Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

NHL Short Notes

03/17/2015 at 10:48am EDT

STAMKOS POWERS LIGHTNING PAST CANADIENS, INTO TIE ATOP ATLANTIC
Steven Stamkos registered 2-1—3 to lift the Lightning to their fourth win in as many meetings with the Canadiens this season.

* At 43-21-7 (93 points), the Lightning tied the Canadiens (43-20-7, 93 points) – in terms of points – for first place in the Atlantic Division. Montreal holds one game in hand, though Tampa Bay owns the ROW tiebreaker (TBL: 41, MTL: 37). These teams meet for a fifth and final time on March 30 at MTL.


* The Lightning improved to 7-0-1 in their last eight regular-season meetings with the Canadiens dating to Nov. 12, 2013. That includes a 3-0-1 record on home ice and a perfect 4-0-0 mark at Bell Centre

* Stamkos notched his seventh three-point performance of the season and first since Dec. 4 vs. BUF (1-2—3). His 65 points share the team lead (w/ Tyler Johnson) and also are tied for eighth in the NHL.

* Stamkos also recorded his seventh multi-goal game of the season, giving him 11-4—15 in his past 15 outings. With his performance, Stamkos moved into a tie for second in the League with 39 goals (w/ Rick Nash).

* Stamkos has 5-1—6 in four contests against the Canadiens this season. That includes one other multi-goal/point game, on Oct. 13 (3-0—3).

* Ben Bishop made 32 saves to pick up his 34th win of the season, tied for third in the NHL and three shy of his career high set last season. He also improved to 23-5-1 at Amalie Arena, where he has a 2.07 goals-against average, .927 save percentage and two shutouts.

* Bishop improved to 9-1-2 with a 1.42 goals-against average, .945 save percentage and one shutout in 13 career appearances vs. MTL. That includes a 7-1-1 mark (1.30 GAA, .948 SV%, 1 SO) since joining the Lightning in 2012-13.

* Victor Hedman (1-1—2) posted his 10th multi-point performance of the season, including his fourth career game-winning goal. Valtteri Filppula added his second power-play goal of the season and first since Nov. 15 vs. NYI.

* The Lightning improved to 27-7-1 (55 points) this season at Amalie Arena. They lead the NHL in both home wins and points.

ANDREOFF, QUICK VAULT KINGS BACK INTO PLAYOFF POSITION
Andy Andreoff scored his first NHL goal and Jonathan Quick stopped all 25 shots he faced to power the Kings to their fifth victory in their past seven games (5-1-1).

* At 34-22-13 (81 points), the Kings leapfrogged the idle Jets (34-23-12, 80 points) to reclaim the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. They also tied the idle Flames (38-26-5, 81 points) – in terms of points – for third place in the Pacific Division.


* Andreoff, a third-round pick (80th overall) by the Kings in 2011 NHL Draft, recorded his first goal while playing in his 15th game. The 23-year-old forward made his NHL debut on Oct. 14 vs. EDM.

* “Dream come true, you know?” Andreoff said. “Everyone’s always wanted to get their first NHL goal. I’ve worked pretty hard to get where I am. I’m glad I got it.”

* Quick posted his sixth shutout of the season and second in his past three starts (also March 12 at VAN: 19 SV). He has a 13-3-1 record with a 1.67 goals-against average, .933 save percentage and three shutouts in his last 17 appearances dating to Feb. 7.

* Quick also earned his 37th career shutout, tied for third among active goaltenders (w/ Marc-Andre Fleury). Only Roberto Luongo (68) and Henrik Lundqvist (55) have more.

* The Kings improved to 4-0-1 in their last five meetings with the Coyotes dating to April 2, 2014, including three consecutive wins. They also improved to 6-1-0 in their last seven head-to-head matchups at STAPLES Center dating to March 18, 2013.

* With a 22-8-7 mark (51 points) this season at STAPLES Center, the Kings matched a franchise record for the most points through 37 home games (set in 1990-91). Their 51 home points also rank third in the NHL.

