NHL Review April 4, 2022

PANTHERS BECOME FIRST TO CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH IN 2021-22
The Eastern Conference-leading Panthers (48-15-6, 102 points) became the first team to clinch a berth in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday afternoon with their victory over the Sabres. It marked the second consecutive day they rallied from a deficit to win and their 23rd comeback victory this season – the only team with more is the Rangers (24).

• The Panthers have reached the postseason in three straight campaigns for the first time in franchise history. Florida will aim for its first series victory since the 1996 Eastern Conference Final, a seven-game affair that saw the Panthers (in their third NHL season) eliminate a Penguins team that had won two of the previous five Stanley Cup championships and included Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Sergei Zubov.
• Jonathan Huberdeau scored Florida’s first goal to improve his season totals to 24-73—97 in 69 games, surpassing Aleksander Barkov (35-61—96 in 2018-19) for the most points in a single season in Panthers franchise history.

DRAISAITL DOUBLES UP ON MILESTONES WITH 100TH POINT, 50TH GOAL
Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (50-51—101 in 70 GP) had 1-1—2 in the final frame to record his third career 100-point NHL season (also 2018-19 & 2019-20) and second 50-goal campaign (also 2018-19).

• Draisaitl became the second player to reach the 100-point mark this season, joining teammate Connor McDavid (40-65—105 in 69 GP) who posted 1-2—3 Sunday to extend his point streak to 13 games (11-15—26). Draisaitl’s three career 100-point campaigns trail only Wayne Gretzky (9x), Jari Kurri (6x), Mark Messier (5x) and McDavid (5x) for the most in franchise history.
• Draisaitl, who joined Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (51-37—88 in 63 GP) as the second NHLer to hit 50 goals in 2021-22, became the fourth player in franchise history to record multiple 50-goal seasons with Edmonton. He followed Gretzky (8x), Kurri (4x) and Glenn Anderson (2x).
• Draisaitl (Cologne, Germany) became the ninth player in NHL history born and trained outside of North America to record multiple 50-goal seasons, joining Alex Ovechkin (8x), Pavel Bure (5x), Kurri (4x), Jaromir Jagr (3x), Teemu Selanne (3x), Ilya Kovalchuk (2x), Peter Bondra (2x) and Alexander Mogilny (2x). Draisaitl is the only member of that cohort born and trained in Germany – of note, Dany Heatley was born in West Germany and reached the 50-goal mark twice in his NHL career, but moved to Canada in his youth.

ERIKSSON EK, FOLIGNO REACH 20-GOAL MARK AS WILD EXTEND POINT STREAK
Joel Eriksson Ek (21-19—40 in 63 GP) and Marcus Foligno (20-16—36 in 64 GP) each tallied at least once Sunday to reach the 20-goal mark and help Minnesota extend its point streak to 10 games (9-0-1). The Wild, who also went 9-0-1 from Jan. 6–Feb. 2, recorded multiple double-digit point streaks in a single season for the first time in franchise history.

• Eriksson Ek and Foligno became the fifth and sixth 20-goal scorers for the Wild this season. That marks the franchise’s most 20-goal scorers in a single campaign, eclipsing the previous high of five from 2006-07 (Brian Rolston, Marian Gaborik, Pavol Demitra, Mikko Koivu & Pierre-Marc Bouchard).

HAT TRICKS BY NORRIS AND PAGEAU
From Sunday’s nine-game slate, Senators forward Josh Norris netted three goals and his former teammate Jean-Gabriel Pageau potted a natural hat trick as Cory Schneider secured a win in his Islanders debut.

PIVOTAL ATLANTIC, PACIFIC DIVISION MATCHUPS HEADLINE MONDAY’S SLATE
A pair of pivotal contests highlight a four-game NHL slate as Mitchell Marner and the Toronto Maple Leafs (44-19-5, 93 points) visit the defending Stanley Cup-champion Lightning (43-18-7, 93 points) in a potential First Round matchup, while the Pacific Division’s No. 1-seeded Flames (40-19-9, 89 points) take on the second-place Kings (38-23-10, 86 points).

