NHL NEWS FEBRUARY 8, 2023 – McDAVID EXTENDS STREAKS AS OILERS CLIMB CROWDED PACIFIC DIVISION
League scoring leader Connor McDavid (41-52—93 in 51 GP) had an assist to extend his overall and road point streak to 13 and 15 games, respectively, as Edmonton improved to 8-0-1 in its last nine contests dating to Jan. 11 by defeating the Detroit Red Wings 5-2 at Little Caesars Arena. The Oilers (29-18-4, 62 points) kept pace with the Golden Knights (30-18-4, 64 points), who grabbed top spot in the Pacific Division via a victory Tuesday, and now trail the second-place Kraken (29-16-5, 63 points) and third-ranked Kings (28-18-7, 63 points) by just one point.
HORVAT, SOROKIN HELP ISLANDERS BEST KRAKEN AT UBS ARENA
Bo Horvat scored his first goal as a member of the Islanders and Ilya Sorokin turned aside all 32 shots he faced to help New York (27-22-5, 59 points) keep pace with Pittsburgh (25-16-9, 59 points), which also won Tuesday courtesy of Kris Letang’s overtime tally, in the race for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
- Horvat, who was traded to the Islanders by the Canucks on Jan. 30, scored his career-high 32nd goal of the season – eclipsing his previous best of 31 he set in 2021-22 – as the crowd at UBS Arena chanted his name.
- Sorokin recorded his 15th career shutout and moved past Tommy Salo (14) for sole possession of fourth place on the Islanders’ all-time list, behind only Glenn Resch (25), Billy Smith (22) and Rick DiPietro (16).
MEIER, POINT REACH 30-GOAL MARK
Sharks forward Timo Meier (30-21—51 in 52 GP) and Lightning forward Brayden Point (31-26—57 in 50 GP) reached the 30-goal mark as San Jose snapped Tampa Bay’s franchise-record home winning streak at 12 contests.
WEDNESDAY FEATURES NATIONAL BROADCASTS IN BOTH CANADA AND THE U.S.
Wednesday opens with a clash between the Canucks (20-26-4, 44 points) and Rangers (28-14-8, 64 points) on Sportsnet as well as TVA Sports and closes with the Stars (29-13-10, 68 points) squaring off against the Wild (27-18-4, 58 points) in the first NHL on TNT game since the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS ANNOUNCE RETURN OF OUTDOOR PRACTICE
The Toronto Maple Leafs will host their annual Outdoor Practice presented by Sport Chek at Nathan Phillips Square this weekend. This fan-favourite tradition returns after three years and will accompany a packed schedule of events over the course of Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12 that are free to attend. Due to limited capacity, fans are encouraged to arrive early.
Fans can watch the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association (PWHPA) skills competition featuring US and Canadian Olympians, Carlton’s Party in the Square where great Canadian mascots face off on the ice and more during the weekend. Activations, food and beverage stations, merchandise and autograph signings will also be open for fans to enjoy.
The Outdoor Practice will close out the weekend taking place at 12 p.m. on Sunday.