KUZNETSOV, CAPITALS NARROW DIVISION GAP WITH WIN OVER SABRES
Evgeny Kuznetsov scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and then potted the lone tally in the shootout to lift the Capitals to their second win in as many days, following a 2-0 victory on Sunday vs. BOS.

* At 38-23-10 (86 points), the Capitals jumped four points ahead of the idle Bruins (36-23-10, 82 points) for the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. They also moved within two points of the idle Penguins (39-20-10, 88 points) for third place in the Metropolitan Division.


* Kuznetsov registered his second goal in his past three outings (2-1—3) following a 16-game drought. He also improved to 5-for-8 (62.5%) this season in shootouts, including four straight conversions. Kuznetsov has one other game-deciding goal, on Feb. 21 vs. NYI.

* Making his 14th consecutive start, Braden Holtby denied 30 shots – and all three attempts he faced in the shootout – to improve to 34-18-9. His 34 wins are the fourth-most by a Capitals goaltender in one season; Olie Kolzig recorded 41 in 1999-00 and 37 in 2000-01, while Jim Carey earned 35 in 1995-96.

* Curtis Glencross scored his fourth goal in seven games since joining the Capitals (4-2—6). Matt Niskanen added a pair of assists.

* The Capitals improved to 13-4-3 this season against the Atlantic Division, including points in 13 straight games (11-0-2). They have earned at least one point in eight of their past nine meetings with the Sabres dating to Jan. 27, 2013 (6-1-2).

OILERS RIDE FOUR-GOAL FIRST PERIOD PAST MAPLE LEAFS
The Oilers scored four goals in opening 10:59 of the first period to snap a seven-game skid (0-5-2) and pick up their first victory over the Maple Leafs since Dec. 2, 2010 (0-4-2).

* Via Elias, the Oilers last notched four goals in the first period of one game on March 30, 2013, when they scored four times in the opening 7:53 of an eventual 4-0 win vs. VAN.

* Jordan Eberle (1-2—3) recorded his 14th career three-point game and second in his past five outings (also March 8 at CAR: 1-2—3). He paces the team with 19-36—55.

* Eberle also extended his assist/point streak to five games (4-7—11), his longest since Jan. 16-26, 2014 (4-2—6 in 5 GP).

* Benoit Pouliot (2-0—2) registered his fourth multi-goal game of the season (46 GP), including the first marker just 53 seconds after the opening face-off. Pouliot had just six multi-goal performances in his career prior to 2014-15 (371 GP).

* Ryan Nugent-Hopkins collected two assists for the third consecutive game. He has achieved that feat one other time in his career, from March 26-20, 2013 (0-6—6 in 3 GP).

* Anton Lander also scored for the Oilers. He has 6-7—13 in 26 outings this season after compiling 2-6—8 in his first 94 career games.

LOOSE PUCKS
Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec (1-1—2) posted his 10th multi-point game of the season . . . Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith stopped 34-of-35 shots . . . Maple Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk notched his 24th goal of the season, tied for the team lead with Phil Kessel . . . Sabres forward Johan Larsson scored the tying goal with 6:10 remaining in regulation. He has 3-2—5 in his past four outings after totaling 1-6—7 in his first 51 career games . . . Canadiens forward Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau snapped a 19-game drought with his first goal since Nov. 28 at BUF . . . Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer stopped 27-of-28 shots in relief of Jonathan Bernier . . . Coyotes forward Kyle Chipchura (400), Kings defenseman Brayden McNabb (100) and Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (100) all played in milestone games . . . Sabres forward Tim Schaller recorded his first NHL assist (12 GP) . . . ICYMI: The Department of Player Safety announced that it will have a hearing with Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri on Wednesday for an illegal check to the head of Oilers forward Matt Fraser . . . Blue Jackets forward Scott Hartnell, Rangers goaltender Cam Talbot and Senators goaltender Andrew Hammond were named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending March 15 . . . The Panthers announced the finalists for their Goal of a Lifetime competition to become the team’s backup practice goaltender for a day.

