NHL Review April 1, 2022

MATTHEWS BECOMES TORONTO’S FIRST 50-GOAL SCORER IN 28 YEARS

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (50-37—87 in 62 GP) scored his League-leading 50th goal of the season to become the fourth different player in franchise history to reach the mark and first since Dave Andreychuk in 1993-94 (53-46—99 in 83 GP). This is the first season in NHL history in which a Toronto player was the first to score 50 goals.

• Matthews (62 GP) became the fastest NHLer in 26 years to reach the 50-goal mark. About a year-and-a-half before Matthews was born, four players hit 50 goals in 62 or fewer games during the 1995-96 season: Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux (50 GP) and Jaromir Jagr (59 GP), Vancouver’s Alexander Mogilny (60 GP) as well as Washington’s Peter Bondra (62 GP).
• Matthews (San Ramon, Calif.) also became the 10th different U.S.-born player in League history to reach the 50-goal mark in a season and first since John LeClair (St. Albans, Vt.) with Philadelphia in 1997-98 (51-36—87 in 82 GP).
• The Maple Leafs (43-19-5, 91 points), who received three points from William Nylander (2-1—3), Ilya Mikheyev (1-2—3) and Mitchell Marner (0-3—3) as well as a goal by Mark Giordano (1-1—2) Thursday, moved past the idle Lightning (42-18-6, 90 points) for second place in the Atlantic Division.

BRUINS ROUT DEVILS THANKS TO SIX-GOAL SECOND PERIOD
Twelve different skaters found the score sheet for Boston during a six-goal second period as the Bruins put eight past the Devils – the club’s highest-scoring performance on home ice in more than three years (8-2 W vs. DET on Oct. 13, 2018). The offensive outburst helped Boston (42-20-5, 89 points), which occupies the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, move within one point of idle Tampa Bay (42-18-6, 90 points) for third place in the Atlantic Division.

• Marc McLaughlin (North Billerica, Mass.), who captained Boston College for the past two seasons before signing with the Bruins on March 15, skated in his first NHL game and tallied the fifth marker of the second-period outburst. McLaughlin became the fifth Massachusetts-born player to score in his League debut with Boston, joining Ryan Donato (March 19, 2018), Frank Vatrano (Nov. 7, 2015), Shawn Bates (Oct. 2, 1997) and Hago Harrington (Dec. 29, 1925).
• Brad Marchand (2-0—2) hit the 30-goal mark for the fifth time in his career and became the ninth player in Bruins history to have as many campaigns. Since his NHL debut in 2009-10, only six players have more 30-goal seasons than Marchand: Alex Ovechkin (12), Steven Stamkos (7), Sidney Crosby (6), Max Pacioretty (6), Auston Matthews (6) and Connor McDavid (6).

KAPRIZOV SETS, TIES FRANCHISE MARKS WITH 14TH GOAL OF MARCH

Kirill Kaprizov (1-0—1) found the back of the net for a fifth straight game to help the Wild (41-20-5, 87 points) salvage a point, set a franchise record for goals in a calendar month (14) and equal the club benchmark for points in a season (83). The 24-year-old now has 38 goals in 2021-22, which trails only two players for the most in a single season in club history: Marian Gaborik set the standard with 42 goals in 2007-08, a mark equaled by Eric Staal in 2017-18.

DIVISION LEADERS INCH CLOSER TO PLAYOFF BERTHS WITH SHUTOUT WINS
The top two teams in the Eastern Conference kept pace with each other with shutout victories on home ice Thursday as both the Panthers (46-15-6, 98 points) and Hurricanes (45-15-8, 98 points) moved within two points of their second 100-point season.

• Each club is vying to finish as the No. 1 seed in its conference for the first time. The best conference rank to date for Carolina/Hartford is second place (2005-06: Eastern Conference; 1986-87: Prince of Wales Conference), while Florida’s best finish was third place (2011-12 and 2015-16: Eastern Conference).
• Florida set a franchise record with its 28th home win of the season, with Sergei Bobrovsky posting a 37-save shutout and Jonathan Huberdeau notching his League-leading 71st assist of the season. Captain Aleksander Barkov scored his 30th and 31st goals of 2021-22, the second time he has hit the 30-goal mark, as he helped Florida open a seven-point lead atop the Atlantic Division as it pursues a third division title (2011-12 Southeast and 2015-16 Atlantic).
• Carolina also continued its success on home ice, collecting its 25th victory of the season at PNC Arena thanks to a game-winning goal by Sebastian Aho and a 32-save shutout by Frederik Andersen. In his first season with the Hurricanes, Andersen improved to 33-10-3 with four shutouts (46 GP) to help the club open a five-point lead atop the Metropolitan Division as it chases down a sixth division title and second in as many campaigns after a first-place finish in the Discover Central in 2020-21.

