NHL Review March 22, 2021
LIGHTNING TRIUMPH IN ANOTHER TIGHTLY-CONTESTED GAME AGAINST PANTHERS
Mathieu Joseph put the League-leading Lightning up 3-2 at 5:22 of the third period, but Patric Hornqvist scored the game’s third tying goal 63 seconds later to pull the Panthers even. Tyler Johnson then scored the go-ahead goal with 9:04 remaining in regulation and Brayden Point (1-1—2) potted an empty netter as Tampa Bay edged Florida 5-3 in another back-and-forth game between the intrastate rivals.
KOPITAR CONTINUES TO ROLL AS KINGS SNAP GOLDEN KNIGHTS’ STREAK
Anze Kopitar (0-2—2) collected his 117th career multi-assist game as the Kings rebounded from a 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights on Friday with a 3-1 victory, snapping Vegas’ overall winning streak at five games. The Kings earned their first win against the Golden Knights this season (1-3-0) after going 3-1-0 against them in 2019-20.
Kopitar boosted his Honda West Division-leading totals to 8-29—37 (30 GP) and has found the score sheet in each of Los Angeles’ last nine games at STAPLES Center dating to Feb. 9 (5-9—14), matching the longest home point streak of his NHL career set in 2010-11. The last time a Kings player posted a longer such run was in 1993-94, when Jari Kurri (14 GP) and Wayne Gretzky (11 GP) each did so.
YOUTH HELP DEVILS, PREDATORS PICK UP WINS
Youth helped the Devils overcome veteran Sidney Crosby and the Penguins, while the Predators received a three-point performance from a 21-year-old rookie as the club rallied for a shootout win:
Crosby scored early to put Pittsburgh up 1-0, but New Jersey players age 23 or younger combined for four points – including the overtime winner by Jesper Bratt – as the Devils rallied past the Penguins. New Jersey has received over half of its points this season from players age 23 or younger (54.0%; 107 of 198) – no other team has a rate of 40% or higher in 2020-21.
Eeli Tolvanen (1-2—3) factored on all three of Nashville’s goals in regulation – which included scoring the tying tally with 5:45 left in the third period – to record the first three-point game of his NHL career. Only one Predators rookie has recorded more than three points in a game: Dan Hamhuis on March 4, 2004 (1-4—5).
FIRST PLACE IN MASSMUTUAL EAST AND SCOTIA NORTH DIVISIONS UP FOR GRABS
Both the Islanders (20-8-4, 44 points) and Oilers (21-13-0, 42 points) can climb into first place in their respective division during a busy 10-game Monday in the NHL.
Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who extended the franchise record for longest win streak by a rookie on Saturday (7-0-0), can become just the sixth goaltender in club history to earn a win in eight or more consecutive appearances within a season. The longest winning streak by an Islanders goaltender is 11 games, a mark set by Jaroslav Halak in 2014-15.
Oilers teammates Connor McDavid (21-39—60 in 34 GP) and Leon Draisaitl (18-32—50 in 34 GP) enter tonight’s game sitting in first and second place, respectively, in the Art Ross Trophy race. On Saturday, McDavid extended his point streak to nine games (7-13—20) and became the fastest player to reach the 60-point mark in a season since Mario Lemieux in 2002-03 (17-43—60 in 33 GP). Draisaitl, meanwhile, netted the winning goal Saturday to join McDavid as the only players with 50+ points so far in 2020-21 – it marked the second straight season that the Oilers duo were the first two players in the League to hit the mark.
AVALANCHE LOOK TO EXTEND STREAK, NARROW GAP ON GOLDEN KNIGHTS
The Avalanche (19-8-2, 40 points) go head-to-head with the Coyotes tonight looking to close in on the Golden Knights (21-7-1, 43 points), who also are in action, for first place in the Honda West Division. After Vegas’ loss on Sunday, Colorado enters tonight as the sole owners of the NHL’s longest active win streak, posting a 6-0-0 record since March 10 when they defeated Arizona in Nathan MacKinnon’s return to the lineup.
MacKinnon has earned at least a point in each of his last five games (4-5—9), a run which includes three points in his last two outings. The 25-year-old can become the first Avalanche player to record three straight games with three or more points since Peter Forsberg in 2000-01 (5-9—14 in 4 GP).
