* Matt Duchene accomplished a rare feat in Stanley Cup Playoffs history with a third-career winning goal in a contest that required multiple overtimes and helped Dallas solidify its position as one of the final four teams remaining in the pursuit of the Stanley Cup.
* Gustav Forsling helped Florida close its series out in comeback fashion by scoring the second-latest go-ahead goal in franchise playoff history. The Panthers head to the Eastern Conference Final with a date against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers in their second-ever postseason meeting.
* The Oilers look to extend their Second Round series and force a Game 7, while the Canucks set their sights on becoming the fourth and final team to advance to the 2024 Conference Finals.
STARS WIN DOUBLE-OVERTIME THRILLER TO ADVANCE TO THE CONFERENCE FINALS
Jamie Benn tied the game 116 seconds into the third frame before Matt Duchene scored 11:42 into the second overtime period to launch the Western Conference’s top-seeded Stars into the penultimate round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 13th time in franchise history – the second most among non-Original Six franchises, behind the Flyers (16).
* The Stars joined the Panthers and the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers in the Conference Finals. The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs are the fifth in the past 30 years to feature each of the conference’s top seeds advance to the penultimate round, following 2001 (COL & NJD), 2007 (BUF & DET), 2013 (CHI & PIT) and 2015 (ANA & NYR).
* Dallas, which now awaits the winner of Vancouver and Edmonton, accounts for the only Stanley Cup championship of the remaining five clubs in the past 28 years (1999).
* Duchene, selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2009 NHL Draft by the Avalanche, tallied his third game-winning goal in a contest that required multiple overtimes (also Game 3 of 2021 R1 & Game 2 of 2019 R2) and became the fourth player to score a series-clinching goal in that scenario for the Stars/North Stars. The others: Brendon Morrow (Game 6 of 2008 CSF), Brett Hull (Game 4 of 1999 SCF) and Joe Nieuwendyk (Game 4 of 1999 CQF).
LATE-GAME HEROICS PROPEL PANTHERS TO CONFERENCE FINALS
Florida and Boston were tied through 40 minutes and remained that way until the later stages of the third period before Gustav Forsling scored the gamebreaker with 1:33 remaining in regulation to propel the Panthers to the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in as many seasons and third time in franchise history (also 2023 & 1996). Among expansion franchises that debuted in the 1990s or later, the only teams with more appearances in the final four of the Stanley Cup Playoffs are the Lightning (8), Ducks (5), Sharks (5) and Golden Knights (4).
* The 2024 Eastern Conference Final marks the fifth straight year a Florida-based team has made the round before the Stanley Cup Final (TBL: 3x & FLA: 2x). Only two other states or provinces have had a stretch of consecutive appearances of that length in the past 40 years: Alberta (10 from 1983-1992: EDM: 8x & CGY: 2x) and California (8 from 2010-2017: SJS: 3x, LAK: 3x & ANA: 2x).
* Forsling, the second player in as many days and third in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs to score a series-clinching goal within the final five minutes of regulation, became the second player in franchise history to score a go-ahead goal within the final two minutes of regulation in a playoff game, following Matthew Tkachuk (59:55 in Game 4 of 2023 CF), who also happened to score his in a potential series-clinching game.
* The Panthers will now square off with the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final as each club now sits eight wins away from capturing the Stanley Cup. The two clubs, which combined to hold first place in the Eastern Conference for 47% of the regular season schedule (NYR: 68 days; FLA: 22 days), will meet in the postseason for just the second time (also 1997 CQF).
* The Panthers (1st, Atlantic) and Rangers (1st, Metropolitan) each finished atop their divisions and set up the fifth playoff series since 2005-06 and 14th since 1979-80 (the first year of 16-team playoffs and when division winners didn’t get byes) between two division winners in the same conference in the round before the Final.
QUICK CLICKS
* #NHLStats: Live Updates for May 17, 2024
* NHL EDGE stats: Unsung heroes from remaining playoff teams
* Craig Berube hired as Maple Leafs coach, replaces Keefe
* 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Eastern Conference Final schedule
* King Clancy nominee Luke Kunin of Sharks reflects on supporting kids with diabetes
WEEKLY PODCAST ROUNDUP
* NHL Draft Class (5/14): Pat Cullen, NHL Central Scouting; Top USHL/NTDP prospects
* NHL @TheRink (5/14): Mike Zeisberger joins; NYR in danger, COL issues, TOR exchange
* La Tasse de Café LNH (5/14): Rien n’est encore joué en deuxième ronde
* The Chirp (5/16): Doug MacLean joins; Tocchet’s honesty, Oilers goalies, coaching rivalries
EDMONTON ENDEAVORS TO EVADE ELIMINATION VERSUS VANCOUVER ON SATURDAY
Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and the Oilers will look to force a Game 7 in their Second Round series Saturday, while J.T. Miller and the Canucks vie to vanquish the hosts and clinch the franchise’s first Conference Finals berth since 2011. The contest is available on ESPN in the U.S. as well as on Sportsnet, TVA Sports and CBC in Canada.
* Draisaitl (3-10—13 in 8 GP) and McDavid (5-7—12 in 8 GP) have appeared in all eight elimination contests played by Edmonton since the start of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs and both average at least 1.50 points per game. McDavid (5-5—10 in 5 GP) has scored a goal in each of his past five dating to Game 4 of the 2021 First Round and can eclipse Esa Tikkanen (7-3—10 in 5 GP) for sole possession of the longest such streak in franchise history. Tikkanen’s run spanned from Game 5 of the 1990 Division Semifinals to Game 5 of the 1991 Conference Finals.
