It has been an interesting past few days in the NHL with a ton of games on some nights and little to none on the others. Nevertheless, there are more than enough stats and milestones from around the NHL to fill your need for today. Not only are there lots from the featured teams, but I also have stats and milestones that will pique your interest from the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, Anaheim Ducks, and more.
Matthews’ Goal-Scoring is Elite for Maple Leafs
Auston Matthews joins Darryl Sittler (1974, 1976) as the only two players in Toronto Maple Leafs’ history to record multiple point streaks of 10-plus games in a calendar year. It is Matthews’ second point streak of 10 or more games in his career. Only Sittler (six), Mats Sundin (three), and Babe Dye (three) have more in franchise history. He is also the first Maple Leafs’ player to have a goal streak of six or more games on the road since Sundin in 2006. The goal-scoring of Matthews has put him in elite company in a very rich original six franchise with lots of competition (“Even Auston Matthews’ teammates are awestruck by his goal-scoring ability: ‘Unbelievable to watch’”, Toronto Star, 12/15/21).
Matthews is just the second player in franchise history to start his career with six or more consecutive seasons with 20-plus goals, joining Dave Keon (6). He has the sixth-most consecutive 20-goal seasons in franchise history, behind Sundin (13), Sittler (9), Ron Ellis (9), and Rick Vaive (7). Matthews is the first player in franchise history to score 20 goals in the team’s first 30 games in consecutive seasons since 1942-43 and 1943-44, Lorne Carr.
The Maple Leafs have the second-most wins through their first 30 games of the season in franchise history with 20. The team recorded 21 wins in 1934-35. This doesn’t happen without many of the accolades that Matthews has matched already this season.
Penguins Continue to Get Production From Veterans Crosby & Letang
Kris Letang is the seventh active defenceman to reach 600 points and 43rd in NHL history. He is also the second-fastest active defenceman of the seven to reach 600 career points (887 GP). Only Erik Karlsson (730) reached the milestone faster. Feeding the puck to the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for his whole career definitely helps, but he is a special player to be able to do so with ease for so long.
Crosby recorded his 400th career multi-point game, becoming the 14th player in NHL history to do so. He has recorded nine more multi-point games than the next closest active player, Joe Thornton. His dominance since entering the league has proven time and time again why he is one of the best players to ever play in the NHL, accomplishing a feat like this in an era that has much less scoring than years passed.
Evan Rodrigues of the Pittsburgh Penguins matched his career-high in goals with nine in 28 games. It previously took him 74 games to reach that season total in 2018-19. He has taken his game to a whole new level, and part of the reason why the Penguins were able to stay afloat through all their injuries. Danton Heinen also played his 300th career game.
Pacioretty Setting Franchise Marks
Max Pacioretty set a franchise record with the most goals through his first 10 games of the season with 10. He also set a franchise record and matched his career-best with goals in six consecutive games. He then extended his career and franchise-longest goal-scoring streak to seven games. He also became the third player in franchise history to record multiple points in four or more consecutive games. Mark Stone recorded five in 2020-21 and four in 2019-20, and William Karlsson recorded five in 2017-18.
Pacioretty and Stone both tied the franchise record for points in nine consecutive games, held by Alex Tuch (2018-19). After a shaky start to the team with many major pieces injured, they have both come back and dominated side by side.
Chandler Stephenson is the first player in franchise history to record three or more assists in consecutive games. He is also just the second player to do so this year in the NHL, joining Jonathan Huberdeau. He has quietly turned himself into a very good and underrated player in the NHL and will be a very efficient second or third-line centre once Jack Eichel returns.
Goals Keep on Coming for Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are the sixth team in the past 28 years to score 109 or more goals through their first 25 games of the season. The only other teams to do so in that span were the Buffalo Sabres (109 in 2006-07), Ottawa Senators (115 in 2005-06), Pittsburgh Penguins (125 in 1995-96), Philadelphia Flyers (111 in 1993-94), and Detroit Red Wings (109 in 1993-94).
Mikko Rantanen recorded his 200th career assist. He is the seventh-fastest in franchise history to reach that mark, doing it in 355 games. Cale Makar has scored more goals (13) than the entire defence on 17 NHL teams this season. Makar more than anyone else has seemed unstoppable and continues to do what very few defencemen in the league before him have done.
Related: NHL Stat Corner (West): Blackhawks, Avalanche, Wild, Oilers, Sharks
Andre Burakovsky scored his first career hat trick. The secondary scoring has also been a big factor, and since Burakovsky is on his contract year, what a time to perform well.
