Stanley Cup Playoffs May 8, 2022 – Lightning Tie Series
LIGHTNING-QUICK START HELPS TAMPA BAY PULL EVEN WITH TORONTO
Ignited by captain Steven Stamkos (1-0—1), who scored just 60 seconds into the contest, the Lightning found the back of the net three times in the opening 7:58 – and seven times overall – en route to drawing even in their First Round series with the Maple Leafs. In the process, Tampa Bay maintained its reputation of bouncing back, improving to 16-0 following a playoff loss dating to 2020.
- Tampa Bay, which recorded the fastest three goals to start a playoff game in franchise history and fell one shy of the club record for most in a postseason contest overall, has now recorded multiple series-tying wins in a single matchup for the first time since the 2015 First Round (Game 2, 4 & 6). They did so three times against Detroit that playoff year, before advancing to the Second Round and eventually the Stanley Cup Final.
- Nikita Kucherov (0-2—2) recorded his 38th career multi-point playoff game and surpassed Ryan Getzlaf for third most among all active skaters. Only Penguins teammates Sidney Crosby (66) and Evgeni Malkin (52) have more.
O’REILLY CAPS MOTHER’S DAY TRIBUTE WITH THREE-POINT OUTING
With his mother Bonnie O’Reilly in attendance, Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly (1-2—3) scored his team’s fifth and final goal of the contest as St. Louis drew even in its First Round series with Minnesota. The 2022 opening round marks the second time in three head-to-head meetings the two clubs sit tied through the first four games of a series, after doing so during the 2015 First Round – a showdown the Wild triumphed in six contests.
- Ahead of a pivotal Game 4, O’Reilly narrated a Mother’s Day video tribute, detailing the life of the woman he calls his hero. Back in March 2021, Bonnie saved the life of Graham Nesbitt, a fixture at the local rink in Seaforth, Ont., by donating a kidney to Nesbitt, who was facing total kidney failure. Nesbitt, who ran the town rink, often woke up early to open the facility so Ryan, his brother and other kids in the town could get in an early skate.
THE ‘PERFECTION LINE’ PROPELS BRUINS, SERIES TIED 2-2
The line of Brad Marchand (2-3—5), Patrice Bergeron (1-2—3) and David Pastrnak (1-1—2) combined for 10 points to help the Bruins pull even in their series with the Hurricanes after consecutive wins at TD Garden. The trio, which was reunited for Game 3 after Boston lost the first two games on the road, combined for 16 points across the two home victories.
- Marchand became the third Bruins player in the past 36 years to post five points in a playoff game, joining Pastrnak (3-3—6 in Game 2 of 2018 R1) and Vladimir Ruzicka (1-4—5 in Game 2 of the 1991 CF). It marked Marchand’s 34th career multi-point game in the playoffs, which ranks second in franchise history behind only Ray Bourque (46).
- Bergeron, with six points in his past three games, boosted his career playoff totals to 49-77—126 in 164 GP to surpass longtime teammate David Krejci (42-82—124 in 156 GP) for second on the Bruins all-time playoffs points list, behind only Bourque (36-125—161 in 180 GP).
QUICK, KINGS STIFLE OILERS IN GAME 4 VICTORY
Jonathan Quick turned aside all 31 shots he faced – including a flurry of stops in the second period – to record his 10th career playoff shutout and first since Game 3 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final (7 years, 333 days) as the Kings rebounded from an 8-2 loss in Game 3 to tie their First Round series with the Oilers at two games apiece.
- Quick (Milford, Conn.), who eclipsed Mike Richter (9; Abington, Pa.) for the most playoff shutouts by a U.S.-born goaltender in NHL history, registered the longest stretch between perfect performances in the postseason since Semyon Varlamov (Game 5 of 2009 CQF – Game 5 of the 2020 R1: 11 years, 118 days).
