NHL Review February 28, 2022

CONNOR TALLIES TWICE, MOVES INTO TOP FIVE IN “ROCKET” RACE
Kyle Connor scored his 31st and 32nd goals of 2021-22 and tied Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin for fourth in the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy race as the Jets (23-21-9, 55 points) erased a one-goal deficit to earn a win at Gila River Arena.

• Connor (Shelby Township, Mich.) is one of five U.S.-born players who rank within the top 10 in goals this season, three of which round out the top five (also Auston Matthews & Chris Kreider). The 2021-22 campaign can become just the second in NHL history to feature five U.S.-born skaters in the top 10 in goals at the end of a season, joining 2016-17.
• Connor can become just the second player in Jets/Thrashers history to win the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy (since its inception in 1998-99) – Atlanta’s Ilya Kovalchuk (41) shared the award with Columbus’ Rick Nash and Calgary’s Jarome Iginla in 2003-04.

CROSBY CAPS PENGUINS RALLY AND CLIMBS ALL-TIME LIST
After the Penguins erased 1-0 and 2-1 deficits, captain Sidney Crosby scored with 2:14 remaining in regulation to lift Pittsburgh to its sixth third-period comeback win of the season. In the process, Crosby boosted his career totals to 502-873—1,375 (1,082 GP) and passed Mike Modano (561-813—1,374 in 1,499) for sole possession of 25th place on the NHL’s all-time points list.

• Crosby, who joined Joe Thornton (No. 12) and Alex Ovechkin (No. 24) as the third active player within the NHL’s top 25 in all-time scoring, netted a go-ahead goal within the final three minutes of regulation for the sixth time in his career – tied with Joe Pavelski for the most among active players.

MILLER HELPS CANUCKS KEEP PACE IN WILD CARD RACE
J.T. Miller (0-2—2) factored on two of five Vancouver goals to record his third consecutive multi-assist game and helped the Canucks (26-22-6, 58 points) move within three points of the Stars (29-20-3, 61 points) – who also won Sunday – for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Vancouver and Dallas are two of five teams involved in the race separated by six points.

• The Canucks, who lead the NHL with 4.63 goals-per-game since All-Star Weekend, scored at least five tallies for the third straight contest and accomplished the feat for the fifth time in the past 25 years. The others: Oct. 22-30, 2019 (4 GP), Dec. 1-6, 2011 (3 GP) Oct. 14-18, 2005 (3 GP) and Feb. 6-25, 1998 (3 GP).

BLACK HOCKEY HISTORY SPOTLIGHT: QUINTON BYFIELD

During the 2020 NHL Draft, the Kings selected Quinton Byfield with the No. 2 pick and he became the highest-selected Black player in NHL history. Byfield surpassed Evander Kane (2009, ATL) and Seth Jones (2013, NSH), who were each chosen with the fourth-overall pick.

• Byfield spent the majority of 2020-21 with the Ontario Reign where he tallied 8-12—20 (32 GP) as an 18-year-old playing in his first professional season and recorded one assist in the six contests he played with the Kings. The Newmarket, Ont., native made his 2021-22 season debut Jan. 20 after recovering from injury and scored his first NHL goal Jan. 27.

HUGHES BROTHER SET TO SQUARE OFF FOR THIRD TIME

The Canucks will contest the 4,000th regular-season game in franchise history when they visit the Devils in what is expected to be the third all-time NHL showdown – and first in more than two years – between brothers Quinn and Jack Hughes.

• The brothers first met Oct. 19, 2019, when Jack scored his first NHL goal (in his eighth game) to give the Devils a 1-0 victory against Quinn and the Canucks. The eldest Hughes brother found the score sheet in their second meeting, Nov. 10, 2019, with an assist on Vancouver’s lone goal but Jack and New Jersey emerged with a win again.
• Future Canucks-Devils matchups could very well feature a Hughes trio rather than a Hughes duo after New Jersey selected the youngest brother, Luke, with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. ESPN was on-site at the Hughes family home in Michigan for the virtual draft, which gave the family multiple unique distinctions in League history – including being the first to have three siblings selected within the top 10.

