Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Recap Of Round One Of The Stanley Cup Playoffs

04/26/2018 at 10:23am EDT

via the NHL PR department

HIGH-SCORING TREND CONTINUES INTO 2018 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
The increased offense from the highest-scoring regular-season in 11 years carried over into the opening round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with an average of 5.9 goals per game (255 goals in 43 GP) – up 20% from the 2017 First Round (4.9 G/GP; 205 G in 42 GP).

* In the past 22 years, only four opening rounds featured as many goals per game.

* Seven of the eight remaining clubs ranked among the top 10 in goals for during the regular season.

* Additionally, all eight clubs reached the 100-point mark in 2017-18, marking the first time that the final eight playoff teams each hit triple-digits in points during the regular season.


GOLDEN KNIGHTS, JETS AMONG GROUP OF FIRST-TIME CONTENDERS
Three clubs who were not part of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs will play in the Second Round (of the seven new clubs that reached the postseason), including the expansion Golden Knights and Jets – who each recorded their first-ever series win.

* The Golden Knights became just the third team from the NHL, NBA and MLB to complete a four-game sweep to win their first-ever playoff series – and the first to do so in their inaugural season. Only three other NHL teams won a playoff series in their inaugural season, all against other clubs also in their debut campaign (Toronto Arenas in 1918; St. Louis Blues and Minnesota North Stars in 1968).

* The Golden Knights’ sweep was not only the first of its kind for a professional team in its inaugural season, but also a rare feat for any club in the Stanley Cup Playoffs over the past 10 years. Only 12.6% of series have ended after four games since 2009.

* This marks the sixth time in the expansion era (since 1967-68) that two NHL clubs have recorded their first-ever series win in the same postseason.

* The Jets and Golden Knights will face the Predators and Sharks, respectively, in the Second Round, marking the third time that the final four teams in either conference all are chasing their first Stanley Cup (since the introduction of conferences in 1974-75). The other instances came in 1984 when the Oilers emerged from the Clarence Campbell Conference (outlasting the Blues, Flames and North Stars) and 2012 when the Kings came out of the Western Conference (outlasting the Blues, Coyotes and Predators), both en route to winning the Stanley Cup.


CROSBY, GUENTZEL HELP PENGUINS KEEP THREE-PEAT DREAM ALIVE
After finishing second in playoff scoring in 2017, two-time reigning Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sidney Crosby shared the League lead with 13 points in the opening round (6-7—13). Crosby found the score sheet in five of six games, including four multi-point efforts that made him the fourth player in NHL history to record multiple points in at least 60 playoff games.

* Jake Guentzel also collected 6-7—13 in six contests, highlighted by a historic four-goal and five-point performance in the series-clinching game, to boost his career postseason totals to 19-15—34 (31 GP).

* Crosby and Guentzel became just the fourth set of teammates in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to each record 13 or more points within the same series.


TRIO OF FIVE-POINT EFFORTS IN FIRST ROUND
Game 6 of the Penguins-Flyers series marked the first time that a set of opposing players each collected five points in a Stanley Cup Playoffs game, with Philadelphia’s Sean Couturier (3-2—5) matching the output by Pittsburgh’s JakeGuentzel (4-1—5) while playing with a torn MCL.

* Boston’s David Pastrnak, who also had 13 points in the opening round (5-8—13), posted 3-3—6 in Game 2 of the Bruins-Maple Leafs series to match the NHL record for most points by a player through his team’s first two games of a postseason (9). Pastrnak, 21, became the youngest player in NHL history to record six points in a playoff game, besting a mark set by Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky at age 22 in Game 3 of the 1983 Division Finals.


BRUINS ADVANCE WITH EPIC GAME 7 VICTORY
The First Round closed with a thrilling Game 7 between the Bruins and Maple Leafs, a contest that featured five tallies in the opening frame, four tying goals overall and finished as the third-highest scoring Game 7 on record (tied; MNS 9, LAK 4 in 1968 QF; NYR 8, NJD 4 in 1992 DSF; and EDM 7, CGY 4 in 1984 DF).

* Boston became the first team in NHL history to overcome three deficits of at least one goal to win a Game 7 in regulation, five years after becoming the first team in NHL history to overcome a three-goal, third-period deficit to win in a Game 7 (also against the Maple Leafs). PatriceBergeron tallied three points in each of those contests and on Wednesday became the 11th player to compile at least nine career points in Game 7s.


RIVALRY BREWING ON AND OFF THE ICE
The Predators-Jets series pits two of the most colorful crowds against one another as the gold-clad Nashville fans and “Winnipeg Whiteout” go head-to-head, a growing theme across the NHL as fanbases in nearly every market rally together to support their team’s push for the Stanley Cup.

* The raucous crowd and star-studded anthems that helped cement Bridgestone Arena as one of the toughest road rinks in the NHL during the club’s run to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final returned in the opening round. Not to be outdone by their Central Division foes, the Jets faithful hit the streets in Winnipeg by the tens of thousands, including a reported 15,000 lining four city blocks for the series-clinching win on Friday.


NHL FANS ENGAGED ACROSS PLATFORMS IN FIRST ROUND
As of Thursday, April 19, 21.5 million Americans watched all or some of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, marking the best opening-round viewership across the networks of NBCUniversal in four years. In Canada, through nights 1-13 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, 19.1 million Canadians (53% of the population) have watched all or some part of the postseason (across Sportsnet and CBC).

* In-arena excitement is also reaching more people than ever before, highlighted by the story of six-year-old Keelan Moxley who became a social media star after video of Capitals forward BrettConnolly's repeated attempts to toss her a puck prior to Game 2 went viral. The video, which has been viewed more than 9.6 million times on Twitter (a record for the NHL on the platform) and earned 12.4 million video streams on Facebook(third-highest ever for the NHL), led to Keelan receiving an invite back for an unforgettable experience at Game 5.

* The 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs also marked the unveil of a new video series in which the legendary rapperSnoop Dogg explains the rules and traditions of hockey with the flair and charisma that only he can bring. To date, the video series has generated more than 17.2 million views and streams across the NHL channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

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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.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

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