Stanley Cup Playoffs – May 28, 2025 – PERRY, NUGENT-HOPKINS HELP OILERS MOVE WITHIN ONE WIN OF FINAL

Corey Perry scored the game winner and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (0-2—2) extended his multi-point streak to four games as the Oilers defeated the Stars to move within one win of securing their second straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

• Perry, the only Stanley Cup champion on the Oilers roster, scored his sixth goal of the 2025 playoffs and tied the most by a player age 39 or older in a single postseason (age at start of playoffs), matching Teemu Selanne (6 in 2011 w/ ANA), Mark Recchi (6 in 2010 w/ BOS), Ron Francis (6 in 2002 w/ CAR) and Jean Beliveau (6 in 1971 w/ MTL). In the process, Perry also became the fifth active player to score 60 career playoff goals, joining Alex Ovechkin (77), Sidney Crosby (71), Evgeni Malkin (67) and Brad Marchand (60).
• Nugent-Hopkins became the seventh different player in NHL history to record multiple points during each of the first four games of the round before the Stanley Cup Final, following Wayne Gretzky (5 GP in 1988 CF & 4 GP in 1983 CF), Craig Janney (4 GP in 1990 CF), Cam Neely (4 GP in 1990 CF), Johnny Bucyk (4 GP in 1972 SF), Toe Blake (4 GP in 1946 SF) and Elmer Lach (4 GP in 1946 SF). Nugent-Hopkins also became just the eighth active player to post such a streak from the start of any playoff series, with Leon Draisaitl (5 GP in 2022 R2) and Crosby (5 GP in 2010 CQF) topping the list.

HURRICANES LOOK TO CUT SERIES DEFICIT TO ONE IN GAME 5

Jaccob Slavin and the Hurricanes will look to stave off elimination for the second straight contest when they welcome Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers to Lenovo Center for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final.

• The Panthers will take another shot at clinching their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearance as they look to become just the seventh team in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) to accomplish the feat.
• Slavin played an integral role in Carolina’s Game 4 win as he recorded four blocked shots and was plus-3 in 28:00 of ice time. The blueliner leads all Hurricanes skaters with a plus-3 rating in the Eastern Conference Final while his career postseason plus-minus of plus-44 trails only Golden Knights forward William Karlsson (+45) for the best mark among active skaters.
• Carolina can battle back from a 3-0 series deficit with two consecutive wins for the second straight postseason following the 2024 Second Round against the NY Rangers. The Hurricanes can also become just the sixth team in NHL history to win two straight games after trailing 3-0 in the Conference Finals/Semifinals, following the 2023 Stars (vs. VGK), 2008 Stars (vs. DET), 1980 Sabres (vs. NYI), 1975 Islanders (vs. PHI) and 1939 Rangers (vs. BOS).