NHL Peachy: Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Playoffs Edition – May 7, 2017
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
Home Team in Caps
OTTAWA 5, NY Rangers 4 (OT) – OTT leads 3-2
WASHINGTON 4, Pittsburgh 2 – PIT leads 3-2
DÉJÀ VU IN OTTAWA AS SENATORS MOUNT ANOTHER LATE COMEBACK WIN
Exactly one week after Jean-Gabriel Pageau tallied 4-0—4 to help the Senators rally from a trio of multi-goal deficits to win, Ottawa again climbed from a two-goal hole before tying the game late in the third period (with 1:26 remaining in regulation) and winning in overtime on the strength of a goal by Kyle Turris at 6:28 of the extra frame. The Senators hold a 3-2 series lead and sit one win away from reaching the Conference Finals for the third time in franchise history (2003 and 2007).
* Turris scored his third career playoff game-winning goal, each of which have come in overtime (all w/ OTT) – Daniel Alfredsson (2 in 121 GP) is the only other Senators player with multiple career overtime goals in the postseason.
* Elias notes that Turris, who has played 38 career playoff games (34 w/ OTT), became the seventh player in NHL history to score three overtime goals within his first 40 career postseason games. Only four players in NHL history have totaled more than four career playoff overtime goals.
* Erik Karlsson (0-3—3) registered his first career three-point game in the postseason (40 GP), including an assist on the tying and winning goals. Karlsson, who leads the Senators with 1-10—11 this postseason (11 GP), established franchise records for assists and points in one playoff year by a defenseman.
* The Senators have trailed by at least one goal in five of their seven wins this postseason, including three contests in which they erased a multi-goal deficit to win (also Game 2 of FR vs. BOS and Game 2 of SR vs. NYR). Elias notes that Ottawa rallied from a multi-goal deficit to win four times in 132 all-time playoff games prior to 2017.
* Overall, 25 of 62 games this postseason (40.3%) have seen the winning team overcome a deficit of at least one goal, including 13 that erased a multi-goal deficit to win.
LATE-GAME HEROICS CONTINUE
A tying goal was scored in the final two minutes of regulation for the second straight day and fifth time in the Second Round (20 GP).
* Overall, there have been 10 tying goals in the final five minutes of regulation in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (62 GP). Elias notes that only five other playoff years in NHL history have featured at least 10 tying goals in the final five minutes of the third period: 13 in 2012 (86 GP); 11 in 1993 (85 GP) and 2014 (93 GP); and 10 in 2001 (86 GP) and 2006 (83 GP).
* The team that scores the late tying goal has won six of the 10 such contests this postseason, with the Senators (2), Ducks (2), Oilers and Canadiens accounting for the victories.
60 IS NOT ENOUGH (YET AGAIN)
The Rangers and Senators skated in the fifth overtime game of the Second Round (20 GP) and 23rd such contest of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (62 GP). Only five playoff years in NHL history have featured more than 23 overtime games:
Most Overtime Games in One Playoff Year, NHL History
28 1993 (85 GP, 32.9%)
27 2013 (86 GP, 31.4%)
26 2014 (93 GP, 28.0%)
26 2001 (86 GP, 30.2%)
25 2012 (86 GP, 29.1%)
23 2017 (62 GP, 37.1%)
* The Senators improved to 5-1 in overtime in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs to establish a franchise record for most overtime wins in a single postseason, besting the mark set in 2003 when they posted a 4-0 record past regulation (their only other playoff year with at least four overtime contests).
CAPITALS RALLY IN THIRD PERIOD TO EXTEND SERIES
Trailing 2-1 to start the third period, the Capitals scored three unanswered goals – including goals 27 seconds apart by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin – to stave off elimination and force Game 6 against the Penguins.
* The Capitals won a playoff game in which they trailed entering the third period for the 10th time in franchise history. Saturday marked just the third time in 2016-17 (regular-season and playoffs) that the Penguins lost a game when leading after two periods – Pittsburgh ranked second in the NHL with a 37-1-1 record in that scenario during the regular-season, behind Washington (41-1-1).
* Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom, who scored the tying goal at 2:49 of the third period to trigger the comeback, share the team lead with five goals apiece this postseason. Backstrom paces the club with 5-6—11 overall in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (11 GP), including 3-2—5 in five games against the Penguins.
* Ovechkin has collected at least one point in 15 of 18 career playoff games against the Penguins (12-14—26) – an average of 1.44 points per game – including 2-3—5 in five games this year.
DID YOU KNOW?
This marks the third time in the past nine years and fifth time under the four-round Stanley Cup Playoffs format (since 1975) that all four series in the second round require at least six games. The other instances: 1986 (one decided in Game 6, three in Game 7), 1999 (all four decided in Game 6), 2009 (one decided in Game 6, three in Game 7) and 2014 (two decided in Game 6, two in Game 7).
LOOSE PUCKS
Forty-one of 62 games in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (66.1%) have been decided by one goal . . . Elias notes that 13 of 20 games in the Second Round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (65%) have featured a game-winning goal scored in either the third period (8) or overtime (5) . . . Penguins captain Sidney Crosby registered his 96th career playoff assist (all w/ PIT, 133 GP) to tie Mario Lemieux (96 in 107 GP) for first place in franchise history . . . Goaltender Craig Anderson (29 saves) registered his 17th career playoff victory with the Senators (32 GP) to move within one of tying Ray Emery (18 in 30 GP) for second place in franchise history . . . Senators forward Derick Brassard (1-0—1), who played with the Rangers from 2013-16, scored the tying goal with 1:26 remaining in regulation – his first point of the series after leading Ottawa with 2-6—8 in the First Round . . . ICYMI: The Stanley Cup made an appearance at the Kentucky Derby.
Photo via @keeperofthecup
SNEAK PEEK AT SUNDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
St. Louis @ Nashville, NSH leads 3-2, 3 p.m., SN, TVAS, NBC
Anaheim @ Edmonton, ANA leads 3-2, 7 p.m., SN, TVAS, NBCSN
PREDATORS, DUCKS SET SIGHTS ON WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL
The Western Conference Final could be set on Sunday as both the Predators and Ducks aim to advance in Game 6 of their series against the Blues and Oilers, respectively. Nashville, who has recorded three of its four series-clinching victories on home ice, aim to play past the second round for the first time in its 19-year history. Anaheim, meanwhile, has overcome a multi-goal deficit in each of its past two contests – including a historic three-goal comeback in the final 3:16 of regulation in a double-overtime victory in Game 5 – to move within one victory of its fifth appearance in the Conference Finals and second in the past three seasons.
