The Toronto Maple Leafs went to the shootout for the first time this season — and it showed, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand stayed red hot at home, and Tyson Barrie moved up the ranks of Colorado Avalanche defencemen.
Here are three things we learned in the NHL on Wednesday.
Shutout in the shootout
March 14, 2018.
That was the last time the Toronto Maple Leafs were in a shootout until Wednesday night.
A William Nylander goal in the third period pulled the Leafs even with the Philadelphia Flyers at 4-4 after a back-and-forth night at the Wells Fargo Center.
Overtime solved nothing, sending Toronto to a shootout for the first time in over a year.
And the Leafs’ rust appeared to show. The team failed to find the back of the net in five chances, with John Tavares looking particularly out of practice. Fresh off a four-goal game Monday, the Leafs’ leading goal scorer lost control of the puck on his attempt just inside the offensive zone as he looked to pick up momentum.
Sean Couturier won it for the Flyers.
The Leafs have the sixth fewest wins in the shootout since it was introduced for the 2005-06 campaign.
Cooking at home
It’s hard enough to stop Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand on a given night, but that rings true even more at TD Garden of late.
The pair assisted on David Pastrnak‘s first-period, power-play goal in the Boston Bruins‘ 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers, giving them both 17-game point streaks at home.
The feat puts them in some elite company. Bergeron and Marchand sit tied with Ray Bourque, and are closing in on streaks by Phil Esposito (18 games), Cooney Weiland (18 games), Rick Middleton (19 games), Esposito (19 games), Bobby Orr (21 games), Esposito (23 games) and Orr (25 games).
The Bruins have two home games remaining this season.
Bergeron and Marchand aren’t just doing well at home, both are both on pace to blow past previous career-best point totals. The four-time Selke-Trophy winning Bergeron has 77 points in 61 games, eclipsing his previous highest total of 73, which he achieved in 81 games back in 2005-06. Marchand, meanwhile, has racked up 97 points in 76 games this season, shattering his top mark of 85 set in 2016-17 and tied in 2017-18.
Teammate and frequent linemate Pastrnak had a decent night of his own, notching a hat trick and two assists to extend his multi-point game streak to four. He has 11 points in five games since returning to the lineup from a thumb injury.
The three-goal game was also the 94th hat trick of the season, the most since 1995-96 when there were 93.
Barrie climbs Colorado’s all-time ranks
Another franchise record for Tyson Barrie.
The smooth-skating defenceman passed Sandis Ozolinsh for the most career goals by a rearguard in the history of the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise.
His 12th goal of the year against the Vegas Golden Knights gave him 73 in eight years with the Avalanche.
Earlier this season, Barrie overtook John-Michael Liles to become the team’s all-time leader in points among defencemen. He has 304 points across 478 games.
The 27-year-old also picked up two assists Wednesday and has been on a tear in March, with 12 points in 13 games. Barrie’s 56 points slot him alongside Kris Letang for sixth in D-man scoring in 2018-19.
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