Stanley Cup Qualifiers Round-Robin Preview

The Colorado Avalanche faces the St. Louis Blues (Aug. 2), Dallas Stars (Aug. 5) and Vegas Golden Knights (Aug. 8) in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, with the clubs playing in a round-robin format to determine the top four seeds in the Western Conference playoffs.

Here are notes and stats previewing the teams, courtesy of NHL Stats and Information.

ROUND ROBIN NOTES
* The Stanley Cup Final has featured a team participating in the 2020 Western Conference round robin in each of the past two years: Vegas (2018) and St. Louis (2019).

* Since the divisions were realigned for the 2013-14 season, the Blues (2014-15 & 2019-20), Stars (2016-17) and Avalanche (2013-14) have captured four of seven Central Division crowns. The Golden Knights (2017-18 & 2019-20) have finished atop the Pacific Division in two of their three seasons.

* At least one player from any of these round robin clubs has placed among the top 10 in NHL scoring in each of the last seven seasons, including 2014-15 when Jamie Benn (DAL) won the Art Ross Trophy to finish ahead of Tyler Seguin (7th, DAL) and Vladimir Tarasenko (10th, STL). Nathan MacKinnon (COL) has been the only representative from any of the four clubs in each of the past three seasons (2017-18: 5th, 2018-19: 7th, 2019-20: 5th); Vegas has yet to have a player finish among the top 10.

* These teams have four Stanley Cup-winning goaltenders who have combined for six titles overall and five in the past four seasons: Vegas' Marc-Andre Fleury (2009 PIT, 2016 PIT & 2017 PIT), St. Louis teammates Jordan Binnington (2019 STL) and Jake Allen (2019 STL), and Colorado's Philipp Grubauer (2018 WSH). Dallas' Ben Bishop reached the Final with Tampa Bay in 2015, playing five games in a 4-2 defeat.

#NHLSTATS: COLORADO AVALANCHE
* Colorado will return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a third consecutive year, the longest streak for the franchise since making 11 straight berths from 1995 to 2006. The only other time the club reached the playoffs in three or more consecutive years was a seven-season run from 1981 to 1987 as the Nordiques.

* The franchise last won a neutral-site game on Feb. 20, 1993 at Halifax Metro Centre in Halifax, N.S. - where Nathan MacKinnon played his junior hockey - when the franchise was known as the Quebec Nordiques. Colorado general manager Joe Sakic had 1-1-2 for Quebec that night.

*MacKinnon, born in Halifax about two-and-a-half years after that Nordiques win, ranked fifth in the NHL with 93 points in 2019-20. He has 11-18-29 in 25 career postseason games, including 2-8-10 in seven contests as an 18-year-old in 2014. His 29 career playoff points are the ninth-most in franchise history by a player age 24 or younger.

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* MacKinnon (1.16 P/GP) owns the highest points-per-game rate in the playoffs by an Avalanche player since the club relocated in 1995-96; Mikko Rantanen (1.00 P/GP) ranks fifth on that list while Gabriel Landeskog (0.76 P/GP) sits just outside of the top 10.

* Rantanen led all players with 5-4-9 in five games during the 2019 First Round, helping Colorado upset top-seeded Calgary for its first series win since 2008. His 1.80 points per game was the highest by an Avalanche player in a Stanley Cup Playoffs series since the 1999 Conference Quarterfinals, when Sakic (3-9-12 in 6 GP; 2.00 P/GP) andTheo Fleury (3-8-11 in 6 GP; 1.83 P/GP) each achieved the feat.

* Cale Makarmade hisNHL debut in Game 3 of the 2019 First Round,

. He then played his first regular-season games in 2019-20, establishing single-season franchise records for goals (12), assists (38) and points (50) by a rookie defenseman; he also

topped all NHL rookies with 0.88 points-per-game

.

* Colorado's roster features three Stanley Cup winners, all of whom have won in the past three years: Ian Cole (2016 PIT & 2017 PIT), Andre Burakovsky (2018 WSH) and Philipp Grubauer (2018 WSH).

