After tying their Eastern Conference Final series with the New York Rangers 2-2, the Florida Panthers will try to steal a victory on the road at Madison Square Garden in Game 5. Before the contest takes place, here are some stats, facts, and notes for the postseason overall and this game in particular.
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So far in these playoffs, there have been 86 game-tying goals in 77 contests. In the last 30 years, only the 2006 postseason (88) has featured more through that amount of games, while 2021 was the only other to match the total. In this series alone, there have already been six game-tying tallies.
Also, there have been 38 comeback victories in these playoffs. Only the 1991 and 1999 postseasons have ever had more through 77 contests, having 39 apiece. The last two games of the Panthers-Rangers series have contributed to this total.
In best-of-seven playoff series that have been tied 2-2 throughout history, the winner in Game 5 has ended up winning the series outright 231 out of 293 times (78.8 percent). In the round before the Stanley Cup Final, the rate is somewhat similar, with 50 of 65 winners in Game 5 taking the series (76.9 percent).
Getting to this series specifically, another overtime game between these clubs at any point would tie the most ever recorded in a Conference Final series — they are chasing four. This has only happened three times in NHL history, with the last being in 1968 between the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota North Stars.
With 33 playoff points in 58 games played at Madison Square Garden, Chris Kreider needs just one more point to pass Hockey Hall of Fame forwards Rod Gilbert and Mark Messier for the second-most recorded in said building. Brian Leetch holds the record with 45 points, doing so in just 41 contests.
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Looking at the Panthers, Matthew Tkachuk can become the seventh player born in the United States to record 20 points in back-to-back postseasons if he can notch just one more point the rest of the way. Only Jake Guentzel, Phil Kessel, Patrick Kane, Mike Modano, Kevin Stevens, and Craig Janney have done so — this is a pretty remarkable list.
Both Alexis Lafreniere of the Rangers and Sam Reinhart of the Panthers can reach three-game goal-scoring streaks in Game 5. There has been a scoring streak of that many games in at least one of the two Conference Final series every single season from 2004 to 2023, last done by Jonathan Marchessault of the Vegas Golden Knights. Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning had the longest streak, scoring in six consecutive Eastern Conference Final contests in 2021. Both of the teams previously mentioned went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Stats and facts courtesy of NHL PR