NHL Review April 2, 2022

McDAVID HELPS OILERS WEATHER A BLUES THREE-GOAL RALLY
After Edmonton jumped out to a 4-1 first-period lead and Ivan Barbashev helped St. Louis tie the game 5-5 in the third period, Connor McDavid (2-0—2) scored in overtime to lead the Oilers (39-25-5, 83 points) to their ninth straight home win and within one point of the idle Kings (37-23-10, 84 points) for second place in the Pacific Division. Edmonton (69 GP) holds one game in hand on Los Angeles (70 GP).

• Edmonton, 9-0-0 at Rogers Place dating to March 9, matched the franchise record for longest home win streak (9 GP in 2016-17). McDavid leads the Oilers with 10-8—18 during his team’s recent success on home ice after previously posting 5-11—16 during the nine-game stretch from March 14 to April 9, 2017.
• McDavid’s game-winning goal also marked his franchise-leading 12th overtime tally. Only one player has recorded more since the Oilers captain entered the NHL in 2015-16: Brad Marchand (13 w/ BOS).

ZEGRAS WOWS AGAIN EN ROUTE TO 20TH CAREER GOAL
Ducks rookie Trevor Zegras (1-0—1) yet again produced a highlight-reel, lacrosse-style tally to reach the 20-goal mark in his young career (20-43—63 in 87 GP). He became the third rookie in Ducks history to reach the mark, joining Bobby Ryan (36 in 87 GP) and Dustin Penner (33 in 101 GP).

STANLEYCUP PLAYOFFS RACE: PACIFIC DIVISION

After the Montreal Canadiens competed in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, the first Canadian club to complete in the NHL’s championship series since 2006, Calgary and Edmonton have their sights on doing so in 2022 and occupy two of three spots in the Pacific Division.

• The Flames have held top spot in the Pacific Division since Feb. 15, while the Oilers have been positioned above the Western Conference’s playoff line since March 12. Should the clubs maintain their current pace, the 2021-22 campaign can become just the eighth in 35 years to feature Calgary and Edmonton each qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs (2016-17, 2005-06, 1990-91, 1989-90, 1988-89, 1987-88 & 1986-87).
• The Kings, the highest-seeded California-based team and the NHL’s second-youngest club (26.1 years old) this season, are looking to secure their first berth into the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2017-18. Since Anaheim skated in its inaugural season in 1993-94, at least one California-based franchise has qualified for the postseason in all but three campaigns (1996, 2020 and 2021).

LIGHTNING, VASILEVSKIY VICTORIOUS IN COOPER’S 700TH GAME
Andrei Vasilevskiy made 21 saves in Jon Cooper’s 700th game, improved to 13-0-0 against the Blackhawks in his career and helped Tampa Bay (43-18-6, 92 points) reclaim second place in the Atlantic Division from the idle Toronto Maple Leafs (43-19-5, 91 points). The two clubs have two pivotal head-to-head meetings remaining this season (April 4 and April 21).

• Vasilevskiy (35-14-4, 2.37 GAA, .919 SV%, 2 SO) has his sights on leading the NHL in wins, a feat he has achieved in each of the past four seasons dating to 2017-18. The Lightning goaltender can become just the third netminder in NHL history to lead the League in wins for five-plus consecutive seasons: Clint Benedict (6 from 1918-19 – 1923-24) and Terry Sawchuk (5 from 1950-51 – 1954-55) both did so.

VARLAMOV SHINES ON BROADWAY
Semyon Varlamov (27 saves) shut out the Rangers for the fourth straight time at Madison Square Garden (since Jan. 14, 2021) and join an exclusive list. Varlamov became just the second goaltender in NHL history to post four consecutive shutouts on the road against a single opponent, joining Alec Connell who blanked the New York Americans four times as a member of the original Ottawa Senators from January 11 to December 14, 1926.

PANTHERS, HURRICANES CLOSING IN ON 100-POINT SEASONS

The Panthers (46-15-6, 98 points) and Hurricanes (45-15-8, 98 points) each have their sights set on their second 100-point campaign in franchise history when they clash with the Devils (24-38-5, 53 points) and Wild (41-20-5, 87 points), respectively.

• Florida, which recorded its first and only 100-point season in 2015-16 (47-26-9, 103 points), can also match the franchise record for wins in a single campaign. Sergei Bobrovsky (33-6-3, 2.55 GAA, .916 SV%, 3 SO) has tended the Panthers crease for 33 of the club’s 46 wins to date – including one in each of his previous seven appearances – and sits two shy of matching Roberto Luongo’s mark in 2015-16 (9-0-0 from Dec. 15 – Jan. 7) for the longest win streak in franchise history.
• Carolina’s only previous 100-point campaign came in 2005-06 (52-22-8, 112 points), en route to its first and only Stanley Cup in franchise history. Current Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour also played a part for the club that year, tallying his fifth and final 30-goal season (31-39—70 in 78 GP) while going on to the lead the team in goals during the playoffs (12-6—18 in 25 GP).

DETROIT RECALLS KYLE CRISCUOLO FROM GRAND RAPIDS
The Detroit Red Wings have recalled center Kyle Criscuolo from the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.