* The Panthers eliminated the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers and became the sixth team since the NHL’s expansion era began in 1967-68 to return to the Stanley Cup Final after losing the year prior.
* Vladimir Tarasenko became the 10th player in the expansion era to score multiple series-clinching goals in the Conference Finals/Semifinals and just the second active skater to do so.
* The Stars will look to force a winner-take-all showdown when they face the Oilers in Game 6 at Rogers Place on Sunday, while Edmonton eyes its first Stanley Cup Final in 18 years.
PANTHERS ADVANCE TO STANLEY CUP FINAL FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR
With the help of a goal by Sam Bennett and a series clincher from Vladimir Tarasenko, the Panthers defeated the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year. Florida, which awaits either Edmonton or Dallas, is the sixth different franchise in the past 30 years to advance to the League’s championship series in consecutive seasons.
* Among the five previous instances of teams returning to the Stanley Cup Final after losing the year prior since the NHL’s expansion era began, only two went on to win the championship: the Penguins (2008-2009) and Oilers (1983-1984).
* The Panthers became the third team in NHL history to eliminate the Presidents’ Trophy winner in consecutive postseasons. The others: the Penguins (2016 & 2017) and Red Wings (1997 & 1998).
* Bennett scored his fourth goal of the 2024 Eastern Conference Final and tied Matthew Tkachuk (4 in 2023 CF) for the most by a Panthers player in the round before the Final. In the process, Bennett extended his goal streak to three games and matched the franchise record.
* Tarasenko netted his second career series-clinching goal to send his team to the Stanley Cup Final after also doing so in Game 6 of the 2019 Conference Finals with St. Louis. He became the sixth player in NHL history to score a series clincher in the Conference Finals/Semifinals with multiple franchises, following Artturi Lehkonen (2022 CF w/ COL & 2021 SF w/ MTL), Rod Brind’Amour (2006 CF w/ CAR & 1997 CF w/ PHI), Martin Gelinas (2004 CF w/ CGY & 2002 CF w/ CAR), Bobby Smith (1991 CF w/ MNS & 1986 CF w/ MTL) and Hec Kilrea (1937 SF w/ DET & 1927 SF w/ SEN).
ONE-GOAL GAMES A COMMON THEME IN EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL
After Florida posted a 3-0 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, the remaining five contests were each decided by a single goal as the Panthers and Rangers delivered one of the most tightly-contested Conference Finals/Semifinals matchups in NHL history. Game 6 was no different as the clubs were within a goal of each other for more than 50 minutes.
QUICK CLICKS
* Logan Stankoven‘s family in Slovakia rooting for him, Stars in Stanley Cup Playoffs
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* Dr. Aimee Kimball provides inside look at interview process for draft-eligible players
* Macklin Celebrini, Artyom Levshunov among those in spotlight at NHL Scouting Combine
* Saturday edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates
OILERS LOOK TO RIDE TURN-AROUND ALL THE WAY TO FINAL, STARS SEEK GAME 7
The Oilers are the closest to the Final they’ve been in 18 years, but the Stars will try to prevent them from advancing Sunday when the clubs meet for Game 6 of the Western Conference Final. Edmonton sat in last place in the NHL standings a week into the season, ranked 31st overall when they made a head coaching change in November and were among the bottom three teams in the League in early December. Dallas, meanwhile, ranked third place or higher in the Central Division from their third game of the season onward, sat atop their division for 43% of the campaign and finished with a run of 24 straight days as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
* The Stars are 6-2 on the road this postseason and will need to match a franchise record to extend their season – Dallas claimed a club-best seven road wins during the 1999 Stanley Cup Playoffs en route to their only championship to date.
* The Oilers can become the third team in NHL history to reach the Stanley Cup Final after being 10-plus points out of a playoff spot during the regular season. The only team to do that in the past 64 years is the 2018-19 Blues, who completed their historic comeback by winning the Stanley Cup. The other instance was by the 1958-59 Maple Leafs, who lost in the Final when the League was comprised of only the “Original Six” teams.
PLAYERS TO WATCH WITH THE SERIES ON THE LINE
Stars players have a combined 210 games of experience when facing elimination in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, while the Oilers have 180 in potential series-clinching contests. Click here for a breakdown of each club’s active roster.
* One of the keys to success away from home for Dallas so far in 2024 has been balanced scoring – they have four players with at least eight points through eight games as visitors: Wyatt Johnston (7-1—8), Jason Robertson (3-5—8), Miro Heiskanen (3-5—8) and Tyler Seguin (2-6—8). Those players have a combined 24 career points when facing elimination in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including a goal by Johnston in the Stars’ only contest this year in which their season was on the line (Game 7 of R1 vs. VGK).
* In his first eight appearances of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Stuart Skinner had a 5-3 record along with a .877 save percentage and 3.22 goals-against average, allowing more than two goals in six of those eight contests. After a two-game reset, Skinner returned to the Edmonton net in Game 6 of the Second Round and owns a 5-2 record since thanks to a .908 save percentage and 1.92 goals-against average in those contests, allowing two goals or fewer in all but one of those outings. A victory Sunday would not only put Skinner into the Stanley Cup Final with his hometown team, but also would make him the seventh goaltender in NHL history to win each of the first four or more potential series-clinching games of his career.
