. In fact, Game 5 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Final was the third time in the past 10 playoff years that a team earned a shutout with a margin of victory of at least seven goals and the second time this postseason (SJS: 7-0 W vs. EDM in Game 4 of FR).
* Elias notes that in the NHL's expansion era (since 1967-68), Game 5 was the fifth time a team earned a margin of victory of at least seven goals in a shutout in the Conference Final/Semifinals or later, and the first since 2002 (DET: 7-0 W vs. COL in Game 7 of CF).
* It also was the first seven-goal margin of any kind in a conference final game since the same Detroit victory in 2002 (7-0 W vs. COL).
* Pittsburgh's four goals in the first 20 minutes of Game 5 were two shy of their playoff record for most goals in a period (6), achieved in the opening frame of
Game 5 of the 1989 Division Finals
against the Philadelphia Flyers (10-7 W).
* Evgeni Malkin had three assists and leads all skaters with 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs (17 GP). Malkin (54-98-152 in 141 GP) became the 29th player in NHL history to earn 150 NHL postseason points and passed Mario Lemieux (96) for second on the Penguins' all-time assists list. Malkin also skated in his 141st career playoff game (all w/ PIT) to pass Jaromir Jagr (140) for the most in Penguins history.
* Matt Murray, who made his first start of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 4, made 25 saves in Game 5 to earn his second career postseason shutout (also Game 4 of 2016 FR at NYR). He improved to 17-6 in 24 career playoff appearances (1.97 GAA, .927 SV%, 2 SO).
* When teams are tied 2-2 in a best-of-seven series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the winner of Game 5 holds an all-time series record of 198-54, including 5-0 this postseason.
