Leon Draisaitl scored his first career playoff overtime goal to cap a four-point night in what was a thrilling multi-goal, third-period comeback win for the Oilers – who evened their series at 2-2.
* Jake Neighbours helped St. Louis score five goals for a second straight game and pull even in its First Round matchup after facing a 2-0 series deficit.
* Andrei Svechnikov scored a hat trick as the Hurricanes took a 3-1 series lead before the Capitals also did so Sunday. AstraZeneca has updated its donation amount for every hat trick in the postseason and will donate $23,000 for every hat trick during the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Hockey Fights Cancer Fund of the V Foundation with a donation goal of up to $300,000. Svechnikov’s three-goal game brought the total to $277,000, meaning that only one more hat trick is required to meet the goal.
* To drive fundraising efforts during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL and NHLPA are hosting a Hockey Fights Cancer Mystery Puck raffle in partnership with the V Foundation. This mystery puck raffle will give all fans the chance to win a puck signed by their favorite NHL players. In order to be entered in to the raffle, fans must make at least a $50 donation to the V Foundation.
* Monday’s two-game slate features the Avalanche and Stars seeking a 3-2 series lead as well as the Lightning looking to log another road victory and pull even in their “Battle of Florida” matchup.
LATE-GAME HEROICS BY BOUCHARD, DRAISAITL HELP OILERS EVEN SERIES
The Kings entered the third period of Game 4 up 3-1 and were poised to go up 3-1 in their series, but the Oilers had other plans as Evan Bouchard scored twice – including the tying tally with 29 seconds left in regulation – to level the contest before Leon Draisaitl (1-3—4) delivered his first career playoff overtime goal. Edmonton earned its ninth multi-goal third-period comeback win in franchise playoff history and first since Game 6 of the 2006 Conference Quarterfinals.
* Draisaitl recorded his eighth career four-point playoff game and tied Mario Lemieux for the fifth most in NHL history, behind Wayne Gretzky (26), Jari Kurri (11), Mark Messier (11) and Paul Coffey (9). Draisaitl became the second Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner to score his first career playoff overtime goal this postseason, following Alex Ovechkin in the Capitals’ series opener last week.
* Bouchard’s second goal of the game came at 59:31, which marked the second-latest game-tying goal in franchise playoff history behind Rem Murray (59:53 in Game 3 of 2001 CQF). Bouchard had the latest in a postseason victory for the Oilers.
BLUES HIT HIGH NOTE AND EVEN SERIES WITH FIVE-GOAL SHOWING
The Blues had five different goal scorers for the second time in as many games, led by Jake Neighbours (1-2—3), and evened their First Round series against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Jets. St. Louis, with 13 consecutive wins at Enterprise Center dating to the regular season, tied a best-of-seven series 2-2 after losing the first two games for the fifth time (also 2020 R1, 1999 CSF, 1996 CSF & 1972 QF); the franchise went on to win one of those previous series, defeating Minnesota in Game 7 of the 1972 Quarterfinals.
* St. Louis has scored 12 goals through its first two home playoff games for the second time in franchise history (also 14 in 1982). The only clubs with more in the past 25 years are Pittsburgh (14 in 2022) and San Jose (13 in 2014).
* Neighbours was one of two players to score their first career playoff goal for the Blues in Game 4 (also Tyler Tucker). It was the franchise’s first postseason game in which multiple players each netted their first-ever playoff goal since Game 1 of the 2014 First Round (Vladimir Tarasenko, Adam Cracknell & Jaden Schwartz).
* Cam Fowler (0-1—1) continued his offensive prowess throughout the series, boosted his totals to 1-7—8 (4 GP) and became the fourth defenseman in franchise history with at least eight points in a single series. He also joined Cale Makar (10 in 2022 & 8 in 2024), Paul Martin (8 in 2014) and Al MacInnis (8 in 1999) as the fourth blueliner in the past 30 years to record at least eight points through a team’s first four games of a postseason.
Hurricanes, Capitals clip Devils, Canadiens to take 3-1 series lead
Andrei Svechnikov scored a hat trick and Andrew Mangiapane had a late go-ahead goal as the Hurricanes and Capitals took a 3-1 lead in their First Round series:
* Svechnikov scored his second career playoff hat trick (also Game 2 of 2020 SCQ) and Sebastian Aho (0-2—2) recorded a multi-point game as the Hurricanes defeated the Devils. Carolina is now one win away from becoming the fifth team in NHL history to win a playoff round in seven consecutive seasons, following Montreal (2x: 10 from 1984-93 & 1951-60), Philadelphia (9 from 1973-81) and NY Islanders (7 from 1979-85).
* Svechnikov boosted his career playoff totals to 19-22—41 (55 GP), surpassing Teuvo Teravainen (19-20—39 in 65 GP), Ron Francis (14-25—39 in 62 GP) and Rod Brind’Amour (18-20—38 in 72 GP) for the third-most playoff points in Hurricanes/Whalers history. He also leapfrogged Brind’Amour and Kevin Dineen (17-14—31 in 31 GP) to move into a tie with Teravainen and Eric Staal (19-24—43 in 43 GP) for the second-most playoff goals in franchise history.
* Mangiapane scored the go-ahead goal with 3:37 remaining in regulation as the Capitals rallied from a 2-1 third-period deficit to defeat the Canadiens. Mangiapane and Brandon Duhaime (2-0—2) accounted for three of Washington’s five goals Sunday – they were two of several players acquired by the team this past offseason, with the moves receiving a thumbs up of approval from Alex Ovechkin.
QUICK CLICKS
* Jake Sanderson shows he’s among top defensemen by lifting Senators into Game 5
* Lightning pumped to get Brandon Hagel back for Game 4 of Eastern 1st Round
* Esa Lindell ‘one of those invaluable guys’ for Stars
* Wild ‘love where we’re at’ heading back to Vegas for Game 5
* Avalanche seeking ‘same mentality’ in Game 5 after tying West 1st Round
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS CONTINUE WITH TWO-GAME MONDAY
A two-game Monday in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs gets a week of postseason action underway as the Avalanche and Stars each look to move within one win of the Second Round, while the Lightning eye another road win as the visitors have won each of the first three games of the Battle of Florida.
* When a best-of-seven is tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 holds an all-time series record of 233-62 (.790), including a 123-30 mark in the opening round of any postseason.
* The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs can be the third straight postseason to feature the road team win each of the first four games of a series (2024 R1: DAL vs. VGK & 2023 R1: NJD vs. NYR). This could be the third time the Lightning find themselves in that scenario (2018 CF vs. WSH & 2003 CQF vs. WSH) and the first for the Panthers.
* Nikita Kucherov is fresh off a 0-3—3 performance in Game 3 as the Lightning look to even a best-of-seven series 2-2 after losing the first two games for the fourth time (2022 CF, 2018 CF & 2003 CQF). Kucherov has collected 6-30—36 in career playoff games where his team is trailing in a best-of-seven series – Connor McDavid (21-38—59 in 37 GP) is the only active player more assists in that scenario.
* Captain Gabriel Landeskog was crucial for the Avalanche in Game 4 (1-1—2) – who have scored first in every game to start the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs – and guaranteed the two franchises will require at least six games to determine a winner for the fifth time in seven all-time postseason series (third straight). Landeskog (28-41—69 in 71 GP; 0.97 P/GP) sits one playoff point shy of 70 in his career and owns the third highest career point-per-game average in the Stanley Cup Playoffs by a Swedish-born player in NHL history (min. 30 GP) behind Peter Forsberg (1.13 P/GP) and Thomas Gradin (1.00 P/GP).
