By Basil Stroh
NHL Public Relations
HURRICANES-CAPITALS, OILERS-GOLDEN KNIGHTS CONTEST GAME 1 TUESDAY
The Second Round continues Tuesday with a pair of Game 1s, starting with a showdown between the Metropolitan Division’s top two teams as Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals host Sebastian Aho and the Hurricanes in the second all-time postseason meeting between the clubs. To the West, Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel – the top two picks from the 2015 NHL Draft – meet in the postseason again when the Oilers and Golden Knights begin their rematch of the 2023 Second Round.
* The Capitals will clash with the Hurricanes in their second all-time Stanley Cup Playoffs series, following the 2019 First Round where Carolina rallied from series deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 before staging a multi-goal comeback capped by the double-overtime clincher in Game 7. The Capitals and Hurricanes split their four-game season series in 2024-25 (WSH: 2-2-0; CAR: 2-1-1).
* Exactly one month after capturing the NHL goals record, Ovechkin looks to climb another all-time list Tuesday: the Washington captain can surpass Mario Lemieux (76) for the 12th-most playoff goals in NHL history. If he finds the back of the net on the man-advantage, Ovechkin (30) would also surpass Joe Pavelski and Nicklas Lidstrom for the fifth-most playoff power-play goals in League history.
* Aho enters Tuesday one goal shy of passing Rod Brind’Amour for the most playoff game-winning goals in Hurricanes/Whalers history after scoring the series clincher in double overtime during the First Round. Aho can also become the second player in franchise history to record a four-game multi-point streak in the postseason, following Jordan Martinook (4 GP in 2023).
* The Oilers and Golden Knights will contest their second Stanley Cup Playoffs series following the 2023 Second Round, which saw Vegas skate to a six-game triumph en route to the franchise’s first championship. Edmonton and Vegas split their four-game season series in 2024-25 (EDM: 2-2-0; VGK: 2-2-0).
* McDavid, who had 10 points against Vegas in the 2023 postseason (5-5—10), enters Tuesday with 39-89—128 in 80 career playoff games. The Edmonton captain can become the second-fastest player in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to reach 90 career assists behind Wayne Gretzky (63 GP). Lemieux (97 GP) currently holds that distinction.
* Eichel, who had 3-6—9 against Edmonton in their previous playoff meeting, has 10-28—38 in 35 career playoff games. Should he hit 40 tonight, Eichel would become the fourth-fastest U.S.-born player in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to reach the mark, following Brian Leetch (32 GP), Kevin Stevens (33 GP) and Jake Guentzel (34 GP).
COURTESY NHL PUBLIC RELATIONS
