NHL Recap January 29 2019
TUESDAY’S RESULTS – Home Team in Caps
- Winnipeg 4, BOSTON 3 (SO)
- Buffalo 5, COLUMBUS 4
- Philadelphia 1, NY RANGERS 0
DEFENSEMEN LEAD SABRES PAST BLUE JACKETS
Defensemen Rasmus Dahlin (0-2—2), Zach Bogosian (0-2—2), Rasmus Ristolainen (0-1—1) and Jake McCabe (0-1—1) each found the score sheet to lead the Sabres past the Blue Jackets. Buffalo improved to 25-18-6 (56 points) this season and moved within two points of idle Pittsburgh (26-17-6, 58 points) for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
* Dahlin (5-23—28 in 49 GP) recorded his 22nd and 23rd assists of 2018-19 to leapfrog Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (23-22—45 in 40 GP) for the most among rookies this season. Dahlin (born April 13, 2000) also moved past Ray Bourque (6-20—26 in 34 GP) for the sixth-most points in NHL history by an 18-year-old defenseman – a list topped by Sabres head coach Phil Housley (17-40—57 in 66 GP).
SCHEIFELE ECLIPSES 60-POINT MARK IN SHOOTOUT WIN
Mark Scheifele (25-36—61 in 50 GP) collected two assists to help the Central Division-leading Jets (32-16-2, 66 points) defeat the Bruins and become the second Winnipeg player to reach the 60-point mark this season, joining Blake Wheeler (9-53—62 in 50 GP). They became the second set of teammates in Jets/Thrashers franchise history each with 60 or more points within the team’s first 50 games of a season and first since 2005-06, when three Atlanta players combined for the feat (Ilya Kovalchuk, Marc Savard and Marian Hossa).
* The original Winnipeg Jets boasted multiple players each with at least 60 points within the first 50 team games of a season on two occasions: 1983-84 (Lucien DeBlois and Dale Hawerchuk) and 1984-85 (Hawerchuk and Paul MacLean).
FLYERS BLANK RANGERS TO EXTEND WIN STREAK
Anthony Stolarz turned aside all 38 shots he faced to help the Flyers defeat the Rangers and extend their win streak to five games, the longest active run in the NHL. He became the seventh different goaltender in franchise history to record a regular-season shutout against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden and first since Steve Mason on Jan. 25, 2017 (2-0 W).
FREDERIC SKATES ON LINE WITH BACKES IN NHL DEBUT
Bruins forward Trent Frederic, a native of St. Louis, Mo., skated on a line with David Backes while making his NHL debut. The two took a picture together in 2006-07, when Frederic was a nine-year-old Blues fan and Backes was a rookie with St. Louis.
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
| Tampa Bay@ Pittsburgh | 8:00 PM ET |
| Buffalo@ Dallas | 8:30 PM ET |
LEAGUE-LEADING LIGHTNING RETURN FROM ALL-STAR BREAK
The League-leading Lightning (37-10-2, 76 points), who are led by Nikita Kucherov (22-56—78 in 49 GP), make their return from the All-Star break when they visit the Penguins (26-17-6, 58 points) at PPG Paints Arena.
* The Lightning lead the League with 199 goals for and a +59 goal differential (including shootout-deciding goals). Tampa Bay can become the first team to reach the 200-goal mark in a season in 50 or fewer games since 2005-06, when Ottawa scored goal No. 200 in its 48th contest.
* Kucherov is two points shy of becoming the first player to 80 this season and can establish a franchise record for fewest personal games required to reach the 80-point mark in a campaign; the current low is 60 contests, a mark set by Vincent Lecavalier in 2006-07 (39-41—80).
Predators’ Watson Placed in Stage Two of NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program
The National Hockey League Players’ Association and National Hockey League announced today that forward Austin Watson of the Nashville Predators has been placed in Stage Two of the Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program (SABH) of the NHL and NHLPA for treatment related exclusively to his ongoing issues with alcohol abuse.
Under the terms of the joint program, Watson will be suspended without pay until cleared for on-ice competition by the program administrators.
Watson’s care will be administered pursuant to the NHL/NHLPA SABH Program.