AVALANCHE CREATE SPACE ATOP WEST, WHILE WILD CARD GETS ANOTHER SHUFFLE

The top team in the Western Conference created a 13-point advantage on the next closest club, while the second Wild Card position had an occupancy change for a third straight day:

• Mikko Rantanen (34-46—80) reached the 80-point mark with his second game-winning goal of the season to help Colorado (48-14-6, 102 points) move closer to clinching a playoff spot. The Avalanche are in pursuit of a second straight Presidents’ Trophy, a feat last achieved by the Capitals (2015-16 and 2016-17).
• After defensemen combined for each of the first four goals of the game in regulation – including both a go-ahead and tying goal with less than five minutes remaining in the third period – it was Stars captain Jamie Benn who netted the overtime winner in Anaheim. The victory gave Dallas (38-25-3, 79 points) one point more than idle Vegas (37-28-4, 78 points) as the clubs continue to battle back-and-forth across the playoff line for a 20th straight day.
• If the playoffs started today, Colorado would host Dallas for the opener of their sixth all-time playoff series and second in three seasons after the Stars eliminated the Avalanche in a thrilling, high-scoring seven-game series in the 2020 Second Round en route to the Stanley Cup Final.

NUMBER OF NOTABLE STORYLINES IN FRIDAY’S FORECAST

The NHL’s 2021-22 regular season enters the homestretch with 232 games remaining over the final four weeks of the campaign set to determine the bracket for the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which begin May 2. Friday’s slate will see Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl put his five-game goal streak on the line as he aims to reach the 50-goal mark for the second time in his career when the Oilers (38-25-5, 81 points) face the Blues (37-20-9, 83 points) at Rogers Place.

• Draisaitl enters Friday with 49 goals in 2021-22 (49-48—97 in 68 GP), one shy of his career high set in 2018-19. The Cologne, Germany, native can become the ninth player in NHL history born and trained outside of North America to record multiple 50-goal seasons. To date, only Alex Ovechkin (8x), Pavel Bure (5x), Jari Kurri (4x), Jaromir Jagr (3x), Teemu Selanne (3x), Ilya Kovalchuk (2x), Peter Bondra (2x) and Alexander Mogilny (2x) have done so.
• David Perron (23-23—46 in 52 GP) is tied for the team lead with 23 goals this season, 12 of which were scored in March alone (12-7—19 in 13 GP) – tied for the most by a Blues player in a single calendar month since October 2000 (Scott Young: 12 G in 12 GP). Perron needs five goals to match his single-season NHL career high, a mark set with Edmonton in 2013-14 (28 G in 78 GP).
• Andrew Copp has recorded a point in each of his last five games since being acquired by the Rangers ahead of the Trade Deadline (2-5—7) and will look to extend his run against the Islanders at Madison Square Garden. He can become the seventh player to post a point streak of six-plus games to start their tenure with the franchise and first since Marian Gaborik in 2009-10 (8 GP).

CANADIENS’ CAUFIELD NAMED NHL ‘ROOKIE OF THE MONTH’ FOR MARCH 2022

Montreal Canadiens right wing Cole Caufield, who led all rookies with seven goals and 15 points (7-8—15) as well as three power-play goals (tied), five power-play assists and eight power-play points (3-5—8) in 15 games, has been named the NHL’s “Rookie of the Month” for March.

Caufield edged Canadiens teammate Rem Pitlick (3-8—11 in 15 GP), Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras (3-7—10 in 13 GP), Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Michael Bunting (1-9—10 in 14 GP), Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (6-2-0, 3.10 GAA, .893 SV%) and Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson (5-3-0, 2.73 GAA, .916 SV%, 1 SO) for the honor.

Caufield – who registered the most points by a Montreal rookie in a single calendar month since Michael Ryder in January 2004 (7-9—16 in 14 GP) – found the scoresheet in 11 of his 15 March appearances, highlighted by four multi-point performances, his fourth career overtime/game-winning goal (March 13 at PHI: 1-1—2) and his second career multi-goal outing (March 15 vs. ARI: 2-0—2).

