Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

NHL Short Notes

04/27/2015 at 10:30am EDT

SNEAK PEEK AT MONDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Tampa Bay @ Detroit, DET leads 3-2, 7:00 p.m., CNBC, CBC, TVA, FS-F, FS-D
NY Islanders @ Washington, series tied 3-3, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN, SN, TVA2, MSG+, CSN-DC
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CAPITALS, ISLANDERS FACE OFF IN SECOND HEAD-TO-HEAD GAME 7
The Capitals and Islanders face off at Verizon Center in the first Game 7 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs and the second all-time between these clubs. On April 18, 1987, these teams played one of the most famous Game 7s in NHL postseason history, dubbed “The Easter Epic.” In that contest, which began on the Saturday before Easter and concluded at 1:58 a.m. local time, Pat LaFontaine scored at 8:47 of the fourth overtime period to lift New York to a 3-2 win in what stands as the longest Game 7 in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. The Capitals and Islanders also played one other series that went the distance, in the 1985 Patrick Division Semifinals (a 3-2 best-of-five win by New York).

Four of the six games in this series have been decided by one goal or two following an empty-net score. There also have been two overtime contests (in Games 3 and 4), with each team winning one of those games. The head coaches for both of these teams –Barry Trotz (WSH) and Jack Capuano (NYI) – will be coaching their first Game 7s. Four players among the two clubs will be playing in their eighth career Games 7 – Capitals teammates Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green and Alex Ovechkin (all 2-5) and Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk (4-3). Washington goaltender Braden Holtby has appeared in three Game 7s (1-2, 2.64 GAA, .911 SV%), while New York goaltender Jaroslav Halak has two such games to his credit (2-0, 1.50 GAA, .963 SV%).

Eight of the Capitals’ 10 playoff series since 2008 have required a Game 7. The Islanders are playing their first Game 7 since the 2002 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

All-Time Team Records in Game 7

Washington Capitals (3-9)
5/13/13, CQF vs. NY Rangers (NYR 5 at WSH 0)
5/12/12, CSF vs. NY Rangers (WSH 1 at NYR 2)
4/25/12, CQF vs. Boston (WSH 2 at BOS 1, OT)
4/28/10, CQF vs. Montreal (MTL 2 at WSH 1)
5/13/09, CSF vs. Pittsburgh (PIT 6 at WSH 2)
4/28/09, CQF vs. NY Rangers (NYR 1 at WSH 2)
4/22/08, CQF vs. Philadelphia (PHI 3 at WSH 2, OT)
5/18/95, CQF vs. Pittsburgh (WSH 0 at PIT 3)
5/1/92, DSF vs. Pittsburgh (PIT 3 at WSH 1)
4/30/88, DF vs. New Jersey (NJD 3 at WSH 2)
4/16/88, DSF vs. Philadelphia (PHI 4 at WSH 5, OT)
4/18/87, DSF vs. NY Islanders (NYI 3 at WSH 2, 4OT)

New York Islanders (3-4)
4/30/02, CQF vs. Toronto (NYI 2 at TOR 4)
5/14/93, DF vs. Pittsburgh (NYI 4 at PIT 3, OT)
5/2/87, DF vs. Philadelphia (NYI 1 at PHI 5)
4/18/87, DSF vs. Washington (NYI 3 at WSH 2, 4OT)
4/29/78, QF vs. Toronto (TOR 2 at NYI 1, OT)
5/13/75, SF vs. Philadelphia (NYI 1 at PHI 4)
4/26/75, QF vs. Pittsburgh (NYI 1 at PIT 0)

GAME 7 TRENDS
* Home teams hold an all-time record of 91-65 (.583) in Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but went just 1-6 last year.

* The club that scores first in a Game 7 holds an all-time record of 115-41 (.737).

* Thirty-nine Game 7s have required overtime (39-of-156, 25.0%). Road teams hold a narrow edge in those games, 20-19 (.513).

* Since 2003-04, there have been 25 total Game 7s in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Road teams are 14-11 in those contests.

* A total of seven series went to a Game 7 in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, tying the single-year playoff record set in 1994 and matched in 2011.

SUNDAY’S RESULTS
Home Team in Caps
MINNESOTA 4, St. Louis 1 – MIN wins series 4-2
Montreal 2, OTTAWA 0 – MTL wins series 4-2

PRICE BACKSTOPS CANADIENS INTO SECOND ROUND OF PLAYOFFS
Carey Price stopped all 43 shots he faced, including 14 in the third period, to lead the Canadiens past the Senators and into the Second Round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs.


* Price, who led the NHL in wins (44), goals-against average (1.96) and save percentage (.933) during the regular season, improved to 4-2 with a 1.94 goals-against average and .939 save percentage during the playoffs (6 GP).

* Price recorded his fifth career postseason shutout and first against an opponent other than the Bruins. He blanked Boston twice in 2008 – his first playoff series (April 15 at BOS, April 21 vs. BOS) – and again in 2011 (April 14 at BOS) and 2014 (May 12 vs. BOS).

