NHL Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Playoffs Edition – May 4, 2024

May 4, 2024

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* Noah Hanifin netted his second game-winning goal of the 2024 First Round as the reigning Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights staved off elimination, setting up a winner-take-all weekend with a Game 7 slated for each day.

* Pius Suter scored with 1:39 remaining in regulation, marking the latest series-clinching goal in regulation in Canucks history and the fifth latest across the NHL in the past 10 years. The victory set up a Second Round matchup between the top two teams in the Pacific Division as the Canucks and Oilers are set to face off in the postseason for the first time in 32 years.

* Since the final contest Tuesday (NSH at VAN, Game 5), the score has been tied or within one goal for 94% of playing time across six games (338:54 of 360:00). Only three teams have had a multi-goal lead in that span, for a combined total of 21:06 (EDM: 18:35, TOR: 2:12 & VGK: 0:19).

* All eyes are on the Bruins and Maple Leafs on Saturday as the clubs meet in a Game 7 for the fourth time in the past 11 years and sixth overall. Click here for the Bruins-Maple Leafs Game 7 #NHLStats Pack.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS FORCE SECOND GAME 7 OF THE 2024 FIRST ROUND

Noah Hanifin opened the scoring midway through the final frame with a goal that stood as the game winner, while Adin Hill stopped all 23 shots he faced in a perfect performance as the reigning Stanley Cup champions forced the second Game 7 of the 2024 First Round – a contest set for Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET in Dallas (TBS, truTV, MAX, Sportsnet & TVA Sports).

* The Golden Knights will compete in their fourth-ever Game 7 and second on the road (0-1). The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs are the third consecutive postseason the reigning champions require a seventh-and-deciding game to advance past the opening round; the Avalanche fell to the Kraken in 2023, while the Lightning edged the Maple Leafs in 2022.

* This marks the third straight year and 16th time overall that the reigning Stanley Cup champion will play a Game 7 in its opening series. The opposing clubs own a 9-6 edge in those previous 15 Game 7s; the only times the Cup winners won were in 1964 (TOR in SF), 1976 (PHI in QF), 1991 (EDM in DSF), 1992 (PIT in DSF), 2002 (COL in CQF) and 2022 (TBL in R1).

* Hanifin became the third player in Golden Knights history to record multiple game-winning goals in a series after also doing so in Game 2, joining Jonathan Marchessault (2023 R2 vs. EDM) and Max Pacioretty (2021 R2 vs. COL). He also became the second defenseman in franchise history to score the winner in a potential elimination game following Shea Theodore (Game 7 of 2020 R2).

* Hill recorded his third career shutout since making his NHL playoff debut in 2023, which is the most among all goaltenders over that span. He joined Robin Lehner (Game 7 of 2020 R2) as the second netminder in Golden Knights history to record a shutout when facing elimination.

* Did You Know? With perfect performances from Vegas’ Hill and Vancouver’s Arturs Silovs, Friday became the first day to feature a goaltender with a series-clinching shutout and another with a shutout to stave off elimination since the 2021 First Round (May 26, 2021). Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded a clinching shutout in Game 6 for the Lightning while Cam Talbot shut the door to help the Wild stave off elimination.

SUTER, SILOVS SEND CANUCKS TO SECOND ROUND
After more than 58 minutes of scoreless hockey, Pius Suter scored the series-clinching goal with 1:39 remaining in regulation while Arturs Silovs turned aside all 28 shots he faced to send the Canucks to the Second Round for the first time since 2020 and just the second since their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2011. Vancouver is set to face off against Edmonton in the Second Round, marking their third all-time meeting in the postseason and first since the 1992 Division Finals.

* Suter’s winner at 58:21 marked the fifth time in Stanley Cup Playoffs history that a series-clinching goal broke a 0-0 tie in the final 100 seconds of regulation. Patric Hornqvist recorded the only other instance in the past 25 years during Game 6 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final (w/ PIT) – coincidentally also in Nashville – while Sergei Berezin (Game 6 of 1999 CQF w/ TOR), Brent Sutter (Game 4 of 1992 DF w/ CHI) and Mats Naslund (Game 5 of 1985 DSF w/ MTL) accounted for the other three.

* Silovs became the 14th rookie goaltender in NHL history to record a shutout in a potential series-clinching game and just the fifth to achieve the feat in the past 30 years, following Akira Schmid (Game 7 of 2023 R1), Matt Murray (Game 6 of 2017 SCF), Carey Price (Game 7 of 2008 CQF) and Ilya Bryzgalov (Game 7 of 2006 CQF).

* The upcoming Oilers-Canucks matchup will tee up a battle between the top two teams in the Pacific Division and mark just the fifth time in the previous 30 years that Canadian teams met in the second round of the playoffs or later. The other instances: 2022 Second Round (EDM vs. CGY), 2021 Second Round (MTL vs. WPG), 2002 Conference Semifinals (TOR vs. OTT) and 1994 Conference Finals (VAN vs. TOR).

