06/09/2022 – CanucksBanter

Game 5 Trends
* When a best-of-seven is tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 holds an all-time series record of 223-61 (.785), including a 4-3 (.571) mark in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs and a 49-15 (.766) clip in the round before the Stanley Cup Final.

* Teams with a 3-2 lead in a best-of-seven hold an all-time series record of 337-92 (.786), including a 5-4 (.556) mark in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs and a 70-16 (.814) clip in the round before the Stanley Cup Final.

York
Game 5 record in a best-of-seven: 28-39 (.418) overall, 11-10 (.524) at home
Tied 2-2 in a best-of-seven: 15-16 (.484) overall, 9-6 (.600) when starting at home
Leading 3-2 in best-of-seven: 16-2 (.889) overall, 9-0 (1.000) when starting at home
Trailing 3-2 in best-of-seven: 7-19 (.269) overall, 4-7 (.364) when starting at home

Tampa Bay
Game 5 record in a best-of-seven: 16-13 (.552) overall, 4-8 (.333) on the road
Tied 2-2 in a best-of-seven: 7-6 (.538) overall, 2-4 (.333) when starting on the road
Leading 3-2 in best-of-seven: 8-2 (.800) overall, 3-1 (.750) when starting at home
Trailing 3-2 in best-of-seven: 4-4 (.500) overall, 2-3 (.400 when starting at home

Pre-Game
* The Rangers have won each of their past eight home games in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. With a win in Game 5, they can become the sixth team in NHL history to have a postseason home win streak of at least nine games. The others: the 1988 Oilers (11 GP), 1985 Oilers (10 GP), 2008 Penguins (9 GP), 1997 Red Wings (9 GP) and 1974 Flyers (9 GP).

* Chris Kreider has 34 career playoff goals (all w/ NYR) and needs one more to surpass Rod Gilbert for the most in Rangers franchise history. He can become the first player to take the outright postseason goals lead for an Original Six franchise since 2004, when Steve Yzerman scored in Game 6 of the Conference Quarterfinals to reach 68 career playoff tallies and pass Gordie Howe for sole possession of first place on the Red Wings’ all-time list.

* With a win in Game 5, Igor Shesterkin can become the fifth different goaltender in NHL history to win at least nine straight home games in a single playoff year. He would follow Grant Fuhr (11 GP in 1988 & 10 GP in 1985 w/ EDM), Marc-Andre Fleury (9 GP in 2008 w/ PIT), Mike Vernon (9 GP in 1997 W/ DET) and Bernie Parent (9 GP in 1974 w/ PHI).

* Andrei Vasilevskiy (59-34) is one win away from becoming the 17th goaltender in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to record 60 career victories and only the second active netminder after Marc-Andre Fleury (92-73).

* Nikita Kucherov (21-45—66 in 59 GP) will be skating in his 60th career postseason road game. The only players in Stanley Cup Playoffs history with more points in their first 60 career games as a visitor are Wayne Gretzky (117), Mario Lemieux (78), Doug Gilmour (78), Mark Messier (72) and Jari Kurri (70).

* * *

* After the home team captured each of the first four games of the Eastern Conference Final, the Rangers and Lightning will race to capture two more wins in hopes of securing a berth to the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.

* Adam Fox has played a crucial role for the Rangers this postseason and has his sights set on joining rare company should he once again find the score sheet at Madison Square Garden.

* Fresh off collecting 10 wins in a single postseason for the fourth time in his career, Andrei Vasilevskiy can join a select list in NHL history with a 60th career playoff win tonight in Game 5.

* With the League’s championship series right around the corner, catch up with all of Colorado’s storylines with #NHLStats Pack: Stanley Cup Final Edition – Colorado Avalanche.

RANGERS, LIGHTNING READY FOR PIVOTAL GAME 5 AT MSG
After the Lightning captured Game 4 and continued the Eastern Conference Final’s trend of the home team winning each of the first four contests, the Rangers return to Madison Square Garden with the hopes of inching closer to a Stanley Cup Final berth with another victory in front of their home fans.

* When a best-of-seven is tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 holds an all-time series record of 223-61 (.785) including a 4-3 (.571) mark in 2022 and a 49-15 (.766) clip in the round before the Stanley Cup Final.