MacKinnon (199-327—526 in 550 GP) currently sits one goal shy of becoming the eighth player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to score 200 goals with the club.
Predators’ Calle Jarnkrok, Frontline Healthcare Hero Dr. Alex Jahangir Named NHL ‘First Stars’ of the Week
Oilers’ McDavid, Rangers’ Zibanejad Round Out ‘Three Stars’
Nashville Predators center Calle Jarnkrok and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) Dr. Alex Jahangir have been named the NHL’s “First Stars” for the week ending March 21.
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.”
Dr. Jahangir is an orthopedic trauma surgeon and a professor of orthopedic surgery at Nashville’s VUMC, where he currently serves as the director of the Division of Orthopedic Trauma as well as the executive medical director of the Vanderbilt Center for Trauma, Burn, and Emergency Surgery.
In March 2020, Dr. Jahangir – who already was serving as chair of Metro Nashville’s Board of Health – was appointed to head Nashville’s Metro Coronavirus Task Force. Throughout the pandemic, he has joined city officials at daily press briefings and worked with the mayor’s advisor for Nashville’s response to COVID-19.
“What’s been great in this capacity is that I’ve had the opportunity to meet people from different parts of Nashville,” Dr. Jahangir told the Nashville Scene. “And people, I know, are taking huge hits, but they say, ‘I get it,’ and they’re on board. I see people wearing masks, I hear about people making masks. We are flattening the curve.”
Rounding out the “Three Stars” of the week are Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad. More on each NHL player’s performance can be found below:
FIRST STAR – CALLE JARNKROK, C, NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Jarnkrok recorded 3-3—6 in four outings, factoring on six of Nashville’s nine goals to power the Predators (14-17-1, 29 points) to a 3-1-0 week. He matched a career high for assists (also Jan. 20, 2018 vs. FLA) and established a single-game best for points with 1-3—4 in a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning March 15. Jarnkrok then scored twice, including his 13th career game-winning goal, in a 2-1 triumph against the Florida Panthers March 18. After being held off the scoresheet in a 2-0 loss to the Panthers March 20, Jarnkrok bounced back with the shootout-deciding goal – the first such tally of his career – in a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars March 21. The 29-year-old Gävle, Sweden, native ranks third on Nashville with 9-6—15 in 26 appearances this season. His 22.0 shooting percentage in 2020-21 (9 G on 41 SOG) shares fourth place in the entire NHL.
SECOND STAR – CONNOR McDAVID, C, EDMONTON OILERS
McDavid collected 4-4—8 in four contests to share the League lead in scoring and lift the Oilers (21-13-0, 42 points) into a tie – in terms of points – for first place in the Scotia NHL North Division. He posted four points across a pair of games against the Calgary Flames, notching one assist in a 4-3 loss March 15 and 1-2—3 (including the winning goal) in a 7-3 triumph March 17. McDavid then scored both Edmonton goals, including his second straight winner, in a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets March 18 before closing the week with 1-1—2 in a 4-2 triumph against the Jets March 20. The 24-year-old Richmond Hill, Ont., native and two-time Art Ross Trophy winner tops in the NHL in goals (t-21), assists (39) and points (60) through 34 outings in 2020-21. His 60 points are the most by any player through his first 34 games of a season since 2002-03 (Mario Lemieux: 18-45—63).
THIRD STAR – MIKA ZIBANEJAD, C, NEW YORK RANGERS
Zibanejad also registered 4-4—8 in four games to guide the Rangers (13-13-4, 30 points) to a 2-1-1 week. He did not reach the scoresheet in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers March 15, but rebounded with 3-3—6 – all in the second period – in a 9-0 win over the Flyers March 17. In doing so, Zibanejad matched the NHL record for points in a single period and became the first Rangers player with a six-point performance since Nov. 25, 1992 (Mark Messier: 2-4—6 at PIT). Zibanejad again was held off the scoresheet in a 2-1 loss to the Washington Capitals March 19, but closed the week with 1-1—2 – including the winning goal with 2:32 remaining in regulation – in a 3-1 triumph against the Capitals March 20. The 27-year-old Stockholm, Sweden, native sits fifth on New York with 7-12—19 in 30 contests this season.