* One more unsung hero has emerged in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Brett Howden scored the third-fastest playoff overtime goal in franchise history to help Vegas take a 1-0 series lead in the Western Conference Final.
* After yet another Conference Finals series opened with extra time, the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs became the fifth in NHL history to feature overtime in both Game 1s in the round before the Final.
* Coming off of the sixth-longest contest in NHL history that was Game 1, the Panthers and Hurricanes will meet for Game 2 and can become the first Conference Finals/Semifinals series in 46 years to require overtime in each of its first two contests.
HOWDEN GIVES GOLDEN KNIGHTS A 1-0 SERIES LEAD WITH OVERTIME GOAL
After Jamie Benn (1-0-1) tied the game in the final two minutes of regulation marking the seventh-latest tying goal in Stars/North Stars postseason history, Brett Howden (1-0-1) registered his first career playoff overtime goal - and third-ever postseason tally - to help Vegas earn a come-from-behind win to take a 1-0 series lead. Teams that take a 1-0 lead in a best-of-seven series in the round before the Stanley Cup Final go on to win the series 68% of the time (110-53, .675 W%).
* Alex Pietrangelo (0-1-1) improved his career totals in Conference Finals/Semifinals contests to 4-6-10. He became the fifth active defenseman to reach a double-digit point total in the round before the Stanley Cup Final, joining Victor Hedman (6-26-32), Ryan McDonagh (4-15-19), Drew Doughty (4-7-11) and Shea Theodore (2-8-10). Vegas defensemen have combined for 23 assists this postseason, tied with Dallas for the second most among all teams. Only Edmonton has more (27).
* The Golden Knights earned their seventh comeback win of the postseason and tied their franchise record (7 in 2021). As of now, 78% of all of Vegas' victories have come after overcoming a deficit (7/9).
NEW LEAGUE TRENDS FEATURED IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
The latest edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured a variety of notes from Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, including more League trends that have emerged after the Conference Finals opened with a pair of overtime contests.
PANTHERS, HURRICANES READY TO RUN IT BACK AFTER 4OT THRILLER IN GAME 1
Game 2 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Final goes tonight after Sergei Bobrovsky and Frederik Andersen battled it out through four overtime periods in Game 1 while Matthew Tkachuk played the role of hero in the sixth-longest contest in NHL history.
* Should Florida and Carolina require more than 60 minutes again for Game 2, it would be the eighth Conference Finals/Semifinals series in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to require overtime in each of the first two contests and first since the 1977 Semifinals between Boston and Philadelphia.
* Florida now has its sights set on becoming the sixth lower-seeded team in the past 15 years to take a 2-0 lead in the Conference Finals and would join Washington (2018 at TBL), NY Rangers (2014 at MTL), Boston (2013 at PIT), Los Angeles (2012 at PHX) and Chicago (2010 at SJS). The Bruins, Kings and Blackhawks also skated to 3-0 series leads.
* Brent Burns (22-49-71 in 106 GP), with points in three straight games, collected a helper on one of two Hurricanes goals in Game 1 and now sits one assist shy of 50 in his playoff career. He also sits one contest shy of becoming the third defenseman in Stanley Cup Playoffs history with a four-game point streak at age 38 or older (Ray Bourque: 6 GP in 2001 w/ COL & Nicklas Lidstrom: 4 GP in 2008 w/ DET).
DID YOU KNOW? Thursday's quadruple-overtime win had a ripple effect on Records.NHL.com, with multiple new entries including the sixth-longest contest in NHL history, Panthers and Hurricanes franchise records for saves in a game as well as Florida's seventh consecutive road victory. Brandon Montour played a pivotal role in the contest, leading all skaters with 57:56 time on ice which also included 8.96 miles of skating distance.