SNEAK PEEK AT TUESDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Pittsburgh @ New Jersey, 7:00 p.m., SNO, SNP, TVA, ROOT, MSG+
Ottawa @ Carolina, 7:00 p.m., TSN5, RDS2, FS-CR
Buffalo @ Boston, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN
Montreal @ Florida, 7:30 p.m., SNE, RDS, FS-F
Minnesota @ Nashville, 8:00 p.m., FS-N, FS-TN
San Jose @ Winnipeg, 8:00 p.m., CSN-CA, TSN3
NY Islanders @ Chicago, 8:30 p.m., MSG+ 2, CSN-CH
St. Louis @ Calgary, 9:00 p.m., FS-MW, SNW
Philadelphia @ Vancouver, 10:00 p.m., CSN-PH, SNP
NBCSN Channel Finder
Sportsnet Channel Finder

CRITICAL POINTS ON THE LINE
Several of Tuesday’s games feature two teams jockeying for playoff positioning:

* The Panthers (31-24-14, 76 points) – who sit six points back of the Bruins (36-23-10, 82 points) for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference – try to narrow their playoff gap when they play host to the division-leading Canadiens (43-20-7, 93 points) at BB&T Center. This marks the third of five meetings between these Atlantic Division rivals this season; both clubs own a 1-0-1 head-to-head record, with Florida earning a 3-2 shootout victory in their most recent matchup on Feb. 19.

* The Wild (38-24-7, 83 points) – who trail the Blackhawks (41-21-6, 88 points) by five points for third place in the Central Division – also try to close their gap when they visit the division rival Predators (43-21-7, 93 points) at Bridgestone Arena. This marks the fourth of five meetings between these teams this season; Nashville leads the series with a 2-1-0 record (MIN: 1-1-1). Minnesota, however, picked up a 4-2 victory in their most recent game on Feb. 26. The clubs close their season series on April 9, also in The Music City.

* The Jets (34-23-12, 80 points) face the Sharks (34-27-8, 76 points) at MTS Centre in a critical matchup of two teams battling to get back in the playoff picture. Winnipeg currently sits one point behind Los Angeles (34-22-13, 81 points) for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, while San Jose lurks five points back. This marks the third and final meeting of the season between these clubs; the Sharks have won each of the first two and nine of the last 12 in the head-to-head series dating to Jan. 10, 2004.

* The Blackhawks (41-21-6, 88 points) and Islanders (43-24-4, 90 points) try to gain ground in their division races when they meet at United Center. Chicago trails St. Louis (44-20-5, 93 points) and Nashville (43-21-7, 93 points) by five points for first place in the Central Division, while the Islanders also trail the rival Rangers (44-17-7, 95 points) by five points for first place in the Metropolitan. This marks the second and final meeting of the season for these inter-conference foes; the Islanders picked up a 3-2 victory in their lone other matchup on Dec. 13.

* The Flames (38-26-5, 81 points) and Blues (44-20-5, 93 points) both try to enhance their playoff positioning when they face off at Scotibank Saddledome. Calgary currently occupies third place in the Pacific Division, but trails Vancouver (39-25-4, 82 points) by one point for second place and also could fall out of the playoff picture with a loss. St. Louis, meanwhile, sits in first place in the Central, but is tied with Nashville (43-21-7, 93 points) in terms of points for the division lead. This marks the second of three meetings between these teams this season; the Blues picked up a 4-1 victory in their first matchup on Oct. 11.

CANUCKS HONOR FORMER PLAYER, COACH AND EXECUTIVE QUINN

The Canucks will celebrate the life and legacy of the late Pat Quinn when they play host to the Flyers at Rogers Arena. Quinn, a former player, coach and executive of the team, passed away in November at the age of 71. He coached Vancouver for parts of five seasons, compiling a 141-111-28 record and leading the team to the 1994 Stanley Cup Final. Quinn also served as the bench boss of Philadelphia from 1978-82, posting a 141-73-48 mark and guiding the club to the 1980 Stanley Cup Final. Overall, he earned a 684-528-188 record in 1,400 games as a head coach with the Canucks, Flyers, Kings, Maple Leafs and Oilers. He also registered 18-113—131 in nine playing seasons as a defenseman with the Canucks, Flames and Maple Leafs.

Click here for complete details on the evening-long celebration.

the above information was supplied by the NHL PR department

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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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