#NHLSTATS: ST. LOUIS BLUES
* St. Louis, which capped an

historic in-season turnaround

with its first Stanley Cup in 2019, will look to defend its championship. Twenty of the 23 players who won the Cup with the Blues remain with the team; Joel Edmundson (CAR), Robby Fabbri (DET) and Pat Maroon(TBL) are the exceptions.

* St. Louis eyes consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in franchise history after previously doing so in each of its first three seasons from 1968 to 1970 (as part of the NHL's all-expansion West Division).

* St. Louis became the first defending Stanley Cup champion to conclude the ensuing regular season atop its conference since New Jersey in 2000-01.

* The Blues have won six consecutive neutral-site games dating to Feb. 8, 1993 when they

defeated the Hartford Whalers at Carver Arena in Peoria, Ill

. Their last loss was versus the Islanders

at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas on Dec. 15, 1992

, which later served as the Stars' first home in Texas.

* Ryan O'Reilly capped his first season in St. Louis by winning the Conn Smythe Trophy, pacing the Blues and sharing the NHL lead with 23 points during the playoffs (8-15-23 in 26 GP) and nine points in the Final (5-4-9 in 7 GP). Only four players in the last 40 years have collected more points in the Stanley Cup Final than O'Reilly.

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* Vladimir Tarasenkohas 33 career goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (33-16-49 in 70 GP), including the only

penalty-shot goal by a Blues player in the postseason

. He needs three goals to pass Bernie Federko (35-66-101 in 91 GP) for sole possession of

second place on the franchise's all-time list

.

* Jaden Schwartz led the Blues with 12 goals during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs (12-8-20 in 26 GP). He has 22-28-50 in 75 career playoff games to

rank sixth in franchise history

, just ahead of Tarasenko.

\*Jordan Binningtonwent 16-10 through 26 appearances during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs (2.46 GAA, .914 SV%, 1 SO) and established an NHL record for

most wins by a rookie goaltender in a single postseason

. He needs two postseason wins to pass Greg Millen (17-17) and Mike Liut(17-20) for the most in franchise history.

* Alex Pietrangelo ranks among the top five in franchise playoff history for

,

and

by a defensemen. His 83 career postseason games are tied with David Perron for the third-most among current Blues, behind Troy Brouwer (102 GP) and Alexander Steen (87 GP).

* Perron appeared in both the 2018 (w/ VGK) and 2019 Stanley Cup Final. A third showing in 2020 would make him the third player since the mid-1980s to dress at least one Final game in three or more consecutive seasons; he would join Marian Hossa (2008-2010) and Marc-Andre Fleury(2016-2018).

#NHLSTATS: VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
* Vegas is the fourth team in NHL history to make the playoffs in each of its first three seasons, with each team doing so under different rules and circumstances. The Golden Knights and Oilers are the only teams to do so upon entering the NHL after the 1967-68 expansion.

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* The Golden Knights have more

series wins

than two active franchises (3), posting each of their series-clinching victories on the road. They are one of six NHL franchises to earn each of its first three such wins as visitors, following Calgary/Atlanta (6), Pittsburgh (4), NY Islanders (3), San Jose (3) and Minnesota (3).

* Vegas has sat in a top three position in their division for 424 of 559 total days (76%) as an NHL franchise. Only one team to debut in the League's expansion era (since 1967-68) holds a higher percentage of time in a top three position in their division through their first three NHL campaigns: Nashville (81%, 460 of 571).

* Thirteen Golden Knights players who helped the

club reach the 2018 Final

remain with the team: William Carrier,Derek Engelland, Marc-Andre Fleury, William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, Brayden McNabb, Jon Merrill, Tomas Nosek, Ryan Reaves, Nate Schmidt, Reilly Smith, Shea Theodore and Alex Tuch.

* Smith is the club's leading scorer in the playoffs with 28 points in 27 games,

one of nine skaters

to appear in every Golden Knights postseason game.