* The series between the Lightning and Rangers marks the seventh Conference Finals/Semifinals in the past six seasons to be tied 2-2 through the first four contests. The winner of Game 5 went on to advance to the Stanley Cup Final in five of the six previous instances through that span.

FOX LOOKS TO CLIMB ALL-TIME LIST AS SERIES SHIFTS TO NEW YORK
Adam Fox will look to continue his postseason production after amassing 5-18—23 through 18 games, tops among all defensemen. Should the 2020-21 Norris Trophy winner find the score sheet twice more, a feat accomplished in each of his past four outings at Madison Square Garden, he would become just the seventh blueliner in NHL history to record at least 25 points in a playoff year.

* Fox, who’s been held off the score sheet only three times during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, also sits two assists shy of becoming just the fifth defenseman in NHL history to tally at least 20 assists in a single postseason. Paul Coffey (25 in 1985 w/ EDM), Al MacInnis (24 in 1989 w/ CGY), Brian Leetch (23 in 1994 w/ NYR) and Miro Heiskanen (20 in 2020 w/ DAL) are the only ones to do so to date.

* The Rangers enter Game 5 with an 8-1 record at Madison Square Garden this postseason and sit one victory shy of matching the franchise record for most in a single postseason, previously established during their Stanley Cup run in 1994 (9-4). Overall, the NHL record for most home victories in a single playoff year is held by the 2003 Devils (12-1).

DEFENDING CHAMPS ENTER GAME 5 WITH PERSONAL BENCHMARKS IN SIGHT
Nikita Kucherov (7-14—21 in 2022) and Andrei Vasilevskiy (10-5, 2.44 GAA, .925 SV%, 1 SO in 2022) both played important roles for the Lightning during their Stanely Cup championships in 2020 and 2021 and are doing so again in 2022 in hopes of a three-peat.

* Kucherov, set to appear in his 60th career road playoff game, posted 3-7—10 (11 GP) as a visitor during Tampa Bay’s championship run in 2021 and has notched 21-45—66 (59 GP) in those contests to this point. The only players in Stanley Cup Playoffs history with more points in their first 60 career road games are Wayne Gretzky (117), Mario Lemieux (78), Doug Gilmour (78), Mark Messier (72) and Jari Kurri (70).

* Meanwhile, Vasilevskiy has posted a double-digit win total in a single postseason for the third straight year and fourth time in his career to boost his all-time record in the Stanley Cup Playoffs to 59-34. He sits one victory shy of becoming the 17th goaltender in NHL history, and second active (Marc-Andre Fleury: 92 W in 167 GP), to earn 60 career postseason wins.

#NHLSTATS PACK: STANLEY CUP FINAL EDITION – COLORADO AVALANCHE
Storylines are aplenty as the Avalanche continue their quest for the third championship in franchise history. While you wait for the 2022 Stanely Cup Final, we have gathered everything you need to know about the Western Conference champions in #NHLStats Pack: Stanley Cup Final Edition – Colorado Avalanche.

* Four players on Colorado’s 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs roster have appeared in a Final: Darren Helm, Andrew Cogliano, Andre Burakovsky and Artturi Lehkonen, with only Helm (2008 w/ DET) and Burakovsky (2018 w/ WSH) capturing a championship.

* Helmcan become the fourth player in League history to go 14-plus years between Cup wins – only Chris Chelios (1986 MTL & 2002 DET), Mark Recchi (1991 PIT & 2006 CAR) and Bill Guerin (1995 NJD & 2009 PIT) have done so.

* The Colorado roster includes two players with at least 1,000 career regular-season games who have yet to win the Stanley Cup: Cogliano and Jack Johnson. Cogliano helped Dallas defeat Colorado in the 2020 Second Round and later appeared in all six games during the Stanley Cup Final, with the Stars falling to the Lightning.

QUICK CLICKS

* Series Scenarios for Thursday, June 9
* Rangers have to ‘figure out something’ to regain control of Eastern Final

* Lightning have regained confidence after evening Eastern Final

* Brayden Point could return for Lightning in Game 5 against Rangers

* Kenan Thompson to host NHL Awards on June 21