NHL Stanley Cup Qualifiers Recap August 2, 2020
KUBALIK REWRITES RECORD BOOK WITH HISTORIC GAME 1 PERFORMANCE
As the Blackhawks entered the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers with the youngest average roster (25.6), 24-year-old rookie Dominik Kubalik (2-3—5) erupted for five points to propel Chicago past Edmonton in Game 1.
* Kubalik became the first player in NHL history to record five points in his postseason debut, besting Daryl Evans’ mark during Game 1 of the 1982 Division Semifinals with the Kings (2-2—4).
* Three of Kubalik’s five points came in the opening frame – the most ever by a rookie in the first period of his postseason debut. He eclipsed the previous benchmark of two set by Edmonton’s Jari Kurri (2-0—2 in Game 1 of 1981 PRLM) and matched by NY Rangers’ Mike Ridley (1-1—2 in Game 1 of 1986 DSF).
* Announced as a finalist for the Calder Trophy on July 15, Kubalik fell one point shy of the NHL single-game playoff record for points by a rookie – a mark set by the Rangers’ Mikko Leinonen during Game 2 of the 1982 Division Semifinals (0-6—6). The other rookies to record five points in a playoff game: Jean Beliveau (2-3—5 in Game 2 of 1954 SF), Barry Pederson (3-2—5 in Game 2 of 1982 DSF) and Joe Mullen (1-4—5 in Game 4 of 1982 DSF).
CANADIENS PREVAIL IN FIRST OVERTIME GAME OF STANLEY CUP QUALIFIERS
Jeff Petry scored the overtime winner as the No. 12-ranked Canadiens prevailed in the first overtime game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers. Petry became the eighth different defenseman in Canadiens history to score a playoff overtime goal and first since P.K. Subban in Game 1 of the 2014 Second Round.
* Game 1 shared several parallels to the Canadiens’ postseason opener from 2010, when they also entered the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the lowest-seeded team. Tomas Plekanec tallied the overtime winner that day to lift the Canadiens to a 3-2 victory, while Jaroslav Halak made 45 saves for Montreal and Carey Price, who had 39 stops Saturday, dressed as his back-up.
HURRICANES REVERSE REGULAR-SEASON TREND TO TAKE GAME 1
After posting an 0-4-0 record against the Rangers during the 2019-20 regular season, the Hurricanes rebounded to take Game 1 in their best-of-five Stanley Cup Qualifiers series against New York on the back of multi-point efforts from Sebastian Aho (1-1—2) and Jaccob Slavin (1-1—2).
* Slavin opened the scoring for Carolina just 1:01 into the contest with his first career postseason goal (16 GP) to become the first player in NHL history to score a regular-season or postseason goal in the month of August. Regarding the list below, in cases of multiple games starting at the same time, the tiebreaker was given to the earliest elapsed time.
* Martin Necas netted the game-winning goal while skating in his first career postseason contest. Only two other players in Hurricanes/Whalers history have netted the game winner while making their postseason debut: Erik Cole (April 17, 2002) and Sylvain Turgeon (April 9, 1986).
ISLANDERS, FLAMES ALSO PICK UP GAME 1 VICTORIES
* Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anthony Beauvillier each found the score sheet to lead the Islanders to victory in Game 1 of their series with the Panthers. It marked New York’s fourth consecutive win over Florida in 2019-20 after sweeping the regular-season series (NYI: 3-0-0, FLA: 0-2-1).
* Pageau, who scored in each of his first two games with New York, became the fifth Islanders player to score in both his regular-season and playoff debut with the franchise. Among the previous four instances, Mike Bossy (1977-78) and Patrick Flatley (1983-84) were the only others to also do so in the same season.
* Down 1-0, Johnny Gaudreau scored the first of four unanswered Calgary goals to help the Flames rally past the Jets and take Game 1. Gaudreau scored his first postseason goal since the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when he had four as a rookie (4-5—9 in 11 GP).
* Cam Talbot made 17 saves to earn the win in his first postseason game with the Flames. Talbot, a former Edmonton goaltender, went 7-6 in 13 appearances with the Oilers during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (2.48 GAA, .924 SV%, 2 SO) – including a 3-3 mark at Rogers Place (2.67 GAA, .911 SV%, 1 SO).
NHL RETURNS WITH SALUTE TO SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVISTS, FRONTLINE WORKERS
The NHL’s return on Saturday included a pair of pre-game ceremonies that paid tribute to social justice activists and frontline workers prior to the Oilers-Blackhawks game in Edmonton and the Penguins-Canadiens game in Toronto.
* Prior to the first game in Edmonton, Wild defenseman Matt Dumba delivered a speech on behalf of the Hockey Diversity Alliance and the NHL which included a “vow and promise to stand up for justice and fight for what is right.”
* Former NHL goaltender and current broadcaster Kevin Weekes also narrated a #WeSkateFor Black Lives video that aired before the Penguins-Canadiens game in Toronto.
* Pre-game presentations in Edmonton and Toronto included a salute to social justice activists and frontline workers as well as an impassioned speech by Wild defenseman Matt Dumba on behalf of the Hockey Diversity Alliance and the NHL.
* Twenty-four-year-old rookie Dominik Kubalik (2-3—5) propelled the Blackhawks in Game 1, becoming the first player in NHL history to record five points in his postseason debut.
* Five teams took a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five series, including two clubs which concluded the regular season occupying 12th place in their conference standings (Chicago and Montreal). Teams that win Game 1 in a best-of-five series own an all-time series record of 68-15 (.819).