GOLDEN KNIGHTS, AVALANCHE KEEP PACE ATOP HONDA WEST
The Golden Knights (22-7-1, 45 points) and Avalanche (20-8-2, 42 points) each collected two points on Monday to keep pace with one another atop the Honda West Division standings.

* Mark Stone (2-1—3) tallied his second three-point outing against the Blues this season (also Jan. 26) and scored his seventh game-winning goal of 2020-21, tied with Toronto’s Auston Matthews for the League lead. It also marks the highest single-season total by a Golden Knights player.

* Shea Theodore, who factored on one of Stone’s goals, collected his 100th assist with the Golden Knights (36-100—136 in 238 GP) and added his name to the franchise’s record book. He became the first defenseman to hit the 100-assist milestone with the club.



* The Avalanche scored at least five goals for the fourth consecutive game and Philipp Grubauer made 24 saves as Colorado defeated Arizona to extend the League’s longest active win streak to seven games dating to March 10.

* Grubauer, who fell 3:41 shy of his sixth shutout of the season, also extended his personal win streak to seven contests (0.59 GAA, .974 SV%, 2 SO). Only four goaltenders in Avalanche/Nordiques history have posted a longer run: Patrick Roy (11 GP in 1998-99), Jonathan Bernier (9 GP in 2017-18), Stephane Fiset (9 GP in 1995-96) and Jocelyn Thibault (8 GP in 1994-95 w/ QUE).

SOROKIN WINS EIGHTH STRAIGHT GAME. . .
Ilya Sorokin recorded a career-high 36 saves to backstop the Islanders past the Flyers and join Wild goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen (9 GP) as the second rookie netminder to post a win streak of at least eight games this season.



* Sorokin, who began 2020-21 with a 0-2-1 mark and allowed 11 goals against over that span, has been beaten just 11 times over his last eight contests (1.35 GAA, .944 SV%, 2 SO). Only two goaltenders in Islanders history have posted a longer win streak than the 78th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft: Jaroslav Halak (11 GP in 2014-15) and Billy Smith (10 GP in 1981-82).

. . . WHILE OTHER ROOKIE NETMINDERS ALSO STAND TALL
Rookie netminders Alex Nedeljkovic (19 saves) and Filip Gustavsson (35 saves) each played pivotal roles to help the Hurricanes and Senators secure wins on Monday:

* Nedeljkovic (1.96 GAA, .930 SV%), who ranks fourth in goals against average and tied for third in save percentage among all goaltenders this season (10 GP), earned his second shutout to move into a tie with the Wild’s Kaapo Kahkonen and Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin for the most among rookies in 2020-21. Only one Hurricanes/Whalers rookie has recorded more in a single season: Peter Sidorkiewicz (4 in 1988-89 w/ HFD).

* Gustavsson backstopped Ottawa to its second straight win against Calgary. In the process, the 22-year-old became the seventh Senators goaltender to earn a win in his first NHL start and first since Andrew Hammond on Feb. 18, 2015 (4-2 W vs. MTL). Hammond went on to conclude that campaign with a 20-1-2 record in 24 appearances (1.79 GAA, .941 SV%, 3 SO).



FRANCHISE RECORDS FALL ON MONDAY
The Wild (19-10-1, 39 points) and Hurricanes (21-7-3, 45 points) each had franchise records established during their wins on Monday.

* Cam Talbot improved to 5-0-0 at Xcel Energy Center this season as the Wild established a franchise record for the longest home win streak (9-0-0 dating to Jan. 31) – outscoring opponents 30-12 over that span. Among goaltenders to appear in at least five games this season, Talbot leads all goaltenders in goals against average (1.31) and save percentage (.949) at home.

* Minnesota, which holds the longest home win streak by any club this season, achieved the feat after three teams posted a similar run of at least that length in 2019-20 (Tampa Bay: 11-0-0, Vancouver: 9-0-0 and St. Louis: 9-0-0).



* Dougie Hamilton (2-12—14 in 12 GP) factored on one of three Hurricanes goals and established a franchise record for the longest point streak by a Hurricanes/Whalers defenseman, eclipsing the previous mark set by Hartford’s Mark Howe in 1979-80 (11 GP).



* Hamilton stands as just one of three active defensemen to record a point streak of 12-plus contests, joining Philadelphia’s Shayne Gostisbehere (15 GP in 2015-16) and Nashville’s Roman Josi (12 GP in 2019-20).

MORE #NHLSTATS FROM MONDAY

* Patrick Marleau skated in his 884th consecutive game dating to April 9, 2009 and tied Steve Larmer (884 GP from Oct. 6, 1982 – April 15, 1993) for the fourth-longest “Ironman” streak in NHL history. Marleau also moved within three contests of tying Mark Messier (1,756 GP) for second place on the League’s all-time games played list.

* Adam Fox (1-2—3) and Artemi Panarin (0-3—3) accumulated three points apiece while Kaapo Kakko and Chris Kreider each scored two goals as the Rangers improved to 4-1-1 in their last six contests. Panarin has 10 points since returning to the Rangers lineup on March 13 (3-7—10 in 6 GP), the second most in the NHL over that span behind teammate Mika Zibanejad (4-7—11 in 6 GP).

* Paul Stastny scored one of four Winnipeg goals as the Jets improved to 7-0-0 in their last seven games at Rogers Arena dating to Dec. 22, 2016. Stastny (260-485—745) skated in his 977th career regular-season game, the same amount his father Peter Stastny (450-789—1,239 in 977 GP) appeared in over his 15-season career.



QUICK CLICKS

* Predators’ Calle Jarnkrok, Dr. Alex Jahangir Named NHL ‘First Stars’ of the Week
* NHL Announces Updates to the 2020-21 Regular-Season Schedule
* Hayley Moore 'pioneer' for women as AHL vice president
* Kings AHL affiliate forms first pro hockey all-Black line since 1948-49
* NHL mourns the passing of linesman Swede Knox

MacKINNON EYES 200TH REGULAR-SEASON GOAL TONIGHT
Nathan MacKinnon (199-328—527 in 551 GP) will put his six-game point streak on the line when Colorado completes its back-to-back set with Arizona. MacKinnon can become the eighth Avalanche player to record 200 goals with the franchise.

Thanks to the NHL PR department for the information above.