2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round Starts Tonight
“SUNSHINE STATE” RIVALRY PITS PRESIDENTS’ TROPHY WINNERS VS. REIGNING CHAMPS
The Panthers and Lightning find themselves contesting a head-to-head series for the second straight postseason, but this year’s “Sunshine State” showdown will look a little different with Florida having won the 2021-22 Presidents’ Trophy and Tampa Bay now carrying the title of two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.
- Nikita Kucherov and Jonathan Huberdeau each had a double-digit point total when the franchises met in the 2021 First Round, with the Lightning earning a six-game win against the higher-seeded Panthers. The last NHL player with 20-plus playoff points against one opponent over a two-year span was Colorado captain Joe Sakic versus Chicago from the 1996 Conference Semifinals to the 1997 Conference Quarterfinals.
- Florida features 10 players on its active roster who have appeared in at least one game beyond the First Round/Conference Quarterfinals, including Carter Verhaeghe who won the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2020 and Ben Chiarot who faced the Lightning during the 2021 Final (w/ MTL). Verhaeghe has scored the winning goal in each of the Panthers’ last three contests, capped by the overtime clincher in Game 6 of the First Round to give the franchise its first series win in 26 years.
- Nicholas Paul played the role of “unlikely hero” for the Lightning in Game 7 of their First Round series by scoring both of Tampa Bay’s goals in its 2-1 win against Toronto. Paul and Verhaeghe met eight years ago during the OHL Playoffs, with the former scoring the series-clinching goal in Game 7 of the 2014 Conference Quarterfinals as the North Bay Battalion rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Niagara IceDogs.
- Defending Stanley Cup champions own an all-time record of 4-4 in a playoff series against the Presidents’ Trophy winner (since 1985-86 when the award was introduced). The No. 1-ranked team from the regular season is 4-1 in the last five such matchups.
BLUES LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK AFTER BEING SWEPT AWAY BY AVALANCHE IN 2021
St. Louis and Colorado will also contest a head-to-head playoff series for the second time in as many years and for the third time overall, with the Avalanche earning a five-game win against the Blues in the 2001 Conference Finals and a four-game sweep during the 2021 First Round.
- Nathan MacKinnon has six goals and 10 points in five career playoff games against St. Louis, highlighted by a hat trick in Game 2 of the 2021 First Round. The most postseason goals by an Avalanche/Nordiques player versus one opponent is 12, achieved by Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg against the Red Wings.
- Cale Makar shares the League lead in scoring among defensemen with 10 points during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the most in NHL history by a blueliner through four games in a postseason. Makar has 41 career playoff points overall and needs one to tie Adam Foote for third place among defensemen in franchise history.
- Ryan O’Reilly, who skated over 100 games alongside Foote with the Avalanche from 2009-10 to 2010-11, was one of three Blues players with five goals during their First Round series against the Wild (also David Perron & Vladimir Tarasenko). O’Reilly carries a four-game goal streak into St. Louis’ Second Round clash with Colorado, tied for his playoff career high set during the 2019 Final en route to winning the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy. The longest postseason goal streak in Blues history is five contests, achieved by Phil Roberto in 1972 and Joe Mullen in 1982.
- The Avalanche have won seven consecutive playoff contests against the Blues dating to Game 4 of the 2001 Conference Finals, a run which includes Colorado’s 2-1 win versus St. Louis in the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers Round Robin. The Avalanche’s seven straight victories mark the longest playoff winning streak against one opponent in franchise history, ahead of six-game runs versus the Canucks (Game 1 of 1996 CQF–Game 4 of 2001 CQF) and Red Wings (Game 3 of 1999 CSF–Game 2 of 2000 CSF).
NHL CONTINUES TO CELEBRATE ASIAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH
The NHL continues to celebrate Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, sharing stories of Asian players past and present from across the hockey ecosystem. To learn more, visit NHL.com/APIHeritage.
- ESPN featured Stars sensation Jason Robertson and his unique hockey journey, from a traveling RV to the NHL.
