a game since Brian Leetch in 1989 (DSF vs. PIT) . . . Nicklas Backstrom picked up his 57th career postseason assist to tie Dale Hunter for the most in Capitals franchise history . . . The Rostraver Ice Garden in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania was named the winner of Kraft Hockeyville USA 2017.
SNEAK PEEK AT SUNDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
St. Louis @ Nashville, series tied 1-1, 3 p.m., CBC, TVAS, NBC
Anaheim @ Edmonton, EDM leads 2-0, 7 p.m., CBC, TVAS, NBCSN
