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

April 20, 2024

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* After the full playoff bracket was finalized in the last 81 seconds of regulation play in the 2023-24 regular season, the focus shifts to night one of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs as four teams embark on their championship-seeking journeys Saturday.

* The first night of the playoffs features two matchups between familiar foes: the Islanders and Hurricanes are meeting for the third time in six postseasons, followed by the Maple Leafs and Bruins renewing a 99-year-old rivalry that will now include four playoff series since 2013.

* NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman joined Ryan and Ashley Smith, owners of the new NHL franchise in Utah, for a press conference at Delta Center, where the club will begin play in 2024-25.

WHO WILL IT BE?

This year’s playoff field includes the winners of the past four Stanley Cups, four clubs that have never won a championship and six looking for their first title in 30-plus years – with all embarking on what will eventually become a two-month journey for two teams that reach the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. The rollercoaster of upsets, overtime games, unsung heroes, and memorable moments begins with two games tonight and six this weekend, with plenty of #NHLStats to keep you in the know before, during and after every game of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

* #NHLStats Pack: 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Cheat Sheet

* Clinched: #NHLStats Packs for Teams in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs

* Matchups: #NHLStats for Confirmed Series in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs
* 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Interactive Information Guide

* #NHLStats: Live Updates – Stanley Cup Playoffs Editions

HURRICANES, ISLANDERS HOPE RECENT SUCCESS, ADDITIONS LEAD TO DEEP RUN
The puck will drop on the first game of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday evening, when the Hurricanes host the Islanders in Game 1 at PNC Arena. This will mark the second consecutive postseason the teams face each other (CAR 4-2 W in 2023 R1) and the third time in six seasons (CAR 4-0 W in 2019 R2).

* The 2023 First Round between these clubs included four one-goal games, two overtime winners by Carolina (Jesper Fast in Game 2 & Paul Stastny in Game 6) and a goal-differential of one across the entire series (CAR: 16; NYI: 15). Sebastian Aho (4-3—7 in 6 GP) led all players on both teams in scoring in the series, finding the score sheet in five of six games including the tying goal in the third period of Game 6 to set the stage for Stastny to score the series-clinching overtime goal.

* Both clubs are hoping in-season additions help push their franchise deeper into the postseason. Carolina added Stanley Cup champions Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov before the trade deadline. Guentzel, whose 0.59 goals per game rate in the playoffs is the second highest among active skaters (tied; min. 10 GP), shared the team lead in points from March 7 (the day he was acquired) onward. Patrick Roy, who won four Stanley Cups on the ice, began his tenure as Islanders head coach Jan. 21 and can become the second person to win the Cup as both a goaltender and head coach (he would join Lester Patrick who famously made one NHL appearance as a goaltender).

* The Hurricanes (7) and Islanders (6) are among the League leaders in series wins over the past five playoff years (since 2019). Over that five-season span, Carolina advanced past the opening round four times and made two trips to the Conference Finals (2019 & 2023) while New York advanced past the opening round three times, earning a spot in the Conference Finals/Semifinals twice (2020 & 2021).

ALL EYES ON PASTRNAK, MATTHEWS IN ORIGINAL SIX SHOWDOWN

An Original Six rivalry in primetime on Saturday to help open the Stanley Cup Playoffs will pit two of the League’s 100-point scorers against each other as 69-goal and 107-point Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews leads his Maple Leafs into Beantown to face off against 47-goal and 110-point forward David Pastrnak and the Bruins. Both with at least one 60-goal season and Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy to their credit, Matthews and Pastrnak will go head-to-head in a playoff series for the third time (also 2018 R1 & 2019 R1).

* This will mark the 17th playoff series between the rivals and fourth in the past 11 years, a well-documented stretch in which the Bruins have claimed three Game 7 victories against the Maple Leafs (2013 CQF, 2018 R1 & 2019 R1). Toronto and Boston have split their 16 previous series, though the Bruins have won all six series between the clubs during the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68). Five of those series have gone to Game 7, including the last time Toronto advanced in a head-to-head during the 1959 Semifinals. Click here for more notes on this matchup.

* Pastrnak has tallied 19 points in 14 career playoff games against the Maple Leafs (2-4—6 in 2019 & 5-8—13 in 2018), finding the score sheet in eight of those contests and posting multiple points six times. Matthews led all players with five goals the last time these clubs met in the postseason (5-1—6 in 2019 & 1-1—2 in 2018) and has 19 points in 19 total head-to-head games dating to that 2019 First Round matchup (15-4—19, including both goals in Toronto’s last win against Boston).

* Since the start of the 2014-15 regular season (the campaign in which Pastrnak made his League debut), the tandem of Matthews (390) and Pastrnak (383) rank second and third, respectively, in terms of total goals including playoffs. The only player with more in that span is Alex Ovechkin (472). Matthews ranks second during that timeframe despite entering the League two years later.

RECAPPING A REGULAR SEASON FOR THE AGES
From an Art Ross Trophy race that went down to the wire to a 69-goal Maurice “Rocket” Richard-winning performance, the 2023-24 regular season had it all. It was the first season in 31 years with three 130-point players, which featured the highly anticipated debut of an 18-year-old No.1 pick, the highest goal total by any skater in 28 years and a dramatic playoff race in which five teams separated by three points battled for two remaining playoff spots within their final two contests of the campaign. For more #NHLStats and storylines on the 2023-24 season, click here.

NHL OFFICIALLY LANDS IN UTAH AS RYAN AND ASHLEY SMITH HOST PRESS CONFERENCE
One day after it was announced that the NHL’s Board of Governors approved the establishment of a franchise beginning with the 2024-25 season in Utah, Ryan and Ashley Smith – leaders of the new owners Smith Entertainment Group – welcomed NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman for a press conference inside the Delta Center, which was decked out with “NHL in Utah” branding. Click here to watch the full press conference.

* On Wednesday, a free event will be held at the Delta Center to welcome the team and celebrate the NHL in Utah (4 p.m. MT on April 24) – with preseason ticket vouchers for the first 5,000 fans.

NHL LAUNCHES NEW GERMAN-LANGUAGE PODCAST

The NHL launched a German-language NHL-driven podcast on NHL.com/de Friday. Relying on years of media experience, hosts Christian Rupp and Stefan Ustorf will offer in-depth insight on the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, engage with current and former players, all while serving listeners with the most reliable hockey talk in the space. This new podcast endeavors to satisfy a growing appetite for more specialized content around favorite teams and players in one of the League’s key and fast-growing markets.

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