It’s time for our weekly breakdown of the best NHL stats to come through over the last week.
1. Ovechking
Alex Ovechkin scored career goal number 483, tying Sergei Fedorov for the most goals by a Russian-born player in NHL history. Ovechkin hit that mark in 476 fewer games than Fedorov, who played a total 1,248 NHL games.
At 910 career points, Ovechkin ranks fourth all-time among Russian players. At the top of that list? Fedorov at 1,179 points.
Watch goal number 483 below.
The record-tying Russian with goal #483. #TORvsWSH
https://t.co/Mo0EbU5pKS
— NHL (@NHL) November 8, 2015
Since Ovechkin’s first NHL season in 2005-06, he has scored 138 more goals than any other player, with Jarome Iginla coming in second on that list at 345.
2. St. Zetterberg
Sometimes milestone goals aren’t that beautiful, emblematic goal you might hoped they’d be, somehow a symbol of what a great career has been at its very core. Just ask Jeremy Roenick, whose 500th goal was essentially an own goal scored off a puck he dumped into the attacking zone from center ice.
Such was the case this week, when Henrik Zetterberg scored his 300th goal.
On what was essentially a high-attacking zone dump on net, Zetterberg beat Toronto’s James Reimer on Friday, hitting an impressive milestone. He’s just nine goals back from Brendan Shanahan for seventh on the all-time Red Wings scoring list.
Congrats Henrik Zetterberg, that's career goal number 300! #DETvsTOR
https://t.co/UJVLgaTfeK
— NHL (@NHL) November 7, 2015
3. Streaking Stars
The Dallas Stars are 12-3-0 through their first 15 games of the season. That’s the best start in franchise history, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
They’re also 7-2-0 on the road. That’s the best road record in the NHL right now.
That impressive run has been fueled by some absolutely incredible — and fun to watch — offense. This week, Jamie Benn became the first Dallas Stars player to score 10 goals in the first 12 games of a season since Mike Modano did it back in the 1993-94 season for the Minnesota North Stars, according to Elias.
With 24 points, @DallasStars (12-3-0) posted their best 15-game start to a season in franchise history. @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/ABYHmMuCDK
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) November 8, 2015
Tyler Seguin has had an impressive start to the season as well, including being named one of the league’s three stars of the week. He probably felt pretty good potting a hat trick against his former club, the Boston Bruins, on Tuesday. Seguin became the first former Bruin to score a hat trick against the team since Mariusz Czerkawski did it in November of 1996.
Seguin also became the first player drafted in 2010 to hit 300 career points this week.
2ND STAR: @tseguinofficial collected 4-3—7 last week to help @DallasStars win 3 of 4 games. He shares the NHL lead w/ 23 points (w/ P. Kane)
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) November 9, 2015
It’s not just the team’s two superstars who are posting incredible marks, sophomore defenseman John Klingberg is on fire as well. With 55 points in the first 80 games of his career, he’s the first defenseman to get at least 55 points through their first 80 since Robert Svehla of the Florida Panthers did it between 1995 and 1996, according to Elias.
He’s also just the second defenseman in franchise history to put up 15 points in the first 15 games of a season. The other was Craig Hartsburg in the 1987-88 season.
4. Habn’t Slowed Down
The Montreal Canadiens captured 12 wins in the first 15 games of a season for the first time in the club’s rather considerable 98-year history, according to Elias.
5. It’s Going Around
Three other teams have matched the best start in franchise history. The Washington Capitals, at 10-3-0, have matched the team’s best start through 13 games. It’s just the second time in the team’s 41-year history that they’ve done it, also doing it during the 1991-92 season.
The Nashville Predators have matched a franchise mark, going 8-2-2 through 12 games. That ties the team’s start in the 2005-06 season for the best the Preds have done in their short history.
At 22 points in their first 14 games, the Rangers also equalled a franchise best in terms of standings points. The team also did it in the 1971-21 and 1990-91 seasons.
6. Loyal Lundqvist
Speaking of the Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist has climbed a rung on the all-time leaderboard for most appearances with a single franchise by a goaltender. When he played his 630th game in a Rangers sweater this week, he moved into seventh place all-time.
The most appearances by a goaltender with a single team goes to Martin Brodeur who played 1,259 games with the Devils. Everyone else is a great distance back. Filling in the gap between Brodeur and Lundqvist is Tony Esposito (879 GP), Terry Sawchuk (734 GP), Olaf Kolzig (711 GP), Billy Smith (675 GP) and Mike Richter (666 GP).
7. Around the World In 30 Teams
Jarome Iginla had two goals and an assist in a Colorado Avalanche win over the Calgary Flames this week. That completes the “Around the World” for Iginla, who has now scored against all 30 NHL teams.
8. Oscar Mayer Winner
New York Rangers rookie Oscar Lindberg became the first Rangers rookie to hit seven goals in the first 13 games of his rookie season since Darren Turcotte did it in 1989, scoring 10 goals in his first 13 games.
