May 23 in Hockey

# May 23 in Hockey History

May 23 stands as a significant date in the NHL playoff calendar, marked by consistent postseason action and one standout individual performance that demonstrated offensive excellence during a critical series moment.

Playoff Dominance Across Multiple Years

The most striking pattern in May 23 NHL history is the frequency of playoff games scheduled on this date. From 2017 through 2025, the league has consistently featured first-round and second-round matchups on this calendar date, reflecting the typical timing of mid-to-late May postseason hockey.

The 2022 playoff slate exemplified this pattern. Tampa Bay's Lightning shutout performance against Florida—a 2-0 victory at Amalie Arena—showcased defensive excellence in a second-round contest. On the same date, the Colorado Avalanche dominated the St. Louis Blues with a 6-3 victory at Enterprise Center, demonstrating the offensive firepower that would characterize the Avalanche's deep 2022 playoff run.

Kadri's Offensive Explosion (2022)

The most notable individual performance on May 23 belongs to Nazem Kadri, who recorded a four-point night (3G, 1A) during the Blues-Avalanche series on May 23, 2022. Kadri's three-goal outburst represented the type of secondary scoring explosion that often determines playoff series outcomes. This performance occurred during Game 4 of the second-round matchup, underlining the importance of consistent depth scoring in postseason hockey.

Recent Seasons and Pattern Consistency

The 2021 playoff schedule demonstrated May 23's role as a pivotal playoff date, featuring four separate games across different series. The Avalanche's 5-2 victory over St. Louis marked another dominant performance for Colorado's emerging contender. Simultaneously, Nashville edged Carolina 4-3 at Bridgestone Arena in a closely contested matchup, while Boston defeated Washington 3-1, and Winnipeg fell to Edmonton 5-4 in overtime-adjacent circumstances.

This concentration of playoff action in 2021 reflected the compressed postseason schedule following the pandemic-shortened regular season, yet it demonstrated the NHL's reliance on May 23 as a standard playoff date.

Recent Oilers-Stars Matchup

The most recent May 23 playoff games featured the Edmonton Oilers against the Dallas Stars in 2024 and 2025. The Oilers secured a 3-2 victory in 2024 at American Airlines Center before repeating their success with a 3-0 shutout performance in 2025 at the same venue. These consecutive matchups underscore how specific playoff pairings can recur when teams occupy similar playoff seedings in consecutive seasons.

By the Numbers