Stanley Cup Playoffs – May 11, 2022 – Panthers Post Comeback Win
VERHAEGHE HAS FIVE POINTS AS PANTHERS POST THREE-GOAL COMEBACK WIN
Carter Verhaeghe (2-3—5) factored on each of Florida’s five unanswered goals, including scoring the game winner at 3:04 of the third period, as the Panthers overcame a 3-0 deficit to stun the Capitals and take a 3-2 lead in their First Round series.
- Verhaeghe established a new franchise record for most points in a postseason game and has a team-leading 5-5—10 during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs for Florida, which needs one win to earn its first series victory in 26 years.
- Verhaeghe became the first player in franchise history to score five goals in a postseason series. His 10 points are tied for the most by a Panthers player in a single playoff round (also Jonathan Huberdeau: 2-8—10 in 2021 R1).
- ICYMI: The NHL announced that Game 6 between the Panthers and Capitals has been set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 13, in Washington. It will mark the first potential series-clinching contest for Florida since Game 7 of the 2012 Conference Quarterfinals against New Jersey.
MORE “COMEBACK CATS”
- The Panthers recorded their sixth three-goal comeback win of 2021-22 (5 regular season, 1 playoffs), the highest combined total by a team in a single NHL season. The previous mark was five, achieved by Edmonton during the 1983-84 campaign en route to the franchise‘s first Stanley Cup (4 regular season, 1 playoffs).
- Florida became the fourth team in NHL history to earn a comeback win in consecutive playoff games with one involving scoring a tying goal in the final 5:00 of regulation and one involving overcoming a three-goal deficit. The Panthers followed the Flyers (Game 3 & Game 4 of 1977 QF), Islanders (Game 3 & Game 4 of 1993 DSF) and Canucks (Game 5 of 1994 CF & Game 1 of 1994 SCF).
- The Panthers earned their second three-goal comeback win during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The first was over 10 years ago, in Game 3 of the 2012 Conference Quarterfinals.
RANGERS RALLY TO FORCE GAME 6 AGAINST PENGUINS
The Penguins opened up a 2-0 lead with the opportunity to advance to the Second Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but Alexis Lafrenière (1-1—2) scored one of three Rangers goals in a span of 2:42 – the fastest three goals in a potential elimination game in franchise history – and assisted on Filip Chytil’s game winner to help New York force a Game 6 against Pittsburgh.
- The Rangers are no strangers to rallying from a multi-goal deficit to stave off elimination, with the most famous instance coming when Mark Messier guaranteed to reporters that New York, down 3-2 in the 1994 Conference Finals against New Jersey, would force a Game 7. Trailing 2-0 in Game 6, Messier scored a hat trick en route to helping the Rangers win the contest, the series and eventually the Stanley Cup.
- Lafrenière (20 years, 212 days) has points in each of his past three outings after scoring his first career Stanley Cup Playoffs goal in Game 4. He became the fourth player in Rangers history to score in consecutive playoff games at age 20 or younger, joining Don Maloney (3 GP & 2 GP in 1979), Steven Rice (2 GP in 1991) and Mike Allison (2 GP in 1981).
- Chytil (22 years, 248 days) scored his first career game-winning goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Only three other players in franchise history have scored a game-winning goal when facing elimination at age 22 or younger: Chris Kreider (Game 6 of 2012 CQF & Game 4 of 2013 CSF), Michael Del Zotto (Game 7 of 2012 CSF) and Don Murdoch (Game 2 of 1978 PRLM).
THIRD-PERIOD COMEBACK PROPELS FLAMES TO GAME 5 WIN
Mikael Backlund (1-1—2) tied the game with 13:11 remaining in regulation and Andrew Mangiapane (1-1—2) scored the go-ahead goal less than four minutes later as Calgary claimed a 3-2 lead in its First Round series. The Flames earned their first third-period comeback win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2015, when they had three such victories – one was in Game 6 of the First Round versus Vancouver, which was the last time Calgary won a best-of-seven series.
- Jacob Markstrom (20 saves) earned his 40th win of 2021-22 (37 regular season, 3 playoffs), the most combined victories in a season by a Flames goaltender since 2008-09 when Miikka Kiprusoff had 47 (45 regular season, 2 playoffs). Markstrom was recently named a finalist for the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy and can become the first Calgary netminder to claim the award since Kiprusoff in 2005-06.
