Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

NHL Short Notes

01/17/2019 at 10:47am EST

a bit late today...

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps

OTTAWA 5, Colorado 2

PHILADELPHIA 4, Boston 3

Buffalo 4, CALGARY 3 (OT)

Edmonton 3, VANCOUVER 2 (SO)

ARIZONA 6, San Jose 3

Jan. 17 Morning Skate

TRIO OF STARS REACH THE 70-POINT BENCHMARK
Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen (21-50—71 in 47 GP), Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau (28-43—71 in 48 GP) and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (29-41—70 in 46 GP) each found the score sheet to join Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov (22-53—75 in 47 GP) as the only players to reach the 70-point benchmark in 2018-19.

* This marks the ninth season in NHL history to feature four or more players with at least 70 points through games played Jan. 16 and first since 1992-93 (Mario Lemieux, Pat LaFontaine, Adam Oates and Mark Recchi).

* Rantanen became the second Avalanche player to accumulate 70 points within the first 50 games of a season since the club relocated in 1995-96, joining Joe Sakic in 2000-01 (27-43—70 in 49 GP). Rantanen also is just third different player in Avalanche/Nordiques franchise history to record at least 50 assists in 50 or fewer team games.

* Gaudreau (48 GP) recorded the third-fastest instance in Flames franchise history of a player hitting 70 points in a season, trailing only Kent Nilsson (46 GP in 1980-81) and Bob MacMillan (47 GP in 1978-79). With his 22nd multi-point game of the season, Gaudreau also extended his point streak to nine games (9-11—20), one shy of matching his career high set from Oct. 27 - Nov. 20, 2017 (8-11—19 in 10 GP).

* McDavid extended his goal streak to four contests and sits one goal shy of his third consecutive season with at least 30 goals. Only eight players have recorded at least 30 goals in a season three times for the Oilers, including only five to do so in three or more consecutive seasons: Jari Kurri(10), Wayne Gretzky (9), Glenn Anderson (8), Mark Messier (5 and 3) and Paul Coffey (3).

ANOTHER HAT TRICK PROPELS FLYERS INTO THE WIN COLUMN
After James van Riemsdyk posted a three-goal performance Monday, Sean Couturier (3-0—3) netted his first career regular-season hat trick to power the Flyers to their third win in four contests. It marked the eighth time Philadelphia has collected a hat trick in consecutive games, with the last such instance coming more than 16 years ago (Oct. 12-15, 2002: Mark Recchi and John LeClair).

* Additionally, Couturier’s three-goal outing marked the sixth straight day in which the NHL has witnessed at least one hat trick - a feat last achieved from March 3-8, 1999. The last longer such run came from Oct. 11-19, 1988, when at least one NHL player scored a hat trick each day for nine consecutive days (also the longest in League history).

EICHEL, DAHLIN LIFT SABRES PAST HIGH-OCTANE FLAMES
Jack Eichel
(1-1—2) scored 1:10 into overtime to help the Sabres (24-17-6, 54 points) snap the Flames’ five-game win streak. Eichel’s five career regular-season overtime tallies trails just Derek Roy (6) and Thomas Vanek (6) for the most such goals in Sabres franchise history.

* Rasmus Dahlin found the back of the net in the third period to extend his point streak to five contests, matching the longest such run by an 18-year-old defenseman in NHL history - a feat also accomplished by his head coach Phil Housley from Feb. 12-20, 1983.

EKMAN-LARSSON MATCHES FRANCHISE RECORD, COYOTES PK STAYS STRONG

Captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson was one of six Arizona goal-scorers as he netted the 108th goal of his career to match Teppo Numminen for the most goals by a defenseman in Coyotes/Jets franchise history. The Coyotes, who halted the Sharks’ winning streak at seven games, are among a group of eight teams separated by only five points in the Western Conference.

