NHL Review – January 27, 2022

ROAD WORK AHEAD: SHOTS, SHUTOUTS AND GOALS GALORE FOR FLAMES
Andrew Mangiapane scored his NHL-leading 18th road goal of the season and Jacob Markstrom made 23 saves in a perfect performance as the Flames (20-12-6, 46 points) logged 62 shots and skated to a six-goal victory to leapfrog the idle Stars (22-16-2, 46 points) for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

• Markstrom, who recorded his NHL-leading sixth shutout of 2021-22, became the first goaltender in Flames history to record four road shutouts in a single season. The last campaign to feature a netminder post more was 2017-18 when both Andrei Vasilevskiy (6) and Pekka Rinne (5) did so.
• With 62 shots on goal Wednesday, the Flames established a new single-game franchise record (regular season or playoffs). Calgary’s shot total was the most by any team in a regular-season contest in over 30 years when Boston recorded 73 on March 21, 1991.

MAKAR NETS OVERTIME WINNER, AVALANCHE COMPLETE MULTI-GOAL COMEBACK
Captain Gabriel Landeskog (1-1—2) scored the game-tying goal with 37 seconds remaining in regulation before Cale Makar (1-1—2) netted the 4-3 overtime winner as the Avalanche (30-8-6, 63 points) completed a third-period, multi-goal comeback and extended their home winning streak to 17 games – the fifth longest such run in NHL history and lengthiest since the record-holding Red Wings (23 GP in 2011-12).

• Makar (17-24—41 in 37 GP) and Landeskog (16-25—41 in 33 GP) became the fourth and fifth Colorado players to reach the 40-point mark this season, with Makar requiring the second-fewest games among Avalanche defensemen to do so behind only Steve Duchesne (32 GP in 1992-1993).
• The Avalanche improved to 13-0-1 in 2022, setting a franchise mark for most wins in a single month and sit atop all teams since the turn of the calendar. With two more games scheduled in January (Jan. 28 at CHI & Jan 30 vs. BUF), Colorado can match the NHL record for most victories in a month, previously achieved by the Bruins (15 in March 2014) and Penguins (15 in March 2013).

CAMPBELL SECURES FIRST 20-WIN SEASON AS MAPLE LEAFS FOIL DUCKS
The Toronto Maple Leafs (27-10-3, 57 points) scored three power-play goals in a game for the first time since Feb. 20, 2021 as Jack Campbell (17 saves) stopped two of three shootout attempts to win 4-3 and foil the Ducks’ comeback and reach the 20-win mark for the first time in his career. Toronto, which currently sits third in the Atlantic Division, moved within six and four points, respectively, of idle Florida (1st; 29-9-5, 63 points) and Tampa Bay (2nd; 28-10-5, 61 points), while holding three games in hand over both teams.

• Campbell secured his 60th career victory and has earned 40 of those wins since joining Toronto in 2019-20 (58 GP). The Maple Leafs starter has doubled his win percentage (.689) since being traded north of the border, having amassed 20 wins in 58 appearances (.344) across his first five NHL seasons with Dallas and Los Angeles.

STROME’S HAT TRICK IN WILD GAME VERSUS DETROIT
Wednesday, Dylan Strome (3-1—4) scored the first hat trick of his NHL career as the Blackhawks quelled a comeback attempt by the Detroit Red Wings to defeat Detroit 8-5 in a wild game at Little Caesars Arena.

Sabres’ Dell Suspended Three Games for Interference
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Aaron Dell has been suspended for three games, without pay, for interference against Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson during NHL Game No. 744 in Ottawa on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. The incident occurred at 18:57 of the first period. Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Dell will forfeit $11,250.00. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Video gives a full explanation of the decision.

DOUGHTY SET FOR GAME NO. 1,000 ON 10-GAME THURSDAY
A 10-game Thursday is set to feature the three top teams in the Metropolitan Division – the Rangers (28-11-4, 60 points), Penguins (27-10-5, 59 points) and Hurricanes (28-9-2, 58 points) – all of whom are separated by just two points.

DOUGHTY SET TO SKATE IN MILESTONE GAME, CAN JOIN ELITE COMPANY
Drew Doughty (129-428—557 in 999 GP) is set to skate in his 1,000th NHL game and into the Kings’ record books Thursday when Los Angeles visits New York at UBS Arena. Doughty can become the first defenseman in franchise history to reach the mark and just the 10th active NHL blueliner.

NHL Concludes Investigation of Evander Kane Cross-Border Travel
The National Hockey League has concluded its investigation into the circumstances pursuant to which Evander Kane travelled cross-border during the Holiday Period.

The report prepared in connection with the investigation, which was conducted by Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, concluded that there was insufficient evidence to “conclusively find that Mr. Kane knowingly made misrepresentations regarding his COVID-19 status or test results in connection with his international travel.”

As a result, the League has determined not to pursue any additional League-imposed discipline against Kane at the current time.

Kane remains an Unrestricted Free Agent and is currently eligible to sign and to play for any NHL Club without restriction.