NHL Public Relations

April 17, 2023

* It’s the opening night of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs! Monday features four Game 1s, with each contest carried on ESPN or ESPN2 in the U.S. as well as on Sportsnet and TVA Sports programming in Canada.
 

* The four remaining Game 1s go Tuesday, with the slate featuring the seventh all-time playoff edition of the “Hudson River Rivalry,” the second straight First Round between the Maple Leafs and Lightning, the Golden Knights and Jets meeting in their second all-time series as well as the Kraken making their postseason debut against the reigning Stanley Cup champions.

* Teams that take a 1-0 lead in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoffs round hold an all-time series record of 507-235 (.683), including an 8-7 (.533) mark in 2022. Find more series scenarios in the first #NHLStats: Live Updates of the postseason.

* A range of documents from #NHLStats were made available on the League’s Media site in the weeks leading up to Monday, including a regular season recap, clinching and matchup notes for each team competing in the postseason as well as water cooler questions entering the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs Information Guide is also available.

* Registration for the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge presented by GEICO will remain open until the brackets lock before puck drop for the first Game 2. Fans can use the popular “Matchup Analysis” tool that debuted last year as well as the visuals below to compare team stats as they make their selections.
 

HURRICANES, ISLANDERS SET SAIL INTO PLAYOFFS AS STORM BREWS AT PNC ARENA
The Hurricanes and Islanders contest Game 1 of their First Round series at PNC Arena, where a full house of “Caniacs” are expected to be in attendance as the Stanley Cup Playoffs return to Raleigh. It marks the second postseason series between the franchises following the 2019 Second Round, when Carolina completed the sweep via a 5-2 home-ice victory in Game 4.
 

* The Hurricanes are 4-0 in their last four opening-round series where they entered the playoffs as a division’s No. 1-seeded team, including a seven-game triumph against the Bruins in the 2022 First Round (also 2021 R1, 2006 CQF & 2002 CQF). Fifteen players who dressed at least one game with Carolina in the 2022 First Round remain with the team, while notable additions Brent Burns, Shayne Gostisbehere, Jesse Puljujarvi and Paul Stastny hope to help the Hurricanes earn at least one series win for a fifth straight year.

* The Islanders are back in the postseason for the first time since 2021, when Mathew Barzal had a team-leading 14 points as New York fell to Tampa Bay by a 1-0 margin in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals. Barzal is set to contest his first game since Feb. 18 for the Islanders, who look to defeat a division’s No. 1-seeded team in the First Round for the fourth time in the last seven years (also 2021, 2020 & 2016).
 

65-WIN BRUINS BEGIN POSTSEASON PITTED AGAINST PANTHERS ON PATRIOTS’ DAY
The Bruins’ record-breaking season shifts to the Stanley Cup Playoffs where they will host the Panthers in Game 1 of their First Round series on Patriots’ Day, a holiday observed in Massachusetts with celebrations including battle reenactments and the Boston Marathon. Florida will also engage in a reenactment of its own, with Monday marking the 27-year anniversary of the Panthers’ first-ever postseason contest which was a 6-3 win against the Bruins in Game 1 of the 1996 Conference Quarterfinals.
 

* Boston, which concluded the campaign with eight consecutive victories, begins its quest to capture the franchise’s seventh Stanley Cup and first since 2011 when Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Brad Marchand helped the visitors vanquish Vancouver in Game 7 of the Final. The Bruins can become the second 60-win team in NHL history to claim a championship, joining the 1976-77 Canadiens. Montreal earned wins in each of its first six playoff games that year before sweeping Boston in the Final.

* The Panthers can become the second team in League history to defeat a 60-win club in the opening round of the playoffs – they would join the Blue Jackets, who swept the Lightning in 2019. Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky earned each win for Columbus in that series before falling to Boston during the following round, while Bruins forward Nick Foligno and Panthers general manager Bill Zito were serving as team captain and assistant GM, respectively, with the Blue Jackets at the time.

FRANCHISES WITH HISTORIC NEXUS SET TO TANGLE IN TEXAS

The Stars will welcome the Wild to American Airlines Center for Game 1, which opens the second all-time Stanley Cup Playoffs series between the franchises following Dallas’ six-game win during the 2016 First Round. Game 2 goes Wednesday before the series shifts to the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” where the Stars called home for 26 seasons when the club was known as the Minnesota North Stars.

* Jake Oettinger, who was born in Lakeville, Minn., made a franchise-record 64 saves in Dallas’ last playoff contest which saw the Stars fall in overtime to the Pacific Division’s No. 1-seeded Flames during Game 7 of the 2022 First Round.Oettinger and Jason Robertson return to the playoffs after recording single-season career highs for wins and points, respectively.

* Appearing across from Oettinger will be either Marc-Andre Fleury or Filip Gustavsson, with the former set to make his 17th straight playoff appearance. Minnesota, which is looking to earn its first series win since the 2015 First Round, was led in scoring this season by Kirill Kaprizov who has notched nine goals through his first 13 career playoff games.
 

FAMILIAR FIRST ROUND FOES CLASH IN SECOND STRAIGHT OPENING-ROUND SERIES

The second straight opening-round series between Edmonton and Los Angeles will look a little different during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with the Oilers entering the postseason carrying three 100-point scorers instead of two and the re-tooled Kings featuring notable additions as well as veteran Drew Doughty (who missed the 2022 First Round due to injury).
 

* Connor McDavid, who amassed 14 points in the 2022 First Round, returns to the playoffs after helping the Oilers go 18-2-1 (37 points) since March 1 to edge the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Bruins (18-4-0, 36 points) for the best record in the NHL over that span. McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combined for 77 points in Edmonton’s 21 games since the start of March, with Draisaitl notching nine of his historic 32 power-play goals this season during that timeframe.
 

* Los Angeles’ lineup is set to feature Pheonix Copley and Joonas Korpisalo, both acquired after the Kings fell to the Oilers in Game 7 last year.Copley or Korpisalo, who made an epic 85 saves in the fourth-longest contest in NHL history during his last appearance in a Game 1, would be the first goaltenders other than Jonathan Quick to earn a playoff win with Los Angeles since Felix Potvin in Game 6 of the 2002 Conference Quarterfinals.

QUICK CLICKS

* Carter Verhaeghe looks to raise game again in playoffs with Panthers
* Jake Oettinger in peak condition for Stars, playoffs thanks to unique regimen
* Igor Shesterkin in top form, Rangers set for deep run in Stanley Cup Playoffs
* Maple Leafs aware Brayden Point will be ‘a lot to contend with’
* Kraken giving Seattle taste of Stanley Cup Playoff fever in 2nd season
 

COURTESY NHLmedia.com