NHL Morning Skate for June 18

By NHL Public Relations

@PR_NHL

June 18, 2024

* The Stanley Cup will be in the building once again when Florida and Edmonton clash in Game 5 of the Final at Amerant Bank Arena tonight. The contest starts at 8 p.m. ET and is available on ABC, ESPN+, Sportsnet, TVA Sports and CBC. The “NHL in ASL” telecast on ESPN+ and Sportsnet+ will feature special guests Wes McCauley, Keivonn Woodard and Katelyn Koester.

* Aleksander Barkov, Sergei Bobrovsky, Gustav Forsling and the Panthers continue to pursue the first championship in franchise history and will contest their first potential Cup-clinching game on home ice.

* Connor McDavid, Stuart Skinner, Evan Bouchard and the Oilers look to follow up their 8-1 victory Saturday by becoming the first team in League history to win Game 5 on the road after trailing 3-0 in the Final.

SEVERAL STARS ARE SHINING AS STANLEY CUP FINAL SHIFTS TO SUNRISE

Thirty of 39 skaters have recorded at least one point in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final including several star players, while both starting goaltenders have maintained a save percentage north of .900 so far:

* Aleksander Barkov (1-3—4 in 4 GP) has two multi-point efforts in the Final, including the winning goal in Game 3. Barkov (7-14—21 in 21 GP) has maintained his point-per-game pace during the championship series and needs three to match the franchise record for most in a postseason.

* Connor McDavid (1-6—7 in 4 GP) had 1-3—4 on Saturday and needs one point to tie the franchise mark for most when facing elimination during a Final, set by Fernando Pisani (4-1—5 in 3 GP) in 2006. The highest total in NHL history is seven by the Maple Leafs duo of Don Metz (4-3—7 in 4 GP) and Syl Apps (3-4—7 in 4 GP) in 1942 as well as Toronto St. Patricks forward Babe Dye (6-1—7 in 2 GP) in 1922.

* Sergei Bobrovsky will look to follow in the footsteps of Hockey Hall of Fame member Martin Brodeur by responding from his Game 4 defeat (in which Anthony Stolarz replaced him in the second period). In 2003, Brodeur was pulled in a potential Cup-clinching Game 6 but responded with a 24-save shutout in Game 7 to secure his third and final Cup.

* Stuart Skinner made 32 saves in Game 4, and while his efforts were overshadowed by an eight-goal showing from his teammates, that stands as the highest save total by an Oilers goaltender when facing elimination in the Stanley Cup Final (previous: 24 saves by Jussi Markkanen in Game 7 of 2006 SCF).

* Evan Bouchard has two points in the Final (0-2—2, including an assist in Game 4) and 6-23—29 overall this postseason to sit two back of tying Paul Coffey’s Stanley Cup Playoffs record for assists in one year by a defenseman. Bouchard is one point away from making the Oilers the fourth team in NHL history to have three 30-point scorers in the same postseason – only the 1991 Penguins, 1988 Oilers and 1985 Oilers have had players combine for that feat.

* Gustav Forsling broke Ed Jovanovski’s franchise record for assists by a defenseman in one playoff year by notching his ninth helper of 2024 on Florida’s lone goal in Game 4. It also was his 13th point this postseason, equaling Brandon Montour (8-5—13 in 2023) for the club mark for most in one year by a blueliner. Forsling (491:30 in 2024), less than 10 minutes away from logging 500-plus minutes of total ice time for a second straight year, ranks third among all skaters with 1037:53 of TOI since the start of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, behind Montour (1048:04) and Miro Heiskanen (1063:41).

* Evan Rodrigues (3-1—4 in 4 GP), Vladimir Tarasenko (2-1—3 in 4 GP), Dylan Holloway (2-1—3 in 4 GP) and Ryan McLeod (2-0—2 in 4 GP) have multiple goals in the Final, with McLeod and Tarasenko each scoring in both Games 3 and 4. McLeod will aim to become the sixth Oilers player to score in three straight games within a Final, while Tarasenko will look to become the first to do so for Florida. Tarasenko (0-1—1 in Game 7 of 2019 SCF) is one of two players in the series with a point in a Cup-clinching win (also Corey Perry: 1-1—2 in Game 5 of 2007 SCF).

McCauley, Woodard, Koester to join “NHL in ASL” telecast in Game 5

The “NHL in ASL” telecast for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final is set to feature NHL referee Wes McCauley as well as actor Keivonn Woodard (known for role in HBO’s The Last of Us) and hockey player Katelyn Koester (member of U.S. Women’s National Deaf Hockey Team). The telecast will be made available to stream on ESPN+ in the U.S. and Sportsnet+ in Canada.

* ICYMI: Every goal in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, as experienced on the “NHL in ASL” telecast.

* McCauley will serve as a rules analyst throughout the telecast while explaining the origin of some hand signals made by officials and providing additional commentary. McCauley has worked 24 games in the Stanley Cup Final so far in his career.