Stanley Cup Playoffs – May 15, 2022 – First Round Complete

GAUDREAU IGNITES “C” OF RED TO SET UP “BATTLE OF ALBERTA” SECOND ROUND

Johnny Gaudreau (1-1—2) scored at 15:09 of overtime to ignite the “C” of Red as thousands of fans inside Scotiabank Saddledome and outside in the Red Lot were brought to their feet with the club’s first Game 7 victory on home ice in 33 years (which also came in overtime: 1989 DSF vs. VAN). Gaudreau’s first career playoff overtime goal was assisted by fellow 100-point man Matthew Tkachuk, who notched the tying goal in the second period, and put Calgary into the Second Round for the first time since 2015.

• Gaudreau became the third player in Flames history to score in overtime of a Game 7, joining Joel Otto (1989 DSF vs. VAN) and Martin Gelinas (2004 CQF vs. VAN). Meanwhile, Darryl Sutter improved to 5-0 in his past five Game 7s and claimed his eighth career Game 7 victory – the most among all head coaches and tied for the most in NHL history (including head coaches, skaters and goaltenders).
• The 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs will mark the sixth postseason edition of the ‘Battle of Alberta’ and first in 31 years. In the last rendition during the 1991 Division Semifinals, the series went the distance and ended with an Esa Tikkanen overtime goal against Mike Vernon in Game 7 at Olympic Saddledome. The only two franchises from the same state or province to have contested as many playoff series against each other are Pittsburgh and Philadelphia (7) and the NY Rangers and NY Islanders (7).

OETTINGER, SHESTERKIN LEAVE MARK IN FIRST ROUND

The Game 7 spotlight shone directly on Dallas’ Jake Oettinger (64 saves) and New York’s Igor Shesterkin (42 saves) in their first appearance in a winner-take-all showdown during the Stanley Cup Playoffs:

• Oettinger became the second goaltender to record at least 60 saves in a Game 7, following the Islanders’ Kelly Hrudey (73 saves in 1987 DSF at WSH), while Shesterkin, a 2021-22 Vezina Trophy finalist, matched Ed Giacomin (42 saves in 1974 SF) for the most saves by a Rangers goaltender in a Game 7. Both notes are since 1955-56 when shots on goal were officially tracked.
• Hours after Shesterkin finished with the highest single-series save total by an NHL goaltender in 13 years, Oettinger outdid him to climb into third place on that list.

WEEKEND OF DRAMATIC GAME 7s LOCKS IN SECOND ROUND OF BRACKET

A weekend of Game 7s propelled five teams into the Second Round and locked in the second phase of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket.

• Six of the remaining clubs rallied from a series deficit to advance (CGY, EDM, FLA, NYR, STL & TBL) and accounted for more than half of the comeback wins during the First Round (10 of 19). That continued a trend from the regular season – six of the top eight teams in terms of comeback wins are still alive in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (FLA, 1st; NYR, 2nd; STL, t-3rd; TBL, t-3rd; COL, t-7th; & EDM, t-7th).
• Seven remaining clubs have won at least one Stanley Cup, combining for 18 in total but only three of the past 15 dating to 2007 – the Lightning (2020 & 2021) and Blues (2019) have won the last three. Florida is the only club in search of its first championship.
• Three series are rematches of recent playoff showdowns: the Avalanche and Blues met in 2021 (4-0 COL), as did the Lightning and Panthers (4-2 TBL), while the Hurricanes and Rangers had their only postseason series in the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers (3-0 CAR). The Oilers-Flames reignites the “Battle of Alberta” for their first playoff matchup in 31 years.
• Two of the series won’t even see teams leave the province or state – just the fourth time that has happened in a single round in Stanley Cup Playoffs history.
• All four division champions from the regular season advanced – just the second time that has happened since the NHL reduced to four divisions in 2013-14 (also 2017-18).

“BREAD MAN” THRILLS BLUESHIRTS FAITHFUL WITH GAME 7 OT WINNER

Twelve days after the “City That Never Sleeps” saw the First Round open with triple overtime, the series ended in a fitting fashion – with overtime in Game 7. After tying the game twice, the Rangers completed their third straight comeback win with a goal 4:46 into overtime to successfully overcome a 3-1 series deficit for the third time in franchise history (also 2014 R2 & 2015 R2). It was the 31st time in Stanley Cup Playoffs history that a team won a series in which it trailed 3-1.

