NHL Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Final Edition – June 13, 2024

June 13, 2024

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* Connor McDavid and the Oilers return to Rogers Place for Game 3 as Edmonton is ready to host the first Stanley Cup Final game in Canada in front of a full arena in 13 years.

* Stuart Skinner, the hometown kid who was born in Edmonton, will have the opportunity to become the third Alberta-born goaltender to earn a win in a Stanley Cup Final game.

* Evan Rodrigues has scored on all three shots on goal he has had this series – the first player on record (since 1998) to score on each of his first three shots of the Stanley Cup Final – to inspire a look back at other unsung heroes in the championship series.

ALBERTA BOUND: MCDAVID, OILERS READY FOR GAME 3 AGAINST TKACHUK, PANTHERS

Connor McDavid and the Oilers return to Rogers Place to face Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers, who will try to match a franchise playoff record for longest winning streak and take a 3-0 series lead in a best-of-seven for the fifth time in club history. Tkachuk, whose key defensive play helped prevent a McDavid breakaway goal in Game 2, knows the spotlight of the Stanley Cup Final shines bright on both sides of the 49th parallel as he gets set for the first Final games in Canada in front of a full arena since 2011.

* McDavid and Tkachuk have clashed 19 times in Edmonton, including 17 contests as part of the “Battle of Alberta” when Tkachuk was with the Flames. That rivalry includes five playoff games (two at Rogers Place) during the 2022 Second Round, a series that opened with a Tkachuk hat trick in an unforgettable 9-6 thriller in Game 1. McDavid (3-9—12) and Leon Draisaitl (2-15—17) combined for 29 points in the series and teamed up on the overtime winner in Game 5 that eliminated their provincial rivals in what was Tkachuk’s last game with Calgary.

* Tkachuk isn’t the only Florida player who knows what it’s like to be part of one of the most storied rivalries in hockey – teammates Sam Bennett and Ryan Lomberg also skated with Tkachuk on the Flames. Bennett opened the series with 11 hits, the most in a Stanley Cup Final game since Game 2 of the 2022 Final (Darren Helm: 12) and has a point in seven of his past eight games, including an active five-game point streak.

* McDavid and the Oilers will look to halt the winning streak and turn the tide in the series on home ice. Much like that last time a Stanley Cup Final game was played in Canada, 2011 also was the last time a team overcame a 2-0 series deficit in the Final to win the Stanley Cup. Edmonton will look to start a comeback with a Game 3 victory at Rogers Place, where they are 6-3 this postseason.

SKINNER AT HOME IN EDMONTON, BOBROVKSY AIMS FOR SUCCESS ON THE ROAD

The goaltending storylines in Game 3 will see Edmonton’s own Stuart Skinner try to back his hometown club to its first Stanley Cup Final victory since 2006 when he takes the net across from Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, who has allowed only two goals against in his past 180:50 of play.

* Born in Edmonton, Skinner was seven years old the last time the Oilers were in the Stanley Cup Final and heads home with a chance to become the third Alberta-born goaltender to win a Final game for either the Oilers or Flames. Alberta-born goaltenders are 42-38 all-time in the championship series, including a 13-4 record in the province –Grant Fuhr (Spruce Grove, Alta., 14-5 w/ EDM) and Mike Vernon (Calgary, Alta., 5-6 w/ CGY) account for 30 of the 80 decisions overall, including all 17 for Final games played in the province (Fuhr: 10-1; Vernon: 3-3).

* The number of Alberta-born goaltenders to play in the Stanley Cup Final doesn’t even hit double digits, with Skinner and Fuhr the only ones to play in the series for Edmonton. The last from that group to win in the Final for any club was Chris Osgood with the Red Wings in Game 5 of the 2009 Final in Detroit.

* Bobrovsky has allowed two goals or less in five straight games – including one or a shutout in each of his past three – and 15 times overall this postseason. The 35-year-old two-time Vezina Trophy winner, who broke into the NHL as an undrafted free agent in 2010-11, has seven outings in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs in which he has allowed one goal or less – including both so far in the Final where he has stopped all 35 shots against in the second and third periods (16 in P2, 19 in P3).

* Only a dozen goaltenders in NHL history have allowed three or fewer goals against through the first three games of a Stanley Cup Final (including Clint Benedict twice). The only active goaltender to achieve that feat was Jonathan Quick in 2012 en route to winning the Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy (3 GA in 3 GP).

RODRIGUES’ PERFORMANCE INSPIRES LOOK AT UNSUNG HEROES IN STANLEY CUP FINAL

After scoring three times in 17 games through the Conference Finals, Evan Rodrigues has matched that count through the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final – tied for the most goals by a player through their first two career games of a Final over the past 91 years. Over that same span, the most goals by a player through his first three career appearances in the Final is four, achieved by Jake Guentzel (2017), Steve Payne (1981), Denis Potvin (1980) and Rod Gilbert (1972).

* Before Rodrigues, the last player with at least three goals in the Final after scoring three or fewer in the playoffs up to that point was Corey Perry in 2020 with the Stars (2 G through CF, 3 G in SCF).

* Rodrigues, who is playing on his fourth team in five seasons and has never had a 50-point campaign in the regular-season, inspired a look back at other “unsung” Stanley Cup Final performances in recent memory. Click here to read more about Devante Smith-Pelly (2018), Brad Marchand (2011), Ville Leino (2010), Max Talbot (2009), Fernando Pisani (2006) and Mike Rupp (2003).

BOUCHARD CLIMBS ALL-TIME LIST, SETS NEW NHL EDGE BENCHMARK

Evan Bouchard notched an assist in Game 2 to become the outright leader among active defensemen for assists in a single postseason, collecting his 22nd to surpass Cale Makar (21 in 2022). He now trails only Paul Coffey (25 in 1985), his assistant coach, along with Al MacInnis (24 in 1989) and Brian Leetch (23 in 1994) on the all-time list.

* In addition to topping NHL defensemen in goals (6; tied), assists (22) and points (28) this postseason, Bouchard has blasted 30 shots that NHL EDGE tracking registered at 90+ mph. Bouchard entered the Final with 22 shots of 90+ mph but has registered eight so far against the Panthers (by far the most of any player this series) and established a new single-postseason high since tracking began in 2019-20 (besting Victor Hedman: 22 in 2022).

‘NHL IN ASL’ RETURNS FOR GAME 3, ‘STANLEY CUP LIVE’ GOES PRE-GAME
The “NHL in ASL” broadcast – a first-of-its-kind telecast dedicated to the Deaf community – will continue in Game 3. The telecast will feature intermission guest Kevin Delaney, president of the American Hearing Impaired Hockey Association (AHIHA), a hockey school established by Stanley Cup champion Stan Mikita. The Game 3 telecast will also feature live look-ins at AHIHA campers’ reactions as they enjoy the game. Recaps of Game 1 and Game 2 are available on NHL.com and the NHL’s YouTube page.

* Before the action begins, catch the “Stanley Cup Live presented by New Amsterdam Vodka” pre-game show on the NHL’s YouTube channel starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. Before Game 2, hosts Jason Demers and Alexa Landestoy, were joined by former Panthers player and current Shawn Thornton.

* ICYMI: Global superstar and five-time GRAMMY winner Shania Twain and four-time JUNO Award-winning rock band Our Lady Peace will headline free musical performances outside Rogers Place in Edmonton, kicking off with Our Lady Peace ahead of Game 3. Click here for more.