With 11 games on the bill, Saturday night was a busy one in the NHL.
Henrik Lundqvist moved into second place for most wins by an active goalie with No. 350, Antoine Roussel became the leader in goals scored by a French national, Steven Stamkos and the Lightning found their scoring stride, and Dmitry Orlov boondoggled the Colorado Avalanche — and, well, everyone else — with a crazy goal. (Never stop until the whistle blows, boys.)
It was also a great night for home teams. The evening featured five shutouts in total, all by the home side (BOS, OTT, TB, DAL, MIN).
Here are six more things we learned in the NHL on Saturday night.
Marleau meets a milestone
Patrick Marleau registered his 1,000th career point Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a secondary assist on Brent Burns‘ goal less than 10 minutes into the game.
Marleau became the 83rd player in NHL history to reach the 1,000-point plateau, the 36th player to accomplish the feat with just one team and the only one to do so in a Sharks jersey.
Selected No. 2 overall in 1997, the 36-year-old forward is the third player from his draft class to reach 1,000 points, along with teammate Joe Thornton (No. 1) and Marian Hossa (No. 12).
With all this draft year talk, it’s worth noting that Marleau earned No. 1,000 in Pittsburgh, the host city where it all began.
Marleau will be recognized for the achievement prior to the Sharks’ next game versus the Penguins on Dec. 1.
Ryan’s ‘plan to play’ pays off
There was some uncertainty about whether or not Bobby Ryan would suit up for the Ottawa Senators ahead of their matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers. He took a hard hit into the boards Thursday night against Columbus and told reporters that his “plan is to play.”
Not only did Ryan play Saturday, he contributed two assists to extend his point streak to eight straight games — the longest point streak of his career.
The Senators blanked the struggling Flyers 4-0, marking Craig Anderson‘s second straight shutout. It was also the Flyers’ second straight game without scoring.
In other NHL streak news, Patrick Kane extended his points roll to 16 straight games with a helper on Artem Anisimov‘s third period goal.
Reimer at the top of his game — almost
James Reimer has had plenty of success of late, and is a huge reason why the Toronto Maple Leafs have enjoyed a little run of success this November. Don Cherry had this to say about him during his Coach’s Corner segment: “Right now, [Reimer]’s the best goaltender in the NHL. He’s terrific.”
But as well as he’s played, there’s still one thing that has eluded the netminder: a shutout.
He came close Saturday night against the Bruins, lasting just over 56 minutes without letting in a goal. But then Zdeno Chara‘s shot happened, and the shutout-less streak continued.
According to Sportsnet’s Stats department, Reimer is the only goaltender to play in over 70 games, dating back to Nov. 2, 2013, without earning a shutout.
Doan takes out Pavelec
Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan bowled over Winnipeg Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec late in the second period. It didn’t look good.
Pavelec was slow to get up, and needed to be helped off the ice. He left the game, and did not return. According to a report, he was seen leaving the rink on crutches — an indication he could be out for a while.
So, while we wait for further word on Pavelec’s upcoming absence, where does this leave the Jets’ crease for the time being?
Michael Hutchinson was perfect to end the game, stopping all seven shots in the Jets’ eventual 3-2 win. The 25-year-old netminder has gone 5-3-1 in nine starts this season, and will look to step up his game at the No. 1 for the time being. He won 21 of his 38 starts in his rookie campaign last year.
This could also be a chance for the Jets to see six-foot-four prospect Connor Hellebuyck in action. His strong play behind a not-so-good AHL team is giving the Jets reason to expect he could be a mainstay in the NHL sooner rather than later.
Larkin’s the real deal
Dylan Larkin has wowed many hockey fans with his play so far in his rookie season, creating some early Calder Trophy buzz. The 19-year-old first-year centreman has eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in 20 games this season, accompanying Max Domi atop the goals-by-a-rookie ranks and placing third in overall points.
Saturday’s goal means Larkin has now scored in his last four games. The last Red Wings rookie to do that?
Steve Yzerman (Mar. 20-28, 1984).
The Sedin show
Daniel Sedin‘s first highlight of the night came when he notched career point no. 900, an assist on brother Henrik’s first period goal, as the Vancouver Canucks took on the Chicago Blackhawks.
And then he just didn’t stop.
By night’s end, Daniel added a hat trick as the Canucks took hold of the game for a 6-3 victory.
Of course, when Daniel has success, Henrik is never far behind. The Canucks captain assisted on all three of his brother’s goals, and added a fourth assist for a five-point game.
That’s a combined nine points between the twins.
Now, seeing as we started this nightly recap with Orlov’s wacky play, it’s only fitting that we finish it off with this gem of a blooper, courtesy of Colin Wilson‘s right skate. (Because who doesn’t love a good hockey blooper, right?)
