Ten things you need to know about the 2024 Conference Finals:

1. The Panthers and Oilers each rallied from a series deficit to advance. Five of the 11 postseasons since 2014 when the Wild Card format first was introduced featured both teams overcoming a series deficit in the Conference Finals/Semifinals to reach the Stanley Cup Final (also 2021, 2018, 2016 & 2015).

2. The Panthers and Oilers ousted the Rangers and Stars, who concluded the regular season occupying first place in the Eastern and Western Conference, respectively. It marked the third postseason since 1975 (when teams realigned into conferences) where both series winners in the Conference Finals/Semifinals eliminated a conference’s No. 1-seeded club (also 2015 & 2007). The last time the top-seeded team from each conference reached the Stanley Cup Final was in 2001.

3. It marked the second time in as many years that Florida eliminated the League’s No. 1 seed in the playoffs (also 2023 R1) – the fifth team in NHL history to achieve that feat. Each of the 11 postseasons since 2014 when the Wild Card format first was introduced have featured a team eliminating the Presidents’ Trophy winner. That represents the most consecutive playoff years where the League’s No. 1-seeded club was eliminated in NHL history, with the previous mark being eight from 1928 to 1935.

4. Connor McDavid (3-7—10 in 6 GP) led all players with 10 points, capped by opening the scoring in highlight-reel fashion and assisting on the series-clinching goal in Game 6. McDavid recorded the sixth 10-point series of his NHL career, which tied Mario Lemieux (6) for the fourth most in League history behind Wayne Gretzky (21), Mark Messier (8), Denis Savard (7).

5. Sergei Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner as the top goaltender in the NHL, posted a 1.89 goals-against average in the Eastern Conference Final, marking the second-best GAA in a series by a Panthers goaltender (min. 6 GP) behind the 1.69 performance by John Vanbiesbrouck in the 1996 Conference Semifinals. His performance was crucial in what was one of the closest Conference Finals/Semifinals series in League history.

6. Four contests required overtime, including three consecutive games between the Panthers and Rangers. It marked the third time in NHL history where three consecutive contests during the round before the Stanley Cup Final needed overtime, following the 2001 Conference Finals between Colorado and St. Louis as well as the 1933 Semifinals between Boston and Toronto.

7. Six of the NHL’s 44 road wins this postseason and five of the League’s 39 comeback victories occurred during the Conference Finals. The 44 road wins trail only 2023 (47), 2012 (47), 1987 (46) and 2016 (45) for the most in a playoff year in NHL history, while the 39 comeback victories are tied for the League’s sixth highest single-postseason total behind 2020 (49), 1991 (45), 1999 (44), 2010 (42) and 1987 (40).

8. Evan Bouchard (1-6—7 in 6 GP) found the score sheet in each of the Oilers’ final four contests and led all defensemen with seven points in the Conference Finals. Bouchard (6-21—27 in 18 GP) ranks third with 27 points in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs behind teammates McDavid (5-26—31 in 18 GP) and Leon Draisaitl (10-18—28 in 18 GP).

9. Zach Hyman (14-4—18 in 18 GP) had the series-clinching goal in Game 6 and leads all players with 14 tallies in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which are just five back of matching the single-postseason NHL record. Hyman is set to square off in the Final with fellow 50-goal scorer Sam Reinhart, who concluded the Conference Finals with three markers including the overtime winner in Game 4.

10. Sam Bennett (3-1—4 in 3 GP) capped the Conference Finals by tallying in each of the Panthers’ past three contests and can establish a franchise playoff record for longest goal streak in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Bennett, Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad will face fellow 2014 NHL Draft class member Draisaitl in the championship series.

COURTESY NHL PUBLIC RELATIONS & NHLmedia.com