Morning Skate for April 30

* John Tavares tallied the clinching goal in overtime to give his hometown Maple Leafs their first series win in over 19 years.

* Kailer Yamamoto scored the third-latest series-clinching goal in franchise history. In doing so, the Oilers and Golden Knights became the first confirmed matchup in the 2023 Second Round and will face off in the postseason for the first time ever, marking the NHL's 290th unique playoff series.
* Chris Kreider collected 1-2-3 to match a former Rangers captain for the most career goals in potential elimination games in NHL history and help New York force the third Game 7 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
* The past two Presidents' Trophy winners, the reigning Stanley Cup champion and the second-season NHL franchise making its historic Game 7 debut are set to take the ice Sunday in a compelling doubleheader that will decide a pair of First Round series.
"JOHNNY TORONTO" ENDS MAPLE LEAFS' 19-YEAR SERIES WIN DROUGHT WITH OT GOAL
John Tavares tallied the clinching goal at 4:36 of overtime to give Toronto its first series win in over 19 years and send fans at Maple Leaf Square - some of whom were born after the franchise eliminated Ottawa in the 2004 Conference Quarterfinals - into a joyous celebration outside Scotiabank Arena.
* The Maple Leafs' opponent in the Second Round will be either the Bruins or Panthers, who contest their series finale at TD Garden on Sunday. Toronto has met Boston in 16 all-time Stanley Cup Playoffs series including three in the past 10 years (2019 R1, 2018 R1 & 2013 CQF) and has never faced Florida in a postseason round.
* The Maple Leafs became the first team in Stanley Cup Playoffs history with three overtime wins on the road in a single series. Toronto earned victories in each of its first three road games in a postseason for the fifth time in franchise history, following 1951 (5-0), 1949 (5-0), 1977 (4-0) and 2001 (3-0).
* Tavares, who signed with the club on July 1, 2018 - a moment that went viral after he shared a photo of him as a child in Maple Leafs bed sheets - and was officially named team captain ahead of the 2019-20 season, ended Toronto's 0-8 series win drought which was tied for the fifth longest such skid in NHL history. Tavares also brought another franchise's 0-8 drought to an end with an overtime goal - he scored the clincher in Game 6 of the 2016 First Round to give the Islanders their first series win since the 1993 Division Finals.