* Fleury is the only goaltender to guard the Golden Knights' net during the playoffs, playing the entirety of their 27 all-time postseason games. Fleury is expected to

play in the playoffs for a 14th consecutive year

, a feat achieved by only one goaltender in NHL history (Tony Esposito).

* Fleury is one of two goaltenders in NHL history to start each of a franchise's first 27 playoff games - Clint Benedict started each of the first 29 playoff games for the original Ottawa Senators from 1919 to 1924.

* Fleury is the League's active leader in playoff victories (78) and need two victories to become the

seventh goaltender in NHL history

to record at least 80 postseason wins.

* Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty, two of three players to have

four-plus points in a playoff game for the Golden Knights

, are set to begin their second postseason stint with the Golden Knights after they collected 6-6-12 (7 GP) and 5-6-11 (7 GP) during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, respectively. Vegas is one of 21 current NHL franchises to have had at least one player record a five-point game in the postseason.

#NHLSTATS: DALLAS STARS
* Dallas will return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time in as many seasons after falling to the Blues in double-overtime of Game 7 in the 2019 Second Round. The club has secured consecutive playoff berths for the first time since a stretch of five straight appearances from 2003 to 2008.

* The Stars (1999 & 2000) are one of four teams to appear in the Stanley Cup Final in consecutive seasons over the past 30 years. The others: Penguins (1991 & 1992; 2008 & 2009; 2016 & 2017), Red Wings (1997 & 1998; 2008 & 2009) and Devils (2000 & 2001).

* Overall, the franchise has reached the Final on four occasions - twice as the Minnesota North Stars (1981 & 1991) and twice since relocating to Dallas in 1993-94.

* Dallas has won each of its last two neutral site games, including the 2020 Bridgestone Winter Classic at Cotton Bowl Stadium on

Jan. 1

. The Stars rallied from an early 2-0 deficit with four consecutive goals - including three in the final frame - to win in their outdoor game debut.

* Ben Bishop has five shutouts in

49 career playoff games

. He has four series-clinching shutouts, tied with round-robin counterpart Marc-Andre Fleury for the second-most in NHL history behind Chris Osgood (5) and Clint Benedict (5). Of note: Benedict had six shutouts in games in which his team could advance, with four coming in total-goals series including one instance of a tie when his team lost the series.

* Jamie Bennhas had at least 10 points in each of his last two playoff appearances (5-10-15 in 2016 and 2-8-10 in 2019) and has collected 11-19-30 in 32 career playoff games. He ranks fifth in franchise history with 0.94

points-per-game during the playoffs

(min. 30 GP).

* John Klingberghad 2-7-9 in 13 games during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with both goals standing as game-winners - the first of which was a

series-clinching goal in overtime

. He and Lou Nanne (2) are the only defensemen in franchise history with multiple

career game-winning goals during the playoffs

. Only two active defensemen have multiple

career overtime goals in the postseason

.

* Joe Pavelski(48-52-100 in 134 career playoff games) completed his first regular season with the Stars after making 12 trips to the playoffs with the Sharks. Pavelski ranks fifth in NHL history for career playoff goals among U.S.-born players, behind Joe Mullen (60), Mike Modano (58), Jeremy Roenick (53) and Patrick Kane (50).

* A seventh-round pick by San Jose in 2003 (No. 205), Pavelski is one of only four players drafted in the seventh round or later to collect at least 100 playoff points.

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* Pavelski (1,030 GP) and teammate Andrew Cogliano (1,012 GP) are two of 12 active NHL players with 1,000 or more career regular-season games in search of his first Stanley Cup. The others: Patrick Marleau (1,723 GP), Joe Thornton (1,636 GP), Dan Hamhuis (1,148 GP), Ryan Suter (1,142), Jason Spezza (1,123 GP), Brent Burns (1,113 GP), Marc-Edouard Vlasic(1,035 GP), Mikko Koivu (1,028 GP), Zach Parise (1,015 GP) and Ryan Kesler (1,001 GP).

* Corey Perry (2007 w/ ANA) and Tyler Seguin (2011 w/ BOS) are the only Stanley Cup winners on Dallas' roster.