NHL Short Notes

* The Panthers and Lightning contested the first overtime game of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs which saw Carter Verhaeghe score the winner to give Florida a 2-0 series lead.

* The Avalanche and Predators both evened their series at 1-1, with the former becoming just the third team in NHL history to score 11-plus goals through the first two games of the playoffs versus the team that had the fewest goals against in the regular season.

* The Rangers took a 2-0 series lead with the help of K'Andre Miller, who became the fourth defenseman in the past two decades to score a shorthanded goal and have it stand as the game winner.

* Three contests are scheduled for Wednesday, including a Game 3 between the Bruins and Maple Leafs as well as a couple of Game 2s featuring Western Conference squads.

VERHAEGHE WINS IT FOR PANTHERS IN FIRST OVERTIME OF 2024 PLAYOFFS
Sam Bennett and Vladimir Tarasenko put the Panthers up 2-0 in the first period, but the Lightning responded with goals from Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos in the second frame and almost netted a third if it wasn’t for a highlight-reel save from Sergei Bobrovsky. With the game deadlocked at 2-2 after three periods, the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs saw its first overtime game where it was Carter Verhaeghe who netted his fifth career overtime goal to give Florida a 2-0 series lead.

* Bobrovsky became the first goaltender in franchise history to earn 20 playoff wins and has backstopped Florida in each of its 11 straight overtime victories dating to the 2021 postseason. The only team in NHL history with a longer run of overtime wins in the playoffs is the Canadiens (14-0 from 1993-1998).

* Verhaeghe scored his fifth career overtime goal in the postseason and his first since netting one during Game 3 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, which gave the Panthers their first-ever victory in the championship round. The forward is no stranger to finding the back of the net in the extra frame – he has also scored multiple series-clinching overtime goals, eliminating the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Bruins in Game 7 of the 2023 First Round and the Capitals in Game 6 the 2022 First Round which gave the Panthers their first series win in 26 years.

MAKAR, MACKINNON HELP AVALANCHE HEAD HOME WITH SERIES TIED 1-1
Cale Makar (0-2—2) posted multiple points and Nathan MacKinnon (0-1—1) assisted on one of his team’s five goals to help the Avalanche earn a comeback win and head home to Denver with an even series. Colorado owns an all-time record of 9-12 (.429) when tied 1-1 in a best-of seven series.

* Makar recorded his 16th multi-point game of the playoffs and surpassed Erik Karlsson (15) for the fifth most by an active defenseman, trailing only Victor Hedman (26), Brent Burns (19), Kris Letang (18) and Shea Theodore (17).

* Makar, who had 1-2—3 in Game 1, recorded consecutive multi-point outings in the postseason for the fourth time in his career, matching Shea Theodore and Victor Hedman for the most such instances among active defensemen. In the process, Makar also became the fifth active blueliner to record five points through his team’s first two games of the playoffs, joining Adam Fox (0-6—6 in 2023), John Carlson (0-6—6 in 2018), Miro Heiskanen (0-5—5 in 2023) and Torey Krug (0-5—5 in 2018).
* The Avalanche (11) and Jets (9) became the first teams to combine for 20 or more goals through the first two games of a Stanley Cup Playoffs series since the Oilers and Flames combined for 23 during the 2022 Second Round. The most in NHL history is 24, by the North Stars and Bruins during the 1981 Preliminary Round.

ZIBANEJAD, MILLER HELP RANGERS TAKE A 2-0 SERIES LEAD
After the Capitals took a 1-0 lead, the Rangers rallied to earn a comeback victory and take a 2-0 series lead with the help of Mika Zibanejad (1-1—2) who factored on two goals, including K'Andre Miller’s shorthanded game winner. New York owns an all-time series record of 11-4 (.733) when taking a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven, but fell to the Devils in the First Round after taking such a lead last year.

* Zibanejad, whose seventh career playoff power-play goal with the Rangers moved him into a tie with Ron Greschner for seventh place on the franchise’s all-time list, recorded his 13th multi-point game in the postseason with New York and tied Chris Kreider and Walt Tkaczuk for the fifth most in club history.

* Miller became just the seventh defenseman in Rangers history to score a shorthanded goal in the playoffs (since 1933-34 when goals by type were officially tracked), joining Marc Staal (Game 1 of 2020 SCQ), Brian Leetch (Game 7 of 1992 DSF), Normand Rochefort (Game 5 of 1990 DSF), Barry Beck (Game 2 of 1981 QF), Dave Maloney (Game 2 of 1980 PRLM & Game 1 of 1979 SCF) and Greschner (Game 2 of 1979 QF).

FORSBERG HELPS PREDATORS TIE SERIES 1-1

Filip Forsberg scored his 30th career postseason goal, which stood as the game winner, and Juuse Saros earned his fourth career playoff win – the second most in franchise history behind only Pekka Rinne (45) – as the Predators evened their series.

* Nashville became the third team in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs to even their series following a loss in Game 1 (also TOR & COL) and holds an all-time record of 4-7 when tied 1-1 in a best-of-seven series. Last year’s opening round saw seven of eight teams advance after facing a series deficit – tied for the most ever.

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS TRENDS HIGHLIGHTED IN #NHLSTATS LIVE UPDATES
The first three days of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs have featured close contests, including Tuesday which saw two one-goal victories by the Rangers and Panthers. For more League trends and notes on the eight teams in action, read the latest edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates.

QUICK CLICKS

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STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS CONTINUE WITH THREE-GAME WEDNESDAY
First Round action in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs continues with a pair of Game 2s as well as Game 3 between the Bruins and Maple Leafs, who see their series shift to Scotiabank Arena in Toronto for the next two contests. The Original Six showdown is the first contest of an ESPN doubleheader, while Connor McDavid and the Oilers clash with Anze Kopitar and the Kings on TBS and MAX.

* When a best-of-seven is tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 holds an all-time series of 234-120 (.661). Toronto holds a 10-9 record in that scenario, while Boston is 19-6.

* The Maple Leafs return home with hopes of back-to-back wins against the Bruins for the first time since a four-game stretch from Nov. 6, 2021 to Nov. 5, 2022. Morgan Rielly has yet to find the score sheet in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but has done so in each of his past five home games in the postseason dating to Game 2 of the 2023 First Round (2-6—8 in 5 GP). He can join Ian Turnbull (7 GP from 1976-78) and Borje Salming (7 GP from 1976-78) as the third defenseman in franchise history with a six-game home point streak in the playoffs (spanning postseasons or otherwise).

* The Golden Knights and Stars cap the ESPN doubleheader after Jack Eichel (0-2—2) played a part in Vegas’ Game 1 victory. Eichel (6-22—28 in 23 GP), despite appearing in the postseason for just the second time, can join Alex Ovechkin (21 GP), Leon Draisaitl (24 GP), David Pastrnak (24 GP) and Sidney Crosby (24 GP) as the fifth active player to reach 30 career playoff points in 24 or fewer games.

* McDavid leads the Oilers into Game 2 after his five-assist outing in the series opener fell just one shy of the Stanley Cup Playoffs record for most in one contest. The Edmonton captain enters Wednesday with the opportunity to join Joe Murphy (3 GP in 1992), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2 GP in 2020), Glenn Anderson (2 GP in 1988), Charlie Huddy (2 GP in 1985) and Wayne Gretzky (2 GP in 1981) as the sixth player in franchise history with multiple assists in each of the team’s first two games of a playoff year.