NHL Recap December December 23 2018
SUNDAY’S RESULTS – Home Team in Caps
- Columbus 3, NEW JERSEY 0
- CAROLINA 5, Boston 3
- Philadelphia 3, NY RANGERS 2 (SO)
- Florida 6, CHICAGO 3
- TORONTO 5, Detroit 4 (OT)
- NY Islanders 3, DALLAS 1
- Los Angeles 4, VEGAS 3 (OT)
- Arizona 4, SAN JOSE 3 (SO)
HURRICANES DEFEAT BRUINS ON WHALERS NIGHT
Sebastian Aho (2-2—4) and Teuvo Teravainen (2-2—4) each collected four points to help the Hurricanes defeat the Bruins on Whalers Night at PNC Arena. Carolina, which relocated from Hartford for the 1997-98 season, donned vintage jerseys on Sunday and will wear them again on March 5, 2019 when it visits Boston at TD Garden.
Quick hit notes and statistics from Whalers Night at PNC Arena:
* The last time two Whalers players each collected four points in a game was Jan. 18, 1993, when Geoff Sanderson (1-3—4) and Zarley Zalapski (1-3—4) did so versus the Winnipeg Jets.
* Aho and Teravainen each scored a shorthanded goal. The last time Hartford scored two shorthanded goals in a game was Dec. 3, 1992 against San Jose (Andrew Cassels and Murray Craven).
* Aho (21 years, 150 days) recorded the fourth four-point game of his NHL career (all w/ CAR). He became the third player in franchise history to record four points in a regular-season game four or more times before celebrating his 22nd birthday – a list topped by Ron Francis, the highest-scoring player in Whalers history (264-557—821 in 714 GP).
THORNTON, MARLEAU CLIMB ALL-TIME LISTS
* Sharks forward Joe Thornton collected the 1,041st assist of his NHL career to pass Marcel Dionne (1,040) for sole possession of 10th place on the League’s all-time list.
* Maple Leafs forward Patrick Marleau skated in the 1,612th regular-season game of his NHL career and tied Ray Bourque for 10th place on the League’s all-time list.
MAPLE LEAFS RALLY PAST RED WINGS, EXTEND HOME POINT STREAK
John Tavares (1-1—2) tied the game with 7.6 seconds remaining in regulation and Kasperi Kapanen (2-0—2) scored the overtime winner as the Maple Leafs extended their home point streak to 10 games dating to Nov. 6 (9-0-1). Toronto moved to 25-10-2 (52 points) overall and became the second team to reach the 25-win mark this season, joining Tampa Bay (28-7-2, 58 points).
* The Maple Leafs scored a tying goal at 19:52 of the third period or later and won a regular-season game for the first time in franchise history. The previous franchise record for latest game-tying goal in a regular-season win was 19:51 of the final frame, a mark set by Sergei Berezin on March 16, 2000 in an eventual victory over Detroit (4-3 OT W).
* Morgan Rielly (1-1—2) recorded his third consecutive multi-point game and 11th of the season to boost his 2018-19 totals to 13-31—44 (37 GP) – tops among all defensemen. The Maple Leafs franchise record for most multi-point games in a season by a defenseman is 22, a mark set by Ian Turnbull in 1976-77 (80 GP).
THE NHL RETURNS FROM HOLIDAY BREAK DEC. 27
The NHL will return from a three-day holiday break (no games from Dec. 24-26) with a 13-game slate on Thursday, Dec. 27. All four division leaders will be in action on Thursday, including two going head-to-head when the Central Division Jets (24-10-2, 50 points) host the Pacific Division Flames (22-12-3, 47 points).
A look at current player statistics leaders for 2018, with only 45 NHL games left to be played over the final five days of the calendar year:
* Alex Ovechkin (54-36—90 in 77 GP) paces the NHL with 54 regular-season goals in 2018, five more than Patrik Laine (49-19—68 in 78 GP). Ovechkin (33 years, 106 days as of Jan. 1, 2019) can become the fourth player in NHL history to lead the League in regular-season goals during a calendar year at age 33 or older. The only players to do so: Nels Stewart in 1937 (35 years, 3 days), Maurice Richard in 1954 (33 years, 150 days) and Peter Bondra in 2001 (33 years, 328 days).
^Ages as of Jan. 1, 1938, Jan. 1, 1955 and Jan. 1, 2002, respectively
* Connor McDavid (46-69—115 in 78 GP) leads the League in points this year, edging Mikko Rantanen (33-77—110 in 80 GP) – two of four players to reach the 100-point mark (also Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov). The past 12 months mark the first calendar year to feature four or more players each with at least 100 regular-season points since 2010, when six skaters – and two sets of teammates – reached the plateau (Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Alex Ovechkin, Martin St. Louis).
* Marc-Andre Fleury paces all goaltenders with 42 regular-season wins since Jan. 1 (42-22-7 in 71 GP), marking the third calendar year in which he has recorded 40 or more victories (also 46 in 2009 and 45 in 2013). The wins leader in 2017 was Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby, who had 49 (49-13-2 in 66 GP).
