NHL Recap January 19 2020
BLUE JACKETS SCORE LATE TO STEAL FIFTH STRAIGHT WIN
Oliver Bjorkstrand (2-0—2) scored twice including the go-ahead goal with 27 seconds remaining in regulation as the Blue Jackets (26-16-8, 60 points) earned their fifth consecutive win and matched their longest such run of the season (also 5 GP from Dec. 16-23, 2019).
Bjorkstrand is the NHL’s second player to score a go-ahead in the final 30 seconds of regulation this season – and second in a span of three days (also: Rangers forward Chris Kreider on Jan. 16 at NYI: 59:35).
Matiss Kivlenieks turned aside 31 shots to earn his first NHL win and help Columbus reclaim the Eastern Conference’s first Wild Card spot. The 23-year-old is the second rookie goaltender to backstop the Blue Jackets to a win recently after 25-year-old Elvis Merzlikins (4-0-0 since Jan. 11) burst onto the scene. The 2019-20 campaign is the third in franchise history two feature two rookie netminders each earn at least one win. The others: Steve Mason (33) and Daniel Lacosta (2) in 2008-09 as well as Joonas Korpisalo (16) and Anton Forsberg (1) in 2015-16.
Columbus, meanwhile, is the third team to feature wins from a pair of rookie goaltenders this season, joining Colorado (Antoine Bibeau: 1 and Adam Werner: 1) and Florida (Chris Driedger: 5 and Sam Montembeault: 4).
KANE FINDS THE SCORE SHEET AGAIN, COLLECTS 1,000TH CAREER POINT
Patrick Kane (380-620—1,000 in 953 GP), a 31-year-old native of Buffalo, N.Y., found the score sheet for the 10th straight game dating to Dec. 31, 2019 (4-11—15 in 10 GP) and became the 90th player in NHL history to collect 1,000 regular-season points.
Kane (31 years, 61 days) also became the youngest U.S. player to reach 1,000 career regular-season points, eclipsing Jeremy Roenick (32 years, 13 days) who spent eight seasons with Chicago from 1988-89 to 1995-96. In fact, only three active players – regardless of nationality – have hit the milestone at age 31 or younger: Sidney Crosby (29 years, 193 days), Alex Ovechkin (31 years, 116 days) and Joe Thornton (31 years, 280 days).
The Blackhawks forward also became the 10th player of U.S. nationality in NHL history to record 1,000 career points and is among a group of six to reach the milestone in fewer than 1,000 games.
Kane is the fourth player in franchise history to record 1,000 regular-season points with Chicago, joining Stan Mikita (541-926—1,467 in 1,396 GP), Bobby Hull (604-549—1,153 in 1,036 GP) and Denis Savard (377-719—1,096 in 881 GP).
Additionally, Kane became the ninth former first-overall pick to record 1,000 regular-season points with one franchise, joining Mario Lemieux (1,723 w/ PIT), Joe Thornton (1,043 w/ SJS), Mike Modano (1,359 w/ DAL), Guy Lafleur (1,246 w/ MTL), Gilbert Perreault (1,326 w/ BUF), Alex Ovechkin (1,258 w/ WSH), Sidney Crosby (1,239 w/ PIT) and Denis Potvin (1,052 w/ NYI).
Chicago’s leading scorer this season (24-38—62 in 50 GP) has strung together a point streak of at least 10 games for the seventh time in his career and second of 2019-20 (11-13—24 in 15 GP from Nov. 2-30, 2019). His seven such runs are the second-most among active NHL players and trail only Penguins captain Crosby (9).
PENGUINS ERASE EARLY 3-0 DEFICIT, STUN BRUINS AT PPG PAINTS ARENA
After David Pastrnak (1-1—2) capped a run of three straight Bruins goals with his 70th point and League-leading 37th goal, Sidney Crosby (0-2—2) factored on two of four unanswered Penguins goals to lead Pittsburgh to its third three-goal comeback win of 2019-20 (also Nov. 7, 2019 at NYI and Nov. 27, 2019 vs. VAN).
