NHL Morning Skate for April 24
* Dallas fended off a Minnesota rally to even its series at two games apiece with the help of veteran Tyler Seguin, who matched the Stars/North Stars record for power-play goals in a playoff game.
* Sebastian Aho climbed multiple franchise lists and achieved a rare feat as the Hurricanes picked up a win to head home with a 3-1 series lead.
* Sunday marked the second consecutive day and third time this postseason that all four road teams won (also April 18) - the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs is the first to feature three or more such days in a single postseason.
OILERS ERASE THREE-GOAL DEFICIT, EVEN SERIES WITH HELP FROM STAR PLAYERS
Leon Draisaitl (2-1-3) and Connor McDavid (0-3-3) both put up big performances Sunday as their team erased a three-goal deficit in the second period as well as a 4-3 deficit with just over three minutes remaining in regulation, setting the stage for Zach Hyman to play overtime hero. Edmonton overcame a three-goal deficit to win a playoff game for the fifth time in franchise history after two teams accomplished the feat in 2022 (FLA in Game 5 of 2022 R1 & STL in Game 5 of 2022 R2).
* Draisaitl, who notched all three of his points in the second period, recorded his 20th career multi-point playoff outing and tied Mario Lemieux (41 GP) for the third-fewest games to reach the mark in Stanley Cup Playoffs history, trailing only Wayne Gretzky (29 GP) and Sidney Crosby (37 GP).
* McDavid boosted his career playoff totals to 23-38-61 (41 GP). The Edmonton captain became the sixth player in NHL history to reach 60 career postseason points in 41 or fewer games, joining Gretzky (26 GP), Lemieux (34 GP), Draisaitl (38 GP), Peter Stastny (40 GP) and Joe Sakic (41 GP).
* Game 4 between the Kings and Oilers marked the eighth overtime contest of the 2023 First Round. Only three other opening rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the NHL realigned in 2014 have featured as many through the first 28 games of a playoff year: 2017 (11), 2021 (9) and 2014 (9).
STARS STYMIE WILD RALLY TO EVEN SERIES AT TWO GAMES APIECE
Tyler Seguin (2-0-2) and Roope Hintz (0-3-3) each posted multi-point performances while Minnesota-native Jake Oettinger made 32 saves - including a highlight-reel stop in the final 12 seconds of regulation - to fend off a Wild rally and help the Stars even the series in front of his parents at Xcel Energy Center.
* Seguin, the only Dallas player with a Stanley Cup, netted his second career multi-goal game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs following Game 2 of the 2011 Conference Finals as a 19-year-old. His performance Sunday also matched the franchise record for power-play goals in a playoff game - a feat only three other players have accomplished in Stars team history: Alexander Radulov (2 in Game 7 of 2020 R2), Brendan Morrow (2 in Game 3 of 2008 CQF) and Pat Verbeek (2 in Game 2 of 1998 CQF).
* Hintz recorded his second three-point outing of the 2023 First Round and became the fourth Stars/North Stars player in the past 30 years with as many three-point outings in a single series. He joined Joe Pavelski (2 GP in 2020 R1), Jamie Benn (2 GP in 2016 R1) and Mike Modano (2 GP in 2003 CQF).
* Oettinger went 17-1-3 following a loss during the 2022-23 regular season (1.97 GAA, .936 SV%, 4 SO) - tied with Connor Hellebuyck (17-9-1) for the most wins among all goaltenders in that scenario. His performance Sunday improved his career playoff save percentage to .941, the highest on record (since 1955-56) by a goaltender in Stanley Cup Playoffs history (min. 10 GP). The next closest: Joonas Korpisalo (.933).
AHO COMPLETES RARE TRIFECTA AS HURRICANES TAKE 3-1 SERIES LEAD
Sebastian Aho (1-2-3) recorded his fifth career three-point game in the postseason to tie Kevin Dineen (5) for the most in Hurricanes/Whalers franchise history and secure the outright franchise lead for career playoff goals (20), surpassing Eric Staal (19). Carolina snapped an eight-game road losing streak in the playoffs dating to Game 4 of the 2021 Second Round to head home for Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead.
* Aho, who added to his own franchise mark for most career multi-point games in the postseason (13), netted his fourth career game-winning goal to tie Jordan Staal and Dineen for the second most in Hurricanes/Whalers history behind only current head coach Rod Brind'Amour (6). In doing so, he accomplished a rare trifecta of holding the outright franchise playoff record for career goals, assists and points, a mark only Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov can also claim among active skaters with their current team.
BOSTON'S BERTUZZI CONTINUES TO EXCEL IN FIRST-EVER STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
Taylor Hall (2-2-4) produced his first career four-point playoff outing and Tyler Bertuzzi (1-1-2) found the score sheet for the fourth straight game to begin the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs - his first-ever trip to the postseason - as the Presidents' Trophy-winning Bruins pushed the Panthers to the brink of elimination with captain Patrice Bergeron and fellow veteran David Krejci missing from the lineup.
* Bertuzzi, who joined Joe Juneau (4 GP in 1992), Craig Janney (4 GP in 1988), Ken Smith (4 GP in 1945) and Bill Cowley (4 GP; 1936 to 1937) as the fifth Bruins player to record a point in his first four career playoff games, has 2-4-6 in the First Round and sits two points shy of the most by a Boston skater in their first-ever career postseason series (Ray Bourque: 1-7-8 in 1980 PRLM vs. PIT & Jason Allison: 2-6-8 in 1998 CQF vs. WSH).
* Bertuzzi sits second in team scoring thus far in the postseason - one point behind Hall (4-3-7). The Bruins depth, which boasts an NHL-best five players with multiple goals in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, has the club within reach of advancing past the opening round for the fifth time in six seasons.
* Only three players in Bruins history have recorded more points in a road playoff game for the franchise than Hall: Rick Middleton (2-4-6 in Game 4 of 1983 DF), Barry Pederson (2-3-5 in Game 4 of 1983 DF) and Peter McNab (2-3-5 in Game 4 of 1982 DSF).
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22-YEAR-OLD SCHMID LOOKS TO HELP DEVILS DRAW EVEN
The Devils are one of four teams taking to the ice Monday with the hopes of evening their First Round series at two games apiece and will do so after 22-year-old rookie goaltender Akira Schmid produced a 35-save performance in his postseason debut to stifle Artemi Panarin, Patrick Kane and the Rangers in Game 3.
* Schmid, a Devils fifth-round selection in the 2018 NHL Draft (No. 136), appeared in six regular-season games for the club in 2021-22 and went 9-5-2 in 18 games for New Jersey during the 2022-23 regular season (2.13 GAA, .922 SV%, 1 SO). His success extends prior to the NHL, capturing USHL Goaltender of the Year honors in 2020-21 with the Sioux City Musketeers after posting a League-best save percentage (.921) and goals-against average (2.01).
* Only five goaltenders age 22 or younger in the past 30 years have won each of their first two career Stanley Cup Playoffs appearances: Carter Hart (3 GP in 2020 w/ PHI), Matt Murray (3 GP in 2016 w/ PIT), John Gibson (2 GP in 2014 w/ ANA), Carey Price (2 GP in 2008 w/ MTL) and Chris Osgood (2 GP in 1994 w/ DET).
