* David Pastrnak propelled the Bruins to their seventh consecutive playoff series victory against the Maple Leafs with a winner 114 seconds into overtime and set up a postseason matchup against the Panthers for the second time in as many years.
* The Stars and Golden Knights are set to contest the second Game 7 of the First Round as the reigning Stanley Cup winners look to keep their championship defense alive. This marks the fourth straight year, and fifth time in six postseasons, the First Round has featured multiple seventh-and-deciding contests.
* The puck drops on the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs when the Rangers and Hurricanes clash at Madison Square Garden for their third postseason meeting – all of which have occurred since 2020.
PASTRNAK LIFTS BRUINS INTO SECOND ROUND WITH OVERTIME WINNER IN GAME 7
Deadlocked and awaiting an icebreaker through 40 minutes, the Maple Leafs and Bruins then traded goals in an 81-second span in the third period to set the stage for David Pastrnak’s winner 114 seconds into overtime. Boston, which now heads to Florida for Game 1 of the Second Round on May 6 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN, SN, CBC & TVAS), captured its seventh straight series against Toronto dating back to the 1969 Quarterfinals.
* Pastrnak became the fifth player in Bruins history to score an overtime goal in a Game 7, following Patrice Bergeron (2013 CQF vs. TOR),* Nathan Horton (2011 CQF vs. MTL), Brad Park (1983 DF vs. BUF) and Mel Hill (1939 SF vs. NYR). His tally also marked the third-fastest to begin overtime in a Game 7 in Stanley Cup Playoffs history behind Martin Gelinas* (1:25 in 2004 CQF) and the aforementioned Park (1:52).
* The Bruins, who matched the Maple Leafs (5) for the most comeback wins in a Game 7 in NHL history, joined the Canadiens (18 from 1946 – 1987 vs. BOS) and Penguins (7 from 1995 – 2017 vs. WSH) as the third franchise in League history to win seven or more consecutive playoff series against one opponent.
* The Bruins and Maple Leafs, who became the first franchises in NHL history to require a Game 7 in at least four consecutive head-to-head playoff series, were tied for 241:44 of 424:20 (56.9%) of total playing time – the highest percentage among all First Round matchups in 2024. The Stars and Golden Knights can eclipse the mark in Game 7 on Sunday (202:06 of 376:23; 53.7%).
SWAYMAN STRINGS TOGETHER STIFLING FIRST ROUND PERFORMANCE
Jeremy Swayman (4-2, .950 SV%, 1.49 GAA) turned aside 30 of 31 shots in Game 7 to conclude the First Round with performances rarely seen by a Bruins goaltender in a single playoff series (min. 6 GP):
* Joined Tim Thomas (967 SV% in 2011 SCF) as the second Bruins goaltender on record with a save percentage of .950 or higher. Only two other goaltenders in the past 10 years have also accomplished the feat:* Jake Oettinger (.954 in 2022 R1) and Braden Holtby* (.968 in 2016 R1).
* Registered the third-lowest goals-against average behind Thomas (1.15 GAA in 2011 SCF) and Byron Dafoe (1.46 in 1999 CQF). Only two other goaltenders in the past 12 years have posted a goals-against average of 1.50 or lower: Holtby (0.84 in 2016 R1) and Jonathan Quick (1.10 in 2012 SCF & 1.43 in 2013 CSF).
EASTERN CONFERENCE’S TOP CLUBS READY TO MEET IN SECOND ROUND
The Eastern Conference’s top four teams from the regular season will compete in the Second Round as the Rangers, Hurricanes, Panthers and Bruins finished first through fourth, were separated by five points in the standings and all were in contention for the Presidents’ Trophy entering the final weekend of the regular season.
* The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs also became the fourth postseason since 1980 (the first time a 16-team field comprised the playoff picture) to feature at least the top two teams from three divisions in the second round. The others: 2018, 1988 and 1984.
* Both Second Round series in the Eastern Conference are matchups between the top two teams in the divisions, who battled for division titles down to their final games of the regular season. The Rangers won their 82nd contest on April 15 to secure the Metropolitan Division title ahead of the second-place Hurricanes, while the Panthers overtook the Bruins to claim the Atlantic Division crown as a result of each club’s season finale on April 16.