- Sportsnet featured Flames skating and development coach Danielle Fujita, one of nearly 100 women who work in Hockey Operations across the NHL.
- Kings rookie defenseman Jordan Spence was born in Australia and played hockey in Japan before moving to Canada.
- In 2007, goaltender Yutaka Fukufuji became the first player born in Japan to play in NHL. He continues to inspire the next generation.
- Yushiroh Hirano is currently showcasing his talent with the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL.
- Canucks prospect Arshdeep Bains led the WHL in scoring before signing an entry-level contract earlier this season.
BARKOV, BERGERON AND LINDHOLM VOTED SELKE TROPHY FINALISTS
Centers Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers, Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins and Elias Lindholm of the Calgary Flames are the three finalists for the 2021-22 Frank J. Selke Trophy, awarded “to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.”
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Selke Trophy after the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winners of the 2022 NHL Awards will be revealed during the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final.
Following are the finalists for the Selke Trophy, in alphabetical order:
Aleksander Barkov, C, Florida Panthers
Barkov led all forwards on the 2021-22 Presidents’ Trophy-winning Panthers in average ice time per game (20:18), marking the fifth consecutive season he has led all Florida forwards and surpassed the 20-minute average. The Panthers captain ranked fourth among NHL forwards with a career-best +36 rating, exceeded only by the Calgary Flames trio of Johnny Gaudreau (+64), Lindholm (+61) and Matthew Tkachuk (+57). He also topped Florida in face-offs (1,252) and face-off wins (713) for a career-best 57.0% win percentage. Barkov, who captured the Selke Trophy in 2020-21, is looking to join Bergeron (2013-14 and 2014-15) as a repeat winner and add to a list that features Bob Gainey (1977-78 through 1980-81), Guy Carbonneau (1987-88 and 1988-89), Jere Lehtinen (1997-98 and 1998-99), Rod Brind’Amour (2005-06 and 2006-07) and Pavel Datsyuk (2007-08 through 2009-10).
Patrice Bergeron, C, Boston Bruins
Bergeron kept his familiar place atop NHL face-off and puck possession categories, leading the League in face-off wins (991) for the seventh time in his career and posting the top win percentage (61.9%). He also led the League in the puck possession metric SAT% (65.1), with Boston accounting for 65.1% of all shot attempts 5-on-5 when Bergeron was on the ice (min: 25 GP) – the best figure by any player since the statistic was first recorded in 2009-10. Bergeron is a Selke Trophy finalist for the 11th straight season, extending his own mark in that category, and surpasses the 10 consecutive years of top-three Hart Trophy finishes by Wayne Gretzky (1980 through 1989) as the longest ever for a voted NHL Award. Bergeron’s four Selke wins (2011-12, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2016-17) are tied for the most in NHL history with Bob Gainey, who captured the trophy each of the first four years it was awarded (1978-81 w/ MTL).
Elias Lindholm, C, Calgary Flames
Lindholm posted a +61 rating in 82 games, behind only linemate Johnny Gaudreau (+64) as the NHL’s best in the past 34 years. He led Flames forwards in several key categories on a team that posted its lowest goals-against total over an 82-game season (206) since 2009-10, including blocked shots (52), takeaways (t-1st, 55), time on ice (19:57 per game) and average time while shorthanded (2:07) for the League’s sixth-best penalty-killing unit (83.2%). He also was one of the NHL’s top face-off performers, ranking third overall in total face-offs (1,592) and fifth in face-off wins (842) for a 52.9% win percentage. Lindholm, a first-time NHL Awards finalist, is the first Flames player voted a Selke finalist in 20 years, following the second-place finish by Craig Conroy in 2001-02. He is aiming to become the first player in franchise history to take home the award.
History
The Frank J. Selke Trophy was presented in 1977 by the NHL’s Board of Governors in honor of Frank J. Selke, one of the great architects of Montreal’s and Toronto’s championship teams.