Together with the doubleheader of Game 7s that will be played tonight (Toronto at Boston, 7 p.m., ET; Vegas at San Jose, 10 p.m., ET), the opening round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs features three Game 7s, marking the 14th time in NHL history - and first time since 2014 (3) - that at least three such contests will be played in the opening round.
The Capitals will play in their 12th Game 7 since the beginning of the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the most among all teams in that span, while the Hurricanes will be making their first appearance since winning Game 7s in consecutive series of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs en route to the Eastern Conference Final.
Both rosters feature players who appear among the all-time leaders of several Game 7 lists:
* Capitals forwards Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin are set to make their 12th career Game 7 appearances. The only players in NHL history who have appeared in more Game 7s are Patrick Roy (13), Scott Stevens (13) and Zdeno Chara (set to skate in his 13th tonight in Boston's game vs. Toronto).
* Capitals forward Carl Hagelin is 8-1 in nine career Game 7s. His eight victories are tied for the most in NHL history with Brad Richards (8-0), Ray Bourque (8-1) and Glenn Anderson (8-4).
* Hurricanes captain Justin Williams is the leading Game 7 scorer in NHL history (7-7--14 in 8 GP). Williams, in his second stint with the club, will be making his first Game 7 appearance for the Hurricanes in 13 years. During the club's Stanley Cup-winning run in 2006, Williams tallied a goal and two assists in a 4-2 win over Buffalo in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final and notched the insurance goal in the 3-1 win over Edmonton in the winner-take-all finale of the Stanley Cup Final.
\*More individual and team Game 7 statistics\*
