Stanley Cup Playoffs Review June 11, 2021
VEGAS REACHES FINAL FOUR FOR THIRD TIME SINCE INAUGURAL SEASON
The Avalanche scored just 23 seconds into the game and pulled even twice in the second period, but the Golden Knights responded with three unanswered goals to eliminate the Presidents’ Trophy winner in a 6-3 final and advance to the Stanley Cup Semifinals. This is Vegas’ third all-time trip to the final four, making them the third franchise in League history to reach the round before the Stanley Cup Final three times through its first four NHL seasons, following the Rangers and Blues.
Vegas became the fifth franchise in League history to eliminate the top-seeded team after earning a Game 7 win in its preceding series. The Golden Knights joined the Flyers in 1974 (SF vs. NYR & SCF vs. BOS), Penguins in 1992 (DSF vs. WSH & DF vs. NYR), Flames in 2004 (CQF vs. VAN & CSF vs. DET) and Bruins in 2011 (CF vs. TBL & SCF vs. VAN).
Vegas’ victory also marked the fourth instance in NHL history in which a team overcame a 2-0 series deficit to win a best-of-seven against the No. 1 seed. Chicago achieved the feat in the 1962 and 1965 Semifinals, while Boston also did so in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
VEGAS TO MEET MONTREAL WITH BERTH IN STANLEY CUP FINAL ON THE LINE
The Golden Knights will face the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Semifinals, marking the first-ever playoff meeting between the clubs. Montreal owns a 5-1-0 (10 points) edge in six all-time regular-season games versus Vegas (1-2-3, 5 points).
The inaugural NHL seasons for the Golden Knights (2017-18) and Canadiens (1917-18) were 100 years apart, which is the largest such gap in League history among two franchises meeting in a postseason series. The previous mark was 91 years, when Vegas and Chicago (1926-27) met in the 2020 First Round.
VEGAS VICTORY LOCKS IN FINAL FOUR BRACKET, SCHEDULE FOR NEXT ROUND
After being the first team to clinch a playoff berth this season, the Golden Knights were the last to emerge from their division, completing the Stanley Cup Semifinals bracket.
Vegas’ win also locked in the dates, start times and television information for the Stanley Cup Semifinals, which begin Sunday, June 13 in Tampa when the defending champion Lightning host the Islanders in a rematch of their series from last year.
CLARENCE S. CAMPBELL BOWL, PRINCE OF WALES TROPHY TO BE PRESENTED
The NHL announced today that the winner of the Golden Knights-Canadiens series will receive the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, while the Lightning and Islanders will compete for the Prince of Wales Trophy.
PAST STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS GUIDE GOLDEN KNIGHTS IN GAME 6
Alex Pietrangelo (1-1—2) scored the second series-clinching goal of his NHL career – his first was in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, powering St. Louis to its first-ever championship. He became the fifth active defenseman with two series clinchers, a cohort which includes teammate Alec Martinez (0-1—1) who also had a Stanley Cup-winning goal (also Victor Hedman, Duncan Keith & Kris Letang).
Marc-Andre Fleury (30 saves), whose teams have reached the round before the Stanley Cup Final eight times, earned the 89th playoff win of his NHL career to surpass Billy Smith and Ed Belfour for sole possession of fourth place on the League’s all-time list.
MacKINNON, MATTHEWS AND McDAVID VOTED HART TROPHY FINALISTS
Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon, Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews and Oilers captain Connor McDavid were named the three finalists for the 2020-21 Hart Memorial Trophy.
MacKinnon, a finalist for the second straight year and third time overall after second-place finishes in both 2017-18 and 2019-20, can become the third Avalanche/Nordiques player to claim the Hart Trophy, following Joe Sakic (2000‑01) and Peter Forsberg (2002-03).
Matthews was Toronto’s first Hart Trophy finalist since 1992-93, when Doug Gilmour finished second in voting. Matthews can become the third player in franchise history to win the award, after Babe Pratt (1943-44) and Ted Kennedy (1954-55).