• Marner enters Monday with a nine-game point streak (5-14—19), including multiple points in each of his last five outings (1-11—12). A sixth straight multi-point performance would make Marner (28-53—81 in 59 GP), who is averaging an NHL-leading 1.71 P/GP since Jan. 1 (22-38—60 in 35 GP), the fourth different player in franchise history with 83 or more points through 60 games played in a season – he would join Doug Gilmour in 1992-93 (24-71—95 in 60 GP) and 1993-94 (21-62—83 in 60 GP), Darryl Sittler in 1977-78 (37-52—89 in 60 GP) as well as teammate Auston Matthews in 2021-22 (48-35—83 in 60 GP).
• Calgary looks to reach 90 points in its 69th game of 2021-22, which would be tied for the second fewest contests required by the franchise to hit the benchmark in a season (also 69 GP in 2018-19) behind only 1988-89 (60 GP). The Flames went on to win the Stanley Cup that year, which included sweeping Wayne Gretzky and the Kings in the 1989 Division Finals.

MCDAVID, BARKOV AND VARLAMOV NAMED NHL ‘THREE STARS’ OF THE WEEK

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov and New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending April 3, 2022.

FIRST STAR – CONNOR McDAVID, C, EDMONTON OILERS

McDavid shared the League lead with 5-3—8 in four games, highlighted by reaching the 100-point milestone for the fifth time in seven NHL seasons, as the Oilers (40-25-5, 85 points) completed a perfect week to move within one point of second place in the Pacific Division. He scored once in a 6-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes March 28. McDavid then registered 1-1—2 to hit the 100-point mark – making him the sixth player in League history to compile five 100-point seasons before age 26 – and potted the clinching goal in the shootout as part of a 4-3 victory against the Los Angeles Kings March 30. He capped the week with consecutive winning goals, tallying twice – including his franchise-record 12th career overtime goal – in a 6-5 triumph over the St. Louis Blues April 1 and adding 1-2—3 – his ninth three-point performance of the season – in a 6-1 victory against the Anaheim Ducks April 3. The three-time Art Ross Trophy winner – who has 11-15—26 during a 13-game point streak dating to March 9 – paces the NHL with 40-65—105 in 69 total appearances this season, also ranking among the top producers in power-play points (1st; 39), assists (2nd; 65), power-play assists (2nd; 30), shots on goal (5th; 278), game-winning goals (t-5th; 8) and goals (6th; 40).

SECOND STAR – ALEKSANDER BARKOV, C, FLORIDA PANTHERS

Barkov recorded two points in all four of his contests, matching McDavid for the League lead in goals and points (5-3—8) as the Panthers (48-15-6, 102 points) also posted a perfect week to clinch the first berth in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He collected 1-1—2 in a 7-4 triumph over the Montreal Canadiens March 29. Barkov then scored twice in each of his next two outings, a 4-0 victory (featuring his franchise-record 37th game-winning goal) against the Chicago Blackhawks March 31 and a 7-6 overtime win versus the New Jersey Devils April 2 during which he found the back of the net twice in the final five minutes of regulation to help Florida overcome a four-goal, third-period deficit. He finished the week with two assists in a 5-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres April 3 as the Panthers clinched a playoff berth for the third consecutive year, a first in franchise history. The 26-year-old captain has accumulated 33-39—72 in 56 total outings this season, sitting among the League leaders in shorthanded goals (t-1st; 4), points per game (9th; 1.29), plus/minus (t-11th; +31), goals (14th; 33), points (19th; 72) and shooting percentage (23rd; 18.0%).

THIRD STAR – SEMYON VARLAMOV, G, NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Varlamov stopped 99 of the 104 shots he faced, going 3-0-0 with a 1.67 goals-against average, .952 save percentage and one shutout to also guide the Islanders (32-27-9, 73 points) to a perfect four-game week. He helped New York sweep its home-and-home series with the Columbus Blue Jackets, making 42 saves in a 4-3 win March 29 and denying 30 shots in a 5-2 triumph March 31. Varlamov then earned his 36th career shutout – and fourth straight at Madison Square Garden – with 27 saves in a 3-0 victory over the New York Rangers April 1. The 33-year-old veteran of 14 NHL seasons has played in 26 total contests in 2021-22, compiling a 9-13-2 record, 2.73 goals-against average, .918 save percentage and two shutouts.

DETROIT ASSIGNS KYLE CRISCUOLO TO GRAND RAPIDS
The Detroit Red Wings have assigned center Kyle Criscuolo to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.