• The Rangers, who advanced to the Second Round for the first time since 2017, became the first team in NHL history to win a series by claiming three consecutive comeback wins when facing elimination.
• Artemi Panarin became the third player in the Rangers’ storied history to score in overtime of a Game 7, following Derek Stepan (2015 R2 vs. WSH) and Stephane Matteau (1994 CF vs. NJD). Mika Zibanejad (1-2—3) tied the game in the third period and assisted on the overtime goal to equal the franchise record for most assists (8) and points (11) in a series.
• The Rangers and Hurricanes will meet in a best-of-seven series for the first time, following their best-of-five matchup during the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers. Carolina earned a 3-0 sweep as Sebastian Aho led the way with 3-5—8 and Andrei Svechnikov notched a hat trick in Game 2 – in what ended up being Henrik Lundqvist’s last game in a Rangers uniform.

SECOND ROUND BEGINS TUESDAY

After two weeks of “Mayhem” in the First Round that featured the third-most games in a round in NHL history (51), 14 elimination games, 19 comeback wins (37% of all contests), six teams erasing a series deficit to advance, the hockey world will take a day to collect its breath before dropping the puck on the Second Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

HURRICANES’ SMITH FINED FOR ELBOWING

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brendan Smith has been fined $2,000, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for elbowing Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak during Game 7 of the teams’ First Round series in Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday, May 14, 2022. The incident occurred at 1:18 of the third period. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

BRUINS’ MCAVOY FINED FOR TRIPPING

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for tripping Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei during Game 7 of the teams’ First Round series in Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday, May 14, 2022. The incident occurred at 6:10 of the third period. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

CHARA, HAYES AND PRICE VOTED MASTERTON TROPHY FINALISTS

New York Islanders defenseman Zdeno Chara, Philadelphia Flyers center Kevin Hayes and Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price are the three finalists for the 2021-22 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey,” the National Hockey League announced today.

The local chapters of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) submitted nominations for the Masterton Trophy after the conclusion of the regular season and the top three vote-getters were 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 Masterton Trophy, in alphabetical order:

Zdeno Chara, D, New York Islanders

Chara skated in his 24th NHL season in 2021-22, one of just eight players in NHL history to do so. The 45-year-old appeared in 72 games and recorded 2-12–14, ranking second on the club in plus-minus (+8) and fourth in total ice time (1,348:41, an average of 18:44 per game). He set the NHL record for most games played by a defenseman on Feb. 24 at San Jose with career appearance no. 1,652, passing Chris Chelios (1,651), and extended the mark to 1,680 by season’s end. “Any time you can play alongside a guy that’s played that long and seen a lot of the things in the league as a defenseman, for a young guy like me, you can definitely pick up things,” Chara’s 22-year-old defense partner Noah Dobson told Newsday. “That’s a big thing with him, he’s always talking. At the start of the year, we weren’t very comfortable with one another yet, with sharing what you saw. Now that we have that comfort level, it’s worked well. He’s always talking and communicating and it’s helped me a lot.”

Kevin Hayes, C, Philadelphia Flyers

Hayes entered the 2021-22 season following the sudden and tragic passing of his brother, Jimmy Hayes, and on three occasions required surgery to overcome injury and a blood infection to return to the Flyers lineup. He recorded 31 points (10-21–31) in 48 games this season and, after returning from his latest surgery on March 5, led the team in scoring with 22 points (7-15–22) in 28 contests. “It’s been difficult but playing hockey this year is something I knew would be emotional and it has had its ups and downs but I’m definitely proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish,’’ Hayes told the Bucks County Courier Times. Added GM Chuck Fletcher, “To return from both the physical and emotional challenges he faced this season speaks volumes about his character as a person, but also his commitment to our club and his teammates.”

Carey Price, G, Montreal Canadiens

Price made his 2021-22 debut for the Canadiens, his 15th season in Montreal, on April 15, lifting the entire organization. “There’s just a presence when you have a guy like that in the dressing room. I know his calmness, his preparation, his work ethic. Sometimes Carey doesn’t need to speak to lead. And I feel that,” head coach Martin St. Louis told The Athletic. The franchise’s all-time leader for games and wins by a goaltender, the 34-year-old had undergone knee surgery in July 2021 following the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final. He also spent time away from the team while voluntarily taking part in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. “This is definitely tough,” Price said, “but I’ve always been a fighter and I’ve always been a clawer so I’m not giving up. So I’m going to continue to do my best to prepare for next season.”

A $2,500 grant from the PHWA is awarded annually to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund, based in Bloomington, Minn., in the name of the Masterton Trophy winner.

The trophy was presented by the NHL Writers’ Association in 1968 to commemorate the late Bill Masterton, a player with the Minnesota North Stars who exhibited to a high degree the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey and who died on Jan. 15, 1968.