SECOND ROUND OF THE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS SET TO BEGIN TODAY
Philadelphia and Vancouver became the seventh and eighth teams to advance to the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which begin tonight when the Avalanche and Stars clash.

* St. Louis’ defeat Friday guarantees that there will be a new Stanley Cup champion for the 20th time in the past 21 seasons. Only one remaining team in the Stanley Cup Playoffs has won a Cup since 2006 (Boston in 2011) and the remaining teams have won a combined five of the last 35 Stanley Cups (BOS: 1, TBL: 1, COL: 2, DAL: 1).



CANUCKS TAKE DOWN REIGNING CHAMPS AND ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND
Brock Boeser scored the fourth of six Vancouver goals as the Canucks ousted the reigning Stanley Cup champions and advanced to the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Vancouver, which earned its first win in a best-of-seven series since the 2011 Conference Finals, will play Vegas.

* Elias Pettersson collected two assists, including one on Boeser’s tally, to boost his 2020 postseason totals to 4-9—13 in 10 games. Among players to debut with the Canucks, his 13 points are the most by any player through his first 10 career playoff games with the franchise, besting the previous mark held by Thomas Gradin (5-6—11 in 10 GP).

* In fact, only four active players collected more points through their first 10 career playoff games: David Pastrnak (6-9—15 w/ BOS), Nathan MacKinnon (5-10—15 w/ COL), Sidney Crosby (5-10—15 w/ PIT) and Eric Staal (4-10—14 w/ CAR).

* Quinn Hughes also assisted on Boeser’s goal to collect his 10th point of the 2020 postseason (1-9—10). The 2019-20 Calder Trophy finalist became the fourth rookie defenseman in NHL history to record 10 career postseason points in 10 games or fewer. The others: Gary Suter (2-8—10 in 9 GP), Al MacInnis (1-9—10 in 9 GP) and Ray Bourque (2-8—10 in 9 GP).

* Vancouver, the last Canadian team remaining in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, is no stranger to ousting the reigning Stanley Cup champions. During the 2011 Conference Quarterfinals, Alexandre Burrows scored 5:22 into overtime to help the Canucks bounce the Blackhawks in Game 7 – Vancouver would later advance to the Stanley Cup Final.



HART’S FLYERS EDGE PRICE’S CANADIENS TO ADVANCE TO SECOND ROUND

In a playoff series that pitted the Flyers goaltender against his childhood idol Carey Price, Carter Hart registered 31 saves to backstop Philadelphia past Montreal and into the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

* The Flyers, who won a postseason series for the first time since 2012, will square off against the Islanders in the Second Round. The two clubs have met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs four times previously and most recently during the 1987 Division Finals (4-3 W PHI), when rookie Ron Hextall backstopped Philadelphia all the way to the Stanley Cup Final and won the Conn Smythe Trophy in a losing cause.

* Hart, who became the youngest goaltender to earn a series-clinching win for the Flyers (22 years, 8 days) became the fifth active netminder to earn a series-clinching win at age 22 or younger. The others: Price (Game 7 of 2008 CQF w/ MTL), Semyon Varlamov (Game 7 of 2009 CQF w/ WSH), Matt Murray (4x; last: Game 6 of 2016 CF) and Braden Holtby (Game 7 of 2012 CQF w/ WSH). Coincidentally, Price achieved the feat at the youngest age (20 years, 249 days) among the group.

* Hart is one of 16 different goaltenders to appear in at least one regular-season or postseason game for the Flyers since their last playoff series win in 2012. Only the Coyotes (18) and Oilers (17) have featured more over that span. Additionally, his six playoff wins in 2020 are the most by any Philadelphia netminder since the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

QUICK CLICKS

* NHL statement on comments made by Mike Milbury

* Lightning will play Bruins in Eastern Conference Second Round

* Capitals ponder future after elimination by Islanders in East First Round

* Blue Jackets plan to build from within, not through free agency, GM says

* Avalanche vs. Stars playoff preview

SECOND ROUND BEGINS WITH GAME 1 BETWEEN AVALANCHE, STARS

The Second Round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin tonight when the second-seeded Avalanche face the third-seeded Stars. Dallas held the edge in the regular-season series between the clubs with a 4-0-0 record (COL: 0-2-2), however Colorado blanked Dallas 4-0 in the round-robin portion of the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers.

* The Avalanche and Stars will meet in a postseason series for the first time in 14 years and fifth time overall – they have split the previous four meetings.

* The Stars eliminated the Avalanche in seven games in the Conference Finals in back-to-back years from 1999-2000. One of the Stars or Avalanche appeared in the Stanley Cup Final four times over a six-season span from 1996-2001, with Dallas winning in 1999 and Colorado in 1996 and 2001.

* The Avalanche won the following two series between the clubs, ousting the Stars in five games in both the 2004 and 2006 Conference Quarterfinals.

* Teams that take a 1-0 lead in a best-of-seven series hold an all-time record of 485-220 (.687) including a 7-1 mark in the 2020 First Round.

Thanks to the NHL PR department for the information above.