NHL Season Starts Tuesday October 10.🏒

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Bob’ and the ‘Breadman’​

When goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and forward Artemi Panarin became unrestricted free agents following the 2018-19 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, some thought the good friends would sign with the same team. The Panthers attempted to sign each of them, but they ended up going their separate ways with Bobrovsky signing a seven-year contract with Florida on July 1, 2019, and Panarin signing a seven-year contract with New York on the same day.
Now, the Russians will face each other in the playoffs with each trying to win the Cup for the first time.
Bobrovsky, who won the Vezina Trophy, voted as the NHL’s best goalie in 2013 and 2017, is a finalist for the award for the third time this season after he was 36-17-4 with a 2.37 goals-against average, .915 save percentage and tied for the NHL lead with six shutouts in 58 starts. The 35-year-old is 8-3 with a 2.37 GAA and .902 save percentage in 11 games this postseason.
Panarin is third on the Rangers with 11 points (four goals, seven assists), including a League-leading four game-winning goals, in 10 playoff games after leading New York and setting NHL career highs with 49 goals, 71 assists and 120 points in 82 regular-season games.

 

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From Russia with gloves​

Bobrovsky will be part of an all-Russian showdown in the nets in the East. Igor Shesterkin, who won the Vezina in 2022, was 19-12-1 with a 2.86 GAA and .899 save percentage when he represented New York at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game before rebounding to go 17-5-1 with a 2.20 GAA, .930 save percentage and four shutouts over the remainder of the regular season.
The 28-year-old has continued to play at a high-level in the playoffs, going 8-2 with a 2.40 GAA and .923 save percentage through the first two rounds. Shesterkin must get past Bobrovsky, however, to make his first trip to a Cup Final.

 

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Oilers power play vs. Stars penalty kill​

Edmonton has the NHL's top power play in the playoffs at 37.5 percent, scoring 15 goals on 40 opportunities. That could be a huge advantage against Dallas, which is 11th in the playoffs on the penalty kill at 69.2 percent after allowing eight goals on 26 times short-handed in the first two rounds.
The Stars’ penalty kill is coming off a difficult second round against the Avalanche, when they allowed five power-play goals on 14 times short-handed (64.3 percent efficiency). It won’t get easier against an Oilers power play featuring Draisaitl, McDavid and Bouchard.
Draisaitl leads the NHL with 12 power-play points and six power-play goals in the playoffs. McDavid leads the League with 10 power-play assists and is second with 11 power-play points. Bouchard has eight points (one goal, seven assists) on the man-advantage.

 

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NHL EDGE stats: Conn Smythe Trophy contenders.​

Dallas Stars:​

-- Goalie Jake Oettinger has the most games (10) with greater than a .900 save percentage this postseason among the remaining teams.

-- Forward Wyatt Johnston ranks fourth among remaining players in high-danger shots on goal (17) and is in the 97th percentile in total skating distance (43.98 miles).

-- Defenseman Miro Heiskanen has skated the most miles (52.07 in 13 games) of any player in the postseason. Heiskanen also has the highest max skating speed (22.02 miles per hour) among remaining defensemen.

Edmonton Oilers:​

-- Forward Leon Draisaitl, who leads the playoffs in points (24 in 12 games) and power-play points (12), also ranks in the 90th percentile or better in various EDGE categories, including speed bursts over 20 miles per hour (37; 97th), total skating distance (37.44; 91st), high-danger shots on goal (nine; 90th) and mid-range shots on goal (14; 98th).

-- Forward Connor McDavid has skated the most miles (47.68) at the position and ranks fourth among all skaters in that category. McDavid, who ranks second in playoff points (21 in 12 games), has also skated the most miles on the power play (8.09) of any skater.

-- Defenseman Evan Bouchard leads the NHL in 90-plus mile per hour shots (19), with more than double the total of the second-best player in that category (Gustav Forsling of Florida Panthers has seven). The Oilers defense, led by Bouchard's five playoff goals, has the most at the position (11) of any team in the postseason. Bouchard also leads the NHL in long-range shots on goal (23) and has the most long-range goals (three) among remaining players.

-- Forward Zach Hyman, who leads the NHL in playoff goals (11 in 12 games), also has the most high-danger shots on goal (34) and high-danger goals (eight) in the League after leading the regular season in both of those EDGE categories.

Florida Panthers:​

-- Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has the best goal differential (plus-13) in the playoffs. He also has the best high-danger save percentage (.882) among remaining goalies.

-- Forward Aleksander Barkov ranks in the 90th percentile or better in various EDGE categories, including total skating distance (37.92 miles; 91st), high-danger shots on goal (10; 92nd), high-danger goals (four; 98th) and mid-range SOG (nine; 90th).

-- Forward Matthew Tkachuk is tied for second in the playoffs in mid-range shots on goal (15) behind teammate Carter Verhaeghe (16). Among remaining forwards, he's tied with teammate Sam Reinhart for the most long-range shots on goal (six each) and has the second-fastest max shot speed (92.66 miles per hour) behind Radek Faksa (92.74) of the Stars.

-- Reinhart ranks second in high-danger shots on goal (21) behind Hyman.

New York Rangers:​

-- Goalie Igor Shesterkin leads the NHL in mid-range save percentage (.964) and has played all 10 games for the Rangers, who lead the League in playoff winning percentage (80.0).

-- Forward Artemi Panarin is tied with Jason Robertson of the Stars for the most mid-range goals (three each) in the playoffs.

-- Forward Chris Kreider ranks second in high-danger goals (seven) behind Hyman and third among remaining players in high-danger shots on goal (18) behind Hyman and Reinhart.

-- Vincent Trocheck ranks third in high-danger goals (six) behind Hyman and Kreider and is tied for sixth among remaining skaters in high-danger shots on goal (14).

 

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https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1793342312740782116

 

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Let's look back at the best moments of the Second Round.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1793357410519666907

 

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https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1793473528349528074

 

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https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1793760655654191528