NHL Review March 1, 2021

KANE SCORES 400TH CAREER NHL GOAL

Patrick Kane’s 400th career regular-season goal was one of Chicago’s season-high seven tallies on Sunday. Among all U.S.-born players in NHL history to reach the milestone, the Buffalo, N.Y., native became the fifth youngest at the time of goal No. 400.

Kane boosted his career totals to 400-656—1,056 (996 GP) and became the fourth player in Blackhawks history to reach the milestone, joining Bobby Hull (604-549—1,153 in 1,036 GP), Stan Mikita (541-926—1,467 in 1,396 GP) and Steve Larmer (406-517—923 in 891 GP).

Meanwhile, Kevin Lankinen made 44 saves for his sixth win in the month of February (6-2-1) and also joined rare company in franchise history. Only three rookie goaltenders since 1955-56 (when shots on goal began being tracked) posted more in a win for Chicago: Bob Janecyk (48 on Feb. 29, 1984 vs. BUF), Darren Pang (48 on Jan. 23, 1988 at TOR) and Collin Delia (46 on Dec. 27, 2018 vs. MIN).

OVECHKIN INCHES CLOSER TO ESPOSITO ON ALL-TIME GOALS LIST

Alex Ovechkin’s go-ahead goal in the second period stood as the winning marker as the MassMutual East Division-leading Capitals improved to 12-5-4 this season. Ovechkin (713) moved four goals shy of tying Phil Esposito (717) for sixth place on the NHL’s all-time list and within five of tying him for third on the all-time game-winning goals list.

Ovechkin also netted his 362nd career regular-season goal on the road. Only one player in NHL history has more.

SOROKIN JOINS RARE COMPANY WITH ANOTHER SHUTOUT WIN

Ilya Sorokin turned aside all 20 shots he faced to backstop the Islanders to victory and help New York improve to 7-0-2 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum this season. Sorokin, the second rookie goaltender in franchise history to record consecutive shutouts, became the eighth in NHL history to accomplish the feat through his first two career regular-season wins.

FLYERS EARN THIRD STRAIGHT SHUTOUT WIN VS. SABRES

Sean Couturier scored the game-winning goal for the second time in as many days and Carter Hart turned aside all 28 shots he faced as the Flyers earned consecutive shutout wins on the road for the first time in franchise history.

The Flyers, who also blanked the Sabres on Jan. 19 and Feb. 27, shut out an opponent in three consecutive meetings for the first time in franchise history. Philadelphia became the second team in five years to achieve the feat. The other: Florida (Dec. 30, 2017 vs. MTL, March 8, 2018 vs. MTL & March 19, 2018 at MTL).

Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault improved to 52-25-10 behind the Philadelphia bench and became the fifth active head coach to win 700 regular-season games.

NHL CLUBS GRADUALLY WELCOMING FANS BACK AT REDUCED CAPACITY

As the 2020-21 regular season enters its third calendar month and the one-year anniversary of last season’s pause draws near, NHL clubs are gradually welcoming fans back into their buildings including the Rangers who had 1,800 fans in attendance at Madison Square Garden for games against the Bruins both Friday and Sunday.

Vegas is set to open its doors at 15% capacity tonight, followed later this week by Columbus (March 2; 10%), New Jersey (March 2; 10%) and Carolina (March 4; 15%).

Overall, 13 of 31 NHL clubs either have already opened their arena at a reduced capacity or have announced plans to do so this month.

WILD, GOLDEN KNIGHTS SET TO BATTLE FOR FIRST IN HONDA WEST

The top two teams in the Honda West Division are set to square off when the Wild (12-6-0, 24 points) travel to T-Mobile Arena to take on the first-place Golden Knights (12-4-1, 25 points).

Minnesota enters Monday’s action with a six-game win streak, tied for the longest by any club this season (also LAK: 6-0-0 from Feb. 11-24 & TBL: 6-0-0 from Jan. 30 – Feb. 9). It also marks the club’s longest such run since a franchise-record 12 straight victories during the 2016-17 campaign (Dec. 4-29, 2016).

Kirill Kaprizov (6-11—17), Minnesota’s fifth-round pick (135th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft, leads the Wild in points this season and enters tonight’s action with a five-game point streak dating to Feb. 20. Only one rookie in franchise history has recorded a longer such stretch: Marian Gaborik (7 GP in 2000-01).

Max Pacioretty (8-5—13 in 17 GP) leads the Golden Knights with eight goals this season, all of which have come on home ice. With goals in each of his last two games at T-Mobile Arena, Pacioretty can join Nick Foligno (9 w/ CBJ in 2019-20), Jesperi Kotkaniemi (11 w/ MTL in 2018-19) and Nick Bonino (12 w/ NSH in 2017-18) as the fourth player in as many seasons to score each of his first nine-plus tallies of a season at home.

