5 things to know about NHL playoffs as final 4 teams prepare for Game 5s

The Edmonton Oilers beat the Dallas Stars 5-2 on Wednesday night to tie the best-of-seven Western Conference final at two games apiece.

Connor McDavid had three assists for the hometown Oilers, who will return to Dallas for Game 5 on Friday night.

Comebacks

The Stars jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in Game 4 before the Oilers scored five unanswered goals.

Five different Edmonton players found the back of the net as the series became a best-of-three set.

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It’s the second conference final or NHL semifinal in league history to feature consecutive multi-goal comeback wins.

The other was the 1992 conference final between Edmonton and Chicago.

West timing

Start times have been set for the rest of the Western Conference final.

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Puck drop for Game 5 will be 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday in Dallas.

Game 6 will begin at 8 p.m. (ET) on Sunday in Edmonton.

If a deciding seventh game is required, it will start at 8:30 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday in Dallas.

Best of three

The Eastern Conference final resumes with Game 5 on Thursday night in New York.

The Florida Panthers are riding high after a 3-2 overtime win at home on Tuesday to tie the series at two games apiece.

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When a best-of-seven series is even after four games, the Game 5 winner goes on to win the series 79 per cent of the time.

Extra extra

Overtime has been required to settle the last three games in the Eastern Conference final.

It’s the third time in NHL history that OT was needed in back-to-back-to-back games during the round before the Stanley Cup final.

The others were a conference final between Colorado and St. Louis in 2001 and the 1933 semifinals between Boston and Toronto.

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Lady Byng

The NHL will name the winner of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy on Thursday.

Toronto’s Auston Matthews and Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson are up for the honour with Carolina’s Jaccob Slavin.

The trophy is awarded to the player judged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.

Los Angeles Kings forward Anze Kopitar won the award last year.

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