* Brassard potted his second career game-winning goal in the playoffs (also May 12, 2013 vs. WSH) and first in overtime. He has two career overtime goals in the regular season: Feb. 3, 2012 at ANA and Oct. 26, 2013 at DET.

* Benoit Pouliot initially appeared to the end the game, but video review determined Brassard’s shot hit the back bar of the net before Pouliot scored.

* Pouliot still recorded 1-1—2, including the primary assist on Brassard’s winner, for his first career multi-point performance in the playoffs. He now has 2-2—4 during a three-game point streak, equaling his output from his prior 24 postseason contests dating to 2010 (2-2—4).

* Celebrating his 34th birthday, Brad Richards scored his team-leading third goal of the playoffs (tied with Pouliot). He has posted at least one point in five of the Rangers’ eight games this postseason, compiling a team-high 3-4—7.

* Richards also collected four assists versus the Penguins during the regular season (4 GP) and now has 10-34—44 in 43 career games against Pittsburgh (regular season and playoffs).

* Henrik Lundqvist made 34 saves to pick up his 35th career postseason victory. He has started a franchise-record 74 consecutive playoff games dating to Game 3 of the 2006 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. NJ. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Lundqvist’s streak marks only the seventh time in NHL history that a goalie has started at least 70 straight postseason games for the same team.

* The Rangers improved to 2-2 in four all-time playoff overtime games versus the Penguins. Their other such win came on May 7, 1992, when Kris King scored at 1:29 of the extra session to give New York a 6-5 victory in Game 3 of Patrick Division Final.

* The Rangers opened a postseason series with an overtime win for the first time since Game 1 of the 1986 Patrick Division Final at WSH, when Brian MacLellan found the back of the net at 1:16 of the extra frame. New York ultimately won that series in six games.

KANE LEADS BLACKHAWKS PAST WILD
Patrick Kane scored twice, including a highlight-reel goal midway through the third period to break a 2-2 tie, to help the Blackhawks take a 1-0 series lead versus the Wild.

* Kane now shares the League lead with five goals in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs (tied with Paul Stastny). He also has 4-3—7, including two game-winning goals, during a four-game point streak.

* After his opening his postseason career with only two multi-goal games and one game-winning goal in his first 11 series, Kane now has one multi-goal game and one game-winning goal in each of the Blackhawks’ last four playoff series (courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau). In fact, each of Kane’s last four postseason game-winning goals have come in his past four multi-goal performances, all in Chicago: Game 1 of 2014 Second Round vs. MIN (2-0—2), Game 4 of 2014 First Round vs. STL (2-1—3, OT winner), Game 5 of 2013 Stanley Cup Final vs. BOS (2-0—2) and Game 5 of 2013 Western Conference Final vs. LA (3-0—3, OT winner).

* Elias also says Kane now has 22 multi-point playoff games since 2009, trailing only Sidney Crosby (28) and Evgeni Malkin (22) for the most in the NHL.

* Marian Hossa posted a game-high 1-2—3 and now has 4-5—9 in six career postseason games versus the Wild.

* Brent Seabrook collected two assists and now has two points in each of his four appearances during the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs (2-6—8). Penguins defenseman Paul Martin also began the postseason with multiple points in each of his first four games (0-8—8). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this marks the first time in NHL history that two defenseman have both recorded multiple points in each of their first four games in one playoff year. The only other time two blueliners have posted four consecutive multi-point games at any time in a single postseason was in 1978, when both Larry Robinson (MTL) and Ian Turnbull (TOR) did so.

* Bryan Bickell scored the opening and closing goals for his second career multi-goal playoff game (also April 14, 2012 at PHX: 2-0—2). He now has 4-1—5 during a four-game point streak.

* Corey Crawford made 30 saves to extend his winning streak to five games, matching a career long in the postseason (also May 25-June 2, 2013). He now has a 1.98 goals-against average, .935 save percentage and one shutout in seven appearances during the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

* The Blackhawks now have won 15 of their last 17 postseason home games dating to 2013, including five straight (4-0 in 2014).

WORKING OVERTIME
After an opening round that featured 14 overtime games, two of the first three contests in the Second Round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs have required extra time (16 of 51 total games, 31.4%). Road teams improved to 9-7 in overtime games this postseason, including four consecutive victories.

DID YOU KNOW?
There have been 174 different goal-scorers through the opening 51 games of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

LOOSE PUCKS
The Penguins now have played six one-goal games in their first seven contests of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs (3-3) . . . Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews posted an assist to stretch his point streak to five games (3-3—6) . . . Penguins forward Jussi Jokinen collected an assist to extend his point streak to five games (2-3—5) . . . Wild defenseman Clayton Stoner scored his first career playoff goal (9 GP) . . . Penguins forward Craig Adams played in his 100th career postseason game . . . The Rangers now have played at least one overtime game in 10 of their last 12 playoff series dating to the 2007 Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. BUF . . . Patrice Bergeron (BOS), Brent Burns (SJ) and Duncan Keith (CHI) were announced as the three finalists for the 2013-14 NHL Foundation Player Award . . . Goaltender Mathieu Garon announced his retirement. The 36-year-old netminder appeared in 341 NHL games with six teams, compiling a 144-131-31 record with a 2.83 goals-against average, .903 save percentage and 20 shutouts.

SNEAK PEEK AT SATURDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Montreal @ Boston, Game 2, MTL leads 1-0, 12:30 p.m., NBC, CBC, RDS
Los Angeles @ Anaheim, Game 1, 8:00 p.m., NBCSN, TSN, RDS

For the third consecutive year, every Stanley Cup Playoffs game is being televised nationally in the United States, on NBC, NBCSN, CNBC and NHL Network. Not sure where to find the game? Use our channel finder: http://nhl.com/channelfinder.

DUCKS, KINGS MEET FOR FIRST TIME IN PLAYOFFS
The “Freeway Face-Off” makes its postseason debut when the Ducks play host to the Kings at Honda Center. Rivals for the past 20 years, their meeting also marks a local “first” in Southern California sports history, as none of the region’s other franchises have ever faced off in the playoffs (MLB: Angels-Dodgers, NBA: Clippers-Lakers, NFL: Raiders-Rams). The Ducks went 4-0-1 versus the Kings during the regular season (LA: 1-3-1), including a 3-0 victory Jan. 25 at Dodger Stadium in the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series, the first regular-season outdoor NHL game played in the U.S. west of the Mississippi River, the southernmost outdoor game in League history and the first-ever outdoor NHL game in California.

More Series Notes:

* This marks the sixth time that two California-based teams have faced off in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but just the second time it has happened after the opening round (2013 CSF: Kings vs. Sharks).

* In 2007, the Ducks became the first California-based team and the first West Coast club to win the Stanley Cup since NHL teams exclusively began competing for the trophy in 1927. In 2012, the Kings became the first No. 8 seed to win the Stanley Cup and the first NHL club to take a 3-0 lead in games in all four of its playoff series.

* Twenty-seven NHLers have played for both the Ducks and Kings. Of those 27, seven have appeared in 100 or more games for both clubs: Dan Bylsma, Bob Corkum, Sean O’Donnell, Dustin Penner, Warren Rychel, Tomas Sandstrom and Lubomir Visnovsky. Penner is the only player to win the Stanley Cup with both the Ducks and Kings.

* With the Ducks and Kings contesting a Second Round series, a California-based team is guaranteed to advance to the Western Conference Final for the ninth time in the past 11 seasons.

thanks to the NHL PR department for the above information