Nhl morning skate:stanley cup playoffs edition – Page 2

* With just three losses to date, the Avalanche can join elite company should they defeat the Lightning in Game 5 and capture the third Stanley Cup in franchise history.

* Nathan MacKinnon leads his teammates with 15 career points in potential series-clinching games. Only four players have recorded more points in that scenario since the Avalanche forward made his postseason debut in 2014.

* The Lightning are facing elimination for the third time in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, following 4-3 (OT) and 2-1 victories in the First Round against Toronto, and just the fourth time since 2020 (also Game 4 of 2021 SCSF vs. NYI: 1-0 W).

* ABC’s broadcast of Game 4 between the Lightning and Avalanche was the most-viewed telecast of the day on Wednesday, with 4.6 million average viewers and 5.8 million peak viewers. Overall, the 2022 Stanley Cup Final is averaging 4.2 million viewers, up 67% from last year.

COLORADO ON CUSP OF CAPTURING THIRD STANLEY CUP
Colorado, one of nine teams in NHL history to average at least 4.50 goals-per-game in a single postseason (min. 10 GP), continues its journey toward dethroning the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions Friday and can claim the third championship in franchise history.

* The Avalanche enter the potential Cup-clinching game sporting a 15-3 record and can join elite company if they oust the Lightning in Game 5. Since 1987 when all rounds became best-of-seven, only one team has finished a postseason with fewer than four losses: the 1988 Oilers, who went 16-2 plus their no-decision in the suspended game during the Final (which was tied 3-3 when called), en route to their fourth championship in five years.

* Should they win the Stanley Cup, the Avalanche will tie the NHL record for most combined wins in one season, including playoffs.

* In addition to becoming the first team since 2019 to eliminate the Lightning, Colorado can become just the fifth team in the past 20 years to win the Stanley Cup after concluding the regular season atop its conference. Chicago (2012-13), Detroit (2007-08 & 2001-02) and Tampa Bay (2003-04) are the only clubs to do so through that span.

* Nathan MacKinnon leads all players on Colorado’s active roster with eight goals and 15 points in potential series-clinching games, including a highlight-reel hat trick in Game 5 of the Second Round earlier this year. He is one of five Avalanche skaters with a double-digit career point total in that scenario (also Andre Burakovsky: 5-8—13, Cale Makar: 2-10—12, Mikko Rantanen: 5-6—11; & Gabriel Landeskog: 4-6—10).

* Since his postseason debut during the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which began with a three-assist outing against the Wild in Game 1 of the First Round, only three players have netted more goals in potential series-clinching contests than MacKinnon (8 G in 11 GP): Bryan Rust (10 G in 19 GP), Jake Guentzel (10 G in 13 GP) and Brock Nelson (9 G in 13 GP).

RESILIENT TAMPA BAY LOOKS TO STRIKE BACK IN GAME 5
The Lightning find themselves in a familiar situation, down by two games in a series for the third time in the past two rounds. In each of those instances, Tampa Bay has responded with a win, something the club will be looking to do once again Friday at Ball Arena with a chance to force a Game 6 on home ice.

* The Lightning will look to extend the Final to at least six games – something that has happened in 11 of the past 14 championship series from 2008 to 2021.

* Only nine defending champions in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) have been eliminated from any best-of-seven round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in five or fewer games, with five of those coming in the past 30 years: Los Angeles (5 GP vs. CHI in 2013 CF), Tampa Bay (5 GP vs. OTT in 2006 CQF), New Jersey (5 GP vs. PHI in 2004 CQF), Detroit (4 GP vs. ANA in 2003 CQF) and NY Rangers (4 GP vs. PHI in 1995 CSF).

* In Game 5, the Lightning will face elimination for just the fourth time in 70 postseason games since the start of their 2020 championship run. Each of the previous three elimination contests in that span were decided by a one-goal margin, with Tampa Bay allowing one goal or fewer in two of those games.

* Steven Stamkos enters Friday with the highest points-per-game rate (min. 10 GP) on the active roster in contests when his team has faced elimination (0.63 P/GP), totaling 4-6—10 in 16 games. His team owns a 10-6 record in those contests.

* Corey Perry leads the Lightning’s active roster in both goals and points in contests when his team has faced elimination (10-5—15 in 26 GP). His experience (26 GP) and win total (14-12) sits second among current Lightning players behind Ryan McDonagh (18-9 in 27 GP).

NHL WEEKLY PODCAST ROUNDUP:

The Chirp (6/21): Daren is joined by Ray Ferraro to talk about various Stanley Cup Final storylines

NHL @TheRink (6/21): Dan and Shawn talk to Lightning forward Ross Colton

NHL Fantasy on Ice (6/21): Pete and Nick chat with Lauren Gardner of NHL Network

NHL Draft Class (6/22): Central Scouting goalie guru Al Jensen joins Kimelman and Morreale

QUICK CLICKS

* Series scenarios for Friday, June 24
* Stanley Cup Final blog: Alex Newhook

* NHL, NHLPA announce NFT partnership with Sweet
* Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award winners bond at Stanley Cup Final
*Trevor Zegras talks creative moves, Ducks future in sit-down with NHL.com
* ABC’s broadcast of Game 4 was the most-viewed telecast of the day on Wednesday

Attachments:

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* Nazem Kadri scored in overtime during his Stanley Cup Final debut to give the Avalanche a 3-1 series lead and a chance to hoist the Cup on home ice Friday.