* One of his previous shutouts also came in a series-clinching victory. On April 21, 2008, Price stopped all 25 shots he faced to lead the Canadiens to a 5-0 win over the Bruins in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

* Per Elias, Price became the fourth goaltender in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) to make at least 43 saves in a regulation-time playoff shutout. The others to do so: Rangers goaltender Glen Hanlon (Game 2 of 1984 DSF at NYI: 45 SV), Blues goaltender Curtis Joseph (Game 2 of 1993 DSF at CHI: 47 SV) and Devils goaltenderMartin Brodeur (Game 5 of 2009 CQF vs. CAR: 44 SV).

* The Canadiens became the first team to shut out the Senators this season (regular season and playoffs). They last failed to register a goal on Dec. 27, 2013 at BOS, a span of 130 games (regular season and playoffs).

* Brendan Gallagher scored midway through the first period for what stood as the game-winning goal. He has one other decisive goal in his postseason career, also vs. OTT (May 3, 2013).

* Max Pacioretty added an empty-net goal with less than one second remaining in regulation. He has 7-6—13 in 26 career playoff outings.

* The Canadiens will face the winner of the Red Wings-Lightning series in the Second Round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Montreal has played Detroit 12 times in the postseason, but not since the 1978 Quarterfinals (a 4-1 series win). The Canadiens have faced the Lightning twice during the playoffs, including a four-game sweep in the First Round in 2014.

* ICYMI: The Canadiens pranked Price following their series-clinching victory.

2015 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS BRACKET CHALLENGE
Among the more than 800,000 entries for the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge powered by Samsung, 73% picked the Canadiens to win their series against the Senators – just 29.1% selected them to win in six games.

PARISE, DUBNYK LEAD WILD PAST BLUES
Zach Parise scored twice and Devan Dubnyk made 30 saves to lift the Wild past the Blues and into the Second Round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs.


* The Wild clinched a postseason series victory on home ice and before a Game 7 for the first time in franchise history. They entered the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 3-5 all-time series record, with all three series-clinching wins coming on the road in a Game 7.

* Parise registered his fifth career multi-goal playoff game and second with the Wild (also April 28, 2014 vs. COL: 2-2—4). He has 8-14—22 in 24 postseason contests since joining Minnesota, tied for first in franchise history with Marian Gaborik (12-10—22 in 29 GP).

* Parise led the Wild with 3-4—7 during the six-game series. Elias says that was his second-highest point total in one playoff series, behind the 3-7—10 he posted in last year’s seven-game victory over the Avalanche in the First Round.

* Parise put the Wild ahead with a shorthanded goal at 7:14 of the first period. It was his second career shorthanded goal in the playoffs and first since April 16, 2010 vs. PHI (w/ NJD). Only five other players in Wild history have recorded a shorthanded goal in the postseason (last, Marco Scandella: April 9, 2014 at COL).

* After allowing six goals in Game 4, Dubnyk stopped 66-of-68 shots (.971) over the final two games of the series. He has a 2.32 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and one shutout during the postseason (6 GP).

* Justin Fontaine (1-1—2) notched his first career multi-point playoff game (14 GP), including the winning goal.

* The Wild will face the Blackhawks in the Second Round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Minnesota has played Chicago in each of the last two postseasons, losing in five games in the 2013 Western Conference Quarterfinals and in six games in the 2014 Second Round.

* ICYMI: Charlie Coyle was mic’d up during the handshake line following the series-clinching win.

2015 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS BRACKET CHALLENGE
Among the more than 800,000 entries for the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge powered by Samsung, 26% picked the Wild to win their series against the Blues – just 13.0% selected them to win in six games.

LOOSE PUCKS
Senators goaltender Craig Anderson made 18 saves. He finished the series with a 0.97 goals-against average, .972 save percentage and one shutout (4 GP). Overall, he is 6-3 with a 1.43 goals-against average, .960 save percentage and one shutout in nine career playoff appearances vs. MTL . . . Blues forward T.J. Oshie scored his fifth career postseason goal and first since April 27, 2014 at CHI . . . Wild forward Nino Niederreiter potted an empty-net goal for his third tally of the playoffs (6 GP). He has 6-4—10 in 19 career postseason outings . . . Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirkregistered his League-leading eighth assist of the playoffs (6 GP) . . . ICYMI: Click here for an all-access look at Saturday’s playoff action . . . Click here to watch the #MyPlayoffsMoment video of Blackhawks and Flames fans celebrating their series-clinching wins . . . REMINDER: The NHL will reveal the three finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy prior to tonight’s games.

the above information was provided by the NHL PR department

Is there anything better in sports than a Game 7? Get to a seat at the Verizon Center with the help of Hipmunk.com for flights to Washington D.C. and hotels near the Verizon Center starting from $86 to celebrate either team earning their way into the second round.

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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

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