NHL Morning Skate for April 26

* The Islanders are the first team to stave off elimination in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They became the 16th club to earn a road win this postseason, marking just the second time in the NHL's expansion era that all teams won at least one road game.

* Jake Oettinger became the first goaltender to record a perfect performance this postseason as the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs (8) required the most days in a single year before seeing its first shutout since 1986 (8).
* Connor McDavid became the sixth-fastest player in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to record 40 career assists and the second fastest to do so among active players behind teammate Leon Draisaitl as the Oilers opened a 3-2 series lead.

NHL WATCHES ANOTHER ROAD VICTORY AS ISLANDERS STAVE OFF ELIMINATION

Brock Nelson (1-1-2) factored on two of three goals and Ilya Sorokin turned aside 34 shots as the Islanders edged the Hurricanes to extend their season and force a Game 6 at UBS Arena. New York became the 16th team to earn a road win this postseason, marking just the second time in the NHL's expansion era (since 1967-68) that all playoff teams won at least one road game (also 2012, when the 16 clubs combined for an NHL-record 47 road victories overall).
* Nelson (25-21-46 in 72 GP), who netted his 25th career playoff goal, has scored 22 times in the postseason since the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The only players with more through that span: Nathan MacKinnon (38), Brayden Point (33), Brad Marchand (31), Ondrej Palat (29), Mikko Rantanen (28), David Pastrnak (24) and Nikita Kucherov (24).
* Nelson now has 3-3-6 (7 GP) in career potential elimination games as a member of the road team. Only five players in Islanders history have more points in that scenario: Jude Drouin (4-5-9 in 7 GP), Denis Potvin (4-4-8 in 14 GP), Pat LaFontaine (4-3-7 in 10 GP) and J.P. Parise (3-4-7 in 7 GP) and Ed Westfall (2-4-6 in 6 GP).

STARS OUT IN TEXAS AS DALLAS TAKES 3-2 SERIES EDGE

Roope Hintz (0-3-3) recorded his third three-point outing of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs to increase his point total to double digits, while Jake Oettinger made 27 saves for his second career postseason shutout to help Dallas take a 3-2 series lead. With the perfect performance, Oettinger recorded the first home shutout in the playoffs by a Stars goaltender since 2016.
* Hintz (4-7-11 in 5 GP), who became the fastest player in Stars team history to accumulate 10 points in a postseason (5 GP) and concluded a run of factoring on six straight goals, registered his third three-point outing of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs - the most by a player since the club relocated to Dallas. Only five North Stars skaters have recorded as many in a single playoff year: Brian Bellows (4 in 1991), Dave Gagner (4 in 1991), Steve Payne (4 in 1981), Dennis Maruk (3 in 1986) and Bobby Smith (3 in 1981).
* Tyler Seguin scored his fourth power-play goal of the 2023 First Round and established a franchise record for the most in a series - it has been 20 years since any player has scored more on the power play in a single round, with St. Louis' Doug Weight (5 in 2003 CQF) the last to do so.
* Miro Heiskanen (9-30-39 in 52 GP) became the fourth defenseman in NHL history to record 30 postseason assists at age 23 or younger, joining Paul Coffey (50), Cale Makar (45) and Ray Bourque (32). He required the third-fewest games to reach the mark with the Stars/North Stars, behind forwards Bobby Smith (33 GP) and Brad Maxwell (44 GP).

McDAVID MAKES IT 40 POSTSEASON ASSISTS AS OILERS DOUBLE UP KINGS

Connor McDavid (0-2-2) factored on two of Edmonton's six goals and Evan Bouchard (0-1-1) extended his postseason-opening point streak to five games to help the Oilers open up a 3-2 lead in their series. The franchise owns a 12-1 record when leading 3-2 in a best-of-seven and a 5-0 mark when starting at home.
* Bouchard improved his 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs totals to 2-6-8 (5 GP) and became the second defenseman in franchise history to record eight-plus points in a series, following Paul Coffey who did so four times (1983 DF, 1985 DF, 1985 CF, 1985 SCF). He also joined both Coffey (6 GP in 1984 & 1985, 5 GP in 1986) and Charlie Huddy (5 GP in 1985) as the third Oilers defenseman with a five-game point streak to start a single postseason.
* McDavid boosted his career playoff total to 23-40-63 (42 GP) and became the second-fastest active player to reach the 40-assist mark in the postseason, behind teammate Leon Draisaitl (37 GP).

MORE #NHLSTATS CAN BE FOUND ON LIVE UPDATES AFTER ANOTHER BUSY NIGHT

As the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs reached its ninth night, hockey fans inside arenas and at home continued to be given reasons to cheer, including plenty of #NHLStats on the Tuesday edition of Live Updates.

QUICK CLICKS

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Cale Makar suspended 1 game, out for Avalanche against Kraken in Game 5
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CHEL Intel -- Issue No. 12
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Start Times Set for 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round Games on April 28 and April 29
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Jack Eichel thriving in 1st playoff experience for Golden Knights
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BRUINS LOOK TO ADVANCE TO SECOND ROUND WEDNESDAY

The Presidents' Trophy-winning Bruins will look to advance for the seventh time in 10 years, while the reigning Stanley Cup champion Avalanche will vie for a 3-2 series lead when they each play host on two-game slate. Nine of the past 10 Presidents' Trophy winners have advanced past the opening round, as have six of the past 10 previous Cup champions.
* The Bruins hold a record of 16-22 in potential series clinching games dating to the 2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs - their 16 wins trail only the Lightning (25), Penguins (20) and Blackhawks (17) for the most over that span. Eleven of Boston's 16 victories occurred on home ice, the second most among all teams behind Tampa Bay (17).
* Patrice Bergeron (11-14-25 in 37 GP), who has missed each of their first four games of the series and is expected to participate in Game 5, has 11 goals in career potential series-clinching games and needs one to surpass Milan Lucic (11-7-18 in 25 GP) for the most in franchise history. The next two closest players to Bergeron on the Bruins' active roster are David Krejci (8-20-28 in 30 GP) and Brad Marchand (5-8-13 in 26 GP).
* The Panthers are 4-8 all-time when facing elimination, with their most recent such win occurring in Game 5 of the 2021 First Round against the Lightning. Florida has only won one series in which they faced elimination - the 1996 Conference Finals against Pittsburgh, which saw the Panthers come back from a 3-2 series deficit to win in Game 7 en route joining the Toronto Arenas (1918), Montreal Maroons (1926), Bruins (1927) and Blues (1968) as the fifth franchise in NHL history to advance to the Stanley Cup Final in its first-ever postseason. Vegas joined this list in 2018.