Carried once again by Erik Karlsson on the blue line and Craig Anderson in net, the Ottawa Senators avoided a do-or-die Game 7 by taking down the New York Rangers 4-2 at Madison Square Garden to clinch their third Eastern Conference finals appearance in franchise history, and first since 2007.
That leaves two Game 7s on the docket Wednesday night, both of which ought to feature plenty of drama.
There's been no shortage of star power in the East semifinal series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, with Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. But Washington's Justin Williams has a knack for coming up big in Game 7s, while Pittsburgh's Jake Guentzel leads all playoff scorers with nine goals.
For the Edmonton Oilers, stars have been born in 2015 No. 1 draft pick Connor McDavid and burgeoning forward Leon Draisaitl, who some are already dubbing the "German Gretzky." The 21-year-old Draisaitl is coming off a monster five-point effort in the Oilers' 7-1 blowout of the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6.
Meanwhile in Anaheim, mainstays Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf have been a nuisance for Oilers netminder Cam Talbot. But how much of a concern is the Ducks' own presence between the pipes? John Gibson has been pulled twice this series for Jonathan Bernier, including Sunday's Game 6 rout in which he got chased in the first period after allowing three goals.
Who will emerge from these winner-take-all matchups to join the Senators and Nashville Predators in the final four of the Stanley Cup playoffs? Which netminder do you trust the most? Who will be the biggest star of the night? Vote now:
After a record 18 games went to overtime in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, this round has seen five so far, including two double-OT affairs.
-- Brendan C. Hall