NHL Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Playoffs Edition – May 20, 2024

May 20, 2024

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* The Oilers and Canucks close out the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs in a rare all-Canadian Game 7 at 9 p.m. ET on Monday, with the winner advancing to face the Stars in the Western Conference Final. The contest is available on ESPN in the U.S. as well as on Sportsnet, TVA Sports and CBC in Canada.

* Star players for both Edmonton and Vancouver will look to shine when the lights are brightest and help their team advance, while multiple veterans with the Oilers and Canucks find themselves already among (or about to join) rare Game 7 company.

* The Rangers and Panthers compete in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. The contest starts at 8 p.m. ET and is available on ESPN and ESPN+ in the U.S. as well as on Sportsnet, TVA Sports and CBC in Canada.

SECOND ROUND WRAPS UP WITH OILERS, CANUCKS CLASHING IN GAME 7 ON MONDAY

The Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs concludes with Edmonton and Vancouver vying for victory in a winner-take-all showdown at Rogers Arena. Click here for the latest #NHLStats Pack ahead of Game 7.

* The Oilers will contest their 12th Game 7 in franchise history and first since the 2022 First Round, when Connor McDavid factored on both goals in a shutout win against the Kings. Edmonton is 7-4 in its 11 previous Game 7s, with its .636 winning percentage in those contests standing as the sixth highest in NHL history.

* The Canucks will compete in their 13th Game 7 in club history and first since the 2020 Second Round, where they fell to the Golden Knights in the neutral-site bubble at Rogers Place. Vancouver is vying for its first victory in a winner-take-all showdown since the 2011 Conference Quarterfinals, when Alexandre Burrows buried the overtime clincher versus the reigning-champion Blackhawks.

* Monday marks the 15th Game 7 in NHL history to feature two Canadian teams and first since the 2021 First Round, where current Oilers teammates Corey Perry and Brett Kulak helped the Canadiens defeat Zach Hyman, Ilya Mikheyev and the Maple Leafs. Vancouver has earned two Game 7 wins versus domestic opponents, including in the 1994 Conference Quarterfinals when Pavel Bure buried the double-overtime clincher after Kirk McLean made “The Save” on Flames forward Robert Reichel.

WINNER-TAKE-ALL SHOWDOWN SET TO FEATURE SEVERAL STARS, GAME 7 VETERANS
The rosters for both Edmonton and Vancouver feature a mix of star players and Game 7 veterans all sharing the common goal of clinching a berth in the Western Conference Final:

* Connor McDavid (1-1—2 in 2 GP) and Leon Draisaitl (0-1—1 in 2 GP) will contest the third Game 7 of their NHL career, following the 2022 First Round as well as the 2017 Second Round where they fell to now-teammate Corey Perry and the Ducks. Perry (4-2—6 in 10 GP) has the most career goals, points and appearances in Game 7s among current Oilers and Canucks players.

* Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson will compete in the second Game 7 of their NHL career, following the 2020 Second Round. J.T. Miller (0-1—1 in 4 GP) also skated in that contest, which marked his fourth career Game 7 after appearing in winner-take-all showdowns with the Lightning (2018 CF) and Rangers (2015 CF & 2015 R2).

* Mattias Janmark (3-0—3 in 3 GP) scored the eighth and most recent Game 7 hat trick in NHL history, doing so with the Golden Knights in the 2021 First Round. Ian Cole (0-1—1 in 8 GP) skated across from Janmark with the Wild in that contest.

* Cole and Perry could appear in a Game 7 with their fifth different franchise. Cole contested winner-take-all showdowns with the Hurricanes, Wild, Avalanche and Penguins, while Perry did so with the Lightning, Canadiens, Stars and Ducks.

BOTH SETS OF STARTING GOALTENDERS, HEAD COACHES WILL MAKE GAME 7 DEBUT
Stuart Skinner, Calvin Pickard and Arturs Silovs – the three netminders who have played in the Second Round series between the Oilers and Canucks – have yet to appear in a Game 7, while Kris Knoblauch and Rick Tocchet will be behind the bench for the first winner-take-all showdown of their NHL head coaching career. The last time both starting goaltenders and bench bosses made their Game 7 debut during the same contest was in the 2008 Conference Quarterfinals between the Flyers (Martin Biron & John Stevens) and Capitals (Cristobal Huet & Bruce Boudreau).