Most productive player
For the second time in a row, Mikko Rantanen of Dallas dominated this section. He scored seven points (4+3) in six games, and one of his goals was a match-winner.
He started the series against Winnipeg the same way he ended the previous one against Colorado, with a hat-trick. What's more, he set a new playoff record by contributing to thirteen goals in a row, combined with the previous round.
Best goaltender
The best team in the Eastern Conference, Washington, were not able to keep up with Carolina, falling 4-1, and one of the main reasons was the form of goalie Frederik Andersen.
He only conceded six goals against Ovechkin and co. across five games, which is pretty good considering the Capitals finished second in goals scored in the regular season. The Danish goalie stopped 89 shots, kept one clean sheet and lowered his goals against average to 1.19.
Highlight of the round
Winnipeg's star Canadian forward Mark Scheifele wrote a story with a sad ending that transcended sports. First, in Game 5 of the series, he helped stave off elimination against Dallas with the winning goal and assist in a 4-0 win and captivated the crowd with a scuffle with opposing captain Jamie Benn, who sent him to the ice with one shot late in the game.
The real blow, however, came just before the start of Game 6, when Scheifele's father, Brad, passed away unexpectedly. The Jets' star still decided to jump on the ice and opened the scoring in the 26th minute. He also sat in the penalty box as the Stars decided the game in overtime and advanced to the conference finals.
"I can't even put into words what he must be going through," Winnipeg captain Adam Lowry told NHL.com, recalling the player's heartfelt postgame hug with goalie Connor Hellebuyck and the subsequent discussion with Stars players during the handshake.
"We were all shocked. He's unbelievably brave, I don't think I could have done that, he left his whole heart out there," said Sam Steel of the Texan side.
Further character was shown by Dallas fans, who joined together on the social networking site Reddit and made individual donations of $55 (Scheifele's number) to charities the player supports, reportedly reaching more than $30,000.
As for the Jets, they continue to be cursed. The Presidents' Trophy winners last won the Stanley Cup in 2013, and they continue to turn out miserable performances on opponents' ice. They lost all six matches away from home in the playoffs this season.
Stats of the round
The Florida Panthers continue to be one of the main contenders for the Stanley Cup, and their shooting diversity helps. In the opening 10 games of this year's playoffs, 17 players have scored a goal for the team; the last time that was done was by Los Angeles in 1993.
The only players who have appeared in the playoffs for the Panthers and not scored yet are Mackie Samoskevich, Tomas Nosek, Nico Sturm, Gustav Forsling and Evan Rodrigues.
Brad Marchand also stood out; the former Boston stalwart is the first man to win five winner-takes-all games against the same franchise. They're certainly not going to build a statue of him in Toronto, that's for sure.
Social media highlight
How frustrated can a hockey player get when things aren't going well? Well, Edmonton forward Trent Frederic showed us in the series against Vegas...
Photo of the round
The best team in the Eastern Conference couldn't get past Round 2 once again. The Washington Capitals and Alexander Ovechkin couldn't keep up with Carolina and lost 4-1 in the end.
An interesting statistic immediately appeared on the internet; in Ovechkin's twenty years, the team has only once managed to cross the threshold of the second round! That was back in 2018, when they won the Stanley Cup.
Ladislav Smid's take
"I was very pleased with how Edmonton handled the series with Vegas. I believed in their win, but I didn't expect them to beat the Golden Knights like that. The Oilers were faster, stronger and had an answer to everything. Ending in just five games also surprised me.
"Next comes Dallas, and that will be another big test. I believe the Oilers will keep their composure into the next round.
"On the other hand, I was disappointed with Game 7 between Toronto and Florida. I understand that losing 6-1 in a crucial game on your home ice is not nice, but to have jerseys thrown on the rink during the game, I don't like that at all.
"All the Leafs players are doing their best on the ice, I understand it's Toronto and there are high expectations, but I wouldn't let a fan who threw his club's jersey on the ice into the arena again.
"While Toronto didn't play a bad series at all, the Panthers' excellent roster and experience shone through. They just know how to win in seven games."