TOP GOAL SCORERS IN ACTION MONDAY

Three players who account for each of the last four Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy wins are slated to be in action Monday, including a matchup between reigning winner Auston Matthews and nine-time recipient Alex Ovechkin – who sits four goals from tying Jaromir Jagr for third place in League history. Ovechkin has been a co-winner of the award only once, in 2019-20 when he and David Pastrnak each finished the abbreviated season with 48 goals.

• Matthews, the current goals leader, is riding a three-game streak that has put him a hat trick away from reaching the 40-goal mark for the fourth time in six NHL seasons.
• Pastrnak, who has scored in three of his past four games, needs two tallies for his fifth career 30-goal season – a feat achieved by only seven players in Bruins history. He is set to square off against Adrian Kempe, the second Kings player in the past 19 campaigns to score at least 25 goals within his first 50 games of a season.

MATTHEWS, MILLER AND STAMKOS NAMED NHL ‘THREE STARS’ OF THE WEEK

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller and Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Feb. 27, 2022.

FIRST STAR – AUSTON MATTHEWS, C, TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Matthews collected 4-5—9 in four games to move into first place in the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy race and guide the Maple Leafs (34-14-4, 72 points) to a 2-1-1 week. After being held off the scoresheet in a 5-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens Feb. 21, Matthews rebounded with multiple points in each of his next three outings. He factored on all three Toronto goals, posting 1-2—3 (including the primary assist on Jason Spezza’s tying tally at 17:54 of the third period) in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets Feb. 22. Matthews then scored twice, highlighted by his sixth game-winning goal of the season, in a 3-1 triumph over the Minnesota Wild Feb. 24. He capped the week with 1-3—4, his 10th career four-point performance and second of the campaign (also Jan. 31 vs. NJD: 3-1—4), in a 10-7 victory against the Detroit Red Wings Feb. 26. The 24-year-old Scottsdale, Ariz., native and reigning Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner now leads the League with 37 goals in 49 total contests this season. He also ranks among the top 2021-22 performers in takeaways (3rd; 59), power-play goals (t‑3rd; 12), points (4th; 68), shots on goal (4th; 221), game-winning goals (t-5th; 6) and power-play points (7th; 22).

SECOND STAR – J.T. MILLER, C, VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Miller registered multiple assists/points in all three of his appearances, totaling 2-6—8 to propel the Canucks (26-22-6, 58 points) to a perfect week and within three points of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. He notched a pair of assists in a 5-2 win over the Seattle Kraken Feb. 21. Miller then helped Vancouver snap the Calgary Flames’ 10-game winning streak with 2-2—4, including the decisive goal, in a 7-1 triumph Feb. 24. He closed the week by defeating his former team, the New York Rangers, with two more assists in a 5-2 win Feb. 27. The 28-year-old East Palestine, Ohio, native – who has compiled 4-9—13 during an active six-game point streak dating to Feb. 12 – has played in 52 total games this season, topping the Canucks in goals (20), assists (39) and points (59) while also sitting among the League leaders in power-play points (3rd; 26), power-play assists (t-3rd; 20), assists (t-9th; 39) and points (12th; 59).

THIRD STAR – STEVEN STAMKOS, C, TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Stamkos posted 2-2—4 in two outings, including 1-2—3 in the 2022 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series, to help the Lightning (34-11-6, 74 points) move within one point of first place in the Atlantic Division. He scored once in a 5-3 triumph against the Edmonton Oilers Feb. 23. Stamkos then registered 1-2—3, highlighted by the winning goal, in his outdoor NHL game debut – a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators during the 2022 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium Feb. 26. The 32-year-old Markham, Ont., native and captain of the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions has appeared in 50 total contests this season, leading Tampa Bay and ranking among the top overall producers in both points (11th; 59) and goals (t-16th; 25).