The 2019-20 campaign marks the second time in Penguins history the franchise has collected three such wins in a single season, joining 2008-09 (Nov. 11, 2008 at DET, Nov. 26, 2008 at NYI and Feb. 4, 2009 vs. TBL).
Additionally, the Red Wings (1989-90), Oilers (1983-84) and North Stars (1983-84) are the only teams in NHL history to have collected more than three such victories in a single season (all w/ 4).
The 18 total three-goal comeback wins through this point of the season (758 GP) are the most since 1989-90 (29) – which also stands as the highest such total through the first 758 games of any season in League history.
WILLIAMS LEADS HURRICANES IN RETURN TO THE LINEUP
In his first game back with the Hurricanes after signing a one-year contract with the club on Jan. 7, Justin Williams (13:06 TOI) netted the decisive goal in the eighth round of the shootout to help Carolina (28-18-3, 59 points) leapfrog Philadelphia (26-17-6, 58 points) into the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Hurricanes improved to 10-4-3 in one-goal games this season and stand as one of 18 teams with double-digit victories in such contests in 2019-20. The Flames pace all teams in one-goal game victories this season (16-2-5).
Ovechkin, Merzlikins and Toews Named NHL ‘Three Stars’ of the Week
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin, Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins and Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Jan. 19, 2020.
FIRST STAR – ALEX OVECHKIN, LW, WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Ovechkin led all skaters in goals and tied for second in points with 8-0—8 in three games, including three multi-goal performances highlighted by back-to-back hat tricks for the third time in his career, to propel the League-leading Capitals (33-11-5, 71 points) to a perfect 3-0-0 week. He opened the week with a pair of goals in a 2-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Jan. 13 to bump his career goal total to 686 and surpass Teemu Selanne into 11th place on the NHL’s all-time list. Ovechkin then rattled off back-to-back hat tricks in a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils Jan. 16 and a 6-4 triumph over the New York Islanders Jan. 18 – marking the first time in his career he has scored multiple goals in three straight outings. In addition to Selanne, the 34-year-old native of Moscow, Russia, also passed Mario Lemieux (690) and moved into a tie with Steve Yzerman (692) for ninth on the all-time goals list while moving within eight markers of becoming the eighth member of the NHL’s 700-goal club.
SECOND STAR – ELVIS MERZLIKINS, G, COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Merzlikins recorded a perfect 3-0-0 record in three appearances with a 0.67 goals-against average, .982 save percentage and two shutouts as the Blue Jackets (26-16-8, 60 points) won four games to move into the first Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference. He began the week with a 34-save shutout in a 3-0 win over the Boston Bruins Jan. 14 after also blanking the Vegas Golden Knights in his previous start Jan. 11. In doing so, he became the second rookie in franchise history to record a shutout in consecutive appearances, joining Steve Mason (Dec. 27-31, 2008; 3 GP). He then made 32 saves in a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Jan. 16 and concluded the week with yet another shutout in which he turned aside 41 shots in a 5-0 triumph over the New Jersey Devils Jan. 18 to become just the seventh rookie goaltender in the NHL’s modern era (since 1943-44) to post three shutouts in the span of four starts. Merzlikins, a 25-year-old native of Riga, Latvia, has made 20 appearances with Columbus this season with an 8-6-4 record (2.36 GAA, .928 SV%, 3 SO).
THIRD STAR – JONATHAN TOEWS, C, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
Toews led all skaters with 3-6—9 in four games last week to help the Blackhawks (24-20-6, 54 points) win all four contests and move within three points of the final Wild card position in the Western Conference. Toews opened the week with 1-2—3, including his 15th career overtime winner, in a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators Jan. 14 and followed it up with an assist in a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens Jan. 15. He closed the week with 2-2—4 in a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs Jan. 18 and added an assist in a 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets Jan. 19. Toews, a 31-year-old native of Winnipeg, Man., ranks second on the Blackhawks with 14-30—44 in 50 games this season and is currently riding a six-game point streak dating to Jan. 9 (4-9—13 in 6 GP). He boosted his career totals to 341-458—799 in 923 games and now sits one point shy of becoming the sixth player in Blackhawks history to record 800 points with the franchise.