On this edition of the NHL Stat Corner, there is much to discuss, from teams reaching long-standing franchise marks to lots of goals and points. This covers every player and team stat and milestone from around the NHL over the past three days, featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, and much more.
Evgeni Malkin Returns to Pittsburgh Lineup in a Big Way
Evgeni Malkin is the fourth player in franchise history to play in at least 16 seasons. He joins Mario Lemieux (17), Crosby (17), and Letang (16). Malkin scored his 74th career game-winning goal, second-most in franchise history. Only Jaromir Jagr (78) has more. Jeff Carter recorded his 65th multi-goal game while Malkin recorded his 63rd multi-goal game of his career, fourth and fifth among active players. Alex Ovechkin (154), Sidney Crosby (85), and Steven Stamkos (80) have more.
Crosby, Malkin, and Letang are the longest-serving trio in NHL history, playing on the Pittsburgh Penguins for 16 consecutive seasons. With Malkin playing in his first game of the season, they moved past Jean Beliveau, Ralph Backstrom, and Henri Richard (15), Alex Delvecchio, Gordie Howe, and Marcel Pronovost (15), and an active trio of Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, and Jonathan Quick (15).
Related: NHL Stat Corner: Avalanche, Hurricanes, Capitals, Maple Leafs, Penguins
Not to get lost in the shuffle, Jake Guentzel has recorded a point in 18 consecutive appearances, sixth-most in franchise history.
Trevor Zegras Making Calder Trophy Case
Trevor Zegras is the first rookie to score three-plus power-play goals in a season since Cam Fowler (6) in 2010-11. Zegras is tied for the rookie lead this season in power-play goals with Lucas Raymond. Zegras is the second-fastest rookie in franchise history to reach 40 career points, doing so in 56 games. Bobby Ryan did so in 54 games played. If Zegras hadn’t struggled at the start of the season, that franchise record was all his.
Another rookie, Lukas Dostal, won his first career game in his NHL debut for the Anaheim Ducks. Dostal is the fourth youngest goaltender in franchise history to win his NHL debut (21 years, 201 days). Dostal also set a franchise record for most saves in an NHL debut (33). This occurred in the shootout win over the Red Wings.
Red Wings Rookies Some of Best Crop in Franchise History
Lucas Raymond is the fastest teenager in Detroit Red Wings’ history to record 20 career assists (36 games played (GP)), beating the previous record-holder Steve Yzerman (39 GP). Raymond is the fifth-fastest player in franchise history to reach 30 career points (36 GP). The players who did it in fewer games: Sergei Fedorov (27 GP), Yzerman (30 GP), Jim McFadden (30 GP), and Nicklas Lidstrom (33 GP).
Moritz Seider is the third-fastest defenceman in franchise history to record 20 career assists (36 GP), behind only Lidstrom (26 GP) and Jeff Sharples (32 GP). For both Raymond and Seider, this is pretty elite company they join with the starts to their careers they are having. Yes, they have slowed down a bit from their early-season dominance, but as rookies, they are still adjusting to the NHL and will only get better from here.
Cale Makar Leads Avalanche to Comebacks & Dominance at Home
The Colorado Avalanche have recorded the seventh-most consecutive comeback wins in NHL history (five). This ended in their loss in Nashville in overtime after two third-period comebacks. The team extended their franchise record home winning streak to 12 games.
Cale Makar has the third-most goals in NHL history by a defenceman before game 30 of the season with 16. Only Bobby Orr has more, scoring 19 in 1974-75 and 17 in 1973-74. Just when you think the 48-goal record by a defenceman is out of reach, Makar continues to score and has a real shot of reaching that mark set by Paul Coffey.
Amazing Start for Panthers Led by Ekblad, Barkov
Aaron Ekblad recorded his 30th point of the season in his 35th game, second-fastest in franchise history. Keith Yandle reached 30 points in fewer games (32 GP) in 2018-19. While Aleksander Barkov scored his 10th shorthanded goal of his career, third-most in franchise history behind Radek Dvorak (16) and Tom Fitzgerald (12).
The Florida Panthers have recorded 50 points in the first 36 games of a season for the second time in franchise history. The only other time they accomplished this was 1995-96, the season that saw their team go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. This is possibly the best team the Panthers have assembled, and the topic just keeps coming up as they continue to set and reach franchise marks.
Blues’ Dangerous at Home
It was the first time in franchise history the St. Louis Blues scored twice in the final minute of the game to win in regulation. It was the 11th time in NHL history a team has won in regulation after trailing in the final minute. The Boston Bruins were the last team to accomplish this in 2019. This is a very rare occurrence and was very exciting to see unfold.
The Blues currently have the third-longest home point streak in franchise history at 12 games (11-0-1). Their longer home point streaks are 21 games (18-0-3 in 2011-12) and 14 games (11-0-3 in 2016-17).
Player & Team Stats & Milestones From Around the NHL
Team
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have the best all-time record against the Vegas Golden Knights with a .750 win percentage (6-2-0).
- The last time an opposing player scored a hat trick in Buffalo was in 2013 by Brad Richards.
Player
- Matt Grzelcyk is the first defenceman to record five points in a game this season. He is also the fifth Boston Bruins defenceman to accomplish this since 1975-76. Only Ray Bourque (six in 1990) and Glen Wesley (six in 1988) have recorded more points since then. The last Bruins defenceman to record at least five points in a game was Bourque in 1994, four days before Grzelcyk was born.
- Roman Josi moved into sole possession of second-most points in Nashville Predators history with 482, passing Martin Erat.
- Auston Matthews tied a Maple Leafs record of a goal in eight consecutive road games. He tied Daniel Marios (1989-90), Frank Mahovlich (1960-61), and Babe Dye (1920-21).
- Matt Duchene scored his third overtime winner of the season, a franchise record.
- Nikita Kucherov recorded his fourth career hat trick. His last hat trick came in 2017. He is tied for the fourth-most hat tricks in franchise history with Tyler Johnson. Only Steven Stamkos (9), Martin St. Louis (8), and Vincent Lecavalier (6) have more.
- Victor Hedman has recorded 30 or more assists in seven consecutive seasons and eight times in his career.
- Brad Marchand has the seventh-most multi-goal games since 2009-10 (52).
- Logan Couture has scored the third-most overtime goals in San Jose Sharks history (6), behind only Brent Burns (10) and Patrick Marleau (10).
- Viktor Arvidsson required the fewest games to reach 20 points (29 GP) as a first-year member of the Los Angeles Kings since Mike Richards in 2011-12 (24 GP).
- Adam Boqvist played his 100th career game.
There were some special returns over the past few days from Kucherov and Malkin, and a couple important overtime winners, and many more goals, assists, and points. Check back in a few days for all the latest stats and milestones from your favourite teams and players on the NHL Stat Corner.
