Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

NHL Short Notes

10/24/2014 at 10:36am EDT

100 GAMES AND COUNTING
Thursday’s Blue Jackets-Sharks game marked the 100th contest of the 2014-15 regular season. Some highlights at the century mark (courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau):

* Sixty games have been tied or within one goal entering the third period.

* Forty-nine games have featured one-goal margins. Another 10 have been decided by two goals following an empty-net score.

* Thirty-nine games have seen a team overcome a deficit at any point in the contest, including 21 in the third period. Of those 39 games, nine have featured a multi-goal comeback.

* Twenty-seven games have required overtime, including 12 decided in five-minute extra period.

* Eight games have seen a tiebreaking goal scored in the final five minutes of regulation, including five in the last 60 seconds.

* Eight games have seen a tying goal scored in the final five minutes of regulation. Of those eight games, the team that recorded the tying goal went on to win five times.

RED WINGS, BLUE JACKETS STAGE LATE COMEBACKS
Both the Red Wings and Blue Jackets overcame third-period deficits to pick up wins Thursday:

* Down 3-1 with less than three minutes remaining in regulation, Henrik Zetterberg (1-2—3) cut the deficit in half at 17:21, assisted on Niklas Kronwall’s tying goal at 19:21 and then earned the primary helper on Justin Abdelkader’s overtime winner to help the Red Wings extend their point streak to five games (3-0-2).

* According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Red Wings overcame a multi-goal deficit in the final three minutes of regulation for the first time since Dec. 23, 2005, when Kris Draper (19:21) and Nicklas Lidstrom (19:53) each scored in the last minute of the third period and Pavel Datsyuk posted the decisive marker with one second left in overtime of a 3-2 victory at CHI.

* Zetterberg now has 3-6—9 during a four-game point streak.

* Trailing 2-0 after 20 minutes and then 4-3 midway through the third frame, Nick Foligno (1-1—2) recorded the tying goal at 11:40 and Mark Letestu (2-0—2) scored the game-winner with 20.7 seconds left in regulation to lift the Blue Jackets over the Sharks.

* Foligno extended his assist/point streak to six games (3-6—9). With two goals, Ryan Johansen also stretched his point streak to six games (5-4—9).

* Scott Hartnell posted a career-high four assists and matched a career high with four points (accomplished 5x previously, most recently Feb. 16, 2012 vs. BUF: 1-3—4).

FORMER PLAYERS VICTORIOUS IN RETURN TRIPS
Several players were victorious Thursday in their first visits to their former NHL cities:

* Playing in their first game in Boston following offseason departures, Chad Johnson (30 saves) and Johnny Boychuk (23:18 TOI, +1) helped the Islanders improve to 4-1-0 in their last five visits to TD Garden and 5-2-0 overall this season, matching their second-best start in the last 31 years (also 2001-02: 6-0-0-1).

* Making his first trip to St. Louis since departing as a free agent, Ryan Miller posted 31 saves to help the Canucks improve to 7-2-2 in their last 11 games against the Blues, including four consecutive victories.

GOALTENDERS DOMINATE ON HOME ICE
Three goaltenders posted shutouts on home ice to backstop their teams to wins Thursday:

* Darcy Kuemper made 26 saves to earn his third shutout of 2014-15 (and the fourth of his career) and help the Wild post their fifth clean sheet in their last 10 regular-season home games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Kuemper is just the second goaltender since 1943-44 to record three shutouts in his first four appearances of one season. The other: Pascal Leclaire, who accomplished the same feat for the Blue Jackets in 2007-08.

* Jonathan Quick made 29 saves to post his second shutout of the season and lead the Kings to their fifth consecutive victory. With his performance, Quick (33 career shutouts) moved past Rogie Vachon and into sole possession of first place for the most shutouts in franchise history. At 5-1-1, the Kings also tied a club record for the most wins and points through the first seven games of one season.

* Jonas Hiller made 16 saves to record his 22nd career shutout and first in a Flames uniform, extending the team’s point streak to three games (2-0-1). Dennis Wideman found the back of the net for the third consecutive game (3-1—4), matching his longest career goal-scoring streak (accomplished 2x previously, most recently Dec. 31, 2011 – Jan. 7, 2012: 3-3—6).

NEAL, PREDATORS OUTLAST BLACKHAWKS
Trailing 1-0 late in the first period, James Neal recorded a natural hat trick – the fifth three-goal game of his career – to help the Predators improve to 5-0-2, their best start to a season since opening the 2010-11 campaign with points in eight straight contests (5-0-3).

* With the victory, the Predators now are the last remaining team without a regulation loss in 2014-15. The Blackhawks suffered their first such defeat (4-1-1).

* According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Neal is the fourth player in Predators history to post a natural hat trick and the first to do so since March 4, 2008, when Martin Erat accomplished that feat in a 5-1 victory at EDM.

* Pekka Rinne made 30 saves to improve to 5-0-1 with a 1.62 goals-against average and .939 save percentage in six appearances this season.

* Mike Ribeiro collected an assist to extend his point streak to five games (3-3—6).

NHL RESCHEDULES MAPLE LEAFS-SENATORS GAME
The NHL announced that Wednesday’s postponed game between the Maple Leafs and Senators at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa has been rescheduled for Sunday, Nov. 9. The start time for the game will be 6:00 p.m. ET.

PARISE SHARES FAMILY’S STORY
As part of Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Month, Wild forward Zach Parise shared some personal thoughts about his father, former NHLer J.P., who recently was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer.

LOOSE PUCKS
Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall (2-1—3) recorded his 300th NHL point and first three-point game since Feb. 27 at OTT (0-3—3) . . . Islanders captain John Tavares collected an assist to move into sole possession of first place in NHL scoring (3-8—11) . . . Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin posted one helper to push his assist/point streak to six games (2-7—9) . . . Bruins forwards David Krejci (2-5—7) and Chris Kelly (1-5—6) each extended their point streaks to five games . . . Sharks forward Patrick Marleau registered his 500th NHL assist . . . Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler (500), Blue Jackets forward Jack Skille (200), Blues forward Ryan Reaves (200) and Hurricanes forward Zach Boychuk (100) all played in milestone games . . . ICYMI: Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard wore a special mask in honor of the team’s Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night. The mask will be auctioned to raise money for the initiative.

SNEAK PEEK AT FRIDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Dallas @ New Jersey, 7:00 p.m., FS-SW, MSG PLUS (#DALvsNJD)
Tampa Bay @ Winnipeg, 8:00 p.m., SUN, TSN3 (#TBLvsWPG)
Vancouver @ Colorado, 9:00 p.m., SN1, TVA2, ALT (#VANvsCOL)
Carolina @ Edmonton, 9:30 p.m., SPSO, SNOL (#CARvsEDM)
Columbus @ Anaheim, 10:00 p.m., FS-O, PRIME (#CBJvsANA)

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.

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