Four-plus potential series-clinching games were played on the same date for the fourth straight postseason, but only the Avalanche managed to stave off elimination and force a Game 7 after Nathan MacKinnon and Co. outlasted Mikko Rantanen and the Stars in a high-scoring affair.
* The Maple Leafs withstood a Senators multi-goal rally to improve to 5-0 in the “Battle of Ontario” in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Toronto will now clash with Florida in the Second Round.
* The Golden Knights and Oilers each skated to Game 6 victories as the pair of Pacific Division clubs locked in a head-to-head matchup in the Second Round – the second all-time postseason meeting (also 2023 R2).
* The Stanley Cup Playoffs featured 18 go-ahead goals and game-tying goals combined during the Thursday slate – the most on one night in the postseason since April 28, 2023. The last night in the playoffs with more was May 24, 2021.
* The Avalanche (7) and Oilers (6) extended the NHL’s streak of consecutive days in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with at least one team scoring five or more goals to 13 days – tied for the longest stretch in a single postseason in League history (also 13 straight from April 4-16, 1990).
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MacKINNON, AVALANCHE OUTLAST RANTanen, hintz TO FORCE GAME 7
Ball Arena in Colorado was treated to seven go-ahead and game-tying goals combined as former Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen (1-3—4) and current teammate Roope Hintz (2-2—4) spearheaded a four-goal, second-period Stars surge, but Nathan MacKinnon (1-2—3) factored on three of four unanswered Colorado tallies in the final frame to help the hosts skate to a seven-goal outburst and force the first Game 7 of the 2025 First Round.
* Click here for everything you need to know about Game 7 between the Avalanche and Stars. Colorado and Dallas became the seventh set of teams in NHL history with at least four Game 7 showdowns.
* Colorado’s seven goals to force a Game 7 marked their highest total in that scenario in franchise history. Since 1995, only one team has scored more goals to force a Game 7: St. Louis (8 at VAN in Game 6 of 1995 CQF).
* MacKinnon tied the Avalanche/Nordiques mark for points in a playoff period and became the first Avalanche forward to post three points in a potential elimination game since Andre Burakovsky (2-1—3 in Game 5 of 2020 R2).
* Rantanen and Hintz tied the NHL record for points in a playoff period – a feat only three other active skaters have achieved. The Stars duo also became the first pair of teammates in NHL history to each record four points in the same postseason period.
* WATCH HERE for full highlights from Stars–Avalanche Game 6.
PACIORETTY SCORES LATE TO SEND MAPLE LEAFS TO SECOND ROUND
David Perron helped the Senators erase a two-goal deficit with 7:20 remaining in regulation, but Max Pacioretty responded just 1:41 later to help the Maple Leafs claim the “Battle of Ontario” in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth time in as many meetings. After combining for seven points in Game 1, William Nylander (2-1—3), Auston Matthews (1-0—1) and Mitch Marner (0-1—1) each found the score sheet in the clinching contest to queue up a Second Round meeting with the Panthers for the second time in three years.
* WATCH HERE for full highlights from Maple Leafs–Senators Game 6.
* Pacioretty, who tied Artturi Lehkonen for the most series-clinching goals among all active players (4), recorded the second-latest series-clinching tally by a Maple Leafs skater in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68), following Sergei Berezin (59:00 in Game 6 of the 1999 CQF).
* Nylander became the first Maple Leafs player with three points in a series-clinching game since Wendel Clark in Game 7 of the 1994 Conference Semifinals (2-1—3). Nylander has 4-10—14 in 15 career potential series-clinching contests – only two players have more points in that scenario with Toronto: Clark (12-5—17 in 15 GP) and Darryl Sittler (4-11—15 in 9 GP).
* Did You Know? Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Steven Lorentz and Anthony Stolarz won the Stanley Cup with the 2024 Panthers. The only playoff series in NHL history where three players dressed against a team that they captured a Cup with during the previous season was when Kings teammates Wayne Gretzky, Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley skated seven contests versus the reigning-champion Oilers in the 1989 Division Semifinals. Gretzky, Krushelnyski and McSorley were dealt to Los Angeles by Edmonton in the “Trade of the Century” on Aug. 9, 1988.