* Ekman-Larsson, the latest player to be featured in the NHL’s “Skates Off” series, also netted the 29th game-winning goal of his career to extend his franchise record among defensemen (10 more than Numminen). He also tied Thomas Steen and Dale Hawerchuk for sixth-most in Coyotes/Jetsfranchise history (regardless of position).

* Richard Panik became the fifth different Coyotes player to score a shorthanded goal this season, boosting the club’s total to 12 so far in 2018-19. Arizona’s 12 shorthanded goals rank second in the NHL behind Calgary (14) and are two more than compiled over the previous two seasons combined (2 in 2017-18, 8 in 2016-17).

* The Coyotes lead the League with a penalty kill percentage of 88.2% (120 of 136). Since 1977-78 (the first season that penalty kill percentage is available), only six teams have finished a season with a PK% above 88.7%.

DUCHENE CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY, SON’S BIRTH WITH THREE-POINT NIGHT
After missing Ottawa’s three-game California road trip for the birth of his first child, Matt Duchene tallied 2-1—3 in his return to the lineup - on his 28th birthday - to lead the Senators to victory against his former club.

* Duchene scored a goal in his fourth straight appearance dating to Jan. 2, marking the third time in his career that he has done so. The other instances came during his tenure with Colorado, all in consecutive team games: Nov. 24-30, 2010 (4-1—5 in 4 GP) and Feb. 11-18, 2013 (4-4—8 in 4 GP). Overall, Duchene has at least one point in each of his past five outings (5-3—8) dating to New Year’s Eve.

* Brady Tkachuk, Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel (1-1—2) each scored within seven minutes of each other to spark the Senators to a 3-0 lead in the second period, while defenseman Thomas Chabot notched an assist in his return from an eight-game absence to continue his point-per-game pace in 2018-19 (10-29—39 in 39 GP).

QUICK CLICKS
* Stars give 10-year-old full game experience, including cellies and scrap

* NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly joins ‘Executive Suite’ podcast

* Stanley Cup among highlights at NHL Fan Fair during All-Star Weekend

* Paul Byron suspended three games for actions in Canadiens game

SNEAK PEEK AT THURSDAY’S ACTION

DIVISIONAL CLASHES HIGHLIGHT SEVEN-GAME SLATE

The top two teams in both the Central Division and Atlantic Division go head-to-head tonight. The Jets (30-14-2, 62 points) visit the Predators (28-16-4, 60 points) looking to pull further ahead in the Central, while the Lightning (36-9-2, 74 points) look to build on their 16-point lead atop the Atlantic when they host the Maple Leafs (28-15-2, 58 points).

* The top two teams in the Central Division have finished within five points of one another in every season since the League changed to its current divisional alignment in 2013-14, including three straight campaigns with a margin of three points or fewer. In that same span, the Atlantic and Pacific Divisions have seen their top two clubs finish five or fewer points apart on three occasions, respectively, compared to only one such instance for the Metropolitan.

* The Lightning could build an 18-point lead in the Atlantic Division with a win Thursday. Under the current divisional format, only four division winners have finished with a double-digit points advantage over the second-place club; it has happened three times in the Metropolitan Division, with the 2013-14 Penguins (+13 vs. NYR), 2014-15 Rangers (+12 vs. WSH) and 2015-16 Capitals (+16 vs. PIT) all doing so, and once in the Atlantic, by the 2013-14 Bruins (+16 vs. TBL).

PERRON TAKES 12-GAME POINT STREAK INTO BOSTON

David Perron takes the League’s longest active point streak into Boston looking to become the seventh different player in Blues franchise history to record a point in at least 13 consecutive team games. Alexander Steen is the only player to accomplish the feat for St. Louis since 2000-01.

* Four players have recorded a point streak of at least 13 games already in 2018-19: Mike Hoffman (17 GP), Alex Ovechkin (14 GP), Mikko Rantanen (14 GP) and Dylan Larkin (14 GP). The feat was achieved only three times all of last season.

Thanks to the NHL PR department for the above information.

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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

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