JETS FLY INTO TOP SPOT IN WESTERN CONFERENCE AS MORRISSEY HITS 40 ASSISTS
Josh Morrissey (0-1—1) joined Erik Karlsson (13-43—56 in 44 GP) as the second defenseman to hit the 40-assist mark in 2022-23 as the Jets (29-14-1, 59 points) overtook the idle Golden Knights (28-14-2, 58 points) for first place in the Western Conference. Morrissey (8-40—48 in 44 GP) is tied with Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin (13-35—48 in 40 GP) for second in scoring among defensemen this season behind Karlsson.

* This marks the second time in Jets/Thrashers history that the club has occupied first place in the conference standings this late in the season (min. 40 GP). The other instance came in 2018-19 when the Jets took over the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference by improving to 36-18-3 (57 GP) on Feb. 12, 2019 – a stay that lasted only two days.

* The Western Conference has now seen three teams take hold of the top spot since Jan. 10: Dallas held first place for two days and Vegas held it for four over that span before Winnipeg’s win Sunday.

* Morrissey (44 GP) became the fourth different Jets/Thrashers defenseman to record 40 assists in a season and the fastest to do so. He now sits just five assists back of setting a new single-season club record for a blueliner.

* Morrissey is one of three players in Jets/Thrashers history to hit the 40-assist mark in fewer than 45 contests, following forwards Blake Wheeler (35 GP in 2018-19) and Marc Savard (43 GP in 2005-06 w/ ATL).

BOESER SCORES LATE GAME-TYING GOAL ON #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
After Carolina’s SebastianAho scored a go-ahead goal with less than three minutes to play, Brock Boeser tied the game with 17 seconds remaining in regulation to help the Canucks secure their fifth multi-goal comeback win of the season, tied with the Devils for the most among all teams. Vancouver has recorded more multi-goal comeback wins in a campaign six times in franchise history – all instances can be found in Sunday’s #NHLStats: Live Updates.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: PHILLIPS SCORES FIRST NHL GOAL
Blackhawks defenseman Isaak Phillips scored his first NHL goal Saturday while skating in his 13th game and ninth this season (1-2—3 in 9 GP). Phillips, whose dad is from St. Vincent, Caribbean, helped Team Jamaica go 8-0-0 to win the 2018 U-20 Team Elite Prospect Hockey Showcase tournament championship in Toronto. Jamaica joined the IIHF as an associate member on May 18, 2012 and at that time became the first Caribbean nation to do so.

Photo via Jamaican Hockey on Facebook

QUICK CLICKS

* All-American Game showcases top U.S. talent for 2023 NHL Draft

* Avalanche kid broadcaster on money with Artturi Lehkonen goal call

* North Carolina Tar Heels player scores wild, AlexOvechkin-esque goal

* David Krejci set for improbable 1,000th NHL game with Bruins

* NHL mourns passing of Canucks’ fan favourite Gino Odjick

START YOUR WEEK WITH A DAY FULL OF HOCKEY

The busiest Monday of the 2022-23 schedule will commence at 1 p.m. ET with puck drop between four American teams – the Panthers (20-20-4, 44 points), Sabres (21-18-2, 44 points), Flyers (18-18-7, 43 points) and Bruins (33-5-4, 70 points) – as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is observed across the United States.

Here are storylines to look out for on Monday’s 11-game slate:

* The Kraken return home to put their franchise-record eight-game winning streak on the line – the NHL’s longest active run. Seattle has scored eight-plus goals twice during their current run, including last game (also 8 on Jan. 7), and a total of four times this season (also 9 on Nov. 29 & 8 on Nov. 23). They became the first team since the Penguins in 2011-12 (4 GP) with as many eight-plus goal outings in a campaign – the last team with more was Pittsburgh in 1995-96 (10 GP).

* Jason Robertson (29-31—60 in 44 GP) and Mikko Rantanen (29-24—53 in 41 GP) each enter Monday with the opportunity to join the 30-goal club this season, which currently features five players: Connor McDavid (37), David Pastrnak (33), Tage Thompson (31), Bo Horvat (30) and Alex Ovechkin (30). Both Robertson and Rantanen could become the fastest player to reach the 30-goal mark with their team since each club relocated to Dallas and Colorado, respectively.

* Jack Hughes (28-26—54 in 43 GP) will look to help the Devils (28-12-3, 59 points), who sit second in the Metropolitan Division, extend their road winning streak to seven games – something they have done only five times in franchise history and already once this season (11 GP in 2022-23). Hughes has multiple points in each of his past two outings and multiple goals in three of his past five – he leads all players this month with 8-5—13 (7 GP), two more points than NHL-leading scorer Connor McDavid who shares third with 5-6—11 in (7 GP).

* Juuso Parssinen will aim to extend his point streak to seven games (1-7—8 in 6 GP) and match Filip Forsberg (7 GP in 2014-15) for the longest run by a rookie in franchise history when Nashville takes to the ice Monday. He has already established a Predators record for longest assist streak by a rookie with his current run (6 GP). Parssinen, Nashville’s seventh-round pick in 2019, has 4-13—17 (28 GP) in his first year with the club after skating with TPS in Finland’s top professional league last season.

* Tage Thompson (31-27—58 in 41 GP) and Rasmus Dahlin (13-35—48 in 40 GP) both sit two points shy of season milestones – the 60- and 50-point mark – with Thompson sitting third in the NHL in goals and Dahlin tied for second among defensemen in points.

Thanks to the NHL PR department for the information above.