* Twenty-two-year-old Akira Schmid posted the fifth Game 7 shutout by a rookie goaltender in Stanley Cup Playoffs history and backstopped the Devils to their first postseason series win in 11 years.
* A 50-game First Round filled with overtime, upsets, thrilling finishes and unexpected standout performances concluded Monday. Click here for all the #NHLStats and storylines you need to know as the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs continue.
* The eight remaining teams have won a combined zero of the past 16 Stanley Cup championships, with Carolina – the last winner – entering the Second Round as one of five remaining clubs with at least one title (also TOR: 13x; last in 1967, EDM: 5x; last in 1990, NJD: 3x; last in 2003 & DAL: 1999).
* The Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs begins tonight with a pair of first-ever postseason meetings between the Panthers and Maple Leafs as well as the Kraken and Stars.
SCHMID STIFLES RANGERS AS DEVILS CAPTURE GAME 7 VICTORY
Ondrej Palat (0-2—2), whose seven career Game 7s are the most among the Devils current roster, factored on two of four goals and 22-year-old Akira Schmid turned aside all 31 shots he faced to backstop New Jersey past New York and to its first playoff series win since the 2012 Conference Finals.
* Schmid, the fifth rookie goaltender in NHL history to register a Game 7 shutout, posted his second such performance of the First Round (also Game 5). He became the 10th rookie netminder to record multiple outings in a single series and first since Matt Murray (2 in 2017 SCF w/ PIT); the only one with more is Frank McCool (3 in 1945 SCF w/ TOR).
* Schmid, who entered the series in Game 3 and never looked back, posted a 1.38 goals-against average and .951 save percentage to outduel 2021-22 Vezina Trophy-winner Igor Shesterkin – a stretch that also included a 23-save shutout in Game 5 at Prudential Center. Schmid joined Ilya Bryzgalov (Game 1 & 2 of 2006 CSF) and Hal Winkler (Game 1 of 1927 SF & Game 1 of 1927 SCF) as the third rookie netminder in Stanley Cup Playoffs history with consecutive home shutouts.
* New Jersey, which fell behind 2-0 in this series, is the second team in as many days to advance to the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs after overcoming a multi-game series deficit; Florida climbed back from a 3-1 hole to eliminate Presidents’ Trophy-winning and NHL record-setting Boston. The 2023 First Round became the 12th opening round in League history to feature multiple teams achieve the feat, with five of those occurrences taking place in the past 20 years: 2019 (2), 2014 (3), 2013 (2), 2011 (2) and 2003 (3).
* The Devils will face the Hurricanes in the 2023 Second Round. New Jersey is 1-3 all-time in series against Carolina, with its only win against the franchise coming in the 2001 Conference Quarterfinals (4-2 W). In their previous four matchups, the team that advanced made it to the Stanley Cup Final three times (NJD in 2001; CAR in 2002 & 2006). Click here for a few more #NHLStats on their matchup.
THE WAIT IS OVER: OFF TO THE SECOND ROUND
The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs marks the first time the Devils have won a playoff series in 11 years, when they also defeated the Rangers in six games during the 2012 Conference Finals. New Jersey is the second team to end a lengthy wait for a postseason series win this year and did so three days after Toronto captured its first since the 2004 Conference Quarterfinals.
FIRST ROUND RECAP BY #NHLSTATS – 2023 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
Storylines were aplenty as the first 15 days of the two-month journey that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs brought an end to the First Round, a stretch that included storylines like a team overcoming a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate the team with the best regular-season record in NHL history and a second-year franchise dethroning the reigning Stanley Cup champions to win its first-ever playoff series.
* For a second straight year there were at least 50 games played in the opening round. Overall, the 2023 First Round (50) is one of four in Stanley Cup Playoffs history with 50+ games, following the 2022 First Round (51), 1991 Division Semifinals (51) and 1992 Division Semifinals (54).
* For the second straight year and fifth time in NHL history, a Stanley Cup Playoffs round had at least seven series requiring 6+ games. The 2023 First Round (7) joined a list that already included the 1991 Division Semifinals (8), 1992 Division Semifinals (8), 2010 Conference Quarterfinals (7) and 2022 First Round (7). This marked the third time in five years that the First Round had at least three Game 7s.
* Road teams went 31-19 to set an NHL record for most wins by the visitors in any round, besting the previous mark set during the 2012 Conference Quarterfinals (30-18) – a postseason in which a record-setting 47 road wins were claimed overall.
* All 16 teams had at least one road victory, marking the second time in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) that all playoff teams claimed at least one victory as visitors (also 2012).
* Seven of eight advancing teams faced a series deficit in the First Round, tied for the most in one round in NHL history (also 7 in 2010 Conference Quarterfinals). Carolina is the only outlier.
* Click here to read more #NHLStats and storylines that concluded a 50-game First Round filled with overtime, upsets, thrilling finishes and unexpected standout performances.
