NHL Recap January 17 2019

THURSDAY’S RESULTS – Home Team in Caps

• BOSTON 5, St. Louis 2
• NY ISLANDERS 4, New Jersey 1
• NY RANGERS 4, Chicago 3
• Toronto 4, TAMPA BAY 2
• Winnipeg 5, NASHVILLE 1
• Anaheim 3, MINNESOTA 0
• Los Angeles 2, DALLAS 1

MARNER LIFTS MAPLE LEAFS PAST LEAGUE-LEADING LIGHTNING
After the Lightning and Maple Leafs traded goals in a span of 37 seconds, Mitchell Marner restored Toronto’s lead just 1:06 later to help his club halt Tampa Bay’s home winning streak at nine games. The Maple Leafs (29-15-2, 60 points) matched the franchise record for fewest games to reach the 60-point mark in a season, while narrowing their deficit behind the Atlantic Division rival Lightning (36-10-2, 74 points) to 14 points.

* Marner (19-41–60 in 46 GP) became the first player in Maple Leafs franchise history to begin his NHL career with three consecutive 60-point seasons. Only three players in Maple Leafs franchise history have reached the 60-point mark in fewer team games than Toronto’s leading scorer.

* The only player in franchise history to record 60 or more points in each of his first three seasons with the club – at any point in his career – is Eddie Olczyk (1987-88 – 1989-90), who did so after spending three campaigns with the Blackhawks. Two players did so after being acquired during a previous season: Norm Ullman (1968-69 – 1971-72) and Rick Vaive (1980-81 – 1986-87).

LITTLE, HELLEBUYCK BEST PREDATORS IN CENTRAL-DIVISION CLASH
Bryan Little collected his third goal in four contests (3-2—5) and Connor Hellebuyck recorded 37 saves to help the Jets (31-14-2, 64 points) pad their lead over the Predators (28-17-4, 60 points) in the Central Division standings.

* Little extended his point streak to seven contests dating to Jan. 6 (5-4–9 in 7 GP) and matched the longest such run of his career, last accomplished from Jan. 18 – Feb. 2017 (7-4–11 in 7 GP). He trails only Blake Wheeler’s 11-game stretch for the longest by a Jets player this season (11 GP from Oct. 18 – Nov. 14, 2018).

* Hellebuyck joined Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen in collecting his 21st win of 2018-19. Only Vegas’ Marc-Andre Fleury (26) and San Jose’s Martin Jones (22) have posted more victories this season. In 2017-18, Hellebuyck shared the League lead with a franchise-record 44 wins – the most ever by a U.S.-born goaltender in one season.

WHILE OTHER GOALTENDERS HAVE STRONG SHOWINGS IN WINS

* Robin Lehner turned aside 16 shots to improve to 10-1-0 in his last 11 games played dating to Dec. 18 and Michael Dal Colle (GWG) scored his first NHL goal as the Islanders (27-15-4, 58 points) moved within one point of the idle Blue Jackets (28-15-3, 59 points) and Capitals (27-14-5, 59 points) – the only teams ahead of them in the Metropolitan Division. Lehner, who improved to 14-7-3 this season, matched his win total from 2017-18 (14-26-9) and sits nine victories shy of tying his career high (23 in 2016-17 with Buffalo).

* Henrik Lundqvist made 24 saves to lead the Rangers to their second consecutive victory. Lundqvist, the franchise’s all-time leader for wins, tied Terry Sawchuk (445) for sixth place on the NHL’s all-time list.

* Tuukka Rask (28 saves) improved to 14-8-3 this season and recorded the 252nd regular-season victory of his NHL career to tie Tiny Thompson (252-153-63) for the most in Bruins franchise history.

* John Gibson (37 saves) earned his 18th career regular-season shutout to help the Ducks halt a 12-game winless streak. Thursday marked the sixth instance in NHL history in which a club ended a winless streak of 12 or more games with a shutout. The others: Islanders (Nov. 26, 2010), Capitals (Nov. 14, 1981), Bruins (March 15, 1962), Canadiens (Jan. 1, 1936) and Blackhawks (Feb. 5, 1929).

* Jack Campbell (29 saves) lost his shutout bid with 1:04 remaining in regulation to play a pivotal role in the Kings’ second win in three contests. Campbell was drafted 11th overall by the Stars in the 2010 NHL Draft and played one game for club in 2013-14. Since the Stars picked Campbell at No. 11 in 2010, only five other goaltenders have been selected in the first round of the NHL Draft – with Dallas the last team to make such a pick (Jake Oettinger: 26th overall in 2017).

PERRON CONTINUES TO FIND THE SCORE SHEET

David Perron (0-1–1) extended the League’s longest active point streak to 13 games, becoming the eighth different Blues player to post a streak of at least that length. Only Mike Hoffman (17 GP), Mikko Rantanen (14 GP), Alex Ovechkin (14 GP) and Dylan Larkin (14 GP) have posted longer streaks in 2018-19.

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Toronto@ Florida	7:00 PM ET
Montréal@ Columbus	7:00 PM ET
NY Islanders@ Washington	7:30 PM ET
Ottawa@ Carolina	7:30 PM ET
Detroit@ Calgary	9:00 PM ET
Pittsburgh@ Arizona	9:00 PM ET
Buffalo@ Vancouver	10:00 PM ET

DAHLIN LOOKS TO STAY HOT AS SABRES PLAY FINAL GAME BEFORE “BYE WEEK”

Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin (1-5—6 in 5 GP) aims to become the first rookie defenseman in NHL history to record a point streak of six or more games prior to his 19th birthday. The last 18-year-old rookie forward to achieve the feat was Patrik Laine in 2016-17 (8-4—12 in 6 GP).

* Since 2011-12, only four rookie defensemen (of any age) have recorded a point streak of six or more games: Rangers teammates Neal Pionk (1-9—10 in 7 GP in 2017-18) and Brady Skjei (0-7—7 in 6 GP in 2016-17) along with the Flyers’ Shayne Gostisbehere (5-13—18 in 15 GP) and Bruins’ Colin Miller (1-5—6 in 6 GP) in 2015-16.

* Dahlin also can establish a franchise record for longest point streak by a rookie defenseman. There have been 11 point streaks of six or more games by a Sabres rookie, with only one such run since 1985-86: forward Derek Plante had a six-game point streak in 1993-94 (2-6—8). Forward Tony McKegney holds the franchise rookie record of a 10-game point streak in 1978-79 (4-11—15).

* Following their game Friday, Buffalo will become the first team to start their five-day break this season. Stats and information regarding each “bye week” since 2016-17 can be found on the League’s media site.