GAME 7: DID YOU KNOW?
* Via Elias, 28 current NHL franchises have played in a Game 7. The Predators became the 14th to win their first such appearance, and the 10th to do so on the road.

* The previous NHL franchise to make its first Game 7 appearance was Tampa Bay, who eliminated Philadelphia in the 2004 Eastern Conference Final en route to winning its first Stanley Cup.

* Road teams improved to 68-95 (.417) all-time in Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the team that scores first improved to 121-42 (.742).

* Wednesday’s showdown in Anaheim marked the 40th Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2009 – the most frequently-occurring series length in that span.

TAVARES NETS (ANOTHER) WINNER AS ISLANDERS TAKE GAME 1
After scoring the tying and overtime goals in New York’s series-clinching victory on Sunday, Islanders captain John Tavares (1-1—2) again provided the decisive marker to help his club win the opening game of the Second Round.

* Tavares, who posted his fourth multi-point game of the postseason, leads the League in points (11) and shares top spot in goals (6; tied w/ Nikita Kucherov) thus far in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs (7 GP). Overall, he has 11-11—22 in 20 career playoff games.

* Via Elias, Tavares is the first player to record 20 or more points in his first 20 career playoff games with the Islanders.

* Tavares has registered 12-10—22 in his last 13 outings dating to March 31 (regular-season and playoffs), including eight multi-point efforts and at least one goal in 10 of those contests.

* The Islanders have trailed by at least one goal in four of their five victories this postseason (also Games 1, 3 and 6 of First Round vs. FLA). Elias says they overcame a deficit of at least one goal to win 19 times during the regular season, sixth-most in the NHL.

PRINCE LEADS ISLANDERS’ RALLY
The Lightning opened the scoring but the Islanders responded with three goals before the end of the first period, including two in the final 2:32 from forward Shane Prince (2-0—2).

* Elias says Prince become the first Islanders player with multiple goals in the first period of a playoff game since Game 2 of the 1983 Division Finals vs. NYR (Duane Sutter: 2).

* Prince, who hails from Rochester, N.Y., tallied 3-2—5 in 20 regular-season games with the Islanders after being acquired from Ottawa on Feb. 29. He has three goals in seven games this postseason.

BISHOP, HOLTBY AND QUICK VOTED VEZINA TROPHY FINALISTS
The NHL announced that Tampa Bay’s Ben Bishop, Washington’s Braden Holtby and Los Angeles’ Jonathan Quick are the three finalists for the 2015-16 Vezina Trophy, which is awarded “to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at his position.” Click here for more information.

The NHL will reveal the three finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy prior to tonight’s games.

NHL LIVEWIRE: The best sounds from a thrilling First Round.

ICYMI: HOCKEY TWITTER’S NEWEST FAN
Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo and Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko connected with hockey Twitter’s newest fan, @soIoucity, during Wednesday’s games:

SNEAK PEEK AT THURSDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Pittsburgh @ Washington, 8:00 p.m., CBC, NBCSN, TVAS
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CROSBY, OVECHKIN RENEW RIVALRY IN SECOND ROUND
The Capitals and Penguins play the opening game of their ninth all-time playoff meeting and first since the 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals, when Pittsburgh defeated Washington in a thrilling seven-game series en route to its third (and most recent) Stanley Cup. Washington’s Alex Ovechkin totaled 8-6—14 in that series, while Pittsburgh’sSidney Crosby countered with 8-5—13. Both players recorded hat tricks in Game 2 and scored in Game 7, but Crosby posted 2-1—3 in the finale to lead the Penguins to victory. Ovechkin (525-441—966 in 839 GP) and Crosby (338-600—938 in 707 GP) rank first and second, respectively, in NHL scoring since entering the League in 2005-06. When the puck drops on the series there will be several familiar faces on opposite ends of the rink: Washington’s Matt Niskanen (2011-14) and BrooksOrpik (2002-14) both played for the Penguins, while Pittsburgh’s Eric Fehr (2005-11 and 2012-15) spent nine of his first 10 NHL seasons with the Capitals.

Thanks to the NHL PR department for the above information.