The Flames penned a new chapter in franchise history, the Panthers are your unlikely Atlantic Division leader, Getzlaf got a monkey off his back, and more in 5 Things We Learned in the NHL.
Gaudreau, Flames on fire at home
The Calgary Flames set a franchise record with their 11th consecutive win at home with a 5-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers Sunday.
Johnny Gaudreau scored twice to raise his season total to 17. His 39 points, 29 of which have come at the Scotiabank Saddledome, are good enough for sixth in the league.
Gaudreau has absolutely owned the month of December, scoring 12 goals and totaling 18 points in 11 games.
The Flames are 9-2 in December, with contests at home versus the Ducks and Kings on tap to close out the month.
The Flames franchise record for most wins in the month of December is 10, which they accomplished in 1992-93 and 2003-04. With two games left this month, they’ll have a chance at a little more history.
The Panthers claimed first place in the Atlantic Division
The Florida Panthers entered Sunday’s meeting with the Columbus Blue Jackets just one point out of first place in the Atlantic Division. They would claim top spot in the division with a 3-2 win and some help from the Ottawa Senators, who downed the Boston Bruins 3-1.
Aleksander Barkov scored twice to pace the Panthers. Roberto Luongo, who was tested sparingly, made 15 saves.
The Panthers pounded the Blue Jackets in the first period, outshooting them 19-1. The fancy stats tell an even more lopsided story with Florida winning the shot attempts battle 30-3 in the period.
Hellebuyck had a game
Rookie goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves to help the Winnipeg Jets to their first shutout of the season in a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It was also the first shutout of Hellebuyck’s young career. The 22-year old improved his season save percentage to .926 and lowered his goals-against average to 2.12.
Nine games is a small sample size, but Hellebuyck appears to be in control of the crease in Winnipeg. Although, Tyler Myers‘ face made a case for some work between the pipes…
Ouch.
Babcock’s system is working
No one expected the Toronto Maple Leafs to be a contender this season, and at 13-14-7 and sitting in the Atlantic Division’s basement they certainly aren’t one.
What they are, though, is a much better hockey team under head coach Mike Babcock.
The Leafs topped the New York Islanders 3-1 Sunday to run their record in November and December to 12-7-5.
“We have different systems now and we’re doing a better job of playing with (the) system,” forward Tyler Bozak said following the game.
“Guys are buying in,” he added.
Bozak has four goals and five points in his last three games and is currently on pace to total 62 points. His career high is 49, which he did twice (2013-14 and 2014-15).
He’s also currently sporting a 51.5 per cent Corsi for rating. Bozak carries a 46.6 per cent mark for his career, according to war-on-ice.com.
Getzlaf can still beat a goaltender
Ryan Getzlaf scored his second goal of the season in the Anaheim Ducks‘ 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers Sunday.
It was the first time he scored on a goaltender in 2015-16. His only other goal this season was of the empty-net variety in a game versus the Carolina Hurricanes.
It’s been quite a while since Getzlaf last beat a netminder — 44 games, in fact. His last goal with a goaltender between the pipes was on April 30 in a playoff game versus the Calgary Flames.
Getzlaf’s goal versus the Flyers was the 699th point of his career. He’d reach the 700 point mark later when he assisted on a Corey Perry marker.