A HISTORY OF THE NHL ON CHRISTMAS DAY
While the NHL hasn’t played a game on Christmas Day in 47 years, it was a regular occurrence from 1920 to 1971 with 125 total games contested on Dec. 25 over that 51-year span.
* The last time NHL games were played on Christmas Day was a six-game slate in 1971. California Golden Seals forward Stan Gilbertson, then skating in his rookie campaign, is the last player to score an NHL goal on Christmas Day (1-0—1 in 3-1 W vs. LAK on Dec. 25, 1971). He appeared in 428 career games across six seasons with the Golden Seals, Blues, Capitals and Penguins.
* Hall of Famer Jacques Plante became the first goaltender in Canadiens franchise history to reach 300 wins with a 6-0 W vs. CHI on Christmas Day in 1962. He achieved the feat in just 521 appearances – the fewest games required to accumulate 300 wins in NHL history.
* ‘Mr. Hockey’ Gordie Howe recorded 3-3—6 in an 8-1 W vs. NYR on Christmas Day in 1956 – the highest single-game point total of his 26-season NHL career.
* Howe has the most all-time NHL appearances on Christmas Day, taking part in 16.8% of all Dec. 25 games in League history (21 of 125). He leads all players in career games, goals, assists (tied) and points on Christmas Day – with the top producers a who’s who of Hall of Famers from the Original Six era.
Sharks’ Karlsson Suspended Two Games for Illegal Check to the Head
San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson has been suspended for two games, without pay, for an illegal check to the head of Los Angeles Kings forward Austin Wagner during NHL Game No. 550 in San Jose on Saturday, Dec. 22, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.
The incident occurred at 2:33 of the second period.
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Karlsson will forfeit $69,892.48. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Bobrovsky, Rielly and Kucherov Named NHL ‘Three Stars’ of the Week
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly and Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending December. 23.
FIRST STAR – SERGEI BOBROVSKY, G, COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Bobrovsky stopped 130 of the 134 shots he faced, compiling a 4-0-0 record, 1.00 goals-against average, .970 save percentage and two shutouts to power the Blue Jackets (21-12-3, 45 points) to a perfect week. Bobrovsky earned his 25th career shutout with 28 saves in a 1-0 triumph over the Vegas Golden Knights Dec. 17. He then turned aside 29 shots in a 2-1 victory against the New Jersey Devils Dec. 20 and 34 attempts in a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers Dec. 22. Bobrovsky capped the week with his second shutout of the season, making 39 saves – including 19 in the third period – in a 3-0 triumph against the Devils Dec. 23. The 30-year-old Novokuznetsk, Russia, native shares third place in the NHL with 16 victories in 27 appearances this season (16-10-1, 2.68 GAA, .913 SV%, 2 SO). The two-time Vezina Trophy winner also paces the League with 94 victories and 14 shutouts since the start of the 2016-17 campaign.
SECOND STAR – MORGAN RIELLY, D, TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Rielly led the NHL with 3-6—9 and a +10 rating in four games to propel the Maple Leafs (25‑10-2, 52 points) to a perfect week and into second place in the overall League standings. Rielly scored once in a 7-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils Dec. 18. He then matched a career high with four assists in a 6-1 triumph against the Florida Panthers Dec. 20. Rielly finished the week with two more multi-performances, collecting 1-1—2 in both a 5-3 win over the New York Rangers Dec. 22 and 5-4 overtime victory against the Detroit Red Wings Dec. 23. The 24-year-old Vancouver native paces NHL defensemen in goals (13), assists (t-31) and points (44) through 37 contests this season; his 13 goals already are a career high, while his 44 points are eight shy of his personal best set in 76 games in 2017-18 (6-46—52). Rielly also leads the entire League (defensemen and forwards) with a +26 rating in 2018-19.
THIRD STAR – NIKITA KUCHEROV, RW, TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Kucherov posted an NHL-best seven assists and ranked second overall with 2-7—9 in three outings to help the League-leading Lightning (28-7-2, 58 points) extend their point streak to 12 games (11-0-1). He began the week with consecutive multi-point performances, picking up 1‑1—2 in a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks Dec. 18 and two helpers in a 5-4 shootout victory against the Calgary Flames Dec. 20. Kucherov then established career highs with four assists and five points (1-4—5) in a 6-3 triumph over the Edmonton Oilers Dec. 22, becoming the ninth different player in franchise history to register a five-point game. The 25-year-old Maykop, Russia, native – who reached the 100-point milestone for the first time in 2017-18 (39-61—100 in 80 GP) – sits second in the NHL with 57 points and third with 41 helpers through 37 contests this season (16-41—57).
Jets’ Byfuglien Fined for Slashing
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien has been fined $2,500 for slashing Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau during NHL Game No. 574 in Winnipeg on Thursday, Dec. 27, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today. The incident occurred at 17:51 of the third period. Byfuglien was assessed a minor penalty for slashing. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.