Henrik Lundqvist is one of seven Rangers players with five career Game 7 victories (also Dan Girardi, Carl Hagelin, Ryan McDonagh, Dominic Moore, Derek Stepanand Martin St. Louis). His active five-game winning streak in Game 7s is an NHL record for goaltenders, as is his feat of allowing one or fewer goals in each of those contests. Lundqvist’s 1.00 goals-against average in Game 7s also is tied with Johnny Bower and Dwayne Roloson for the lowest all-time (minimum 3 GP). A sixth Game 7 win for Lundqvist would tie him with Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy for the most in League history.

The Capitals are playing their second Game 7 of 2015 after dispatching the Islanders in the First Round (2-1 W). Goaltender Braden Holtby already has four Game 7s under his belt in just three playoff seasons, compiling a 2.23 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in those contests (2-2).

Six of the Rangers’ 11 playoff series since 2009 have required a Game 7. They also have won each of their last nine postseason games when facing elimination at Madison Square Garden (dating to Game 4 of the 2008 CSF vs. PIT) – an NHL record at home in that scenario.

Nine of the Capitals’ 11 playoff series since 2008 – including each of the past five – have gone to a seventh contest. Their nine such games in that span are tied with the Bruins for the most in the NHL.

All-Time Team Records in Game 7

New York Rangers (8-5 overall, 6-0 at home)
5/13/14, SR vs. Pittsburgh (NYR 2 at PIT 1)
4/30/14, FR vs. Philadelphia (PHI 1 at NYR 2)
5/13/13, CQF vs. Washington (NYR 5 at WSH 0)
5/12/12, CSF vs. Washington (WSH 1 at NYR 2)
4/26/12, CQF vs. Ottawa (OTT 1 at NYR 2)
4/28/09, CQF vs. Washington (NYR 1 at WSH 2)
6/14/94, F vs. Vancouver (VAN 2 at NYR 3)
5/27/94, CF vs. New Jersey (NJD 1 at NYR 2, 2OT)
5/1/92, DSF vs. New Jersey (NJD 4 at NYR 8)
5/5/74, SF vs. Philadelphia (NYR 3 at PHI 4)
5/2/71, SF vs. Chicago (NYR 2 at CHI 4)
4/23/50, F vs. Detroit (NYR 3 at DET 4, 2OT)
4/2/39, SF vs. Boston (NYR 1 at BOS 2, 3OT)

Washington Capitals (4-9 overall, 1-2 on the road)
4/27/15, FR vs. NY Islanders (NYI 1 at WSH 2)
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)

GAME 7 EXPERIENCE
* The Rangers have a combined 71 games of Game 7 experience; the Capitals have combined to play in 87 such games.

* Capitals teammates Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green and Alex Ovechkin lead all participating players with eight Game 7 appearances. They each are 3-5 in those contests.

* Ovechkin also paces all participating players with 2-3—5 in Game 7s (8 GP).

* Eight Rangers players have never suffered a Game 7 loss: Carl Hagelin, Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan (5-0); Chris Kreider (4-0); Derick Brassard, Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello (3-0); and Kevin Klein (2-0).

* Capitals defenseman Tim Gleason is 3-0 in three career Game 7s. Three other players on Washington’s roster have unblemished Game 7 records – all who made their Game 7 debuts in the First Round: Andre Burakovsky, Curtis Glencross andEvgeny Kuznetsov (1-0).

* Alain Vigneault (NYR) will be coaching his sixth career Game 7 (4-1), while Barry Trotz (WSH) will be making his second such appearance.

Alain Vigneault, All-Time Game 7s
5/13/14, w/ NYR, SR vs. Pittsburgh (NYR 2 at PIT 1)
4/30/14, w/ NYR, FR vs. Philadelphia (PHI 1 at NYR 2)
6/15/11, w/ VAN, F vs. Boston (BOS 4 at VAN 0)
4/26/11, w/ VAN, CQF vs. Chicago (CHI 1 at VAN 2, OT)
4/23/07, w/ VAN, CQF vs. Dallas, (DAL 1 at VAN 4)

Barry Trotz, All-Time Game 7s
4/27/15, w/ WSH, FR vs. NY Islanders (NYI 1 at WSH 2)

DID YOU KNOW?
The Rangers and Capitals are facing off in a Game 7 exactly two years after they last played each other in such a contest – in the 2013 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. In that game, Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 35 shots he faced to post his second consecutive shutout and help the Rangers overcome a 3-2 series deficit (in a 5-0 W at WSH).

In doing so, Lundqvist became the fourth goaltender in NHL history to record shutouts in Games 6 and 7 of a playoff series. The others: Detroit’s Harry Lumley (1950 SF vs. TOR), Edmonton’s Curtis Joseph (1998 CQF vs. COL) and Detroit’s Dominik Hasek(2002 CF vs. COL).