QUICK CLICKS
* Eastern Conference Second Round schedule announced
* Adin Hill likely to start for Golden Knights in Game 7
* Patrice Bergeron fires up Bruins fans before Game 7 at TD Garden
* Oilers hope to turn tables on Canucks in Second Round
* Saturday edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates
ANOTHER GAME 7 CLOSES FIRST ROUND WHILE RANGERS, HURRICANES OPEN SECOND
A two-game Sunday in the Stanley Cup Playoffs features the end of one round and the beginning of another as the Stars and Golden Knights clash in a Game 7 showdown while Rangers and Hurricanes – the top two teams in the Metropolitan Division – open the Second Round at Madison Square Garden.
STARS, GOLDEN KNIGHTS SET FOR GAME 7 CLASH AT 7:30 P.M. ET
The Western Conference's top-seeded Stars and reigning Stanley Cup-champion Golden Knights will decide their First Round series in Game 7 at American Airlines Center on Sunday, with the final contest of the ‘winner-take-all weekend' airing at 7:30 p.m. ET on TBS, truTV, MAX, Sportsnet and TVA Sports. This marks the fourth straight year, and fifth time in six postseasons, the First Round has featured multiple Game 7s.
* The Stars are competing in a Game 7 for the third consecutive year, a first in franchise history, and for the 17th time overall (7-9 in 16 GP) – including their seasons in Minnesota from 1967-68 to 1992-93. Their 17 all-time seventh-and-deciding games are tied with Washington (5-12 in 17 GP) and Philadelphia (9-8 in 17 GP) for the third most by a non-Original Six franchise behind St. Louis (10-8 in 18 GP) and Pittsburgh (10-8 in 18 GP).
* The Golden Knights, set to skate in their fourth winner-takes-all contest (2-1), have won each of their past two Game 7s and can become the first team to win three consecutive Game 7s since the Hurricanes (6 from 2006-2022). They can also become the seventh reigning Stanley Cup champion to win a Game 7 in their opening series following the Lightning (2022), Avalanche (2002), Penguins (1992), Oilers (1991), Flyers (1976) and Maple Leafs (1964).
* Stars forward Joe Pavelski (7-3) and head coach Peter DeBoer (7-0) – who have been a part of every Game 7 in Golden Knights history – can both match the NHL record for career Game 7 wins, a mark currently shared by six skaters (Brad Richards, 8-0; Ray Bourque, 8-1; Justin Williams, 8-1; Carl Hagelin, 8-2; Ryan McDonagh, 8-2; and Glenn Anderson, 8-4) and one head coach (Darryl Sutter, 8-3).
* Golden Knights teammates Alex Pietrangelo and Alec Martinez are both 5-0 in career Game 7s and can become second and third active players to win each of their first six or more Game 7s – they would join Ryan McDonagh, who won his first six from 2012 to 2015.
SECOND ROUND BEGINS WITH BOUT BETWEEN RANGERS AND HURRICANES
The Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs is set to begin with the Eastern Conference’s top two teams going head-to-head when the Rangers and Hurricanes square off in their third all-time postseason meeting – all of which occurring since 2020.
* The Rangers and Hurricanes will meet in the Second Round after concluding the regular season just three points apart in the standings. The two clubs combined to occupy first and second in the Metropolitan Division for two-thirds of the regular season (66%; 127 of 192 days), including every day for almost the final three months of the campaign (86 consecutive days from Jan. 24 onward).
* Carolina’s Brent Burns (5-15—20 in 20 GP) leads all active defensemen in career points in Game 1 of a series. He is one of six defensemen in NHL history with at least a point per game in such contests (min. 10 GP), along with Cale Makar (1.46 P/GP), Denis Potvin (1.22 P/GP), Bobby Orr (1.2 P/GP), Paul Coffey (1.05 P/GP) and Ian Turnbull (1 P/GP).
* Adam Fox (2-6—8 in 2022 R2) co-led all players in points the last time the Rangers and Hurricanes met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That series marked Fox’s second best-of-seven with at least eight points and joined Brian Leetch (5x) as the second defenseman in Rangers history with multiple such series.
* Peter Laviolette and Rod Brind’Amour won a Stanley Cup with the 2006 Hurricanes as head coach and team captain, respectively. This will mark the fourth series in NHL history to feature head coaches where one had previously captained a Cup winner with the other as head coach. The only other such matchups involved Dick Irvin and Hap Day who won a Cup together with Toronto in 1932 (Irvin as coach, Day as captain) and then clashed while at the helm of the Canadiens and Maple Leafs, respectively, in the 1944 Semifinals, 1945 Semifinals and 1947 Stanley Cup Final.
