Two More 2023 NHL Playoffs 2nd Round Matchups Start Tonight

2023

By NHL Public Relations

May 3, 2023

More Second Round action will get underway Wednesday when the Devils and Hurricanes take to the ice at PNC Arena in Raleigh, while the Oilers and Golden Knights drop the puck at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas.

Both matchups feature clubs who battled for top spot in their respective division down the regular-season stretch, with Carolina finishing one point ahead of New Jersey in the Metropolitan and Edmonton falling two points back of Vegas for the Pacific crown.

* Carolina and New Jersey split their four-game series during the regular season (CAR: 2-2-0; NJD: NJD: 2-1-1) and will now go head-to-head in their fifth-ever meeting in the Stanley Cup Playoffs following the 2001 Conference Quarterfinals, 2002 Conference Quarterfinals, 2006 Conference Semifinals and 2009 Conference Quarterfinals. In their previous matchups, the team that advanced made it to the Stanley Cup Final three times (NJD in 2001; CAR in 2002 & 2006).

* Jack Hughes (3-2—5 in 7 GP) and Sebastian Aho (4-3—7 in 6 GP) each concluded the First Round productively, finding the score sheet in each of the final two and three games, respectively. Aho, with goals in Game 4-6, can match the longest playoff goal streak in franchise history and Hughes can become the third player age 21 or younger with four or more goals in a single postseason for the Devils/Scouts/Rockies (also Scott Gomez: 5 in 2001, 4 in 2000; Scott Niedermayer: 4 in 1995).

* This marks the first all-time postseason meeting between Edmonton and Vegas; the Oilers own an all-time series record of 10-6 in their first head-to-head playoff round with a franchise while the Golden Knights are 7-3. Eight players have played for both franchises (min. 1 GP in regular-season or playoffs), including current Golden Knights netminder Laurent Brossoit who went 4-1 in the First Round (2.42 GAA, .915 SV%).

* Familiar adversaries will clash as Connor McDavid (3-7—10 in 6 GP) and Jack Eichel (3-2—5 in 5 GP) go head-to-head after being selected with the first- and second-overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. Only four other duos selected No. 1 and No. 2 overall in the same NHL Draft have competed for a spot in the Conference Finals in the past 30 years: Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin (2018 R2, 2017 R2, 2016 R2 & 2009 CSF), John Tavares and Victor Hedman (2016 R2), Pierre Turgeon and Brendan Shanahan (1998 CSF) as well as Mike Modano and Trevor Linden (1994 CSF).