* For the 15th time in NHL history and first since 2016, at least two of the first four games of the Stanley Cup Final required overtime.

* Game 4 began with a goal that ranks among the fastest from the start of a Stanley Cup Final contest in the expansion era and also saw Avalanche records fall as Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar added to their assist totals.

KADRI NETS OT WINNER IN FINAL DEBUT; AVS CAN HOIST CUP AT HOME FRIDAY

Making his return to the Avalanche lineup for the first time since Game 3 of the Conference Finals, Nazem Kadri scored his first career playoff overtime goal to complete another Colorado comeback and give the club a 3-1 series lead heading back to Denver.

* Colorado can win its third Stanley Cup when they host Game 5 on Friday at Ball Arena. Only one of the past six championships has been won on home ice – by Tampa Bay last year.

* Kadri became the ninth player in NHL history to score an overtime goal in his Stanley Cup Final debut and the first to do so outside of Game 1.

* Wednesday was Colorado’s sixth overtime game of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs (5-1), tied with 2001 (3-3) for the second most in one postseason in franchise history behind 1996 (5-2). Their five victories equal a franchise benchmark set in 1996 with Uwe Krupp’s Cup-clinching goal.

* Kadri’s Stanley Cup Final debut came in his 50th career playoff game and followed 739 career regular season contests, with 561 of those coming in a Maple Leafs uniform before being acquired by the Avalanche on July 1, 2019.

KADRI NOT THE ONLY SAKIC ACQUISITON WHO MADE AN IMPACT IN GAME 4

One day after being named a finalist for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award for the first time in his career, Avalanche GM Joe Sakic watched as six players he acquired either before or during the 2021-22 season combined for six points on the tying and winning goals in Game 4:

* Acquired on March 21, 2022, ahead of the trade deadline, Andrew Cogliano tied the game with his first career Stanley Cup Final goal (9 GP) – with assists to Nico Sturm (acquired March 15, 2022) and Darren Helm (signed July 29, 2021).

* Acquired the same day as Cogliano, Artturi Lehkonen notched the primary assist in overtime. Lehkonen (2-1—3) is one of four active players with at least three career overtime points in the Conference Finals/Semifinals or Stanley Cup Final, joining Patrick Kane (2-2—4), Sidney Crosby (1-2—3)and Alec Martinez (2-1—3).

* Darcy Kuemper, acquired via trade on July 28, 2021, became the first goaltender in NHL history with an overtime assist in a Stanley Cup Final game. He was the fourth to record a helper on any playoff overtime goal, following Pekka Rinne (Game 6 of 2016 R2 w/ NSH), Tuukka Rask (Game 4 of 2010 CQF w/ BOS) and Dominik Hasek (Game 3 of 2002 CF w/ DET).

COLORADO NEARING RECORD NUMBER OF COMEBACK WINS

The Avalanche faced 1-0 and 2-1 deficits but emerged with their ninth comeback win of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which stands one back of the single-postseason record held by the 2009 Penguins (10).

* Game 4 was Colorado’s 15th third-period, comeback win of 2021-22 and fourth of the postseason (also 11 in regular season) – tied for the third-highest combined total in one season in NHL history.

* Colorado’s victory was the 36th comeback win overall in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs (87 GP), the most in a four-round postseason since 2014 (36 in 93 GP).

LIGHTNING-QUICK STRIKE BEGINS GAME 4

Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli tallied 36 seconds into Game 4, the fastest goal to begin a Stanley Cup Final contest in 16 years and one of 17 scored that quickly into a game during the championship series. It was just the ninth time a player scored in the opening 36 seconds of a game during the Final.

* Cirelli became the fifth Lightning player to score in the opening 40 seconds of any playoff game and first since Cedric Paquette in Game 5 of the 2018 Conference Finals (0:19 vs. WSH).

FRANCHISE RECORDS FALL AS RANTANEN, MAKAR HIT 20 ASSISTS

Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar each recorded their 20th assist of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Colorado’s first goal to establish a franchise record for one postseason, surpassing Peter Stastny (19 in 1985 w/ QUE).

* Rantanen posted his eighth assist of the series, one shy of the official record for an entire Stanley Cup Final. While four players share the official record for most assists in the Final (9), Wayne Gretzky compiled 10 assists in the 1988 championship series including two in the suspended game on May 24. A decision was made at the time to count player statistics as part of their career totals but not as part of official NHL records, therefore Gretzky’s official count for that series is eight.

* Rantanen (4-10—14 in 8 GP) extended his point streak to eight games and now has 0-8—8 in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. He is the second player in NHL history with eight assists through the first four games in a Final, joining Gretzky who had eight assists through four games in 1988 – whether you count the suspended game or not.

* Makar factored on five straight Avalanche goals over the course of Games 2-4, a streak which ended when Andrew Cogliano pulled Colorado even at 2:53 of the third period. Makar became the third defenseman in NHL history to have a point on five consecutive team goals in a Final, joining Paul Coffey in 1985 (6 G w/ EDM) and Eddie Bush in 1942 (6 G w/ DET).

QUICK CLICKS

* #NHLStats: Live Updates for Wednesday, June 22
* NHL’s embrace of Pride Tape has meaningful, lasting impact

* Blackhawks name Meghan Hunter assistant general manager of hockey operations

* Paul Maurice hired as Panthers coach to replace Andrew Brunette
* Jay Woodcroft, Oilers ready to build off conference final appearance
*Jim Nill plans to remain as Stars GM ‘for a few more years’ before retiring