Caufield – who had 7-11—18 in 38 games this season entering March – has played in 53 total contests in 2021-22, ranking among the rookie leaders in power-play goals (4th; 4), power-play points (4th; 12), power-play assists (t-5th; 8), shots on goal (6th; 142), goals (t-6th; 14), points (8th; 33) and assists (10th; 19).

The 21-year-old Mosinee, Wis., native – who was selected by the Canadiens with the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft – is the first Montreal player to be named “Rookie of the Month” since goaltender Carey Price in March 2008. He joins Detroit Red Wings teammates Moritz Seider (October) and Lucas Raymond (November), Zegras (December), Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (January), and Swayman (February) as honorees this season.

JOSI, GAUDREAU AND BOBROVSKY NAMED NHL ‘THREE STARS’ FOR MARCH 2022

Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi, Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau and Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the month of March, 2022.

FIRST STAR – ROMAN JOSI, D, NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Josi paced the NHL with 24 assists, 28 points and a +14 rating in 14 games (4-24—28) to help the Predators (39-24-4, 82 points) maintain the first Wild Card position in the Western Conference via a 9‑5-0 March. Only two defensemen in League history – Bobby Orr in March 1971 (8-23—31 in 15 GP w/ BOS) and Paul Coffey in December 1985 (6-23—29 in 14 GP w/ EDM) – have recorded more points in a single calendar month than Josi, who became the first blueliner to outright lead the NHL in scoring during a month since Coffey in February 1990 (6-22—28 in 14 GP w/ PIT). Josi – who also ranked seventh in the League with an average of 25:28 of ice time per game – found the scoresheet in all but his final appearance of March, establishing a career high with a 13-game point streak that included eight multi-point performances, a run of four straight contests with at least three points (March 13-19: 2-11—13) and a pair of four-point outings: March 5 at SJS (0-4—4) and March 13 at MIN (2-2—4). The 31-year-old Bern, Switzerland, native has played in 65 total contests this season, topping NHL defensemen in scoring (18‑63—81) while seeking to become the first blueliner to reach 100 points in a campaign since Brian Leetch in 1991-92 (22-80—102 in 80 GP w/ NYR). Josi is the first defenseman on any team to be named “First Star” of the month since John Carlson in October 2019 (w/ WSH) and the first Nashville player at any position to receive the honor since goaltender Pekka Rinne in November 2016.

SECOND STAR – JOHNNY GAUDREAU, LW, CALGARY FLAMES

Gaudreau ranked second in the League with 11-15—26 in 16 outings to power the Flames (40‑18-9, 89 points) to a 9-4-3 March and a five-point cushion atop the Pacific Division. He collected points in 13 of his 16 contests, including seven consecutive to open the month (March 1-12: 6-7—13). Gaudreau also registered seven multi-point performances, highlighted by his first career five-assist outing March 26 vs. EDM and his sixth career hat trick March 10 vs. TBL. The 28-year-old Salem, N.J., native – who added a trio of game-winning goals (March 5 at COL, March 10 vs. TBL and March 25 vs. ARI) – has made 67 total appearances this season, placing among the League leaders in plus/minus (t-1st; +49), points (4th; 91), assists (5th; 60) and game-winning goals (t-5th; 8). He is the second straight Calgary player to earn “Second Star” of the month honors, following Jacob Markstrom in February.

THIRD STAR – SERGEI BOBROVSKY, G, FLORIDA PANTHERS

Bobrovsky posted a flawless month, going 7-0-0 with a 2.13 goals-against average, .924 save percentage and two shutouts as the Panthers (46-15-6, 98 points) moved seven points ahead of the closest competition in the Atlantic Division via a League-best 11-2-1 March. Bobrovsky – who has won seven consecutive games for the seventh time in his career and first time since March 4-22, 2018 (7 GP w/ CBJ) – bookended the month with shutouts March 3 vs. OTT (18 SV) and March 31 vs. CHI (37 SV). The 33-year-old Novokuznetsk, Russia, native and two-time Vezina Trophy winner has played in 44 total contests this season, sharing second place in the NHL with 33 wins (33-6-3) to go along with a 2.55 goals-against average, .916 save percentage and three shutouts.