Stanley Cup Playoffs April 23 2018 Review

MONDAY’S RESULTS
The Capitals advanced to the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a Game 6 victory over the Blue Jackets and the Maple Leafs pushed their best-of-seven series with the Bruins to a seventh and deciding game.

A moment of silence for those affected by today’s tragic event in Toronto. pic.twitter.com/lcVhCB36gS

— NHL (@NHL) April 23, 2018

MARNER, ANDERSEN SHINE AS MAPLE LEAFS FORCE GAME 7
Mitchell Marner (1-1—2) extended his postseason point streak to five games and Frederik Andersen stopped 32 of 33 shots – including 17 in the opening frame – as the Maple Leafs rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to force Game 7 in Boston on Wednesday.

This marks the third time in sixteen tries that the Maple Leafs have forced a Game 7 after trailing 3-1 in a best-of-seven series. They are 1-1 in the subsequent Game 7s – rallying from a 3-0 deficit against the Red Wings to win the 1942 Stanley Cup Final and falling short in Game 7 of the 2013 Conference Quarterfinals against the Bruins – the last postseason meeting between the clubs.

Marner recorded his third multi-point game of the series to extend his point streak to five games (2-6—8). He became the first Maple Leafs player to record a five-game point streak in the playoffs since Brian Leetch in 2004 (0-6—6 in 6 GP). Marner leads Toronto with 2-6—8 in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs after finishing as the team’s leading scorer during the regular season (22-47—69 in 82 GP).

LOOKING AHEAD TO GAME 7
The First Round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs will conclude with Game 7 between the Maple Leafs and Bruins at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday in Boston.

The Bruins hold an all-time record of 13-12 in Game 7s, including a 12-8 mark on home ice. This will mark Boston’s 26th appearance in a Game 7, breaking a tie with Detroit (25) for the most in NHL history.

The Maple Leafs own an all-time record of 12-10 in Game 7s, including a 5-9 mark on the road.

Boston holds a 2-1 edge in three previous head-to-head Game 7 matchups vs. Toronto – including the 2013 Conference Quarterfinals when the Bruins became the first team in NHL history to overcome a three-goal, third-period deficit to win in a Game 7.

GAME 7 TRENDS:

• • The team that scores first is 126-43 (.746) in the 169 all-time Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
  • Home teams own a 99-70 (.586) advantage in the 169 all-time Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
  • Forty-one Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs have required overtime (24.3%). Home teams have a 21-20 edge.

“I think when we were down 2-0 we weren’t very happy with ourselves just because we feel we’re a better hockey club than that. In Game Two, we thought we played way better than the score indicated, especially at the start – the puck just kept going in our net. If you look at last game, we got off to a great start and still kind of found a way to get in our own way. We haven’t been smooth. I liked our third period tonight, but I think when you’ve got young people and lots of them – [Dermott], [Kapanen], [Johnsson] have hardly played in the League and you’re out there in the big moments. I think it’s great for our team and the development of our team. We’ve just got to keep grinding. We’ve got a good day tomorrow, we get to enjoy this tonight and get ready for – the first 10 minutes in Boston should be a ton of fun. What an opportunity. That’s how we’ve got to go about it. What an opportunity it is for all of us. I’ve said this before, as a player you want to be known as someone who gets it done when it matters. All that means is doing your simple part for the group to have success.” – Mike Babcock, Head Coach, Toronto Maple Leafs

CAPITALS ADVANCE, WILL AGAIN FACE PENGUINS IN SECOND ROUND
Alex Ovechkin (2-0—2) eclipsed 50 career playoff goals as the Capitals defeated the Blue Jackets in Game 6 to advance past the opening round for the fourth consecutive postseason – the longest active streak in the NHL.

The Capitals will now face the Penguins in the Second Round for the third straight postseason. Pittsburgh owns an all-time series record of 9-1 against Washington, which includes seven consecutive series victories dating back to the 1995 Conference Quarterfinals.

Washington overcame a 2-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven series for just the second time in franchise history (4-3 W in 2009 CQF vs. NYR). They also became the first team in NHL history to win a best-of-seven series after suffering overtime losses in Games 1 and 2 at home.

Ovechkin, who scored career playoff goals No. 50 and 51, became the 60th player in Stanley Cup Playoffs history and just the sixth active NHL player to reach the 50-goal milestone. In doing so, he became the third player in franchise history to score twice in a series-clinching win (also Dale Hunter in Game 7 of 1988 DSF vs. PHI and Marcus Johansson in Game 6 of 2017 FR at TOR).

Stanley Cup schedule for Wednesday April 25 2018

Matchup	Time
Toronto@ Boston	7:30 PM ET

NHL ANNOUNCES NOMINEES FOR 2017-18 KING CLANCY MEMORIAL TROPHY

The National Hockey League announced today the list of nominees for the 2017-18 King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which is awarded “to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”

The nominees were selected by their respective NHL clubs. The winner will be selected by a committee of senior NHL executives led by Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. The King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner will receive a $40,000 donation from the National Hockey League Foundation to benefit a charity or charities of the winner’s choice and the two runners-up will each receive a $5,000 donation from the National Hockey League Foundation to benefit a charity or charities of their choice.

The three finalists for the 2017-18 King Clancy Memorial Trophy will be announced on Monday, April 30, and the winner will be revealed on Wednesday, June 20, during the 2018 NHL Awards™ presented by Hulu at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The selection committee will apply the following criteria in determining the finalists and winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy:

• Investment of time and resources
• Commitment to a particular cause or community
• Creativity of programming
• Use of influence; engagement of others
• Measurement of impact

The NHL Foundation Player Award is being discontinued, and the associated NHL Foundation charitable donation will be provided through the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. From the NHL Foundation Player Award’s inception in 1998 through 2017, the National Hockey League and NHL Foundation have donated $500,000 to charities selected by the award’s recipients.

The 2017-18 King Clancy Memorial Trophy nominees are:

Anaheim Ducks: Ryan Getzlaf
Arizona Coyotes: Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Boston Bruins: Zdeno Chara
Buffalo Sabres: Zach Bogosian
Calgary Flames: Travis Hamonic
Carolina Hurricanes: Justin Faulk
Chicago Blackhawks: Duncan Keith
Colorado Avalanche: Gabriel Landeskog
Columbus Blue Jackets: Sergei Bobrovsky
Dallas Stars: Tyler Seguin
Detroit Red Wings: Justin Abdelkader
Edmonton Oilers: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Florida Panthers: Mike Matheson
Los Angeles Kings: Drew Doughty
Minnesota Wild: Jason Zucker
Montreal Canadiens: Brendan Gallagher
Nashville Predators: P.K. Subban
New Jersey Devils: Cory Schneider
New York Islanders: Anders Lee
New York Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist
Ottawa Senators: Mark Borowiecki
Philadelphia Flyers: Shayne Gostisbehere
Pittsburgh Penguins: Matt Murray
San Jose Sharks: Chris Tierney
St. Louis Blues: Alex Pietrangelo
Tampa Bay Lightning: Ryan Callahan
Toronto Maple Leafs: Matt Martin
Vancouver Canucks: Daniel & Henrik Sedin
Vegas Golden Knights: Deryk Engelland
Washington Capitals: Brooks Orpik
Winnipeg Jets: Matt Hendricks

History

The trophy was presented in 1988 by the National Hockey League Board of Governors in honor of Frank “King” Clancy, a beloved figure in the NHL for decades as a player, referee, coach, manager and goodwill ambassador. A three-time Stanley Cup champion and 1958 inductee to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Clancy was voted as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players during the League’s Centennial Celebration in 2017.