QUICK CLICKS
* May 1, 2023 Edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates
* 2023 NHL Awards finalists to be announced starting Tuesday
* NHL announces schedule for Games 1, 2 of Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round
* NHL Power Players seeks fans aged 13-17 to serve as youth advisory board
* The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sportsnet is the most-watched program every night since April 17
2023 SECOND ROUND STARTS TONIGHT
The Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs begins with a doubleheader broadcast nationally in the U.S. and Canada (ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC) as the Maple Leafs clash with the Panthers and the Stars host the Kraken in Dallas.
* For the first time in four years, the Presidents’ Trophy-winning team and most recent Stanley Cup Finalists will all be absent from the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs – the last time that occurred was in 2019, when Washington, Vegas and Tampa Bay all fell in the First Round.
* There have been 292 unique series matchups in NHL history, including three in the 2023 Second Round: Florida-Toronto, Edmonton-Vegas and Seattle-Dallas.
* For the fifth time under the Wild Card format, two Wild Card clubs advanced past the opening round. The Panthers (WC2) and Kraken (WC1) will look to follow in the footsteps of the 2018-19 Hurricanes and 2016-17 Predators – the only two Wild Card teams to advance past the Second Round since the format was introduced in 2014. Nashville is the only Wild Card team to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
* Among the teams competing in the 2023 Second Round, there have been a combined five Stanley Cup wins in the past 30 years, with Carolina’s 2006 championship being the most recent (the others: NJD in 2003, 2000 & 1995; DAL in 1999).
* The Golden Knights have the most players on their roster with Stanley Cup Final experience among the eight remaining clubs (12), followed by the Stars (10), Kraken (6), Maple Leafs (6), Hurricanes (5), Devils (3), Oilers (3) and Panthers (3).
JOURNEY TO CONFERENCE FINALS BEGIN FOR PANTHERS, MAPLE LEAFS
After advancing past the opening round for the first time in 19 years, the Maple Leafs host the Panthers – who are fresh off a series win against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Bruins – at Scotiabank Arena for the first game of their Second Round series. Both clubs are looking to advance past the second round for the first time in more than 20 years (TOR: 2002 & FLA: 1996).
* Toronto, which went 3-0-1 against Florida (FLA: 1-2-1) in the regular season, is the last remaining Original Six team in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth time since the NHL’s expansion era (1967-68), following the 2001 Conference Semifinals, 1999 Conference Finals and the 1976 Preliminary Round.
* Current Panthers head coach Paul Maurice spent two seasons with the Maple Leafs from 2006-07 to 2007-08. During his tenure, he went 76-66-22 in 164 games. Prior to his time behind the Toronto bench, Maurice also coached against the club in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, guiding the Hurricanes to a six-game series victory during the 2002 Eastern Conference Final and helped the franchise earn its first-ever Final appearance.
* Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk (5-6—11 in 7 GP) andToronto’s Mitchell Marner (2-9—11 in 6 GP), who were both members of the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League when they won the Memorial Cup in 2016, are tied for the second-most points in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tkachuk enters Game 1 one point shy of tying teammate Carter Verhaeghe (6-6—12 in 2021-22) for the fourth most by a Panthers player in a single postseason, while Marner can become the third player in Maple Leafs history to record 10 assists in a postseason in seven or fewer games – he would join Darryl Sittler (6 GP in 1977) and Gary Leeman (7 GP in 1986).
CINDERELLA STORY CONTINUES FOR KRAKEN IN SECOND ROUND SERIES WITH STARS
The Kraken visit the Stars for Game 1 of the 2023 Second Round after ousting the reigning Stanley Cup-champion Avalanche on Sunday to keep their storybook sophomore season going. Seattle can become the 10th team in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) to win their first-ever game in a second round series – a feat most recently achieved by Winnipeg (2018 R2 vs. NSH) and Vegas (2018 R2 vs. SJS).
* The Kraken will look to become the sixth franchise to record two or more series wins within its first two seasons in the League – they would join the Blues (4) Golden Knights (3), Canadiens (2), Maroons (2) and Rangers (2).
* The Stars/North Stars are 1-1 all-time against franchises making their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with both series coming in the first postseason of the NHL’s expansion (1968) when the club itself was in the playoffs for the first time – the North Stars defeated the Kings in the Quarterfinals (4-3 W) and then lost to the Blues in the Semifinals (4-3 L).
* Seattle’s Yanni Gourde (1-5—6 in 7 GP) and Dallas’ Roope Hintz (5-7—12 in 6 GP) lead their respective teams in scoring entering the Second Round and are no strangers to squaring off in the postseason – Hintz clashed with Gourde in the 2020 Stanley Cup while the latter was a member of the eventual champion Lightning. Hintz returns home to American Airlines Center for Game 1 following a three- and four-point outing in his past two appearances there and can become just the second player in Stars/North Stars history to record three consecutive home playoff games with three or more points (Bobby Smith: 3 GP in 1981).