Player & Team Stats & Milestones From Around the NHL
Team
- The Montreal Canadiens have the worst record through the first 30 games of the season in franchise history (6-21-3). They have the fewest points (15), worst goal differential (minus-43), and worst penalty kill (71%) through the first 30 games in franchise history.
- The Chicago Blackhawks scored three goals in 34 seconds, the sixth-fastest time to do so since 1986-87. It was also the fourth time in franchise history where the Blackhawks have scored three goals within 0:34. They also did so in 1952 (0:21), 1983 (0:30), and 2017 (0:34).
- The Anaheim Ducks are the first franchise to have scored three penalty-shot goals in overtime.
- Multiple Ottawa Senators players have recorded three-plus points in consecutive games for the second time in franchise history. Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson recorded three each on Dec. 11 and Josh Norris, Batherson, and Connor Brown each recorded three or more on Dec. 14. The Senators are the fourth team to score eight goals in a game this season, joining the Columbus Blue Jackets, Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets. They are also the first team to do so on the road this season. It has been over 13 years since the Senators last scored eight goals on the road.
- The Canucks came from behind from a three-goal deficit to win in regulation for the first time since 2010 and the first time at home since 1996.
- The Florida Panthers suffered their worst loss at home since 2013 vs the Philadelphia Flyers, 7-1. It was their worst loss in general since losing to the Calgary Flames 6-0 in 2016.
- The Minnesota Wild are tied with the most wins vs the Golden Knights since they entered the league in 2017 (11-4-3), despite losing.
Player
- Alex Ovechkin tied Dave Andreychuk for the most power-play goals in NHL history with 274.
- Joe Thornton moves into sole possession of 12th all-time in points with 1534.
- Troy Terry became the 18th player in NHL history to score an overtime goal via a penalty shot. He is the third Ducks player to do so, joining Bobby Ryan and Jonathan Hedstrom. Terry’s 18 goals are the fourth-most in franchise history through the first 30 games of a season to Teemu Selanne (23), Corey Perry (19), and Paul Kariya (19).
- Andrei Vasilevskiy tied Marc-Andre Fleury’s NHL record with his 62nd win in a calendar year (regular season and playoffs).
- Patrick Kane recorded his 700th career assist. He is the fifth active player to reach that milestone, joining Thornton (1106), Crosby (852), Nicklas Backstrom (723), and Ryan Getzlaf (722). Kane is also the third player in franchise history to record that many assists with the Blackhawks. The others: Stan Mikita (926) and Denis Savard (719).
- Bruce Boudreau is the first head coach in Vancouver Canucks history to start 5-0-0. Only one other coach has even started his tenure with the Canucks with a point in four-plus games, Roger Neilson (5-0-2 in 1981-82).
- Drew Doughty has recorded the second-most power-play goals among defencemen in Los Angeles Kings history (68). Only Rob Blake (92) has more.
- Charlie Lindgren is the second goaltender in franchise history to win his first four games with the St. Louis Blues, joining Ryan Miller in 2013-14.
- Moritz Seider is the third-fastest rookie defenceman in Detroit Red Wings’ history to reach 20 assists, doing so in 29 games. Only Nicklas Lidstrom (22 GP) and Jeff Sharples (26 GP) did so in fewer games.
- Mika Zibanejad is the second player in the past 20 years on the New York Rangers to score his first six goals of the season on the road. The other was Derek Stepan (7 in 2010-11).
- Quinn Hughes has recorded the second-most three-point games (10) since 2018-19, trailing only John Carlson (13).
- Cam Atkinson recorded his seventh career hat trick.
- Seattle Kraken’s Joonas Donskoi recorded his 200th career point.
- Chris Kreider played his 600th career game. He is the 22nd player in New York Rangers history to do so, and the 12th player from the 2009 draft to reach that mark.
- Riley Damiani of the Dallas Stars scored his first career goal. He is the second player for the Stars to score in his NHL debut this season, joining Jacob Peterson.
- Canadiens’ Jesse Ylonen scored his first career goal.
- Nashville Predators’ Nick Cousins played his 400th career game.
- Buffalo Sabres’ Vinnie Hinostroza played his 300th career game.
A couple of teams like the Canucks and Senators are showing life after poor starts and are worth paying attention to. A number of big-name players in the NHL are setting new marks and proving why they’re still some of the best players in the world. Stay up to date with all the latest stat and milestones from around the NHL and keep an even closer eye out for your favourite team or player.
Rob Couch is a THW freelance writer covering mainly the Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers. He covers everything you need to know about fantasy hockey. He will also keep you up to date with the NHL Stat Corner and trade talks from around the NHL.
You can find more of his work on Kraken Chronicle as well as The Faceoff Hockey Network. Or check out some interesting articles here.
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