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Mark Scheifele - Winnipeg Jets - In Play! magazine
Mark Scheifele scored a hat trick during a 13-game Monday helping the Jets become the first team to reach the 50-point mark this season. File photo: Tim Jarrold - In Play! magazine
24
Dec

NHL RECAP DECEMBER 23, 2024 – SCHEIFELE, CONNOR HELP JETS BECOME FIRST TEAM TO 50 POINTS

Mark Scheifele (3-1—4) scored one of the NHL’s two hat tricks Monday and Kyle Connor (2-2—4) tallied a multi-goal game to both reach the 20-goal plateau and help the League-leading Jets (25-10-1, 51 points) become the first team to reach the 50-point mark this season. Winnipeg tied the fewest games the club has needed to reach the plateau (also 36 GP in 2023-24 & 2018-19).

  • Scheifele, who tallied his 10th career three-goal game, became the fifth player in Jets/Thrashers history with three goals in a period and first since Sean Monahan (P1 on Feb. 19, 2024). With every hat trick this season, AstraZeneca will donate $3,000 to the Hockey Fights Cancer Fund of the V Foundation up to $300,000.
  • Scheifele and Connor secured their 10th and eighth consecutive 20-goal campaign, respectively. Scheifele’s run is the longest in Jets/Thrashers history, while Connor joined a short list of U.S.-born players in NHL history with a streak of at least that length.

CROSBY MATCHES LEMIEUX ON ALL-TIME ASSISTS LISTS

Sidney Crosby (1-3—4) collected all three of his assists in the first period to tie Pittsburgh legend and former teammate Mario Lemieux (1,033) for the most in franchise history – and 12th most in NHL history – as the Penguins (16-15-5, 37 points) soared to victory against their state-rival Flyers and moved closer to a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

  • Crosby climbed up several other all-time lists as well: he tied Phil Esposito and Mark Messier (both w/ 183) for the fifth-most three-point games in NHL history; passed Joe Sakic (572) and tied Marcel Dionne (575) for the 10th most home assists in NHL history; passed Esposito (896) and Steve Yzerman (898) for the ninth most home points in League history.

4 NATIONS FACE-OFF PLAYERS SHINE AHEAD OF THE HOLIDAY BREAK

As the NHL gets ready for its three-day holiday break, several players set to represent their country at the 4 Nations Face-Off put up impactful multi-point performances to gift their teams wins Monday.

  • Jack Hughes (2-1—3) led the Devils with his 35th career three-point game – the fourth most by an American player age 23 or younger behind Jeremy Roenick (49), Jimmy Carson (43) and Mike Modano (41) – while his teammate and 4 Nations Face-Off opponent Jacob Markstrom recorded his second straight shutout. Markstrom, who became the franchise’s first goaltender to post a shutout in consecutive games since Mackenzie Blackwood in 2019-20, posted his 23rd career shutout to pass Johan Hedberg (22) for the third most by Swedish goaltender in NHL history. He now trails only Henrik Lundqvist (64) and Tommy Salo (37).
  • Rasmus Dahlin (0-4—4) potted a career-high four assists in a game and matched the Sabres franchise record for most in a single contest by a defenseman as Buffalo scored a season-high seven goals in their win. Dahlin also became the fifth blueliner in franchise history with multiple four-point games (also 2-3—5 on Jan. 7, 2023), joining Phil Housley (6), Jerry Korab (4), Mike Ramsey (3) and John Van Boxmeer (3).
  • Zach Werenski (0-3—3) gifted his teammates with three assists for the second time this season to move into third in points among defensemen and help the Blue Jackets secure a come-from-behind victory in the third period. Werenski extended his home point streak to a franchise-record 11 games and became the first defenseman in franchise history to produce a point-per-game pace through his first 35 games of a season.
  • Brad Marchand (1-2—3), who extended the NHL’s longest active point streak to 10 games (7-6—13 since Dec. 3), factored on all his team’s three consecutive third-period goals and became the oldest player in franchise history to register a double-digit point streak – ahead of a 35-year-old Johnny Bucyk (13 & 12 GP in 1970-71). The Bruins (19-13-4, 42 points) also improved to 4-0-1 in their past five games and moved within four points of the Panthers for top spot in the Atlantic Division – a division that features the top-four teams separated by six points. It marks the smallest margin of any group in 2024-25.

RED WINGS RECALL WILLIAM WALLINDER FROM GRAND RAPIDS

The Detroit Red Wings have recalled defenseman William Wallinder from the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Additionally, the Red Wings have placed defenseman Simon Edvinsson on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 18.

Rangers’ Rempe Suspended Eight Games for Boarding and Elbowing

New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe has been suspended for eight games, without pay, for boarding and elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen during NHL Game No. 525 in Dallas on Friday, Dec. 20. The incident occurred at 7:09 the third period. Rempe was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for elbowing.

Rempe is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, will forfeit $80,000.00. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

NHL ACTION RETURNS DECEMBER 27
After a three-day holiday break, the NHL will return to action with 16 teams starting with the Blackhawks visiting the Sabres on ESPN2 – the first half of a doubleheader that will close with the Avalanche facing off against Utah Hockey Club. Chicago will be contesting its second-last game before the Discover NHL Winter Classic against Buffalo, which played in the first-ever Winter Classic against the Penguins on Jan. 8, 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

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Guest Writer