The Jets collapsed late in Dallas, the Flames continued to struggle, the Maple Leafs upset the Preds on the road, Patrick Kane extended his incredible point streak and Max Domi did it again.
Here are five more things we learned on a busy Thursday night in the NHL.
Ovechkin has another record breaker called back
Justin Williams owes Alex Ovechkin a dinner at a nice restaurant or something…actually make that two dinners. For the second time in three games, Ovechkin thought he had scored his 484th career goal, which would pass Sergei Fedorov for first all-time among Russian players.
Twice the puck went in the net, twice Ovechkin celebrated and twice the call on the ice was reversed after a coach’s challenge. Last Saturday, Ovechkin scored against the Maple Leafs to break the record but it was overturned after it was deemed Williams interfered with James Reimer. Thursday, Ovechkin scored against the Flyers but it was overturned because Williams was offside.
It’s only a matter of time before Ovechkin passes Fedorov in goals, and, if he stays healthy, he’ll also eventually collect more points than any Russian in NHL history. Ovechkin has 991 points in 775 games. He’s closing in on Alex Kovalev (1,029), Alexander Mogilny (1,032) and Fedorov (1,179).
Pair of shutout streaks come to an end
Jake Allen and Henrik Lundqvist had impressive shutout streaks heading into Thursday’s action, but both came to an end as Lundqvist’s Rangers beat Allen’s Blues 6-3.
Allen’s streak ended at 170 minutes and 53 seconds, while Lundqvist went nearly 130 minutes between goals.
Even though Lundqvist’s streak came to an end, the Rangers continued the impressive streak they’re on.
Canucks only lose close games
The Vancouver Canucks sit near the top of the Western Conference standings yet they could be so much better than their 7-5-5 record. The Canucks fell 3-2 to the Ottawa Senators Thursday. It was the team’s 10th loss of the year and all 10 of those losses have been by just one goal, which turns out to be an NHL record.
Marchand loses his temper
Midway through a Colorado Avalanche 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins, Gabriel Landeskog hammered Brad Marchand up high. Landeskog was given a match penalty for the hit, which will be reviewed by the league, and Marchand was okay. That should have been the end of it. Instead, Marchand sucker-punched Landeskog in response and now he’s also facing potential supplemental discipline.
Zucker, Wild more offensive than you think
Jason Zucker is one of those players you don’t hear much about, but the Minnesota Wild forward continues to produce at an impressive clip. Last season, Zucker quietly scored 21 goals in just 51 games and this year he has 13 points in 15 games, behind only Mikko Koivu and Ryan Suter for his team’s lead. Zucker registered his first multi-goal game of the season Thursday when he netted the overtime winner against the Hurricanes.
The Wild were known for their strong defensive play, but this season we’ve seen a slight shift. They’re one of only six teams in the league to average more than three goals per game and unlike last year they rank in the bottom half of the league in terms of goals against per game.