OILERS, GOLDEN KNIGHTS OUST OPPONENTS, READY TO CLASH IN SECOND ROUND
The Oilers and Golden Knights each skated to Game 6 victories to close out their First Round series and set up their second meeting in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, following the 2023 Second Round – which saw Vegas skate to a six-game triumph en route to the franchise’s first championship.
* Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel were selected with the top two picks during the 2015 NHL Draft and will go head-to-head for a spot in the Conference Finals on the line once again. McDavid (5-5—10 in 6 GP) and Eichel (3-6—9 in 6 GP) ranked first and second, respectively, in points during the 2023 Second Round.
* The contest began with the Kings and Oilers trading two goals apiece within the opening 5:55 of play as the two clubs produced the third-fastest four goals to open a potential clinching game in NHL history. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored the second of two tying tallies for Edmonton during that span as the Oilers became the first team in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to score two game-tying goals in the opening six minutes of a playoff game.
* The Oilers, who won a best-of-seven series after dropping the first two games for the second time in franchise history (also 2006 CSF vs. SJS), became the second team in NHL history to record four straight comeback wins after trailing 2-0 in a best-of-seven series (also: VGK in 2021 R2 vs. COL).
* WATCH HERE for full highlights from Oilers-Kings Game 6.
* Key contributors to their Stanley Cup championship run in 2023, Jack Eichel (1-1—2) and Mark Stone (1-1—2), rose to the occasion for the Golden Knights in Game 6 and helped the club advance to the Second Round for the fifth time. Vegas owns 12 best-of-seven series wins in club history, which are tied with Edmonton (12 from 1980-87) for the most by an NHL franchise through their first eight seasons.
* Eichel boosted his career playoff totals to 9-29—38 (35 GP). He owns the fourth-most postseason points by a U.S.-born player through his first 35 career playoff games behind Brian Leetch (13-31—44), Kevin Stevens (20-23—43) and Jake Guentzel (23-19—42).
* WATCH HERE for full highlights from Golden Knights–Wild Game 6.
Fleury officially retires after storied 21-season career
Marc-Andre Fleury dressed the final game of his decorated career and was congratulated by current and former teammates as well as on-ice officials Devin Berg, Gord Dwyer, Pierre Lambert and Bevan Mills before exiting the ice for the last time at Xcel Energy Center.
* Fleury appeared in his 18th postseason when he relieved Filip Gustavsson at the start of the third period in Game 5 to pass Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy (both w/ 17) for the most years in the playoffs by a goaltender in NHL history. Fleury retired trailing only Brodeur on the League’s all-time lists for most wins and games played.
BLUES LOOK TO KEEP SEASON ALIVE AGAINST JETS IN FRIDAY’S ONLY GAME
The Stanley Cup Playoffs spotlight shifts to Enterprise Center for another Game 6 as the Blues and Jets battle on TNT, Max, Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Friday’s lone game. St. Louis will look to continue the trend of the home team being undefeated this series and force the second Game 7 of the opening round, while Winnipeg eyes its first series victory since 2021.
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* St. Louis has trailed 3-2 in a best-of-seven series 26 prior times but have won Game 6 in that scenario 10 times, last doing so in the 2019 Second Round against Dallas – a series they would go on to win. Leading the way for the Blues thus far has been Cam Fowler (1-8—9), who paces all skaters in scoring this series. Fowler can become the fifth different defenseman in the past 25 years to reach the 10-point mark in a postseason within six games; he would join Cale Makar (4 GP in 2022 & 6 GP in 2024), Evan Bouchard (6 GP in 2024 & 2023), Brent Burns (6 GP in 2016) and Sergei Zubov (6 GP in 2003).
* Kyle Connor is coming off his second three-point performance of the series and enters Game 6 with 4-4—8 this postseason. Another goal would tie him with Paul Stastny (5 in 2018 R2) for the second most in a single series by a Jets/Thrashers player behind Mark Scheifele (7 in 2018 R2), whose services the Jets will be without tonight. Winnipeg can improve to 4-1 in potential series-clinching games and will look to Connor to help them – he has 1-4—5 in four career potential closeout games, including 1-1—2 during its last such contest in Game 4 of the 2021 First Round.
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