NHL REVIEW MARCH 20 2018 VEGAS NEARS 100 POINTS

MONDAY’S RESULTS
Home Team in Caps
Pittsburgh 4, NY ISLANDERS 1
Columbus 5, NY RANGERS 3
WASHINGTON 4, Dallas 3
Edmonton 7, CAROLINA 3
Florida 7, OTTAWA 2
DETROIT 5, Philadelphia 4 (SO)
TAMPA BAY 4, Toronto 3
WINNIPEG 2, Los Angeles 1 (OT)
Colorado 5, CHICAGO 1
VEGAS 4, Vancouver 1
SAN JOSE 6, New Jersey 2

EXPANSION GOLDEN KNIGHTS INCH CLOSER TO 100-POINT MARK

Four different players scored and Marc-Andre Fleury (7 saves) was credited with the 402nd win of his careeras the expansion Golden Knights (47-21-5, 99 points) moved within one point of 100 on the season.

The current benchmark for fewest NHL seasons to reach 100 points is three, set by the Oilers in 1981-82 (after they joined the League from the WHA). Excluding teams to merge from the WHA, the record for fewest seasons to reach 100 points is four, set by the Islanders in 1975-76.

The Golden Knights rank second in the NHL with 248 goals (including shootout-deciding goals), the third-most ever by a team in its inaugural season behind the Whalers (303) and Oilers (301) during their 80-game campaign in 1979-80.

Vegas ranks second this season with 3.40 goals per game. Only three franchises in the NHL’s modern era (since 1943-44) finished their first season averaging at least three goals per game, all in 1979-80 (HFD: 3.79; EDM: 3.76; and QUE: 3.10).

OVECHKIN CLIMBS ALL-TIME GOALS LIST, PULLS AHEAD IN ROCKET RACE

Alex Ovechkin (1-2—3) scored his 44th goal of the season and 602nd of his career to regain sole possession of the goals lead in 2017-18 and surpass Jari Kurri (601) into 19th place on the NHL’s all-time list.

Ovechkin, who has averaged 0.60 goals per game in 2017-18, sits six goals shy of 50 with nine games remaining. Should he hit the mark, he would join Mike Bossy (9) and Wayne Gretzky (9) as the only players in NHL history with at least eight 50-goal campaigns.

The 32-year-old forward aims to become just the second player in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to lead the League in goals at age 32 or older; Phil Esposito achieved the feat in 1973-74 and 1974-75, campaigns that ended mere days before his 33rd and 34th birthday, respectively.

The Capitals (42-24-7, 91 points) opened a four-point lead over the Penguins (41-27-5, 87 points) in the battle for first place in the Metropolitan Division. The clubs close their season series on April 1 at PPG Paints Arena (PIT: 2-1-0, WSH: 1-2-0) – what is expected to be Ovechkin’s 1,000th career game.

ROOKIES CONNOR, BARZAL GUIDE CLUBS TO VICTORY

Rookies Kyle Connor (WPG) and Mathew Barzal (NYI) registered multiple points to guide their respective clubs to victory.

Connor (2-0—2) tied the game in the second period and scored in overtime as the Jets (44-19-10, 98 points) established a franchise record for wins in a season and moved within two points of the first 100-point campaign in club history. Connor ranks second among NHL rookies with 27 goals, trailing Vancouver’s Brock Boeser(29). Only two Jets/Thrashers rookies have scored more goals in a season: Patrik Laine (36 in 2016-17 w/ WPG) and Ilya Kovalchuk (29 in 2001-02 w/ ATL).

Barzal (1-1—2), meanwhile, registered his 17th multi-point game of 2017-18 to boost his totals to 20-55—75 in 73 games this season. Barzal (1.03 P/GP) is one of 22 players – and the only rookie – to average at least one point per game in 2017-18 (min. 50 GP). Only three rookies in the past 24 years have finished a season at or above that benchmark: Alex Ovechkin (1.31) and Sidney Crosby (1.26) in 2005-06 and Evgeni Malkin(1.09) in 2006-07.

NHL Schedule for Wednesday Mar 21 2018

Matchup	Time
Arizona@ Buffalo	7:00 PM ET
Montréal@ Pittsburgh	7:00 PM ET
Boston@ St. Louis	8:00 PM ET
Anaheim@ Calgary	9:30 PM ET