GAME 7 TRENDS
* Home teams hold an all-time record of 93-65 (.589) in Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including a 2-0 mark this year.

* The club that scores first in a Game 7 holds an all-time record of 117-41 (.741), including a 2-0 clip this year.

* Thirty-nine Game 7s have required overtime (39-of-158, 24.7%). Road teams hold a narrow edge in those games, 20-19 (.513).

TUESDAY’S RESULT
Home Team in Caps
TAMPA BAY 4, Montreal 1 – TBL wins series 4-2

KUCHEROV POWERS LIGHTNING INTO EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL
Nikita Kucherov posted 2-1—3, including the opening and closing goals, to lift the Lightning into the Eastern Conference Final for the third time in franchise history (also 2004 and 2011).

* After being swept by the Canadiens in the First Round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Lightning went 9-2-0 vs. MTL this season (regular season and playoffs). Per Elias, they became the first team to defeat the Canadiens nine or more times in one season (regular season and playoffs) since the 2008-09 Bruins (9-0-1 overall; 5-0-1 in regular season, 4-0 in playoffs).

* Kucherov, who entered the series with 1-4—5 in nine career playoff games, registered 6-1—7 vs. MTL (6 GP). That included one other multi-goal performance (in Game 2: 2-0—2) and a pair of game-winning goals (Games 1 and 2).

* Kucherov also equaled a career high with his second career three-point game in the postseason. He posted his first such performance in Game 6 of the First Round at DET (0-3—3).

* Via Elias, Kucherov became the second player in Lightning history to record three or more points in a series-clinching victory. The other: Fredrik Modin, who notched 0-3—3 in Game 5 of the 2004 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. NYI (3-2 OT W).

* Elias adds that Kucherov became the third player in Lightning history to post a multi-goal game in a series-clinching win. The others: Ruslan Fedotenko (2-0—2) in Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Final vs. CGY and Sean Bergenheim (2-0—2) in Game 4 of the 2011 Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. WSH.

* Kucherov became the second Lightning player to total six goals in one playoff series this year, following Tyler Johnson in the First Round vs. DET (6-1—7 in 7 GP). That equals a single-series franchise record established by Fedotenko in the 2004 Eastern Conference Final vs. PHI (6-1—7 in 7 GP).

* Steven Stamkos scored what proved to be the game-winning goal, his second such tally in 35 career postseason appearances (also April 29, 2011 at WSH). After starting the playoffs with 0-3—3 in his first eight outings, Stamkos finished the series with 3-4—7 during a five-game point streak.

* Ben Bishop made 18 saves to improve to 8-5 this postseason with a 1.81 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and one shutout. He was in net for all 11 games the Lightning played this season vs. MTL (regular season and playoffs), compiling a 9-2-0 record with a 1.67 goals-against average, .937 save percentage and one shutout in those contests.

* Per Elias, Bishop became the first goaltender to defeat the Canadiens nine or more times in one season (regular season and playoffs) since 1960-61, when Blackhawks goaltender Glenn Hall went 9-7-4 vs. MTL (5-5-4 in regular season, 4-2 in playoffs).

* Ondrej Palat added 1-1—2 for his third multi-point performance this postseason. The line of Johnson (8-4—12), Kucherov (6-5—11) and Palat (3-5—8) has combined for 17-14—31 in 13 playoff games, including half of the club’s 34 goals.

* The Lightning improved to 2-1 in three all-time playoff series against the Canadiens. Their other win came in the 2004 Eastern Conference Semifinals, when they swept Montreal en route to capturing the Stanley Cup.

* The Lightning will face either the Rangers or Capitals in the Eastern Conference Final. They have never played New York in the postseason; they have faced Washington twice (2-0), most recently in the 2011 Eastern Conference Semifinals (4-0 W).

* ICYMI: Click here to watch the handshake line between the Lightning and Canadiens.

2015 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS BRACKET CHALLENGE
Among the more than 800,000 entries for the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge powered by Samsung, 33.5% picked the Lightning to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.

Only 3,663 brackets (0.44%) have correctly selected the winner of all 11 series that have been completed thus far in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

LOOSE PUCKS
Forward Max Pacioretty scored Montreal’s lone goal. He led the Canadiens with five goals during the playoffs (11 GP) after pacing the club with 37 during the regular season (80 GP). Pacioretty also led the team with 3-2—5 vs. TBL (6 GP) . . . Canadiens goaltender Carey Price (24 SV) finished the postseason with a 6-6 record, 2.23 goals-against average, .920 save percentage and one shutout (12 GP) . . . Lightning forwardJonathan Marchessault made his playoff debut . . . ICYMI: Click here for a preview of Game 7 between the Rangers and Capitals . . . Click here to watch Lightning fans celebrate their Game 6 victory.

Thanks to the NHL PR department for the above information.