MORE TEAMS EYE SERIES SPLIT WHILE AVALANCHE AIM TO ADVANCE
After four games Sunday featured a team even their First Round series at two games apiece, the Panthers, Rangers and Flames all look to do the same when the puck drops in their respective Game 4s. Teams that take a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series hold a series record of 296-30 (.908), while when a best-of-seven series is tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 holds an all-time series record of 219-58 (.791).
- Alternatively, the Avalanche are looking to complete a First Round sweep for the second time in as many postseasons after doing so in 2021 (4-0 vs. STL). The last team to register an opening-round, best-of-seven sweep in consecutive years was the Red Wings in 1999 (vs. ANA) and 2000 (vs. LAK).
HEDMAN, JOSI AND MAKAR VOTED NORRIS TROPHY FINALISTS
Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators and Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche are the three finalists for the 2021-22 James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position,” the National Hockey League announced today.
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Norris 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 Norris Trophy, in alphabetical order:
Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Hedman was the anchor of a Lightning defense that helped the team post a 51-23-8 record for 110 points, the third-highest total in franchise history. He recorded career highs and ranked among the top three NHL defensemen in goals (3rd, 20), assists (2nd, 65) and points (3rd, 85). The assist and point totals set Tampa Bay franchise records for defensemen and his 20 goals tied the mark set by Dan Boyle in 2006-07. He played all 82 games and ranked second in the NHL in total ice time (2,056:12), an average of 25:05 per game. Only one Lightning skater had recorded 2,000 minutes in a season (Boyle, 2,201:57 in 2006-07) since the statistic was introduced in 1997-98. Hedman, who won the Norris Trophy in 2017-18 and placed third in voting in 2016-17, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, is a finalist for the sixth consecutive season. The last NHL blueliner to record as long a streak was Nicklas Lidstrom, from 1997-98 through 2002-03.
Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
Josi became the NHL’s highest-scoring defenseman in 29 years, posting 23-73–96 in 80 games to help the Predators (45-30-7, 97 points) make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the eighth consecutive season. Only six defensemen in the past 50 years have surpassed Josi’s 96 points in a single campaign: Paul Coffey, Phil Housley, Brian Leetch, Al MacInnis, Bobby Orr and Denis Potvin. Josi set career highs in goals, assists and points, broke the single-season Nashville franchise records among all positions for points and assists, recorded the most assists by any NHL defenseman since Sergei Zubov’s 77 in 1993-94 and led all blueliners with 26 multi-point games. His 281 shots on goal were 41 more than the second-ranked defenseman in 2021-22 and his 59 even-strength points were the most since Ray Bourque’s 59 in 1986-87. Josi is a Norris finalist for the second time; in 2019-20 the Predators captain made franchise history by becoming the first Nashville blueliner to bring the Norris to Music City.
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Makar helped the Avalanche (56-19-7) post a franchise-record 119 points by leading NHL defensemen with 28 goals, becoming just the fifth defenseman in the past 30 years to reach that total (Brent Burns, 29 in 2016-17; Mike Green, 31 in 2008-09; Al MacInnis, 28 in 1993-94; and Kevin Hatcher, 34 in 1992-93). He ranked second among blueliners in points (28-58–86) — the goal and point totals setting franchise marks for defensemen — and ranked fifth among all NHLers in plus-minus (+48). Makar is a Norris finalist for the second consecutive season and is the fourth defenseman to be voted a finalist for an NHL Award in each of his first three seasons, having won the Calder Trophy in his rookie campaign of 2019-20. He is vying to become the first Norris Trophy winner in franchise history, following top-three finishes by Rob Blake (3rd in 2001-02), Ray Bourque (2nd in 2000-01) and Sandis Ozolinsh (3rd in 1996-97).
The Norris finalists all eclipsed 80 points in 2021-22, marking the first time in 28 years that as many as three blueliners surpassed the milestone in a single season. The 1993-94 campaign saw future Hall of Famers Ray Bourque (91), Sergei Zubov (89) and Al MacInnis (82) do so.
The James Norris Memorial Trophy was presented in 1953 by the four children of the late James Norris in memory of the former owner-president of the Detroit Red Wings.