FOUR TEAMS LOOK TO ADVANCE TO 2022 SECOND ROUND THURSDAY
Carolina, Toronto, St. Louis and Los Angeles can clinch a berth in the Second Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs as four Game 6s go Thursday. Teams that hold a 3-2 lead in a best-of-seven own an all-time series record of 332-88 (.790), including an 8-1 mark in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs (4-1 in 2021 R1).
MATTHEWS, MCDAVID AND SHESTERKIN VOTED HART TROPHY FINALISTS
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin are the three finalists for the 2021-22 Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.”
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Hart Trophy at 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 Hart Trophy, in alphabetical order:
Auston Matthews, C, Toronto Maple Leafs
Matthews, who captured the 2021-22 Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal-scorer, posted career highs in goals (60), assists (46) and points (106) in 73 games to power the Maple Leafs to a fourth-place finish in the League standings as well as franchise records for wins (54) and points (115) in a campaign. Matthews (San Ramon, Calif.) became the 21st different player in NHL history – and first in a decade – to register 60 goals in a season, breaking Rick Vaive’s Toronto record (54 in 1981-82) and Jimmy Carson’s League benchmark for U.S.-born players (55 in 1987-88). He did so by averaging 0.82 goals per game – the highest rate by any player in a single campaign (minimum: 50 GP) since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96 (0.99) – and scoring 19.23 percent of the Maple Leafs’ total goals (60 of 312) – the fourth-highest such mark in 2021-22 behind only Chris Kreider (20.80% w/ NYR), Leon Draisaitl (19.30% w/ EDM) and Alex DeBrincat (19.25% w/ CHI). Matthews, a Hart Trophy finalist for the second straight year after finishing second in voting in 2020-21, also ranked among this season’s leaders in shots on goal (1st; 348), power-play goals (t-3rd; 16), game-winning goals (5th; 10) and points (6th; 106). He is seeking to become the third Toronto player to win the award and first since Ted Kennedy in 1954-55.
Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers
McDavid, who claimed the 2021-22 Art Ross Trophy as the League’s top scorer, also established career highs in goals (44), assists (79) and points (123) across 80 games to lead the Oilers (49-27-6, 104 points) to their most wins and points in a season since 1986-87 (50-24-6, 106 points). The reigning Hart Trophy winner, who tallied the most points by an Edmonton player since 1989-90 (Mark Messier: 45-84—129) and the second-most by any NHLer over the past 15 years, found the scoresheet in 63 of his 80 contests (78.8%) and never went more than three games without a point. McDavid factored on 43.16 percent of the Oilers’ total goals in 2021-22 (123 of 285), the second-highest rate in the League behind only Patrick Kane (43.19% w/ CHI). He also led the NHL and set personal bests in power-play assists (34) and power-play points (44), and placed in the top 10 in the League in assists (2nd; 79), shots on goal (5th; 314) and goals (7th; 44). McDavid, a Hart Trophy finalist for the fourth time after also winning in 2016-17 and finishing third in voting in 2018-19, is vying to become the ninth player in NHL history to take home the award at least three times – and just the third to do so before turning 26 (age as of final day of regular season), after Wayne Gretzky (7x) and Bobby Orr (3x).
Igor Shesterkin, G, New York Rangers
Shesterkin, who earlier this week was named a finalist for the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy, compiled a 36-13-4 record, 2.07 goals-against average, .935 save percentage and six shutouts in 53 appearances to help the Rangers finish second in the Metropolitan Division with 110 points – their third-best season in franchise history behind only 2014-15 (113 points) and 1993-94 (112 points). Shesterkin, who led the NHL in both goals-against average and save percentage, posted the seventh-highest save percentage in League history (since the statistic began being officially tracked in 1955-56). He also ranked third in the NHL in shutouts and sixth in wins, yielding two or fewer goals in 33 of his 53 contests (62.3%) and making 30 or more saves 28 times (52.8%). Shesterkin, New York’s second Hart Trophy finalist in the past three seasons after Artemi Panarin finished third in voting in 2019-20, is looking to become the fifth Rangers player to win the award and first since Mark Messier in 1991-92. He also is seeking to become the second New York goaltender to capture the Hart Trophy, after Chuck Rayner in 1949-50, and just the third netminder on any team to do so this century, following Carey Price in 2014-15 and Jose Theodore in 2001-02 (both w/ MTL).
The Hart Memorial Trophy was presented by the NHL in 1960 after the original Hart Trophy was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame. The original Hart Trophy was donated to the NHL in 1924 by Dr. David A. Hart, father of Cecil Hart, former manager-coach of the Montreal Canadiens.