YAMAMOTO SCORES LATE GO-AHEAD GOAL, SECURES MATCHUP AGAINST VEGAS
Kailer Yamamoto (1-1-2) scored the series-clinching goal with 3:03 remaining in regulation and Evan Bouchard (0-2-2) matched an NHL record with another power-play point as he became the third Oilers player this postseason to reach the 10-point mark, helping Edmonton advance past the opening round for the 16th time in franchise history.
* Yamamoto's goal at 56:57 established the third-latest series-clinching goal in Oilers history behind Ales Hemsky (58:54 in Game 6 of 2006 CQF) and Ken Linseman (58:46 in Game 3 of 1983 DSF).
* Bouchard recorded his eighth power-play point in the 2023 First Round and tied the NHL record for the most by a defenseman in a playoff series, a mark shared by Denis Potvin (8 in 1981 QF & 1980 SCF), John Carlson (8 in 2018 R1) and Paul Coffey (8 in 1993 DSF). Bouchard concluded the opening round with 2-8-10 (6 GP) - the only Oilers defenseman with as many points in a single series is Coffey (3-11-14 in 1985 CF & 3-8-11 in 1985 SCF).
* The Oilers had three 10-point scorers in a single series for the third time in franchise history, following the 1985 Conference Finals (4) and 1987 Division Semifinals (3). They became the third team in the past 25 years to have three 10-point scorers in a series, joining the Jets (3 in 2018 R2) and Senators (3 in 2006 CQF).
* The Oilers are set to meet the Golden Knights in the 2023 Second Round for the first all-time postseason meeting between the clubs. Edmonton owns an all-time series record of 10-6 in its first head-to-head playoff round with a franchise, while Vegas is 7-3.
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* The Oilers advanced to the Second Round hours after the Maple Leafs, sending fans in Toronto at Maple Leaf Square and inside Rogers Place in Edmonton into a frenzy, despite both Canadian teams clinching their series across the border.
RANGERS REBOUND IN GAME 6 TO FORCE WINNER-TAKE-ALL SHOWDOWN AT "THE ROCK"
Chris Kreider (1-2-3) factored on three of the Rangers' five consecutive goals as New York forced the third Game 7 in "Hudson River Rivalry" history (also 1994 CF & 1992 DSF). The Rangers have recorded wins in each of their first two winner-take-all showdowns against the Devils.
* New York owns an all-time record of 11-6 in Game 7s (3-5 as road team) and have earned wins in eight of its past nine dating to the 2012 Conference Quarterfinals - the Rangers' eight Game 7 wins since 2012 are four more than the next-closest clubs over that span (LAK, STL & TBL, all w/ 4). New Jersey is 7-7 in 14 all-time Game 7s (3-2 as home team) and will contest its first since a double-overtime win versus Florida in the 2012 Conference Quarterfinals finale.
* Kreider (16-6-22 in 28 GP) tied the NHL record for most career goals in potential elimination games, which is held by former Rangers captain Mark Messier (16-12-28 in 24 GP). Kreider scored his fifth power-play goal in the 2023 First Round and moved within one of tying another former New York forward for the highest single-series total in NHL history.
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Game 7: Stats and Storylines 
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Stanley Cup Playoffs: Complete Coverage, where to watch games
GAME 7 DOUBLEHEADER SET FOR SUNDAY
There is nothing quite like a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Sunday has a pair of them packed full of interesting storylines. It opens with the record-setting Bruins, who won the 2022-23 Presidents' Trophy, hosting the Panthers, the 2021-22 Presidents' Trophy winners who have rallied from a 3-1 deficit to force a deciding contest. It concludes with the reigning Stanley Cup champion Avalanche looking to win their fifth consecutive series, facing the Kraken, looking for the franchise's first-ever series win.
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BRUINS FAMILIAR WITH GAME 7s, PANTHERS AIM FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WIN
No franchise in Stanley Cup Playoffs history has appeared in more Game 7s than the Bruins (15-14), who have a bevy of big-game experience on their roster heading into Sunday's contest at TD Garden. Captain Patrice Bergeron has appeared in 13 career Game 7s, the most by any forward in NHL history and one shy of tying longtime teammate Zdeno Chara for the most all-time. Bergeron (6-7), David Krejci (6-5) and Brad Marchand (6-4) make up three of the 10 active skaters who have at least six Game 7 victories.
* The Bruins had a record-setting 65-win regular season, one of four teams in NHL history to post 60-plus wins in a single campaign. Of the previous three, only the 2018-19 Lightning did not advance past the opening round. This is the seventh time the Presidents' Trophy winner will play a Game 7 in the opening round and first in a dozen years (it happened in back-to-back years, 2010 & 2011).
* The Panthers will contest their third all-time Game 7, following a win in the 1996 Conference Finals (3-1 W at PIT) and a loss in 2012 Conference Quarterfinals (3-2 L in 2OT vs. NJD). They can become the seventh franchise in NHL history to have each of their first two Game 7 wins come as the road team; only the Islanders (4), Wild (3), Sharks (3), Flames (2), Avalanche/Nordiques (2) and Stars/North Stars (2) have done so.
* While the Bruins have 21 players with Game 7 experience to the Panthers' six, that experience shifts when it comes to head coaches. Boston's Jim Montgomery lost his only Game 7 behind the bench when he coached the Stars (2019 R2: 2-1 2OTL at STL), while Paul Maurice boasts a perfect 3-0 record in seventh and deciding games - he can join Peter DeBoer (6 straight) and Tommy Ivan (4 straight) as the third head coach to win each of his first four or more consecutive Game 7 appearances.
AVALANCHE LOOK TO CONTINUE RUN, KRAKEN AIM TO START ONE
By the end of Game 7 between the Avalanche and Kraken, one team will either win their fifth consecutive series and continue a run for a second consecutive Stanley Cup championship, or one will carve out a franchise-first postseason series win.
* The Avalanche did not require seven games in any of their four series victories in 2022 and have lost their last five Game 7s dating to the 2002 Conference Finals at Detroit. Since relocating to Denver in 1995-96, Colorado owns a 4-4 record when contesting a Game 7 on home ice.
* This will mark the second straight year and 15th time overall that the reigning Stanley Cup champion will play a Game 7 in its opening series, with the opposing club owning an 8-6 edge in the previous 14 instances.
* The Kraken may be contesting the first Game 7 in franchise history, but their roster has a combined 29 appearances in seventh and deciding games, including four skaters with three or more: Andre Burakovsky (6 GP: 2-4), Jaden Schwartz (4 GP: 4-0), Justin Schultz (3 GP: 3-0) and Jordan Eberle (3 GP: 1-2).
* Seattle, who can become the ninth team to eliminate the reigning Stanley Cup champion in Game 7 of the opening round and the first to win the first-ever series in franchise history against the defending champs, is the 10th franchise to require a Game 7 in its first-ever series.