NHL Recap February 16 2020
DRAISAITL MOVES WITHIN FIVE POINTS OF 100 AS OILERS PASS CANUCKS
Leon Draisaitl collected 1-2—3 – including an assist on the overtime winner by Josh Archibald (2-0—2) – to boost his League-leading season totals to 34-61—95 (59 GP) and help the Oilers (32-21-6, 70 points) move past the Canucks (32-22-5, 69 points) for first place in the Pacific Division standings.
Draisaitl, who opened a 13-point lead in the 2019-20 Art Ross Trophy race, moved within five points of his second straight season with 100. With five points over his next two outings, Draisaitl would become the first player to reach 100 in 61 games or fewer since NHL legend Mario Lemieux with Pittsburgh in 1996-97 (44-56—100 in 61 GP); Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov, who captured the Art Ross Trophy in 2018-19 with 128 points (41-87—128 in 82 GP), reached the milestone in his 62nd contest last season (30-70—100).
Only three different players in franchise history have reached the 100-point mark in 61 games or fewer – a feat last achieved by another League legend Wayne Gretzky in 1987-88 (34-67—101 in 43 GP).
Draisaitl has averaged over a point per game in 45 career contests without Oilers captain Connor McDavid in the lineup (14-32—46), which includes 3-7—10 in four outings since Feb. 11 (2.50 P/GP).
PLAYERS FROM MASSACHUSETTS, PENNSYLVANIA HELP BRUINS, PENGUINS . . .
Charlie Coyle (E. Weymouth, Mass.) and Sam Lafferty (Hollidaysburg, Pa.) each scored to help the Bruins and Penguins earn wins in Hockey Day in America games, respectively.
Coyle, who was born just outside of Boston, scored the game-winning goal while shorthanded to help the League-leading Bruins (37-11-12, 86 points) improve to 9-1-0 in their last 10 outings.
Boston scored a game-winning goal while shorthanded for the second time in as many days, with Patrice Bergeron achieving the feat on Saturday (4-1 W vs. DET). It marked the second time in franchise history in which the Bruins scored a shorthanded winner in consecutive games, following Feb. 27 – March 1, 1969 when Ed Westfall and Phil Esposito combined for the feat (since 1933-34 when goals by type were officially tracked).
Lafferty, who was born about 100 miles from Pittsburgh, was the first U.S. player to score a goal on Sunday – helping the Penguins improve to 36-15-6 (78 points) this season and move within one point of the idle Capitals (37-16-5, 79 points), who occupy first place in the Metropolitan Division standings.
Pittsburgh trailed Washington by 13 points entering play Dec. 12, 2019, but have gone 19-5-2 (40 points) in 26 games since then to close the gap to just one – including a 11-2-1 (23 points) mark over that span without captain Sidney Crosby in the lineup.
The Penguins have earned at least one point in each of their last six games at PPG Paints Arena (5-0-1) and recorded their 21st home win of the season overall (21-5-4, 46 points) – matching the Bruins (21-2-9, 51 points) for the most in the NHL.
. . . PREDATORS ALSO EARN WIN IN HOCKEY DAY IN AMERICA GAME
Kyle Turris scored the go-ahead goal with 2:12 remaining in regulation as the Predators (29-22-7, 65 points) swept their home-and-home, back-to-back set with the Blues and moved within one point of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference standings.
Craig Smith, a native of Madison, Wis., opened the scoring for Nashville. U.S.-born players accounted for 21 of 51 goals on Sunday excluding shootouts (41.2%), with 11 different states represented among the scorers.
ST. LOUIS-ANAHEIM GAME RESCHEDULED; FLORIDA-ST. LOUIS GAME ALSO MOVED
The postponed game between the Blues and Ducks – originally scheduled for Feb. 11 but postponed by the NHL due to a medical emergency involving defenseman Jay Bouwmeester – has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 11. As a result, the game between the Panthers and Blues, originally scheduled for March 10, has been moved to March 9.
PREVIEW OF TODAY’S ACTION – OVI AIMS TO SNAP FOUR-GAME SCORING DROUGHT IN PURSUIT OF GOAL No. 700
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (698-570—1,268 in 1,141 GP), who is two regular-season goals shy of becoming the eighth player in NHL history to reach 700, aims to snap a season-high four-game scoring drought when Washington visits Vegas at T-Mobile Arena.