PANTHERS, HURRICANES LOOK TO CONTINUE EARLY-SEASON SUCCESS

The Panthers (13-4-3, 29 points) and Hurricanes (13-6-1, 27 points) are set to go head-to-head for the second time in as many games after each club has completed one of their best 20-game starts to a season in franchise history.

Florida, with five wins in its last eight games, has collected at least 13 victories through its first 20 contests of a season for the second time in franchise history (also 14 in 1995-96). Meanwhile, its 29 points are tied with the 1995-96 (14-5-1, 29 points) and 1996-97 (12-3-5, 29 points) campaigns for the most through that same span.

Carolina on the other hand has compiled its second-best 20-game start to a season in franchise history. Its 13 wins and 27 points over that span trails only the Stanley Cup-winning 2005-06 campaign (14-5-1, 29 points) for the highest-such totals in franchise history.

Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, Frontline Healthcare Hero Glenda M. Wright Named NHL ‘First Stars’ of the Week

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and Tampa General Hospital Director of Environmental Services and Pest Control Glenda M. Wright have been named the NHL’s “First Stars” for the week ending Feb. 28.

Throughout the 2020-21 season the NHL is celebrating the remarkable efforts of the off-ice stars who make it possible for us to play our games amid a pandemic by honoring frontline healthcare heroes from the regions represented by the League’s weekly and monthly “Stars.”

Wright, who has been working at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) for 10 years, always has had an immense passion to be a person of impact – one who works authentically to influence positive change and enhance perspectives. That desire has manifested itself through her job at TGH, where the Environment Services Team has taken on an even more significant role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wright oversees the daily completion of more than 800 occupied room cleans as well as hundreds of daily discharges, including the servicing of team member, non-clinical and ancillary spaces.

“We care for the environment,” Wright says. “With Environmental Services, cleaning is like the first level. What we do is we disinfect, we erase pathogens. That is our job. Get rid of the microorganisms that people cannot see with their normal eye.” Despite the challenges of the pandemic both at the hospital and in their personal lives, Wright’s Environmental Services Team has shown up to work each day ready to make a difference and help those in-need in any way they can.

Rounding out the “Three Stars” of the week are Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane and Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello. More on each NHL player’s performance can be found below:

FIRST STAR – ANDREI VASILEVSKIY, G, TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Vasilevskiy stopped 79 of the 81 shots he faced to go 3-0-0 (0.67 GAA, .975 SV, 2 SO), helping the defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning (14-4-1, 29 points) move into first place in the Discover NHL Central Division. He turned aside 34 shots, including all 17 he saw in the third period, in a 4-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Feb. 22. Vasilevskiy then earned consecutive shutouts, making 25 saves in a 3-0 win against the Hurricanes Feb. 25 and 20 stops in a 5-0 triumph over the Dallas Stars Feb. 27 – their first meeting since the 2020 Stanley Cup Final. The 26-year-old Tyumen, Russia, native and 2018-19 Vezina Trophy winner leads the NHL with 12 victories in 16 games this season (12-3-1). He also ranks second among goaltenders with at least five appearances in both goals-against average (1.75) and save percentage (.938), behind only Vegas’ Marc-Andre Fleury (1.59 GAA, .941 SV%).

SECOND STAR – PATRICK KANE, RW, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Kane posted a League-leading 3-5—8 in four outings, highlighted by his 400th NHL goal, to power the Blackhawks (12-7-4, 28 points) to a trio of wins. He registered 1-3—4, his 15th career regular-season game with at least four points, in a 6-5 shootout victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets Feb. 23. Kane then scored his 63rd career game-winning goal, eighth among all players since he entered the League in 2007-08, in 2-0 triumph against the Blue Jackets Feb. 25. After being held off the scoresheet in a 5-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings Feb. 27, Kane rebounded with 1-2—3 – including his 400th NHL goal – in a 7-2 victory over the Red Wings Feb. 28. The 32-year-old Buffalo, N.Y., native – who sits second in the NHL with 11-23—34 in 23 contests this season – became the 100th player in League history, and ninth born in the U.S., to reach the milestone.

THIRD STAR – MATS ZUCCARELLO, RW, MINNESOTA WILD

Zuccarello ranked second in the NHL with 2-6—8 in four appearances to help the Wild (12-6-0, 24 points) extend their winning streak to six games and move into second place in the Honda NHL West Division. He registered 1-3—4, his second career four-point performance (also Oct. 7, 2017 at TOR: 1-3—4), in a 6-2 triumph over the San Jose Sharks Feb. 22. Zuccarello then collected 1-1—2 in a 6-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche Feb. 24. He added two assists in a pair of victories over the Los Angeles Kings, picking up one helper in a 3-1 triumph Feb. 26 and earning the primary assist on Matt Dumba’s last-second overtime winner in a 4-3 victory Feb. 27. The 33-year-old Oslo, Norway, native has played in seven contests this season, recording points in each of Minnesota’s six consecutive wins dating to Feb. 18 (3-8—11).