McDavid, who won the Hart Trophy in 2016-17, can become the fifth player in NHL history to capture the award multiple times before his 25th birthday (age as of final day of regular season). He would join Wayne Gretzky (6x), Bobby Orr (3x), Gordie Howe (2x) and Alex Ovechkin (2x).
Brind’Amour, Evason and Quenneville Voted Jack Adams Award Finalists
Rod Brind’Amour of the Carolina Hurricanes, Dean Evason of the Minnesota Wild and Joel Quenneville of the Florida Panthers are the three finalists for the 2020‑21 Jack Adams Award, presented to the head coach who has “contributed the most to his team’s success,” the National Hockey League announced today.
Members of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association submitted ballots for the Jack Adams Award after the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winners of the 2021 NHL Awards presented by Bridgestone will be revealed during the Stanley Cup Semifinals and Stanley Cup Final, with exact dates, format and times to be announced.
Following are the finalists for the Jack Adams Award, in alphabetical order:
Rod Brind’Amour, Carolina Hurricanes
Brind’Amour led Carolina (36-12-8, franchise-record .714 pts. pct.) to the Discover NHL Central Division title, the team’s first division crown since its Stanley Cup-winning season of 2005-06, and third place in the overall NHL standings. The Hurricanes have reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of Brind’Amour’s three seasons behind the bench, marking the franchise’s first three-year postseason streak since moving to Carolina in 1997-98. The Hurricanes excelled on special teams, being the only NHL club to rank top-three both on the power-play (2nd, 25.6%) and while shorthanded (3rd, 85.2%). Brind’Amour is the first Hurricanes finalist for the Jack Adams Award since 2005-06 (Peter Laviolette, 2nd) and is vying to become the first winner in franchise history. Brind’Amour won two individual NHL Awards in his 1,484-game playing career, capturing the Frank Selke Trophy as the League’s top defensive forward in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
Dean Evason, Minnesota Wild
Evason guided the Wild to their best regular-season points percentage in franchise history (.670, 35-16-5) in his first full season as an NHL head coach, ranking third in the Honda NHL West Division behind Colorado and Vegas, the teams ranked 1-2 in the League’s overall standings. Evason’s Wild also were the highest-scoring team in franchise history with a goals-per-game figure of 3.21, backed by breakout offensive seasons from a quartet of 24-year-olds: rookie goal-scoring leader and Calder Trophy finalist Kirill Kaprizov (27 goals), Kevin Fiala (20 goals), Joel Eriksson-Ek (19 goals) and Jordan Greenway (26 assists). Minnesota recorded standings points in 14 of 15 games from April 10 to May 8 (11-1-3), including a season-long seven-game win streak in that span, as the team clinched a berth in the postseason for the eighth time in nine seasons. Evason is the second Jack Adams finalist in franchise history, following the win by Jacques Lemaire in 2002-03.
Joel Quenneville, Florida Panthers
Like Evason, his longtime teammate with the Hartford Whalers in the 1980s, Quenneville directed a club that set franchise records for both highest points percentage (.705, 37-14-5) and most goals-per-game (3.36). In fact, the Panthers’ two highest-scoring teams in franchise history (on a GF/GP basis) are the two teams in Quenneville’s reign to date. The team started 6-0-2 out of the gate and rallied following the season-ending injury to captain Aaron Ekblad, finishing with wins in 15 of 21 (15-5-1) to climb to second in the Discover NHL Central Division. Second on the all-time list for regular-season coaching wins with 962, Quenneville is a Jack Adams Award finalist for the third time and with his third club over his 24 seasons as an NHL head coach; he captured the trophy with the St. Louis Blues in 1999-2000 and finished second with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2012-13. He is aiming to become the Panthers’ first Jack Adams Award winner, following second-place finishes by Doug MacLean in 1995-96 and Gerard Gallant in 2015-16.
History
The award was presented by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association in 1974 in honor of the late Jack Adams, longtime coach and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings.