NHL Review March 18, 2021
SEVEN DIFFERENT GOAL SCORERS BOOST OILERS IN LATEST BATTLE OF ALBERTA
Connor McDavid (1-2—3) was one of seven different goal scorers as the Oilers scored seven goals against the Flames for the second time this season (also Feb. 20). They achieved the feat multiple times versus Calgary in a single season for just the second time in 35 years (also 2016-17: Oct. 12, 2016 & Jan. 21, 2017).
Wednesday also marked the second time Edmonton has had seven different goal scorers in a game this season after first doing so against the Senators on Jan. 31. Colorado is the only other team to accomplish the feat on multiple occasions (Jan. 15 & March 16).
Leon Draisaitl collected three assists to move within one point of 50 in 2020-21 (17-32—49). It marked the fourth time this season, and 21st since McDavid made his debut in 2015-16, that the duo each collected three-plus points in the same game (including playoffs) – one more than the next closest set of teammates over that span (Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler: 20x w/ WPG).
Tyson Barrie matched a single-game career high with four assists to boost his 2020-21 totals to 4-24—28 in 32 GP and overtake Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman (5-22—27) for the most points among defensemen this season.
ZIBANEJAD POSTS RECORD-TYING NIGHT WITH SIX-POINT PERIOD
Mika Zibanejad (3-3—6) collected six second-period points in a span of 16:59 as the Rangers erupted for nine goals through the first 40 minutes on Wednesday. Zibanejad tied the NHL record for most points in a period, a mark first set by long-time Islanders forward Bryan Trottier who had 3-3—6 in the second period against the Rangers on Dec. 23, 1978.
Zibanejad joined Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl (0-6—6 on Jan. 31 vs. OTT) as the second player to record six points in a game this season. He also became the eighth player in franchise history to record six or more points in a game and first since Mark Messier in 1992 (2-4—6 on Nov. 25 at PIT).
Since goals by type began being tracked in 1933-34, the Rangers forward recorded the 15th instance of a player scoring a natural hat trick that was comprised of a shorthanded, power-play and even-strength goal. The last player to do so was Milan Michalek on March 6, 2012 with the Senators.
The Rangers, whose seven goals fell one shy of the franchise record for most in a period, recorded their highest single-game total since Nov. 10, 1998 (10-2 at TBL).
CONNOR CONTINUES GOAL-SCORING WAYS AS JETS REBOUND AGAIN
Kyle Connor scored his 15th and 16th goals of the season, and Nikolaj Ehlers found the back of the net 55 seconds into overtime, as the Jets improved to 9-0-1 following a loss in 2020-21. Winnipeg has not lost consecutive games in regulation since Feb. 22-23, 2020.
With at least 30 goals in each of his last three seasons, including a career-high 38 in 2019-20, Connor trails only four players for the most in in 2020-21: Auston Matthews (21), Connor McDavid (18), Leon Draisaitl (17) and Tyler Toffoli (17).
Winnipeg has posted a 9-3-1 mark since Feb. 19 – the start of a season-high four-game win streak. Its .731 point percentage over that span ranks within the League’s top 10 and the highest among clubs in the Scotia North Division.
DISCOVER CENTRAL DIVISION TAKES CENTER STAGE ON THURSDAY
All eight teams in the Discover Central Division will be in action on Thursday. The top three teams in the tightly-contested race for the division lead enter tonight’s action within one point of each other: Lightning (20-6-2, 42 points), Panthers (19-5-4, 42 points) and Hurricanes (20-7-1, 41 points).
Each of the last three contests between the Lightning and Blackhawks have seen the winning team rally from a multi-goal deficit to win. The Lightning erased a two-goal, third-period deficit to prevail in overtime against the Blackhawks on March 4. The Blackhawks answered the next evening by posting their first multi-goal comeback win of the season to earn a shootout victory on March 5. Two days later, Tampa Bay rallied from an early 3-0 deficit with six unanswered goals for another comeback win over Chicago on March 7.
The Panthers are 19-5-4 (42 points) in 28 games played and could match a franchise mark set for fewest games played to reach 20 wins, a mark set in 1995-96 (29 GP).
The Hurricanes own an 8-1-0 mark over their last nine contests, in which they have been led offensively by defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who enters tonight riding a nine-game point streak (2-9—11 in 9 GP). Should he extend tonight, Hamilton would be just the fourth defenseman since 2015-16 to reach double digits.
STREAKING WILD, AVALANCHE SET TO FACE OFF
Two of the hottest teams in the Honda West Division will go head-to-head when the Wild (5-0-0) and Avalanche (4-0-0) put their respective winning streaks on the line. The teams have each earned a pair of wins in the season series so far in 2020-21 (COL: 2-1-1; MIN: 2-2-0).
Should the Wild win their sixth consecutive game, they would join the Lightning as the only teams with multiple winning streaks of six or more games this season. Minnesota has only had multiple such streaks one other time in franchise history (9 GP and 6 GP in 2006-07).
Wild’s Soucy Suspended One Game for Charging
Minnesota Wild defenseman Carson Soucy has been suspended for one game, without pay, for charging Arizona Coyotes forward Conor Garland during NHL Game No. 186 in Minnesota on Tuesday, March 16, 2021.
The incident occurred at 10:45 of the first period. Soucy was assessed a major penalty for elbowing.
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Soucy will forfeit $23,706.90. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Click on video for a full explanation of the decision.