NHL Peachy: Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Playoffs Edition – May 4, 2017
WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS
Home Team in Caps
PITTSBURGH 3, Washington 2 – PIT leads 3-1
Anaheim 4, EDMONTON 3 (OT) – series tied 2-2
MULTI-GOAL COMEBACK TREND CONTINUES
The Ducks and Capitals each erased 2-0 deficits during the second period of their respective contests on Wednesday, with Anaheim rallying to win its game in Edmonton.
* Elias notes that the Ducks became the 11th team to overcome a multi-goal deficit to win a game in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Overall, 20 of 57 games (35.1%) this postseason have seen a team erase a multi-goal deficit (regardless of final result).
* Additionally, 22 games have seen the winning team overcome a deficit of at least one goal, including 10 that erased a third-period deficit (of any margin) to win.
GETZLAF FACTORS ON ALL FOUR GOALS IN OT WIN AS DUCKS EVEN SERIES
Ryan Getzlaf (2-2—4) established and matched career highs for goals and points in a playoff game – capping the night with the lone assist on Jakob Silfverberg’s goal 45 seconds into overtime – to help the Ducks overcome a multi-goal deficit and late tying goal by the Oilers to even their Second Round series at two games apiece.
* Getzlaf scored his 35th and 36th career playoff goals (all w/ ANA) to surpass Teemu Selanne (35) for first place on the all-time franchise list. Getzlaf also holds club records for career postseason assists (76) and points (112) in 112 outings.
* Getzlaf ranks second in the League with 7-6—13 this postseason (8 GP), including 4-4—8 in the Second Round and five multi-point efforts overall. Wednesday’s four-point effort was the second such performance of his playoff career (also Game 1 of 2015 SR vs. CGY: 1-3—4); Corey Perry (2) is the only other player with multiple four-point playoff games for the Ducks.
* Silfverberg, who scored the fourth game-winning goal of his playoff career (and first in overtime, 56 GP), tied the mark for second-fastest overtime goal in Ducks playoff history, six seconds shy of the franchise record of 39 seconds set by Steve Thomas in Game 4 of the 2003 Final vs. NJD.
* Getzlaf and Silfverberg, who has a goal in each of his last four games (5-1—6), share second in the League with seven goals this postseason, one behind Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel.
* The Ducks tied a series at 2-2 after losing the first two games for the fourth time in eight instances (also 2003 F vs. NJD, 2014 SR vs. LAK and 2016 FR vs. NSH). Anaheim, however, has never rallied to win any of the previous seven such series.
* Elias notes that when teams are tied 2-2 in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoffs series, the winner of Game 5 holds an all-time series record of 196-54 (78.7%), including a 3-0 mark in 2017.
PENGUINS SURVIVE CAPITALS RALLY TO TAKE 3-1 SERIES LEAD
The Capitals erased a two-goal deficit in a span of 72 seconds, but Justin Schultz scored the tiebreaking goal less than three minutes later to help the Penguins take a 3-1 series lead and move within one victory of their second consecutive trip to the Eastern Conference Final.
* Schultz, who scored one game-winning goal during the 2016-17 regular season (78 GP), registered his first career playoff game-winning goal (24 GP). He became the eighth different defenseman to record a decisive marker this postseason.
* Marc-Andre Fleury made 36 saves to become the 16th goaltender in NHL history to win 60 career playoff games – and second to reach the milestone in as many nights (following Henrik Lundqvist w/ NYR).
* Per Elias, teams that take a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series own an all-time series record of 267-28 (90.5%), including a 3-0 record this year. Pittsburgh owns an all-time series record of 13-3 when leading 3-1.
GUENTZEL CONTINUES SCORING AT RECORD PACE
Penguins rookie Jake Guentzel tallied 1-1—2 to maintain his League lead in goals and move into a share of third in points in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (8-4—12 in 9 GP).
* Guentzel became the fourth player in the NHL’s modern era (since 1943-44) to score at least eight goals in his first nine career playoff games – and just the third to do so in a single postseason. The others: Maurice Richard (12 in 1944), Mario Lemieux (11 in 1989) and Wayne Gretzky (9 from 1980-81).
* The last rookie to score at least eight goals in a single playoff year was Boston’s Brad Marchand, who collected 11 goals in 2011 to equal the fourth-highest total by a rookie in one playoff year in NHL history.
TOP 50 GREATEST NHL TEAMS TO COMPETE IN SECOND ROUND OF VOTING
After more than three weeks of fan voting, the list of contenders for the title of the NHL’s Greatest Team has been narrowed from 96 to 50 for the second round of voting, which begins today at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT. Part of the NHL’s Centennial celebration, The Greatest NHL Teams competition runs until May 25, with fans determining the outcome of head-to-head matchups between championship clubs through a unique, interactive digital and mobile program.
Click here for more information.
LOOSE PUCKS
The Ducks and Oilers skated in the 21st overtime game of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (57 GP, 36.8%), with road teams improving to 13-8 in those contests . . . Of the 57 games contested in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, 38 have been decided by one goal (66.7%) . . . Oilers forward Drake Caggiula scored his first career playoff goal with 1:42 remaining in the third period – the eighth tying goal in the final five minutes of regulation this postseason and second by Edmonton (also Oscar Klefbom: Game 5 of FR vs. SJS) . . . Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin notched an assist to extend his lead in playoff scoring (4-12—16 in 9 GP) . . . Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (0-2—2) posted his third multi-point game of the playoffs; he leads the team with 2-8—10 in 10 GP.
SNEAK PEEK AT THURSDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Ottawa @ NY Rangers, OTT leads 2-1, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN, CBC, TVAS
