NHL Review March 9, 2022

NEARLY 90 GOALS SCORED ACROSS 11 GAMES TUESDAY
Tuesday’s 11-game slate featured a total of 85 goals for an average of 7.7 per contest.

SCHMALTZ THRILLS WITH FOUR-POINT ENCORE AS COYOTES PILE NINE IN DETROIT

Nick Schmaltz secured 2-2—4 in his encore performance, after he established a Coyotes/Jets record for most points in a game Saturday, to lead the franchise to their first nine-goal contest since Dec. 15, 1995 (9-4 W vs. EDM). Arizona became the third different team to score nine or more goals in a game this season, joining Toronto (10 on Feb. 26) and Florida (9 on Dec. 30, 2021 & Jan. 15).

• After scoring eight goals Saturday, the Coyotes have amassed 17 or more tallies in a two-game span for the fourth time in franchise history and first since the club relocated from Winnipeg. Arizona also became the first NHL team to score 17-plus in two contests since Colorado from Dec. 3-5, 1995 (18), a historic season which saw the Avalanche win their first Stanley Cup.
• Schmaltz improved his totals to 4-7—11 over the past two contests and established a franchise record for the most points in a two-game span. He became just the sixth different player in the past 35 years to tally 11 or more points over two contests.

OTHER U.S.-BORN PLAYERS KANE, MATTHEWS SHINE IN WINS TUESDAY
Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N.Y.) and Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (San Ramon, Calif.) also left their mark on games:

• Kane (1-5—6) established a single-game career high for points and became the first Chicago player with six in a contest since Bernie Nicholls over 27 years ago (4-2—6 on Feb. 5, 1995). Only two players in franchise history have registered more points in a game: Max Bentley (4-3—7 on Jan. 28, 1943) and Grant Mulvey (5-2—7 on Feb. 3, 1982).
• Kane (8-14—22 in 12 GP) has 22 points since the Blackhawks returned from All-Star Weekend on Feb. 9, tied for the second most in the NHL over that span behind only Flames forward Elias Lindholm (14-9—23 in 14 GP).
• Matthews scored three of his team’s six goals to mark his third hat trick of the season, helping the Toronto Maple Leafs earn a win against the Kraken at Scotiabank Arena. Matthews (43-32—75 in 54 GP) opened up a five-goal lead over Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl (38-41—79 in 57 GP) and New York’s Chris Kreider (38-15—53 in 57 GP) in the 2021-22 Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy race.
• Matthews became the seventh player in franchise history to score a hat trick in Toronto’s first-ever home game against a club. He joined Corb Denneny, Harry Meeking and Reg Noble against the original Ottawa Senators on Dec. 22, 1917, Harry Cameron against the Canadiens on Dec. 26, 1917, Jack Adams against the Bruins on Dec. 3, 1924 as well as Frank Mahovlich against the Blues on Dec. 30, 1967.

MAKAR EXTENDS STREAKS, BUT DEVILS RALLY TO DEFEAT AVALANCHE
Cale Makar had a first-period helper and put Colorado up 3-0 at 5:52 of the second period to extend his career-high assist/point streaks to 13 games (3-18—21), but New Jersey responded with five unanswered goals to rally past the first-place Avalanche.

• Makar established a new franchise record for longest assist streak, eclipsing the mark set by his current general manager Joe Sakic with the Nordiques from Feb. 27–March 24, 1992 (6-16—22 in 12 GP). Makar (21-44—65 in 54 GP) leads all NHL defensemen in both goals and points this season.
• The Devils became the second team in NHL history to rally from a deficit of three-plus goals to defeat the League’s first-place team at this stage in a season (min. 898 GP), joining the Mighty Ducks on March 21, 2004. Anaheim overcame deficits of 3-0 and 6-5 to defeat Detroit, which entered play that day owning an NHL-leading record of 43-18-13 (99 points).
• ICYMI: The Devils donned special jerseys during pre-game warmup as part of their Gender Equality Night at Prudential Center Tuesday.

OVECHKIN TYING JAGR ON NHL’S ALL-TIME GOALS LIST
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored twice to reach 766 goals in his NHL career and tie Jaromir Jagr for third place on the League’s all-time list.

NHL CELEBRATES WOMEN OF THE GAME, TRAILBLAZERS IN THE MEDIA

On International Women’s Day, the NHL highlighted one woman from all 32 NHL Clubs to showcase the various roles and responsibilities women influence in today’s game including in the front office, hockey operations, data analytics, and youth hockey development. The League also recognized the numerous female hockey reporters and broadcasters who have broken down barriers since the 1970s and blazed a trail for women in sports media today.

TNT HEADS TO CANADA FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT DOUBLEHEADER

TNT’s latest national doubleheader will open with a showdown between the Capitals (31-18-9, 71 points) and Oilers (30-23-4, 64 points) in a contest that will also air across Canada on Sportsnet. The nightcap will see J.T. Miller (6-11—17 in 9 GP) try to become the first Canucks player to post a double-digit point streak since Henrik Sedin in 2013-14 (3-11—14 in 12 GP) – a run that reached a dozen games on Nov. 5, 2013 against Paul Bissonnette and the Coyotes.

• After skating alongside teammate Nicklas Backstrom for the 1,000th time in the regular season Tuesday, Alex Ovechkin enters the contest one goal shy of surpassing Jaromir Jagr on the NHL’s all-time goals list. Meanwhile, the League-leading tandem of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each sit one point back of 80 on the season.
• McDavid (4-7—11 in 8 GP) and Ovechkin (4-5—9 in 8 GP), the active leaders in career Art Ross Trophy and Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy wins, respectively, have combined for 20 points in their eight previous head-to-head meetings. McDavid has found the score sheet in seven of those contests.
• All four players have skated in the same game on seven occasions to date, with Ovechkin (4-3—7 in 7 GP) and Backstrom (0-1—1 in 7 GP) helping the Capitals to a 4-2-1 edge against McDavid (3-6—9 in 7 GP), Draisaitl (4-2—6 in 7 GP) and the Oilers (3-3-1).

MAPLE LEAFS SIGN KYLE CLIFFORD AND CARL DAHLSTRÖM TO CONTRACT EXTENSIONS

The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that the hockey club has signed forward Kyle Clifford to a two-year contract extension and defenceman Carl Dahlström to a one-year, two-way contract extension.

Clifford, 31, has recorded two assists in 10 games with the Maple Leafs during the 2021-22 season. The Ayr, Ont. product has also posted three goals in eight games with the Toronto Marlies this season. Clifford began the 2021-22 season with the St. Louis Blues where he recorded one assist in two games before being traded to Toronto on November 16, 2021. In 738 career NHL games split between Los Angeles, St. Louis and Toronto, Clifford has recorded 142 points (65G, 77A) while adding 16 points (4G, 12A) in 64 playoff games. Clifford is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, winning with Los Angeles in both 2012 and 2014.

Clifford was originally selected by Los Angeles in the second round (35th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft. His new contract carries an average annual value of $762,500 through the 2023-24 season.

Dahlström, 27, has skated in one game with the Maple Leafs while recording 13 assists in 36 games with the Marlies this season. Before joining the Maple Leafs organization as a free agent on July 28, 2021, the Stockholm, Sweden native spent time with the Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks in addition to AHL stints with the Henderson Silver Knights and the Rockford IceHogs.

Dahlström was originally selected by Chicago in the second round (51st overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft. His two-way extension carries an NHL salary of $750,000 in 2022-23.