NHL Public Relations
April 29, 2023
NEW YORK (April 29, 2023) — The past two Presidents’ Trophy winners, the reigning Stanley Cup champion and the second-season NHL franchise making its historic Game 7 debut are set to take the ice Sunday, April 30, in a compelling Game 7 doubleheader that will decide a pair of First-Round series.
The Boston Bruins, the 2022-23 Presidents’ Trophy winners who set an NHL record with 65 wins, play host to the Florida Panthers, 2021-22 Presidents’ Trophy recipients who have rallied from a 3-1 deficit to tie the series, at 6:30 p.m., ET. Following at 9:30 p.m., ET, the reigning Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche welcome the Seattle Kraken to Denver for the Kraken’s inaugural Game 7 showdown.
National rightsholders TNT (U.S.), Sportsnet (Canada) and TVAS (Canada) will broadcast both games of the doubleheader, while CBC also will broadcast the Florida at Boston game for viewers in Canada.
Game 7, Florida at Boston
Sunday, April 30, at 6:30 p.m. ET
U.S. national broadcast: TNT
Canada national broadcast: CBC, Sportsnet, TVAS
Boston local broadcast: NESN
Florida local broadcast: Bally Sports Florida
* The Bruins will extend their NHL record by contesting their 30th Game 7. Boston (15-14) is tied with Montreal (15-9) for the most Game 7 wins in NHL history. Boston also has the most Game 7s as the home team (23) and the most Game 7 wins as hosts (14).
* The Panthers will contest their third all-time Game 7, following a win in 1996 Conference Finals (3-1 at Pittsburgh) and a loss in 2012 Conference Quarterfinals (3-2 in 2OT vs. New Jersey).
* The Panthers can become the seventh franchise in NHL history to have each of their first two Game 7 wins come as the road team; only the Islanders (4), Wild (3), Sharks (3), Flames (2), Avalanche/Nordiques (2) and Stars/North Stars (2) have done so.
* Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron has played in 13 career Game 7s, the most by any forward in NHL history. He can surpass Hall of Fame members Patrick Roy (13 GP; G) and Scott Stevens (13 GP; D) and tie former teammate Zdeno Chara (14 GP; D) for the most Game 7 appearances in NHL history.
* Bergeron has six career goals in Game 7s, one back of tying Justin Williams and Glenn Anderson for the most in NHL history.
* Bruins forward David Krejci has 10 career assists in Game 7s, tied with Doug Gilmour and Jaromir Jagr for the most in NHL history, while Krejci (6-5), Brad Marchand (6-4) and Bergeron (6-7) are among a group of 10 active players who have at least six Game 7 victories.
* Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk has posted a team-leading 10 points (5-5–10) in the first six games, tied with Marchand (4-6–10) for the series lead. Tkachuk is two points shy of the Florida franchise record for most points in a series, set last year by Carter Verhaeghe vs. Washington (6-6–12 in six games).
* Panthers head coach Paul Maurice is 3-0 all-time in career Game 7s. He can become just the third head coach in NHL history to win each of his first four or more consecutive Game 7 appearances behind the bench, joining Peter DeBoer (6 straight) and Tommy Ivan (4 straight).
Game 7, Seattle at Colorado
Sunday, April 30, at 9:30 p.m. ET
U.S. national broadcast: TNT
Canada national broadcast: Sportsnet, TVAS
Colorado local broadcast: Altitude TV
Seattle local broadcast: ROOT Sports NW
* Colorado will contest its 16th all-time Game 7 (6-9) and 13th since relocating to Denver in 1995-96 (4-8 in that span). They are 4-4 in Game 7s as the home team, claiming each of those victories over a two-year span from 2001 to 2002.
* This will mark the second straight year and 15th time overall that the reigning Stanley Cup champion will play a Game 7 in its opening series. The opposing clubs own an 8-6 edge in the previous 14 such 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).
* Colorado has lost its past five Game 7s dating to the 2002 Conference Finals at Detroit, with three of those defeats coming in overtime. The Avalanche last won a Game 7 via a 1-0 decision at home against San Jose in the 2002 Conference Semifinals.
* The Kraken are the 10th franchise in NHL history to require a Game 7 in their first-ever playoff series and first since the Wild against the Avalanche in the 2003 Conference Quarterfinals – Minnesota won that series, one of five times a club has won its first-ever series in Game 7. Seattle can become the 18th team in NHL history to eliminate the reigning champion in a Game 7, a feat last achieved by Carolina in 2019 (R1 vs. WSH).
* Seattle can become the first franchise in NHL history to earn its first series win against a reigning Stanley Cup champion.
* Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer‘s lone previous appearance in a Stanley Cup Playoff Game 7 came as a member of the Avalanche. Grubauer made 24 saves in a 3-2 Colorado loss at San Jose in Game 7 of their Second Round series on May 8, 2019.
Game 7 Trends
* The team that scores first is 143-47 (.753) in the 190 all-time Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (5-1 in 2022).
* Home teams own a 111-79 (.584) advantage in the 190 all-time Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (4-2 in 2022).
* Ninety-six of the 190 all-time Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (50.5%) have been decided by a one-goal margin, including four of six in 2022.
* Forty-seven Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs have required overtime (24.7%). Home teams have a 25-22 edge in those contests (2-0 in 2022).
COURTESY NHLmedia.com