SATURDAY NIGHT. MAPLE LEAFS-BRUINS. GAME 7. 8 P.M. ET.

Two of the NHL’s storied franchises whose century-long rivalry has never been hotter will meet in a Game 7 showdown in primetime Saturday night when the Bruins play host to the Maple Leafs to decide their First Round series. The winner-take-all showdown will air at 8 p.m. ET exclusively on ABC and ESPN+ in the U.S., and on Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports in Canada.Click here for the latest #NHLStats Pack ahead of Game 7.

* The Bruins and Maple Leafs will play a Game 7 for a fourth consecutive head-to-head playoff series (2013 CQF, 2018 R1, 2019 R1, 2024 R1) – a first between any two franchises in NHL history. The only others to go the distance in at least three straight best-of-seven series are the Canucks-Flames (1989 DSF, 1994 CQF, 2004 CQF) and Capitals-Rangers (2012 CSF, 2013 CQF, 2015 R2).

* This will be the fourth time in 11 years that the Bruins and Maple Leafs clash in a Game 7 and sixth time overall – tied for the second-most head-to-head Game 7 showdowns in League history. The longtime Original Six foes already have played more Game 7s than any other franchises and both clubs rank among the top four all-time in Game 7 wins (BOS: 15-15 in 30 GP, TOR: 12-14 in 26 GP).

* One of these clubs will end a stretch of consecutive Game 7 defeats: Boston is 0-3 since the 2019 Stanley Cup Final (0-2 at home), while Toronto is 0-5 since the 2013 Conference Quarterfinals (0-3 on the road, all at Boston).

* The winner advances to the Second Round and will face the Atlantic Division champion Panthers – for a second straight year regardless of who emerges – in a best-of-seven series that opens Monday, May 6 in Florida.

WHO TO WATCH IN GAME 7 BETWEEN BOSTON AND TORONTO

Among players to skate so far in the 2024 First Round, a combined 29 of them have Game 7 experience in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (Boston: 16 – 15 skaters, 1 goaltender; Toronto: 13 – all skaters).

* The 16 Bruins players have 16-18—34 in 71 combined Game 7s, including two appearances by goaltender Jeremy Swayman (0-2). The 13 Maple Leafs skaters total 7-7—14 in 41 cumulative Game 7s. All starting goaltenders and head coaches in this series are seeking their first career Game 7 victory.

* Bruins captain Brad Marchand will appear in his 12th career Game 7 which will be tied for the most among active players and trail only four players on the League’s all-time list: former teammates Patrice Bergeron (14 GP) and Zdeno Chara (14 GP) share the all-time record, while defenseman Scott Stevens (13 GP) and goaltender Patrick Roy (13 GP) are the only other players to contest more than a dozen.

* Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk (3-0—3 in Game 7s; 5 GP) accounts for one of the five Game 7-clinching goals in the history of the Boston-Toronto rivalry, doing so as a rookie in 2018. Only 12 players in League history have netted multiple Game 7-clinching goals (all w/ 2; active players: Joe Pavelski, Bryan Rust & Max Pacioretty), including only one who has twice netted the decisive tally in a Game 7 against the same opponent (Chris Drury vs. LAK in 2001 CSF & 2002 CQF, both w/ COL).

* Maple Leafs trade deadline acquisition Joel Edmundson (5-0) can become the 17th player in NHL history to win each of his first six-plus career Game 7s – a list that includes one active player (Ryan McDonagh won his first six from 2012 to 2015).

* Toronto’s rally from a 3-1 series deficit (more on that here) has been impacted by the play of two rookies: goaltender Joseph Woll (2-0, 0.98 GAA & .961 SV% in Games 5-6) and forward Matthew Knies (1-1—2 in Games 5-6). Woll can become the second goaltender in franchise history to record three wins in a single series while facing elimination (Turk Broda: 4 in 1942 SCF) and the fourth rookie in NHL history to do so (he would join Glenn Resch: 1975 QF & 1975 SF; Semyon Varlamov: 2009 CQF; & Corey Crawford: 2011 CQF).

* Knies is the fourth rookie in NHL history to factor on the winning goal in consecutive games within a series with his club facing elimination, following Tyler Toffoli (2 in 2014 R1 w/ LAK), Jochen Hecht (2 in 2000 CQF w/ STL) and Johnny Gagnon (2 in 1931 SCF w/ MTL). The top scorer among the five rookies to play in the series, Knies will look to continue his streak into Saturday’s contest. Both clubs have had a rookie net the winning goal in a Game 7 (TOR: noted in graphic below; BOS: DeBrusk in 2018 & Fred Knipscheer in 1994 CQF), a feat that occurred in the most recent winner-take-all showdown in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (Wyatt Johnston in 2023 R2 w/ DAL).