Nhl Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Playoff Edition – June 6, 2021
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NHL MORNING SKATE: STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF EDITION – JUNE 6, 2021 THREE HARD LAPS * For the first time in more than a decade, eight goals were scored in the same playoff period as the Lightning and Hurricanes each tallied four times in the second period of Game 4. * Skating in his 100th career playoff game, Nikita Kucherov recorded his 14th outing with three-plus points and helped the defending champions move within one win of advancing to the Stanley Cup Semifinals. * Mathew Barzal helped tie the game and then pulled the Islanders ahead with a goal in the third period as New York rallied again and drew even in its Second Round series with Boston. LIGHTNING STORM PAST HURRICANES IN EIGHT-GOAL SECOND PERIOD The Hurricanes produced a four-goal second period to build a 4-2 lead, but Steven Stamkos and the Lightning also scored four goals of their own in the middle frame to take a 5-4 edge – an advantage they would not relinquish. It was the 12th time in Stanley Cup Playoffs history – and first in more than 11 years – that one period featured at least eight combined goals. DEFENDING CHAMPS MOVE WITHIN ONE WIN OF STANLEY CUP SEMIFINALS Steven Stamkos (2-1—3), Nikita Kucherov (2-1—3) and Brayden Point (1-1—2) accounted for five of Tampa Bay’s six goals as the defending champions took a 3-1 series lead against the Hurricanes and moved within one win of the Stanley Cup Semifinals. * Stamkos (5-8—13 in 10 GP), who sits two goals shy of his most in a single postseason (2015 & 2018), matched the Lightning franchise record for most points in a playoff period, a mark achieved four other times (most recently by Victor Hedman last round in the second period of Game 3 against the Panthers). * Kucherov concluded his 100th career playoff game with 41-71—112 thanks to his three-point outing, trailing only Sidney Crosby (43-75—118) for the most points through the milestone contest among active players. Additionally, the Lightning forward is one of seven players in NHL history with 40-plus goals and 70-plus assists through 100 career postseason outings. * Point registered 1-1—2 for the second time in as many games and reached 60 career points in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (29-32—61 in 54 GP). Among active players, only four required fewer contests than Point to reach the 60-point mark in the postseason: Nathan MacKinnon (42 GP), Crosby (42 GP), Evgeni Malkin (46 GP) and Alex Ovechkin (52 GP). BARZAL LEADS ISLANDERS’ LATEST RALLY TO TIE SERIES AT 2-2 Mathew Barzal (1-1—2) assisted on the tying goal in the second period and then broke a 1-1 deadlock with 6:57 remaining in regulation to help the Islanders complete the comeback and even their Second Round series with the Bruins at two games apiece. * The Islanders have won in come-from-behind fashion in each of their last four victories during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The franchise has earned a comeback win in at least four consecutive victories for the fifth time in franchise history and first since 1993 (5 GP: Games 3, 4, 6 of DSF vs. WSH & Games 1, 4 of DF vs. PIT). * Since making his playoff debut with the club in 2019, only one Islanders player has more postseason points than Barzal (9-22—31 in 40 GP): Josh Bailey (10-23—33 in 40 GP). QUICK CLICKS * Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage * #NHLStats Live Updates: Sunday, June 6 * 16-year-old goalie, Taya Currie, becomes first female player selected in OHL draft * Canadiens credit character for five-game playoff winning streak * Auston Matthews, Jaccob Slavin, Jared Spurgeon voted Lady Byng Trophy finalists CANADIENS, GOLDEN KNIGHTS PLAY HOSTS WITH DIFFERENT INTENT TONIGHT The Canadiens return home looking to pull ahead 3-0 in their Second Round series against the Jets, while the Golden Knights host the Avalanche looking to pull even at 2-2 following a late comeback victory in front of a capacity crowd in Las Vegas on Friday. * Montreal will put its five-game winning streak on the line as they seek a 3-0 series lead for the first time since the 2015 First Round (vs. OTT). The Canadiens have not trailed at any point over their winning streak, leading for 189:51 and tied for 126:23 since the puck dropped on Game 5 versus Toronto. Carey Price, who has a 1.71 goals-against average and .947 save percentage over his past five games, will look to become the first Canadiens goaltender since Patrick Roy (11-0 in 1993) to string together six straight victories within a playoff year and has a shot at becoming the third Montreal goaltender to post back-to-back playoff shutouts (also George Hainsworth in 1930 and Jacques Plante in 1960). * After staging the 12th third-period comeback win of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs in front of nearly 18,000 fans at T-Mobile Arena on Friday, the Golden Knights will now look to even their series with the Avalanche. Vegas will look to become the ninth team to even a best-of-seven series with the Presidents’ Trophy winner at 2-2 after losing the first two contests (since 1985- 86). In order to do so, the Golden Knights will have to contend with Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen who has scored a goal in four straight games and has at least one point in each of his last 17 postseason contests dating to Game 3 of the 2020 First Round (vs. ARI) – one of eight such runs in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. .