Ovechkin will potentially face a familiar goaltender should Marc-Andre Fleury – who played for the Penguins across 13 seasons from 2003-04 to 2016-17 – get the start for the Golden Knights. Ovechkin has scored 24 goals in 41 career head-to-head regular-season games versus Fleury (24-13—37), tied for his most against any NHL goaltender (also 24 G vs. Henrik Lundqvist; 24-15—39 in 42 GP).
Ovechkin has also scored 13 goals in 19 career head-to-head playoff meetings with Fleury (13-11—24), including three during the 2018 Final as the Capitals captured their first-ever Stanley Cup (3-2—5 in 5 GP).
LIGHTNING LOOK TO EXTEND TEAM, PLAYER STREAKS
The Lightning, who are 10-0-0 in their last 10 games dating to Jan. 29 and own the longest active win streak in the NHL, look to extend their run to a franchise-record 11 contests when they visit the Avalanche at Pepsi Center.
Tampa Bay defeated Philadelphia on Saturday to equal its franchise record for longest win streak, a mark set from Feb. 9-27, 2019 and matched earlier this season from Dec. 23, 2019 – Jan. 11, 2020. A victory on Monday would also give the Lightning the lengthiest run by any team this season.
Andrei Vasilevskiy is 19-0-2 in his last 21 appearances dating to Dec. 17, 2019 (1.98 GAA, .934 SV%, 2 SO), including eight straight wins. He can become the fourth goaltender in NHL history to record at least one point in 22 or more consecutive appearances within a regular season.
Brayden Point enters Monday with a career-high 10-game point streak (3-11—14), tied for the longest active run in the NHL with Flames forward Elias Lindholm (7-5—12 in 10 GP). The lengthiest point streak recorded by any player this season is 17 games, a mark set by Sabres captain Jack Eichel from Nov. 16 – Dec. 17, 2019 (16-15—31).
Draisaitl, Vasilevskiy and Toffoli Named NHL ‘Three Stars’ of the Week
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and Los Angeles Kings right wing Tyler Toffoli have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Feb. 16, 2020.
FIRST STAR – LEON DRAISAITL, C, EDMONTON OILERS
Draisaitl led all skaters in assists and points with 3-7—10 in four games – including three multi-point performances – to lead the Oilers (32-21-6, 70 points) to a 3-1-0 record on the week and propel the club to first place in the Pacific Division standings. He opened the week with 1-3—4 in a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks Feb. 11 and added an assist in a 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning Feb. 13. Draisaitl closed the week with his League-leading 28th and 29th multi-point games of the season, notching 1-1—2, including his NHL-best 10th game-winning goal of 2019-20, in a 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers Feb. 15 and 1-2—3, including an assist in the extra frame, in a 4-3 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes Feb. 16. Draisaitl, a 24-year-old native of Cologne, Germany, has opened up a 13-point lead in the Art Ross Trophy race with 34-61—95 in 59 games – the fastest player to 95 points in a season since Sidney Crosby in 2006-07 (56 GP).
SECOND STAR – ANDREI VASILEVSKIY, G, TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Vasilevskiy recorded a perfect 3-0-0 record with a 1.64 goals-against average and .949 save percentage to help the Lightning (39-15-5, 83 points) earn a victory in all four games on the week and extend the team’s overall winning streak to 10 games. He opened the week by making 35 saves in a tightly-contested 2-1 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins Feb. 11 and then turned aside 29 shots in a 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers Feb. 13. Vasilevskiy closed the week with 30 saves in a 5-3 triumph over the Philadelphia Flyers Feb. 15 to improve to 19-0-2 in his last 21 appearances, including eight straight wins, and become the sixth different goaltender in NHL history to record at least one standings point in 21 or more consecutive appearances within a regular season. A 25-year-old native of Tyumen, Russia, Vasilevskiy leads all goaltenders with 32 wins in 2019-20 – seven more than the next highest total.
THIRD STAR – TYLER TOFFOLI, RW, LOS ANGELES KINGS
Toffoli recorded four goals across two appearances as the Kings (21-33-5, 47 points) earned two victories in two games. He opened the week with one goal in a 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames Feb. 12. Toffoli then notched all three Kings tallies, including the game-winning goal in the final minute, in a 3-1 triumph over the Colorado Avalanche at the 2020 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series Feb. 15 to become the first player in League history to record a hat trick in a regular-season outdoor game. A 27-year-old native of Scarborough, Ont., Toffoli (18-16—34 in 58 GP) leads all Kings skaters with 18 goals in 2019-20 and sits two tallies shy of his fourth career 20-goal campaign.