* The Oilers moved within one win of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final and marked just the third time in franchise history they’ve taken a 3-2 series lead in the Conference Finals – in each of the previous two instances Edmonton closed out the series in Game 6 en route to winning the Stanley Cup (1985 CF vs. CHI & 1990 CF vs. CHI).
* Evan Bouchard became the third-fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach 50 career playoff points.
* Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored the first power-play goal of the 2024 Western Conference Final, marking the first time in nearly 80 years it took a series five games to see its first power-play tally.
* Chris Kreider could pass a former Rangers captain for sole possession of an NHL record and Matthew Tkachuk can follow up his last performance when a trip to the Stanley Cup Final was on the line as New York and Florida contest Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final tonight.
OILERS MOVE WITHIN ONE WIN OF THE 2024 STANLEY CUP FINAL
The Oilers moved just one win away from the 2024 Stanley Cup Final – the closest they’ve been to the championship series since their 2006 Final appearance – thanks to notable performances from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2-0—2), who led his club with his first multi-goal outing in the postseason since 2022, and Evan Bouchard (0-2—2), who joined a list of Hall of Famers.
* Nugent-Hopkins improved his 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs totals to 6-14—20 (17 GP) and became the fourth player this postseason to reach the 20-point mark – a list comprised completely of Oilers players (also McDavid: 29, Leon Draisaitl: 27 & Bouchard: 25). Over the past decade, six other teams have had at least four players reach the 20-point plateau in a playoff year, five of which went on to claim the Stanley Cup (VGK in 2023, COL in 2022, WSH in 2018, PIT in 2017 & LAK in 2014).
* Bouchard (13-38—51 in 45 GP) became the third-fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach 50 playoff points behind two NHL greats: Bobby Orr (39 GP) and Brian Leetch (41 GP). He also collected both his 18th and 19th assist of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and passed Charlie Huddy (17 in 1985) for the second most by an Oilers defenseman in a playoff year. The list is topped by his assistant coach, Paul Coffey (25 in 1985).
* Connor McDavid (33-71—104 in 66 GP) and Leon Draisaitl (41-63—104 in 66 GP) each collected an assist and surpassed Coffey (36-67—103 in 94 GP) for fifth on the Oilers’ all-time list. McDavid’s 25 assists this postseason are tied for the fifth most in a playoff year in franchise history, with Wayne Gretzky sitting in the top four spots.
FIRST POWER-PLAY GOAL OF THE SERIES COMES IN GAME 5
The first power-play goal of the 2024 Western Conference Final came with 5:51 remaining in the first period and then again just 1:06 into the second – both markers courtesy of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – as the two clubs combined for a feat last achieved nearly 80 years ago.
* Edmonton has now gone nine straight games without allowing a power-play goal, which is tied for the fifth-longest run (also OTT in 2003) on record (since 1933-34 when goals by type were officially tracked). The Oilers trail the Canadiens (13 GP in 2021), Devils (10 GP in 2000), Rangers (10 GP in 1940) and Red Wings (10 GP in 1937).
WEEKLY PODCAST ROUNDUP
* The Chirp (5/28): Eddie Olczyk joins; Conference Finals reaction, 1994 memories, hires
* La Tasse de Café LNH (5/28): Les Oilers peuvent-ils terminer la série en force?
* NHL Draft Class (5/29): David Gregory, NHL Central Scouting & Jason Bukala, Sportsnet
* NHL @TheRink (5/30): Derek Van Diest joins; Igor Shesterkin‘s brilliance, Oiler’s maturity
QUICK CLICKS
* Friday night’s #NHLStats: Live Updates
* NHL EDGE stats: X-factors for rest of conference finals
* Rangers will ‘leave it all on the ice’ in Game 6 of Eastern Final against Panthers
* 2024 Eastern Conference Final on ESPN Nets Up 33%
NEW YORK YEARNS TO FORCE FOURTH GAME 7 OF 2024 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
The Eastern Conference Final between the Rangers and Panthers shifts back to Amerant Bank Arena for Game 6 on Saturday, with the visitors vying to force this postseason’s fourth winner-take-all showdown and the hosts hoping to clinch their second straight Stanley Cup Final berth. The contest is available on ABC and ESPN+ in the U.S., as well as on Sportsnet, TVA Sports and CBC in Canada.
* New York can force a Game 7 after facing a 3-2 series deficit in the Conference Finals/Semifinals for the sixth time in franchise history (also 2015 CF, 1994 CF, 1974 SF, 1971 SF & 1939 SF). Chris Kreider helped the Rangers record a 7-3 win against the Lightning during the most-recent instance, while the one before that featured Mark Messier mustering a third-period natural hat trick after famously guaranteeing a victory versus the Devils.
* Kreider (16-6—22 in 29 GP) needs one goal to pass Messier (16-12—28 in 24 GP) for the most in NHL history when facing elimination. Kreider’s 16 tallies are seven more than the next-closest player in franchise history (Frank Boucher: 9-6—15 in 18 GP), while Derick Brassard (7-12—19 in 16 GP) and Messier (7-5—12 in 8 GP) share third place on the club’s all-time list.
* Carter Verhaeghe (6-6—12 in 9 GP) is the franchise’s all-time leader for career points in potential clinching contests, while Matthew Tkachuk (2-7—9 in 8 GP) ranks second. Tkachuk tallied both of his goals during Game 4 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Final, which included scoring the series clincher with 4.3 seconds remaining in regulation to power Florida into the Stanley Cup Final.
* The Panthers own an all-time record of 2-0 in potential closeout contests during the round before the Stanley Cup Final – their first saw Tkachuk’s cousin, Tom Fitzgerald, tally the winner in Game 7 of the 1996 Eastern Conference Final. Florida can become the fourth franchise in NHL history to earn wins in each of its first three potential clinching contests during the round before the Final, following Edmonton (6-0), Chicago (4-0) and Vancouver (3-0).
