#NHLPeachy @NHL NHL Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Final Edition – June 19, 2024
* For the second straight game: the Oilers opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal, Connor McDavid netted four points, an NHL assists record fell and the Stanley Cup was in the building but not lifted.
* Evan Bouchard became the first defenseman in 43 years to collect three assists when facing elimination in the Final, breaking Paul Coffey’s single-postseason assists record by a defenseman in the process.
* Edmonton’s 13 goals over the past two games are the most while facing elimination in the Final during the League’s modern era (since 1943-44) as they fended off a Panthers comeback attempt to become the fourth club in NHL history to force Game 6 after losing the first three games of the championship series.
MCDAVID NOTCHES ANOTHER NHL FIRST TO (AGAIN) HELP EXTEND STANLEY CUP FINAL
Since the Oilers fell behind 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final, Oilers captain Connor McDavid has responded with consecutive four-point games – a first by any player at any point in 106 championship series in League history. McDavid’s efforts have helped Edmonton become the fourth team in League history to force at least a Game 6 after losing the first three games of the Final.
* McDavid (3-8—11 in 5 GP) has the most points in a Final by an active player and the most by any skater since Daniel Briere (3-9—12 in 2010 w/ PHI; 6 GP). McDavid needs two to tie the NHL record.
* McDavid now has eight points over the past two games (3-5—8), the most points when facing elimination in a Stanley Cup Final in League history – besting the previous mark last achieved 82 years ago. In 1942, Don Metz (4-3—7) and Syl Apps (3-4—7) each had seven points over four games with the Maple Leafs facing elimination against the Red Wings to spur the only successful comeback from a 3-0 series deficit in Final history. The other seven-point instance was achieved by Babe Dye with the Toronto St. Patricks in 1922 (6-1—7 in 2 GP).
* McDavid became the first player in NHL history with consecutive four-point games at any point in a Final. He and Wayne Gretzky (2x in 1985) are the only players in League history with multiple four-point games at any time in a championship series.
* McDavid (1-2—3 in P2 of Games 4 & 5) became the first player in NHL history to record multiple three-point periods in a single Stanley Cup Final. He is the third player in League history with multiple three-point periods during his career in the Final, following Bernie Geoffrion (1955: P2 in Game 6; 1959: P3 in Game 4) and Stan Mikita (1961: P3 in Game 5; 1973: P2 in Game 5).
* McDavid (8-34—42 in 23 GP) added to his NHL record for most assists in a postseason and now has the fourth-most points in a playoff year behind two entries by Gretzky and one by Mario Lemieux. McDavid (40-134—174 in 99 GP) established a career high for most points in a campaign combining regular season and playoffs.
ANOTHER ASSISTS RECORD FALLS AS BOUCHARD PASSES COFFEY
One game after Connor McDavid broke Wayne Gretzky’s record for assists in a playoff year by any player, Evan Bouchard broke one of his own by surpassing Paul Coffey’s NHL benchmark for assists by a defenseman in one postseason. Bouchard overtook his assistant coach with the first three-assist performance by a defenseman while facing elimination in the Final in 43 years.
* Bouchard collected his seventh multi-assist performance of these playoffs to tie Larry Robinson (7 in 1978) for the most by a defenseman in one postseason. Bouchard’s ninth multi-point game of the postseason put him into a tie with Brian Leetch (9 in 1994) and Coffey (9 in 1985) for the second most in a playoff year by a defenseman, behind Al MacInnis (10 in 1989).
EDMONTON EVADES ELIMINATION AGAIN, SENDS FINAL BACK TO ROGERS PLACE
The Oilers became the fourth team in NHL history to force a Game 6 after facing a 3-0 series deficit in the Stanley Cup Final, joining the 2012 Devils, 1945 Red Wings and 1942 Maple Leafs. Edmonton was the first in League history to do so by earning a road win in Game 5.
* The Oilers improved to 4-0 with their season on the line in 2024, setting a franchise record for most wins when facing elimination in a playoff year. Only eight teams in League history have had more.
* The Oilers improved to 7-5 as visitors this postseason and tied the Panthers (7-3) for the most road wins among all teams. Edmonton earned seven road wins in a playoff year for the fourth time in franchise history. It was the 46th road win overall in these playoffs, one shy of the record set in 2012 and matched last year.
* Edmonton’s 13 goals when facing elimination in the Final are the second most in NHL history behind the 19 scored by the 1942 Maple Leafs. That total includes a stretch of nine consecutive goals scored by Edmonton from Game 4 to Game 5.
PANTHERS PRESSED FOR CHANCE TO LIFT LORD STANLEY
Playing first potential Stanley Cup-clinching home game in franchise history, the Panthers pushed to the final buzzer by clawing at a pair of three-goal deficits to pull within one early in the third period – a frame in which they outshot the Oilers 10-4. There have been only six three-goal comeback wins in Stanley Cup Final history, including only one to clinch a championship (details in June 18 Live Updates).
* Evan Rodrigues (1-1—2) scored his fourth goal of the series 14 seconds after Edmonton took a 4-1 lead (the fastest two goals in the Final since 2015). Rodrigues leads the Panthers with 4-2—6 against the Oilers, accounting for more than half his goal total this postseason (7-7—14 in 22 GP) as well as the highest goal and point totals by a Panthers player in the club’s three appearances in the Final.
* Matthew Tkachuk (1-1—2) increased his totals to 6-16—22 this postseason to overtake captain Aleksander Barkov (7-14—21) for the team lead and put him two points back of the franchise record he set last year. Tkachuk notched his eighth multi-point game of these playoffs to tie Barkov (8 in 2024) for the franchise record.
McCAULEY JOINS “NHL IN ASL” TELECAST FOR GAME 5 OF STANLEY CUP FINAL
NHL referee Wes McCauley joined the “NHL in ASL” telecast for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final to serve as a rules analyst while explaining the origin of some hand signals made by officials and providing additional commentary. The telecast also featured actor Keivonn Woodard (known for role in HBO’s The Last of Us) and hockey player Katelyn Koester (member of U.S. Women’s National Deaf Hockey Team).
* Click here to watch McCauley break down the history of hand signals in the sport which included highlighting former NHL referee and Hockey Hall of Fame member Bill "The Big Whistle" Chadwick, who is credited with pioneering the practice.
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